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

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231–240 of 302 posts

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

#231
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>My hope is that Nvidia will just develop a launcher I don't see that they have a choice. Nobody is going to pay for a premium device that shoves ads in your face. Roku has ads, but they are less aggressive, so I imagine they would start picking up Nvidea customers. The bad review bombing hit both nVidea apps and Google's AndroidTV launcher pretty hard: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nvidia.teg...…

> Nobody is going to pay for a premium device that shoves ads in your face. I have a Sony Bravia TV and it uses Android TV as well. It's had the homescreen ads for a while now and I really dislike it. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00225587 The funny thing about that page is that the image used to be animated. The first ad is for some crime show and has blood splatter in the background (you can sti…

You actually think they care? I get ads for apps I already have installed. YouTube says "time to revisit this app".

Google knows I have it, yet they still take the advertiser's money and make me watch the ad. Over and over again.

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

#232
post #29

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.

I'm really surprised at just how much I like my Apple TV. I (wrongly) assumed it was a bit of a joke of a product for many years.

The latest 4k model is ridiculously fast (despite using an 'old' A12 SoC). Across the board it just works better than any Android TV, Fire TV or Roku I've ever used.

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

#233
> However, a number of Shield TV users consider these images to be advertisements (especially when they recommend shows on services users aren’t even subscribed to)

Sums it up. These ARE ads, they suck, and for the paid price should not be here. I'm still salty I have fucking ads on my 2000€ Bravia. It's the first and last time I buy an Android TV. In fact it was the push for me to migrate from an Android phone to an iPhone.

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

#235
post #83

Is there even any type of smart TV without Google and or other companies? I don’t even know who makes an open source tv or something with Android as a part of it.

You can get a NUC or some kind of mini PC and install Kodi on it

And where does the content you will play with Kodi come from?

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

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No unfortunately that may not work. Even if you revert all updates, the old launcher now has the ad. It appears they are doing this from their service side somehow. I removed all updates and disabled updates, but it didn't work. Mine required side-loading a launcher.

You have to also revert the play services app and then disable it, in addition to reverting the launcher app. I've got some other apks disabled as well, but I think these two are the critical ones. I haven't had the ads pop up again in over 2 weeks.

I'd be curious if it depends on when you purchased the shield. I just tried this on my older shield reverting/disabling worked, but my newer one does not.

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

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just to clarify. The Apple TV (tvOS) interface gives extra functionality to apps on the top row of the launcher. (you have full control over ordering the apps). This functionality allows the apps to show whatever preview content they want per the SDK. Some show continue watching, and then suggestions, others show nothing. But you are in charge of what apps are on the top row.

Also, you can change the setting fore the TV.app so the large banner on the home screen only shows television shows and movies you have added to "Up Next". Go to "Settings" > "Apps" > "TV" and change the "Top Shelf" setting to "Up Next" instead of "What To Watch".

This tip is very much appreciated, thank you

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

#238

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 think people here need to realize that in terms of preference, they are massive outliers. While you can conceptualize recommendations for things you have not bought as Ads, there is likely no money changing hands here for these to displayed. And most people actually like these features: https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/19/22580720/android-tv-watch...

Source on it not creating money? Where I've worked, they had recommendations (for shows and movies) and we definitely were paid for showing them. Companies would pay us for priority, direct buy of a slot or to get certain keywords/demographics. They were really no different from ad slots at the end of the day. Only difference was that there was a small, but unlikely chance, someone that didn't pay could have been promoted.

Given this is Google's business, I'd find it hard to believe that they would market other products without a financial incentive (whether through a cut of the sale through the play store or direct payment for displaying the recommendation).

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

#239

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…

Honestly, why do people buy shit like this when you can just hook a raspberry pi to your tv and stream through that? I'm asking a real question here, I simply can't understand what makes this a desirable thing for anyone.

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

#240

I switched over kodi+torrents over an RPI because of this, I would have been an happy with android tv and whatever streaming service. Companies spend their times screwing their customers, so if you screw me I screw you! and I have my conscience for me.

This is the first comment in the thread that makes sense. The customers' and the content providers' relationship is simply abusive. The providers' constant struggle for control over viewership, and the creep of anti-features, dark patterns and questionable EULAs and other terms are simply disgusting.
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