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Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

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Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#161
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People still bought products that had the capability of ads being inserted retroactively. If you don't want the potential of ads being inserted into hardware you purchase, then don't purchase hardware that allows it. It is very straightforward.

So you're future victim blaming now? People need to be able to predict all possible eventualities and are to blame for any future changes to a system?

In the end you didn't you read the fine print where it said google can make changes. You relied on their brand name and popularity and thought you were making a solid choice. You will get outraged today and forget about it tomorrow.

You got played. You were scammed. You are a victim of following what society told you.

Accept it and think though your next purchase.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very straightforward: do not buy products that have the capability to have ads added to them retroactively. There is zero way any of the three televisions in my house will have ads added to them unless someone physically comes into my home and replaces the television sets.

I was looking for dumb tvs a little bit ago and it's quite hard to find. Every company wants to turn their hardware sale into an eternal revenue stream.

Alibaba. I'm just buying what are basically big monitors. I'm paying what feels like a premium price for a screen, one power and three HDMI input - only. Lack of other BS is the premium feature.

Edit: down thread someone calls it "commercial display" - search for those.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#163
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's nearly perfect now that they've fixed the remote, and absolutely the device to beat at the moment. Most of the "channel" apps are also very nice, the exception being Amazon's clunky Prime Video app. The Plex client is quite good too.

The plex client is rock solid

I bought an Nvidia Shield because the Plex client can switch the display's refresh rate to match the content (no judder for 24p content). Based on [1], it sounds like that should be possible with the Apple TV, too. Can anyone confirm if this works well?

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208288

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#164
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My parents have an Android TV and often have to reboot it to for the internet connection to work. Makes all the streaming apps a pain to use.

I don't think that's specific to android tho. I got a Xiaomi one explicitly because they have good WiFi chips. This was one of my main worries, and I never had issues so far

No wifi issues, it's connected to ethernet

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#165
These days, it's difficult (almost impossible) find a dumb large TV in India. So I bought next best thing, a non-Google smart TV[1]. The UI is snappy. Soon I plan to hook it up with Apple TV.

[1] https://www.flipkart.com/philips-6600-146-cm-58-inch-ultra-h...

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#166
post #7

The way to combat this is not to buy products that have this and then complain about them. The companies that make them do not care, they have already gotten your money. The way to combat this is to not buy products that have this in the first place. edit: a lot of comments are saying that the ads were added later, after purchase. This doesn't change my opinion at all, because people still bought products that have t…

> The way to combat this is not to buy products that have this...

I did!

That is the ENTIRE point.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#167
post #49

The new Apple TV 4K is a absolutely better than any of the high end android tv devices. I’ve been through them all (at considerable expense) and am now totally happy on the new apple tv

I have an Apple TV and I want to like it, but the remote is utter garbage. Every time I so much as brush against it, it does some weird shit, like pause playback, go into fast forward, change the program or whatever... so then there's a mad scramble "where's that fucking remote?" as I try to figure out what appendage touched it so I can find it and undo whatever it decided to do. I'm afraid to stretch my legs or arms…

I also loathed those remotes but bit the bullet and bought the new ones. Am very happy with it and haven’t experienced any of the issues with the old one.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#168
post #161
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you're future victim blaming now? People need to be able to predict all possible eventualities and are to blame for any future changes to a system?

In the end you didn't you read the fine print where it said google can make changes. You relied on their brand name and popularity and thought you were making a solid choice. You will get outraged today and forget about it tomorrow. You got played. You were scammed. You are a victim of following what society told you. Accept it and think though your next purchase.

This is such an absurd take on things. So every change should just be brushed of and people should just move on? No software company is open to criticism for their changes and it's the consumers fault for not understanding every little nuance?

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#170

I ran into this last week on my nvidia shield. Here's a summary of the workaround I found (apologies for not having the specific package names offhand): 1. Install a new launcher from play store (I found one called "Basic Launcher" that matches the aesthetics of the default one). This doesn't solve the problem though, because Google disabled changing the default launcher for some user hostile reason, until you delete…

At first, I thought nVidia had done this, and I was cursing their name. After some searching, I discovered this is actually the stock launcher from Google instead.

nVidia should absolutely get ahead of this to preserve their own reputation.

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