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Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

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Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#61

Post by temp8964 »

pixxel wrote: post #51
temp8964 wrote: post #15

I hated FireTV exactly because of the ads. Now I am using Roku comes with the TV. Roku has ad too, but not overwhelming. In the future, maybe the only choice is no-brand Android TV box/ stick which has ads removed.

PiHole to remove those Roku ads! I have PiHole running on a five dollar Pi Zero. Just sits on a shelf doing its thing on all devices connected to network.

Does it leave a blank space on the home screen? I feel I am fine with the Roku ad in a rectangle box on the side of the home screen.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#62

Post by ajsnigrutin »

cf100clunk wrote: post #39
NietTim wrote: post #29

If history has taught us anything: this will blow over in a few weeks or months and everyone will get used to it in the end. The small percentage of users who (sometimes only temporarily) stop using the service is offset by the new income and the majority of users do not care.

History teaches us that HN readers are generally quite caring of these sort of intrusions into their previous "just right" setups and don't tend to just let it ride.

Yep, 16 new libreelec installs will appear, and thousands of google tvs will be sold in the meantime.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#63

Post by Ansil849 »

LegitShady wrote: post #33
Ansil849 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's very straightforward: do not buy products that have the capability to have ads added to them retroactively. There is zero way any of the three televisions in my house will have ads added to them unless someone physically comes into my home and replaces the television sets.

I was looking for dumb tvs a little bit ago and it's quite hard to find. Every company wants to turn their hardware sale into an eternal revenue stream.

They are not hard to find at all. Sure it's more 'difficult' than searching for 'TV' on Amazon, but if you spend ten minutes doing a web search, you will find some brands.

Here's one site to get you started: https://pointerclicker.com/best-dumb-tv/

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#65

Post by tmccrary55 »

jmacd wrote: post #49

The new Apple TV 4K is a absolutely better than any of the high end android tv devices. I’ve been through them all (at considerable expense) and am now totally happy on the new apple tv

Is the Apple TV better than the Nvidia Shield? I bought one of the tubes and that thing is slick as hell.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#66

Post by milankragujevic »

tyingq wrote: post #55
milankragujevic wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn't make sense as this was added additionally, so when people purchased their devices the ads were not present. To quote one review verbatim: > I purchased two premium-priced Nvidia Shield TV's and loved them until yesterday. That was the day Google began forcing huge dominating ads on the home screen. These ads are for content in services that I haven't eve subscribed to or installed, they're totally irrele…

Does the Nvidea Shield TV come with this Google controlled "Android TV Home" as the home screen / launcher? Seems like a miss on Nvidea's part to let someone else control the default experience, if so. Edit: It appears so. https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/support/shield-tv/introd...

Yes, it is required by Google for Android TV devices.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#67

Post by cs702 »

Where 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 of limit at which we value the right to personal privacy and the right to peace-of-mind over the right to advertise?

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#68

Post by herbst »

yorwba wrote: post #57
herbst wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that's specific to android tho. I got a Xiaomi one explicitly because they have good WiFi chips. This was one of my main worries, and I never had issues so far

How do you find out which ones have good WiFi chips?

I honestly don't know. Thing is I have had Xiaomi devices before, and they are my only smart devices that do not have connection issues (for me) and work in my back garden. My new Xiaomi phone is the only of our phones that streams in hd in my backyard. So yeah just personal experience and bad experiences with things like Samsung

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#69

Post by Ansil849 »

antiterra wrote: post #46
Ansil849 wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So, don't buy anything capable of receiving a software update? Not quite. Don't buy anything that forces updates. Updates are obviously important for security, compatibility and a slew of other reasons. But updates which are forced on the user are no bueno.

And if a fix for a critical vulnerability and an ad feature are both in the same update?

> And if a fix for a critical vulnerability and an ad feature are both in the same update?

Can you point to actual real-world examples where this has been the case?

I don't see the point of this stretched hypothetical. If it were to come up, then you could deal with accordingly - for instance by getting the update and then blocking the ad server somewhere upstream in your network path.

Re: Reviews of Android TV launcher after Google added ads to the homescreen

#70

Post by cf100clunk »

judge2020 wrote: post #48
cf100clunk wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

History teaches us that HN readers are generally quite caring of these sort of intrusions into their previous "just right" setups and don't tend to just let it ride.

Keyword “HN Readers”, not users. I’d be surprised if even 1% of all Android TV users were HN Readers.

That misconstrues my comment: I believe that HN readers (and users) care about topics like this over the long haul and don't tend to just let intrusions like Google's slide by without opprobrium. Thus, to me, the parent comment doesn't wash.
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