235
Fox to Acquire Roku in $22 Billion Deal (www.hollywoodreporter.com)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
59 comments fedilink hide all child comments

all 59 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 77 points 4 months ago

Great... Now there'll probably be a $35 monthly fee just for having the damned thing plugged into the back of the TV and it will come with a mandatory enrollment in Truth+ and Fox Nation 🤮

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 48 points 4 months ago (18 children)

    ...in 2027.

    Gives users a year to find an alternative and dump their new 'Fox News' overlords.

    FYI: Roku intends to do mass layoffs prior to the sale in order to "save" $400 million.

    Off the shelf Plug and Play (Jellyfin is NOT PnP) alternatives in no specific order:

    • Apple TV
    • Nvidia Shield
    • Amazon Fire Stick
    • Walmart Onn 4k Pro
  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 18 child comments
    •
  • [–] 35 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    Firestick is moving away from android to their own thing.

    If you choose to get an Nvidia Shield, I would recommend the Projectivy Launcher to avoid the "recommended" content from Google on the home screen.

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

    Any tips on how to keep Projectivity Launcher as the default? I tried setting it up, but eventually the default launcher took over again. I haven't looked into a more permanent solution.

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

    I mean, you can technically remove the default launcher entirely via ADB if you want to.

    if you run windows, you can use Android TV Tools to run the ADB commands for debloat and launcher control without having to type them out, but there are plenty of guides to do it via ADB manually.

    on Shield TV I was able to just install projectivy and set it as the default launcher, never had an issue after that, but i still do some debloat to remove extra google and nvidia background tasks and trackers.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Jellyfin is PnP if you get someone else to setup it up for you 🙃

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

    Apple TV is $129, Nvidia Shield is $149. I guess that’s closer to the real retail price of a device that’s not expecting to supplement revenue with user data?

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

    Great, 3 other ethically terrible companies or a 4th option that costs $150 per television... What a wealth of options!

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

    Which is the non ethically terrible company in that list?

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

    I've never heard anything bad about Nvidia but it's certainly possible that they could also be horrible

    It's so expensive I didn't really bother to check.

    I'm currently looking up how to run streaming services on my Raspberry Pi 5

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 8 points 4 months ago*

    I have a Pi5 8gb running a version of LineageOS that is pretty much a blank slate to roll-yer-own Android TV, at which point you can install Stremio and be off to the races. Requires a little bit of Nerd-Level setup, but wasn’t too bad. Pi4 ran a little hot, but the Pi5 crushed it. Any ole BT remote works. I started with a Firestick remote and upgraded to a 10€ remote later. Have to control my soundbar separately, but whatever. I’m freeeee to sail the seas!

    Edit: me am a stupid typer

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

    Just hypothetical idea here, what if we token max using billionaire class subsidized llm, on a pi5 like device and make our own roku with ab openscad body. Put the client on every TV possible and the thumbnail is a middle finger? Just hypothetical of course wouldn't actually use overly subsidized AI coding agents for open purposes... That's crazy talk.

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

    I understood maybe half of that paragraph, but LibreELEC exists if you have a Pi already.

    No Pi? OSMC Vero is a Pi-like device in that regard. It doesn't have a middle finger thumbnail, but I'm sure something could be figured out.

    Or just get a second-hand mini PC that's a few years old for like a hundred bucks and set it up to do whatever you want.

    All of these devices would be standalone, so I'm not sure what you mean by putting the client on every TV. If you want to do a server / client type thing, I'd go for Jellyfin. The client for Jellyfin is already available on most smart TVs, but I don't condone the use of "smart" features built into TVs. All of the abovementioned devices will have a Jellyfin client available as well. For the server, you can use your existing laptop or PC, or cobble something together / pick up another mini PC to act as the server.

