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Roku explores taking over HDMI feeds with ads (www.lowpass.cc)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Roku is exploring ways to show consumers ads on its TVs even when they are not using its streaming platform: The company has been looking into injecting ads into the video feeds of third-party devices connected to its TVs, according to a recent patent filing.

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

I just had a horrifying thought while wondering what these TV manufacturers will do with the TVs if you just never connect them to the Internet.

I know people are worried about them jumping on your neighbor's WiFi without prompting, or even hacking your own connection, etc but I think that seems unlikely because of how deeply illegal it is...but my horrifying thought was that they could just create a new, free mesh network that only serves up ads.

You'd need a fucking faraday cage wrapped around your TV in order to not see ads.

Now if you'll excuse me I'm gonna go throw up. 🤮

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Look up Amazon Sidewalk. Your TV will soon get an internet connection whether you like it or not.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

Thanks I hate it

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You can tear the wifi antenna off the board, and it'll never connect again (not just unplug it from the card, actually tear it off the pads), could also remove the shield from the Wifi module as well for good measure and it would never get a good signal ever again.

If you're feeling really brave you could even try removing or cutting the traces connecting the Wireless module to the main system bus, has diminishing returns though since it would be very easy to short or destroy the PCI bus rendering the system completely inoperable.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I get that it's probably technically possible to bypass, but it wouldn't matter. In some cases, it'd actually be illegal to bypass and almost nobody would do it.

But hey, it's not happened (yet) so this is purely speculation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I get that it’s probably technically possible to bypass

Not exactly a bypass it's more so destruction of property (your own property might I add, since there's no clause that says you have to return it to the company at some point)

it’d actually be illegal to bypass and almost nobody would do it.

Yeah we're definitely not at the point in time yet where it is illegal to vandalize your own things, hacking in some places, but vandalism of your own property not so much (exceptions only for rentals or leases, which TVs aren't since you never need to return them).