Is Google anticipating going bankrupt?
Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
401–410 of 507 posts
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#402I hate the idea of ads just like any other person however how else companies profit without it or creating a paid subscription to remove ads for so much a month/year? As I see it you pay for the product not the service.
Then sell the product with ads and let people decide if they want to buy it with them or get something else.
Don't sell someone hardware that operates seemingly without ads, then foist them on the user after-the-fact.
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#403Can this be disabled via Pi-Hole?
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#404I hate to be that guy, but this is exactly why I happily paid for an Apple TV. Yes, it’s $100 more than basic streaming sticks, but I have never had to worry about ads suddenly appearing after an update. This whole space is a race to the bottom with sticks being sold at or below cost because you are the product. For example, Vizio revealing in their first quarterly report as a public company that they get nearly as m…
I hate to be that guy (no I don't) but this is why I just plugged one of the spare outputs on my PC into the TV with a 20ft HDMI extension cable and use a bluetooth keyboard/mouse to open movies from the living room.
So now I can’t use my computer when my kids watch tv?
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#405Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> but I have never had to worry about ads suddenly appearing after an update The problem is that Android TV users used to think the exact same thing. It's even said in the reviews explicitly by some people. I don't and I won't trust a corporation, be it Apple or Google, to not do something in a future update - if it works fine right now then unfortunately that has to be good enough.
Not all companies are equal. Some make money by selling things so they have an incentive to keep happy customers. Some companies don’t.
U2.
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#406I hate to be that guy, but this is exactly why I happily paid for an Apple TV. Yes, it’s $100 more than basic streaming sticks, but I have never had to worry about ads suddenly appearing after an update. This whole space is a race to the bottom with sticks being sold at or below cost because you are the product. For example, Vizio revealing in their first quarterly report as a public company that they get nearly as m…
You know what else can give you a smooth, ad-free experience and freedom ? Any cheap mini-pc with Kodi installed.
Does it support Full HD (at least) streaming from Netfilx and / or Prime?
My setup is like GP's, ie I play the videos on the computer, but what bothers me personally is that I have to boot windows to get the high quality streaming.
I've looked specifically at Kodi maybe a year ago and it didn't seem to support this. I'm OK with tinkering if I know it's actually possible to get this working.
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#407Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which problem? Because there aren't ads on the home screen, or even in the Apple TV app (other than promos for TV shows, but that's like...why you're there).
And that’s a feature that makes sense promote tv shows on your tv device. Most/all of the promoted shows are from apps already installed. Like the Disney+ Promo for Raya. I already had Disney+, so it was more of a hey watch this new content you’re already paying for.
I only have Hulu installed, and it's the only paid streaming service I use. I'm getting ads for peakcock and disney+ too.
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#408I 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…
Uninstalling didn't seem to work for me after reboot. If that doesn't work for you, try disabling it: 1. Install your new launcher through play store. (I used the Basic Launcher as well). 2. Settings -> Device Preferences -> About. Scroll to "Build" and click on it until it pops up that you are a developer (it will give you a countdown) 3. Settings -> Device Preferences -> Developer options (this was just unlocked in…
You're a lifesaver. Wasn't able to get the 3rd party launcher going by default. Thanks!
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#409Where does the "ad invasion" end? Smart toasters that force you to watch ads before getting your toast in the morning? Smart windows that display ads that block your view of your backyard? Smart paints that display ads on your bedroom walls? Smart shower-heads that play jingles as you wash yourself? Smart brain implants that directly induce subconscious desire to buy certain products and services? Is there some kind…
> Smart toasters that force you to watch ads before getting your toast in the morning? Adverts scorched into your toast. I sort of want this.
Adverts specifically, or just being able to scorch any design into your toast? The later sure would be neat and novel, my nephew gets a kick out of pancakes that look like his favorite cartoon characters.
But adverts on my breakfast? Dear god please no.
Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen
#410The one thing I like about Google's now many-years obsolete "do no evil" slogan is that it shows how it is impossible for companies to not eventually become "evil" once that's their only open easy revenue stream. Without debating what "evil" really means in this context, in the early days of a company there are plenty of ways to grow without being actively user hostile. Once those avenues are thoroughly maxed out, an…
> Once those avenues are thoroughly maxed out, any company that is basically only measured by growth […] will have to slide more and more into things that only boost revenue to the detriment of users. In this case, the law or regulation is supposed to step in. The problem is that the law pretty much stopped advancing when it comes to the digital world, at least when it benefits the consumer.
The law is advancing at it's usual pace. Some highlights include the Magna Carta in 1215, the Constitution in 1787, the Emancipation in 1863, the 19th Amendment in 1920, the Civil Rights Act of 1964...if anything, progress is happening more quickly now than ever.
It's just that culture/society/law change far slower than technology. Most US Senators are over 65, with associated world-views and educations more than half a century old. A quarter century ago, neither smart TVs, targeted ads, nor Google itself existed.
Children today are warned about Internet tracking tools, privacy management, they're aware of the creepy omnipresent big brother nature of tech, perhaps in 2080 Congress will be ready to address these issues.