628
Roku OS’s home screen now features a large, permanent ad (arstechnica.com)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
200 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 4 points 5 months ago (15 children)

I don't have a Roku. I own a non-smart TV connected to a mini PC. But for folks that don't want to go through that setup, wouldn't using an adblock DNS block it?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 15 child comments
    •
  • [–] 9 points 5 months ago (14 children)

    TCL TVs (whose OS is just Roku, and I imagine Roku is the same situation) blink the front LED as an Error when there's no network connection or it can't hit whatever servers it has configured for FW update check. It can get stuck on partial firmware updates when it can't cokplete every check it wants to make. The LED has a diffuser on it so it's a significant negative impact.

    I can't even tape that LED because that's also where the IR sensor is. My next step is to disassemble the thing and snip snip.

    I don't use any smart features, just HDMI input like you. Finding a Dumb TV has been a challenge.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 14 child comments
    •
  • [–] 5 points 5 months ago (2 children)

    You might want to replace the LED with a normal silicon diode since if I were a piece of shit TV company I would measure that circuit as a voltage divider, and for a complete circuit. No current flow and no 0.6V drop, and that means I activate my out of warranty self lobotomize routine.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago (1 child)

    That's not something I would have considered and thank you for pointing me in the right direction. Now I know about silicon diodes.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 5 months ago

    Because this reminded of it: For a similar reason, and if you own an older vehicle, you don't want to replace the warning lights (battery, oil, engine/MIL) with LED bulbs. Or you'll need "error free" bulbs with built-in parallel resistors. LED gauge lights are usually fine but, on a lot of vehicles, an incandescent bulb is expected on the warning light circuits. If you replace, for example, the battery bulb with an LED - the alternator might not engage as it should, because there won't be sufficient current for it to do so, and your battery could drain despite a running engine.

    (I'm far from an electrician, nevermind an automotive one, but I did a lot of research before upgrading/replacing my burnt out dash lights and that's a mistake I would've otherwise made)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 5 months ago (3 children)

    I did a factory reset on my TCL roku tv and use a third party streaming box. Blinking red light on the TV went away after the factory reset for me.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    Just did this. Appreciate the tip. I had to select In Store Demo, which made it a Dumb TV. Its perfect.

    Edit: store demo isn't required and has more limited settings. Just resetting and not connecting to anything makes it a dumb TV with no Roku OS on it. Inout selection, picture controls, sound controls, and that'd about it.

    Cannot thank you enough. Dumbt TVs for life.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 5 months ago (6 children)

    TCL makes Google TV models which explicitly allow you to set them up without Wi-Fi so only HDMI and antenna work. You should buy one of those next time.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (4 children)

    I just did a factory reset per another reply and I selected to set up as Store Demo, which makes it a dumb TV :)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (3 children)

    How do you do that, and do you get full control of picture settings?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    After reset i was given the 2 options of home or store. BTW Store did not have a setting to disable standby LED, so I reset again with Home, and lucky I did because that has slightly more settings, including that one.

    You have full control of picture settings, yes. Also picture profiles (Movie, Vivid etc). Full color brightness contrast adjustment. HDR detection.

    I had no Ethernet connected and never connected to wifi. There is no Roku OS. It's a TCL OS with fewer settings. I could custom name the inputs and I personally made my HTPC inlut be startup. The main menu does have a static Roku Ad in Home mode. When starting instead on an input, input can be changed with the side drawer flyout menu, so I never have to see that main menu ad (not that it's intrusive, there's not really enough menu items to require a full screen anyway).

    Nothing is bugging me to connect or do anything, and I couldn't be happier. Wish I knew about this sooner.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    If you haven't done so yet, you should set the clear motion/action smoothing setting to custom with de-judder and de-blur set to 0, and turn off the noise reduction stuff.

    The blur and AI generated look those features cause on their default settings is even worse than home screen ads for me.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    So I have Denoise settings, I will disable per your recc.

    But I don't have motion/blur (I don't remember having it in the Roku OS either so my 6.5yo TV may just not have had that)

    I have a Game Mode that seems to increase response time at the cost of picture quality, which I have disabled.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent