this post was submitted on 02 Dec 2023
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Amazon is now automatically playing fullscreen video ads on Fire TV (9to5google.com)
submitted 11 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
37 comments fedilink hide all child comments
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[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You can update the TVs settings to block these new large video ads. However, Amazon is getting more and more intrusive with its ads. I imagine that, similar to the Alexa Shows that I also use, every few weeks they'll tweak the ads, making your previous "disable this" settings no longer applicable. It's technically a new ad type, so they can auto enable it again. Super frustrating.

Largely in response to these new autoplay ads, I replaced my Fire TV with an LG TV. I've got another LG TV from only a few years ago that doesn't really have ads. This one.. does. Damn it. Don't get me wrong, they're much less in-your-face when compared to Amazon's ads. But, damn, does everything just have to be ads now?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

For all of Apple’s faults, their Apple TV is pretty decent. A home screen with apps on them; no ads. It’s great

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

God, if I could just install SmartTube and Kodi/Stremio on an Apple TV, I’d convert in a heartbeat. Until then, I’ll keep my Shield TV Pro.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Chromecast with stremio is still the perfect streaming setup for me, now if only the voice recognition on the remote was a bit less shit.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

Chromecast with stremio

Just so that people are aware, from stremio's privacy policy...

The analytics technology we use is Google Analytics. To learn more about Google Analytics and your privacy, visit https://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics you can use various browser addons such as https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout or https://www.ghostery.com/ .

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A great solution is just to stop buying from Amazon. Like, anything.

Chances are you did survive before Amazon was a thing. It’s possible.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Naw, it didn't stop any other company i boycotted, and thinking it does is actually a silly idea to consider if you give it a minute to be in the ol' noggin.

If it did make a difference there'd be a bunch of astroturf campaigns against voting with your wallet, wouldn't there?

The only thing that stops this is something we're not ready for yet.

EDIT: wimps.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And what is that one thing?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

The only thing that stops this is something we’re not ready for yet.

EDIT: wimps.

And what is that one thing?

"Viva la Revolucion!", probably.

Hot take incoming, apologies in advance for the lecture...

What is it about the newer Generations that they're so binary about everything, that it's all or nothing, and nothing in between?

How about we try voting in the right people into office first?

And before you reply saying what a waste of time it is, only bother replying if you actually have the Congress app installed on your phone, if you watch the votes that are held and passed, and you can name your Representative and your Senators.

Because they sure as hell not paying attention to you, and what you comment about here on Lemmy. You need to get more in their faces with your opinions, if you want them to treat you with respect and seriously.

And yes, it might all fail anyways, because money talks and bullshit walks, but at least you can look in the mirror and say you tried.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What app do you use?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sunlightlabs.android.congress

Edit: If that app does not work for you, then I'd suggest the govtrack.us web site.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I can see why a lot of people wouldn't use that. I found two other apps, one of which was riddled with ads and one of which was paid. It's hard to complain about people not doing something when there's no practical and free way

"That app is unsupported because it's made for an older version of android"

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It’s hard to complain about people not doing something when there’s no practical and free way

If it doesn't work for you, there are alternatives to an Android app to get the same information, via the web.

If you are a programmer, the API being used is from ProPublica.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Currently using a Roku Streambar for all of our streaming needs but if they pull this crap, everything we consume will be downloaded, served on my Plex server and streamed using the gaming PC I have under our TV.

Getting beyond sick of these companies using every measure and device they can to shit ads into our eyes.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What OS are you using for the gaming pc under your TV? Wanted to do something alike but don’t know what would be the best OS for something like that

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The best OS for your HTPC is whatever OS you're comfortable with

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

As I wrote on the other comment, I was looking for something easy and fast to use even if I'm on the couch. Something that i could set to almost look like a smart tv but that could also work with steam link/moonlight. So honestly I'm comfortable with windows but don't think it would be the best OS to use for my case

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

i mostly use windows on the tv, an old laptop and a wireless kb/trackpad. runs cool, even with the lid closed all the time. reliably wakes up outputting to the external 'monitor' as long as it hasn't 'lost' its connection to the tv (can't unplug that input temporarily for another device--would have to flip open the laptop lid later to re-enable the external-only setting), and it's new enough (skylake) to have decoding in hardware for the formats i've been using.

the other hdmi is a linux sff desktop set up similarly, but i haven't got all the kinks worked out yet.

use firefox (with addons and some userscripts|styles) for online sites, and usb externals or lan connection for 'saved' content. shortcuts on the desktop (to web sites, playlists, lan shares) function as the 'home screen' or 'launch' page.