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

    fucking rip to the eleventy billion roku smart TVs out there

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 12 points 4 months ago

    My Roku TVs have been so shit, riddled with ads to the point that they lagged on start, for so many years that they've both been factory reset without internet connectivity and set to boot directly to other hardware that runs the only app I used on the damn things better than they did despite being $40 purchases

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

    The noisiest thing on my network by a mile is that damn Roku. It's spyware manifest so it's only going to get shittier.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 12 points 4 months ago

    You must not have any microslop devices on your network then. I have my sons Xbox and my work pc. The telemetry data it tries to call home with is insane. Roku however does send telemetry data to scribe.logs.roku.com quite often.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 27 points 4 months ago

    I had a patient today who could only repeat Fox News articles, and was mindlessly speaking into his remote while regurgitating what he heard on Fox News. He was without capacity, he voted for Trump last election cycle. He's not alert or oriented. This is America.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    Well shit

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 5 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Can you jailbreak a Roku and install something else onto it?

    I have a Roku speakerbar because all new TVs speakers are horrible.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago

    I looked into it a while back and the consensus seemed to be yes, but no one really works on it because there's hundreds of TV models out there and no way to universalize the process.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 8 points 4 months ago

    Time to disable every Roku TV in my house! Just got rid of any Fire TVs for their secret updating even when not connected.

    I noticed a cheap TCL had updated ads despite never being connected to the internet. Turns out some proprietary radio built in. Fuuuuck that! I'm not paying for a cheaper TV with my data!

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 3 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    I primarily use my Roku TV to cast my phone screen so I can watch things that aren't native to Roku's OS: Twitch, pirated stuff, etc.

    Wonder if this change will impact me. I'd wager Roku still tracks what I cast to my screen, so it's probably best to look into a better solution like a dumb TV + Raspberry Pi or something

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

    I've been thinking of putting miniPCs on my TVs and getting rid of Roku. This might be the tipping point

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

    Running a mini PC with drive partitions for Linux and Android TV sounds like a super good idea, you're right.

    Anybody have any recommendations for mini PCs? Are Raspberry Pis good enough for someone who barely tinkers with a Framework laptop?

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

    I ended up factory resetting mine and never connected it to the internet again to avoid the ads/slowdown from updates and probable surveillance. The user experience is way better treating it as a dumb TV and attaching a RPI or laptop to it

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    RIP

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •
    [–] 5 points 4 months ago (13 children)

    The benefits of having an old CRT and no/minimal interest in modern movies and series.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 13 child comments
    •
  • [+] -6 points 4 months ago (11 children)

    For once I’m glad I only watch YouTube

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 11 child comments
    •
  • [–] 14 points 4 months ago (9 children)

    WTF Yea! Now with YouTube no one can track you, or program your algorithm, or influence your content at all… Plus the nonstop ads…

    You really got em!

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 9 child comments
    •
  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    NewPipe and Invidious

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

    The content on it is still made to appease The Algorithm, no matter how you watch it

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

    You are not considering freewill. Let the algorithm feed you whatever it serves, you don't have to bite.

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

    “For once I’m glad I watch YouTube….”

    Free will seems lost on you… Did you consider any sense of personal RESPONSIBILITY?

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

    Damn! You nailed it. I was only typing what someone else told me to type. How did you know? If only you could provide more morally and ethically prudent advice to the rest of us then I think we could collectively usher in a new age of peace and mutual respect.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
    • [–] 4 points 4 months ago (8 children)

    I only use my Roku for...

    Never mind, I got rid of that shit like 5 years ago.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 8 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Hm. Would an old smart phone do in a pinch as a replacement roku?

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

    ugh I bought a Roku TV 2 years ago because it was cheapest option at walmart. Guess I'm going to be in the market for a dumb TV next because these "smart" tvs ain't shit and I sure as shit don't want to support fox in any way.

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

    I'm buying 2 Sceptre TVs. That's the only manufacturer that I'm aware of that still makes dumb 4K large panel TVs. 86" are all 2,500, 75" are 1,000 and they only drop from there.

    If someone knows of another brand that's still making TVs like this, I would really appreciate the info.

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

    I f-in hate “smart tvs.” They’re so dumb because in two years, the software loses support so you’re either “making do” or “gotta replace it?” I guess, it’s smart for the manufacturer because they’re playing the “fools.”

    My 2012 LED 32” is going to be repaired as long as possible.

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

    Is it me? or does he have Marco Rubio ears?

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
    •