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Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

patents.google.com

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Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#241

Post by lloeki »

sneak wrote: post #218
ok_dad wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ll also vote for Apple TV. It also acts as a hub for simple home automation if you just want a few light bulbs or something, or you want to store security camera footage directly to iCloud.

That requires iCloud, which is a privacy nightmare even if you opt in to their sometimes-kinda e2ee option (which nobody does). In the default config it is even worse. If you want privacy don’t use iCloud.

Please enlighten me as to how:

- iCloud is a privacy nightmare

- iCloud e2ee with ADP is sometimes-kinda e2ee

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#242

Post by jonathanlydall »

avidiax wrote: post #201
BeetleB wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their devices take multiple screenshots of whatever is on your screen every second and then uploads those images to their servers to be scrutinized so that they can make assumptions about you as a person. Source? Also, do they do it only on Roku TVs, or even Roku devices like their sticks?

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), it's called, generically. https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/how-to-t... The TV makers don't need ACR when you are using apps on their OS. Those apps all report the currently playing title to the OS maker. ACR is used for when you watch broadcast TV or anything coming in over HDMI. The margins on TVs are surprisingly small, so being able to show you a few dollars…

It’s somewhat sickening, for essentially making pennies a month per user, all users of the TV have adverts inflicted upon them.

When I need to replace my TV, I will happily pay the extra 10s of dollars for one which will never do this.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#243

Post by autoexec »

throwaway5959 wrote: post #233
8organicbits wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I clearly made a mistake, but I bought a Roku after seeing how often my Samsung TV was pinging back on my pi-hole DNS logs (constantly). The last two years it's had an increasing number of ads on the home screen. I won't buy another.

I have to wonder what their end-game is. Eventually the word has to get out.

There is no end goal. They're desensitizing consumers and their children until what they're doing is seen as normal and acceptable so that they can push a little farther. Except for the fact that ads didn't obscure the content, Idiocracy had the right idea https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/177/116639897...

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#244

Post by medell »

autoexec wrote: post #223
BeetleB wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their devices take multiple screenshots of whatever is on your screen every second and then uploads those images to their servers to be scrutinized so that they can make assumptions about you as a person. Source? Also, do they do it only on Roku TVs, or even Roku devices like their sticks?

> Roughly twice per second, a Roku TV captures video “snapshots” in 4K resolution. These snapshots are scanned through a database of content and ads, which allows the exposure to be matched to what is airing. For example, if a streamer is watching an NFL football game and sees an ad for a hard seltzer, Roku’s ACR will know that the ad has appeared on the TV being watched at that time. In this way, the content on scre…

You left the last sentence out of the paragraph from their ad copy. It doesn’t make their practices OK, but it’s important for those who don’t click through:

> We should note, however, that this data becomes aggregated, removing personally identifiable information before it is received by advertisers.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#245

Post by autoexec »

avidiax wrote: post #201
BeetleB wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Their devices take multiple screenshots of whatever is on your screen every second and then uploads those images to their servers to be scrutinized so that they can make assumptions about you as a person. Source? Also, do they do it only on Roku TVs, or even Roku devices like their sticks?

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR), it's called, generically. https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/how-to-t... The TV makers don't need ACR when you are using apps on their OS. Those apps all report the currently playing title to the OS maker. ACR is used for when you watch broadcast TV or anything coming in over HDMI. The margins on TVs are surprisingly small, so being able to show you a few dollars…

> The TV makers don't need ACR when you are using apps on their OS. Those apps all report the currently playing title to the OS maker.

That would just tell them what show you saw. With screenshots they can see what was on the screen when you paused the show, what scenes you rewound and re-watched or fast-forwarded through etc.

For example, if you pause a movie on a scene with boobs, they can assume you like boobs. Pause a lot on screens with text, they can assume you're a slow reader (with how long you tend to pause the screen indicating how much you struggle with reading). Maybe you're the kind of person who has to go back and rewatch scenes with heavy exposition or you like to watch violence and gore frame by frame, or you skip through certain shows just to get to the songs/musical numbers. Pause/rewind a lot and it might indicate that you're busy/distracted, but also that you care enough about what you're seeing that you don't just let the content play.

Even if they already have the title of the show being played, not collecting those twice a second screenshots when they have the ability to would be leaving a ton of data on the table.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#246

Post by KingJulian »

happymellon wrote: post #213
KingJulian wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You could get a SFF PC like the other reply mentioned, and install something like Plasma Bigscreen[1] on it. [1]( https://plasma-bigscreen.org/ )

But then you don't have any of the big streaming services, so it's not really an alternative to Roku. You'll need to do a little more legwork to replace them.

> You'll need to do a little more legwork to replace them.

That's true. You will need to install the applications by yourself. A bit of work but worth it, I think.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#247

Post by autoexec »

medell wrote: post #244
autoexec wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Roughly twice per second, a Roku TV captures video “snapshots” in 4K resolution. These snapshots are scanned through a database of content and ads, which allows the exposure to be matched to what is airing. For example, if a streamer is watching an NFL football game and sees an ad for a hard seltzer, Roku’s ACR will know that the ad has appeared on the TV being watched at that time. In this way, the content on scre…

You left the last sentence out of the paragraph from their ad copy. It doesn’t make their practices OK, but it’s important for those who don’t click through: > We should note, however, that this data becomes aggregated, removing personally identifiable information before it is received by advertisers.

It's not that important though, because depersonalized and even aggregated data can be traced back to a individual and even if roku doesn't hand that information along with your account details to advertisers roku themselves still have it all linked and can sell/leak that info to anyone at any time.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#248

Post by walterbell »

eru wrote: post #225
walterbell wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Fast food raising prices beyond the point where it's a discount relative to better food anymore. A critical mass of consumers is now so passive and docile that they don't change behavior as they're boiled alive. Sad and self-correcting by self-eliminating consumers. But that will take time and smaller markets are a net negative for the survivors.

Are you saying people will day en masse from fast food?

It was a statement about uneconomic decisions.

> they don't change behavior as they're boiled alive.

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#249

Post by _3u10 »

emacsen wrote: post #170
amyjess wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer is to buy a computer monitor and just watch on your PC.

The streaming companies downgrade Linux in streaming, so now you have to get a PC with Windows, and deal with that.

Does bit torrent not work on Linux?

Re: Roku files patent to inject ads via HDMI

#250

Post by _3u10 »

tjpnz wrote: post #238
_3u10 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just get a TV that isn’t shitty. People act like it’s a clockwork orange and you’re forced to watch ads.

I own a Bravia, it has all the usual bells and whistles but was made in Japan for the Japanese market. We've had it connected to the internet for the year since we bought it and haven't had any trouble with ads.

I’m betting the picture on a Roku TV isn’t good either.
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