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Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

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Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#361

Post by Mindwipe »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #351
salamandersauce wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They do have a universal search but some of the big players like Netflix don't support it which meant that when I had an Apple TV I never really used it. The interface isn't that consistent either because app developers can pretty much do what they want so Netflix, YouTube etc. have the same UI they have other platforms for the most part which is different from Apple's. Of course Apple does the same thing and the App…

It is pretty much only Netflix that does not want to play ball. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208083

* In the US.

It's much patchier elsewhere.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#362

Post by Mindwipe »

mdasen wrote: post #20
gameswithgo wrote: post #2

It is so dumb and twisted that there even needs to be a deal. Any web browser can hit youtube, you can probably get to youtube via a web browser anyway on a roku, if not they could in principle do that. Also dumb and twisted that as a paying youtube subscriber, I could buy a computer (a roku) and not be allowed to access youtube on it. Do better, tech.

The issue is that companies like Roku are increasingly making their money by having companies like YouTube TV pay them to carry their apps. Likewise, there are lots of things about these systems that can fall under negotiations. For example, what analytics does Roku get access to for actions taken within apps? Does Roku get insight into what YouTube videos you're watching? From Roku's blog post, it seems that Google…

> It's dumb and twisted that Google won't allow Roku devices to run YouTube if Roku doesn't commit that all future Roku devices support AV1 - when even Google's own streaming device doesn't support AV1.

Surely that would only be the case if Google's future streaming devices don't support AV1, not the current one. And they well might tbh.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#363

Post by Mindwipe »

easton wrote: post #241
azinman2 wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s better used as an app on these devices. A webpage would be very cumbersome to use with a basic remote and lower powered processor. I also assume they integrated into search and other roku functionality.

Amazon for years just had an app in their store called "YouTube.com" which opened YouTube.com/tv in a webview. Worked absolutely fine, and was the preferred method until Google finally let them have an apk that didn't rely on Play Services.

I mean, the fact it was the preferred method until an app came along does rather show that it wasn't actually very good.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#364

Post by jimktrains2 »

readflaggedcomm wrote: post #298
jimt1234 wrote: post #238

A few weeks after all this beef started, Google emailed me with an offer for a free "Chromecast with Google TV" device. I thought it was weird, as the email (and the offer) was completely unsolicited. The email mentioned something about thanking me for being a YouTube-TV customer. I'm sure Google knows I watch YouTube-TV from my Roku-enabled TV, so I figured it was related to the beef. I just though it was weird at f…

Is the Amazon Prime app on Chromecast as good as Roku's?

Good as in bad? It doesn't support using a keyboard from the phone remote nor casting from its app on a phone.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#365

Post by esrauch »

southerntofu wrote: post #343
esrauch wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The normal phone-controlled Chromecast definitely doesn't have ads (but ads will play when watching YouTube unless you have premium obviously) I feel like that experience is optimal. I don't want any launcher experience on the tv, much less any ads.

> (but ads will play when watching YouTube unless you have premium obviously) Why obviously? Can't you use an adblocker with Chromecast? Isn't it just a dumb IP video streaming device? I've never used or seen a Chromecast, but if you can recommend a free-software/cheap alternative i'd be curious to try it.

I think the reality is there is no free-software alternative, because the entire user experience is based on ecosystem buy-in where every media source (Netflix/Amazon/YouTube/Hulu/HBO, even NPR/PBS and Chrome itself) all actively have support for the Cast flows within their products (some only in their native apps, but many in their web experiences as well).

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#366

Post by blendergeek »

AceJohnny2 wrote: post #283
dash488 wrote: post #264

Roku and AndroidTV aside, has someone come up with an opensource alternative to either of these spammy services? Im in neither camp as I have had both functionalities preinstalled on a TV. Recently with my newer Android TV it is riddled with ADs and is noisy on my network with telemetry data, even when not in use. When I just want to turn it on and play PS4, it takes time to load the latest on Amazon Prime, Netflix a…

Kodi/XBMC? Plex? Unfortunately that's only for local media. Obviously all the commercial streaming services have DRM that make them incompatible with open-source.

There is an "app" for most commerical services available for Kodi. These apps do not break DRM (they use an extracted Widevine binary from ChromeOS).

These app are not official however and are not in the main repositories for Kodi. Just search the Kodi forums for the service you need and you will find the app (for most services that I know about).

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#367

Post by rashkov »

HelloMcFly wrote: post #109
gonehome wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I liked them initially, but have since thrown out all their crap and bought Apple TVs. Once Apple got Amazon prime streaming roku lost their only differentiating feature. The ads really annoyed me to the extent that I don’t care if they fail.

Roku's differentiating feature has always been simplicity and universal search. Does Apple TV offer universal search across content providers? I'm asking, I don't know, but it's the one feature I can't give up.

I really enjoy using JustWatch for this. Their service allows you to search across all the streaming services, and browsing through their suggestions is fun. I also like using it to keep track of what I’ve watched and what I’d like to watch in the future. Their mobile app is pretty solid too.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#368

Post by deeblering4 »

neltnerb wrote: post #259
deeblering4 wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly why its better to buy a dumb TV and install a $50 HDMI stick (or two)

Turn wifi off for the existing TV (smart or not matters little if you don't connect it) and stick the same $50 HDMI stick and avoid throwing out the fully functional display? At this point, ads displayed to the users who use it as a smart TV probably subsidize those of us who use such TVs without connecting them to anything. My latest TV is enormous and 4K and under a few hundred dollars. The quality is fine, even if…

Hmm, avoiding the terms and conditions for a TV isn't exactly selling me on this idea, but yeah if you already have a smart TV obviously it's good to stretch its usefulness as far as possible.

But when shopping for a new TV, just buy a dumb one or a projector.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#369

Post by fistynuts »

jjeaff wrote: post #330
mdoms wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Lately, the Chromecast has become substantially worse, with many more ads and of course a stupid update nobody asked for showing kind of a tablet UI when you're in "idle" mode with the phone connected to the TV (idk how you're supposed to operate it, but I don't care, ofc it's a clickbait showcase screen). Are you sure you're using a Chromecast? Not only has my Chromecast never once shown me an ad, but I have no id…

The new Chromecast is a dongle that comes with a remote and has a Google tv interface built on Android tv. You can still cast to it like the old Chromecast. You are likely using one the older, cast only devices which have been discontinued.

The cast only devices haven't been discontinued. I bought one this week. Only the Ultra has been discontinued.

Re: Roku tells customers it is unable to strike a deal with YouTube

#370

Post by plushpuffin »

dtjb wrote: post #214
datavirtue wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have been on Roku forever now and I'm always wondering about these people freaking out about the ads there. It is no where close to the ad intrusion of YouTube. They are not animated, have no sound, and basically stay out of the way. It's like the shinning example of how to do ads.

Roku ads take up the entire right half of the main launch screen, visible every time you turn on the TV or change apps. They've recently started displaying branded ads that are even more intrusive, taking over the entire theme + wallpaper (I recall they did this for Mandalorian, Soul, some other big movie launches). YouTube ads help fund content creators. Roku ads are being displayed on a stand alone device that I al…

Also, it's possible to disable that home screen ad, if you mess around in the secret settings screen.

Hit Home 5 times. Hit Up, Right, Down, Left, Up. You're now on a secret settings screen. I don't know what its purpose is, internal development? Channel development? Set Image Service to "Dev" Set Home Screen Ad Banner URL to "Demo2" Do a Reset/Refresh of cached settings. Go to main Settings/System and reboot for good measure.

When you get back to the Roku home screen you shouldn't see changing ads anymore, just a static black and white Apple AirPlay image.

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