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Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

gizmodo.com

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Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#21

Post by GOONIMMUNE »

sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

I haven't resorted to changing my launcher yet, but I will definitely avoid purchasing a new shield (when my old one no longer suffices) as long as this is the user experience

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#22

Post by gpspake »

sneak wrote: post #11
sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

You don't have to bend over and take it, you can throw the device in the garbage. This is what I did with my Alexa hardware the instant it suffixed a routine response to a unit conversion or the weather or something with an ad for some unrelated Amazon service.

There's not a comparable device short of plugging a pc in to my tv and I'm not going back to that life. I play retro arch installed from the play store, stream my pc from my office in to RDP, and connect a wireless kb to one of two usb ports in the back. I also generally like the Google stuff including the assistant integration. The device is perfect in every way and I shouldn't have to throw this $300 device that's worked great for years in the trash because Google made a bad decision about the launcher. It's better than roku, firestick, and apple TV and they all have worse problems.

Throw it in the trash can't be the response to everything. Why don't I throw my phone and my car in the trash? Maybe I should throw my fridge and microwave in the trash too?

If my fridge started showing ads one day, suggesting that I shouldn't be pissed because I can just throw it out and get a cooler of ice is not helpful.

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#23

Post by swiley »

sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

>but there's just no escaping it in this day and age.

Yes there is. Absolutely no closed software ever. That's the rule you use. Even the modem on the phone I'm typing this on is running FOSS firmware. Don't compromise your freedom for convenience, you always end up with neither when you do.

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#24

Post by ocdtrekkie »

djrogers wrote: post #17
sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

> Apple is seems almost as bad too. There's recommendations that I don't want. The main AppleTV UI doesn’t have any recommendations for streaming apps you don’t own - the only thing that’s even close are when you highlight one of the apps in the top bar.

As an iOS user, there's a couple weird ones: Apple prohibits apps from putting ads in notifications, but sends a notification ad for every new Apple TV+ show. "Rules for thee, but not for me"

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#25

Post by sdflhasjd »

djrogers wrote: post #17
sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

> Apple is seems almost as bad too. There's recommendations that I don't want. The main AppleTV UI doesn’t have any recommendations for streaming apps you don’t own - the only thing that’s even close are when you highlight one of the apps in the top bar.

That is certainly better than the Shield, which is giving me recommendations for stuff I don't subscribe to.

As far as I understand though, is that it will show recommendations provided by installed apps. I do have Prime, and I still don't really want recommendations without explicitly asking for it.

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#27

Post by UI_at_80x24 »

I have disabled the Google Play service to disable the ads on my Shield devices (I thinks this prevents YouTube from working, but I only use YouTube on a PC where UBO can block the advertisements.

BUT, I rarely ever see the launcher/home screen anyway.

While within whatever app you are using if you click on the 'options/hamburger' button on the remote, you can scroll down to 'Apps' select the next app you want to launch, and select 'Open'.

2-4 mouse clicks becomes 4-6 and you bypass the home screen.

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#28

Post by xwolfi »

sdflhasjd wrote: post #6

My shield updated to this the other day. I'm pretty furious about it, it's not a cheap device, and it's certainly not Google's. To be adding these "features" without asking, irrespective of whatever agreement between me, Nvidia or Google exists, is ridiculous. I know it's in whatever terms I, uh, "accepted", but there's just no escaping it in this day and age. Fortunately, I know how to use ADB and just installed ano…

But you're making a mistake: you never owned this device, you obtained a perpetual license to use it :D

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#29

Post by Legion »

I strongly prefer the Apple TV UI approach over all the rest.

The whole content recommendation view is contained withing the Apple TV application, instead of the home screen. The home screen gives me an unsullied grid of applications.

If I want to have the content recommendation view be my default, the settings gives me the option of defaulting to it instead of the home screen.

Re: Nvidia Shield TV Owners Are Pissed About the Banner Ads in Android TV

#30

Post by jahlove »

sdflhasjd wrote: post #16
DiabloD3 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What launcher did you switch to?

Wolf Launcher, seems to do everything I need from a homescreen. Lets you hide apps and has some basic customisation. Not amazing, but it has no ads.

Supposedly Wolf Launcher stole its code from some abandonware launcher, and is not open source. I'm wary of using it, personally.
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