i do have the tv 'online' atm, though, because a lot of pluto 'live' tv get watched here, and the tv 'app' is faster and more reliable than their web site. the remote has a hotkey for it, too, which goes directly to the last 'channel' it was on.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Thanks for the thorough explanation! So you just use windows on the old laptop, no Kodi or anything else?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

yup. just windows (or linux) desktop applications and networking. i don't need a '10-foot' ui; and don't (atm, anyway) need the remote streaming capabilities or other features of a jellyfin or plex.

the keyboard i have is an original logitech k400. it's really the piece that makes my setup usable, otherwise i'd have a full-sized separate kb and mouse sitting on the 'coffee table' (it's really just a low-standing tv shelf on wheels) instead.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Yeah that's a nice keyboard, maybe i'll think about it because it seems really useful and compact at the same time! Thank you again for everything :)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My Roku is pie holed, I don't Even get the main screen ads anymore.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh, that's great to hear. I have a pi hole ready to set up, but I'm waiting on a card reader to come in the mail so I can finish it, but I was curious in how effective it would be.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Did you order it on Amazon?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

Naw, newegg

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Frog: "Hey, did any of you guys notice the water get a couple degrees hotter?"

Other Frogs: Already boiled alive

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It's why I'm struggling really, really hard not to feel to annoyed with the average consumers that still buy this trash instead of supporting less oppressive alternatives.

Like, yeah, people should just be able to buy what they like and not have to concern themselves with the overall market trends they're helping to entrench... But holy shit is it becoming a serious problem. The customers are what drive the direction of the market, but the customers base isn't just tech enthusiasts anymore, it's literally everyone, and they are sleepwalking us all off a god damn cliff. By the time they wake up to start complaining about it, we will already be halfway down.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

By the time they wake up to start complaining about it, we will already be halfway down.

They'll be at the "too big to fail" point, where to try to reverse the trend would crash the economy that's based on selling customer privacy and information.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Frog with hacked firestick and a pirate subscription: huh?

Frog who downloads media himself and hosts it on his own server: you guys are in water?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Frog who downloads media himself and hosts it on his own server: you guys are in water?

And when that frog realizes that all the other frogs in the water have been caught and eaten already, where do you think the predators are going to turn to next?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If someone could explain to me why that comment is getting downvotes?

The point I'm making is that just looking out for yourself is never enough, sooner or later its your turn.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If someone could explain to me why that comment is getting downvotes?

It's absurd. You've strained the metaphor by pushing it too far and it makes no sense.

  1. The boiling frog analogy has nothing to do with predators. Predators do not put live frogs in pots of slowly heating water.
  2. How exactly do you think ads are going to be forced on people who pirate their media?
  3. Telling people "stop giving money to trashy companies" is looking out for them. When companies get too greedy and start being shitty towards paying customers, the reaction absolutely should be "we're going to pirate it instead" so that these practices actively hurt profits.
[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It’s absurd. You’ve strained the metaphor by pushing it too far and it makes no sense.

And when that frog realizes that all the other frogs in the water have been caught and eaten already, where do you think the predators are going to turn to next?

The point I was trying to make is that at some point it'll be impossible or nearly impossible to do piracy, that you have to do more than just look out for yourself, you have to vote people into office that'll pass fair laws for consumers.

I'm not passing judgment on piracy, just that someday there will be a point where DRM will be too much, so you need to fight by other ways than just piracy, like getting the right laws passed.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The point I was trying to make is that at some point it’ll be impossible or nearly impossible to do piracy

Piracy has always been illegal, and has always happened anyway. There is no way to make it impossible. Even Denuvo, the currently best anti-piracy measure, can be cracked and makes the experience worse for paying customers.

you need to fight by other ways than just piracy, like getting the right laws passed.

I don't live in the country that needs to pass those laws.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Piracy has always been illegal, and has always happened anyway. There is no way to make it impossible

I hope you're right, but I wouldn't be so confident in that. As time goes on, and they bake more of the DRM into the hardware directly, it'll be harder to circumvent (for the common person at the very least).

For example, the Sony PlayStation used to be very hackable, now it's not (last time I checked).

I don’t live in the country that needs to pass those laws.

I would imagine that, as the world gets more International and interconnected, that might change, at some point the future. If it doesn't, then good for you.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You're right! People should stand against this NOW by not paying for these shitty services!

Wait a minute...

[–] [email protected] -1 points 11 months ago

59... 58... 57 ...