Roku patent invents a way to show ads over anything you plug into your TV
arstechnica.com
System would detect paused content on external devices and show ads on top.

A patent application from the company spotted by Lowpass describes a system for displaying ads over any device connected over HDMI, a list that could include cable boxes, game consoles, DVD or Blu-ray players, PCs, or even other video streaming devices. Roku filed for the patent in August 2023 and it was published in November 2023, though it hasn’t yet been granted.

The technology described would detect whether content was paused in multiple ways—if the video being displayed is static, if there’s no audio being played, if a pause symbol is shown anywhere on screen, or if (on a TV with HDMI-CEC enabled) a pause signal has been received from some passthrough remote control. The system would analyze the paused image and use metadata “to identify one or more objects” in the video frame, transmit that identification information to a network, and receive and display a “relevant ad” over top of whatever the paused content is.

  • DogPeePoo@lemm.eeEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Now, if only they would invent the exact opposite of this, I would buy it

    I want zero ads. Ever.

    • melpomenesclevage@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      They did! Its called a pihole plus ublock origin plus piracy.

      You can’t buy it, only the hardware, but the software is all free.

      • Llewellyn@lemm.eeEnglish
        01·
        3 months ago

        You can’t defend against ads with pihole if the ads server has the same address as content server

          • Llewellyn@lemm.eeEnglish
            01·
            3 months ago

            But with the risk of malware infection, unfortunately.

            When something is free, you’re the product.

            I’d advise to continue to use non-pirated products, but only from those companies, whose service you’re satisfied with.
            And if there’s none, don’t consume product at all. It’s not like movies are vital for you.

            • melpomenesclevage@lemm.eeEnglish
              0·
              3 months ago

              Vlc is pretty good, and I run a pretty strange distro. If I’m extra scared, I’ll use qubes or get a sacrifice machine.

              I think the poor having culture is important. Either art is important, or it Fucking isn’t. You seem to be arguing its the frivolity, not the substance and fruit of civilization.

              Video isnt my favorite medium, I have a lot of criticisms of it, but its still art, still precious. And so everyone deserves to have it.

              • Llewellyn@lemm.eeEnglish
                01·
                3 months ago

                And so everyone deserves to have it.

                And authors along with those, who maintain content distributing infrastructure, deserve to be rewarded for their labour.

                • melpomenesclevage@lemm.eeEnglish
                  0·
                  3 months ago

                  But I can’t pay them. Its not generally an option. Have you seen the terms on their Fucking contracts?

                  Literally the closest I can get is wandering around Los Angeles giving money to people who look vaguely familiar or give off writerly vibes.

  • tarius@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    3 months ago

    Just a thought: What if I were to buy a TV with a port other than HDMI and use a converter from Roku device to that port? For example, hdmi to display port or whatever.

    • garretble@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      3 months ago

      Is there a consumer tv out there that has display port as an option?

      Monitors for sure, but I’m talking 70” OLEDs and whatnot.

  • shimdidly@lemmy.worldEnglish
    03·
    3 months ago

    Ever since Roku deplatformed Alex Jones I knew they were unprincipled and no good. Glad I left and never looked back.