5 ms·

Funny seeing all the Roku love here. What I've observed when comparing Roku to other devices. I buy my apple TV -> I get basically no ads, they don't seem to

Funny seeing all the Roku love here. What I've observed when comparing Roku to other devices. I buy my apple TV -> I get basically no ads, they don't seem to charge that much to allow folks like youtube tv to have an app on the platform Roku -> I buy and own my device. They seem to sell advertising all over the device I paid for. They seem to be charging companies for buttons and/or to be able to put an app on the roku platform. Sorry - not that interested in Roku anymore.

jfrunyon 5y ago
Yeah, they're actually a pretty crap offering. Between the app buttons on the remote (which serve only a single purpose: interrupting whatever we're watching when my toddler decides to grab the remote and press one of the app buttons), the absolutely AWFUL wifi range (had to get a new AP just for it, even though every other device - in the same room as the Roku but further from the AP - worked fine: iPhone, OnePlus N100, Google Home Mini, Thinkpad, Dell), and the fact that half of the apps on it seem like they would require twice as much processing power as it has to actually be useable...
supernovae 5y ago
The entire apple ecosystem is extremely expensive to be on - asking 30% of revenue share - not much for major networks since they don't have to invent it themselves, but a hefty tax to consumers in comparison to non apple devices. The funny part is, they charge a premium on both ends and people like it. (and i do believe Apple had to fight similar battles on youtube placement...)
- whoknowswhat11 5y ago
  This is really totally false. Youtube TV - Apple is not taking 30% - that's a lie basically as an example. Most of these major players (Youtube TV etc) you can sign up just on a regular website. Apple only takes a cut of these subscriptions IF you use their platform to enable them. If you do use them, the % is only 15% after 1 year. Either way - the outcome is I as a user have good access to lots of good content, no crap ads, no advertising buttons I don't want and more. So it's a win for me. I'd really like Roku to be transparent in terms of what they are asking for from Youtube. In the past, they refused to support encoding Youtube TV was using etc.
  - supernovae 5y ago
    If someone buys and apple tv and then buys Youtube tv - then the market fees are 30% If someone already has youtube tv and signs in on apple tv, the sure... BUT.. when you use an apple tv, Apple makes it remarkably hard NOT to use an apple account to not subscribe to services so in most cases, it's gonna be your wife seeing HBO in the apps and installing and subbing through there. That's the entire premise of their walled garden and i still can't believe people pay a premium for it.
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      > Apple makes it remarkably hard NOT to use an apple account to not subscribe to services so in most cases, it's gonna be your wife seeing HBO in the apps and installing and subbing through there. It is remarkably hard to tell your spouse to not pay for things on the Apple TV and rather do it via the website using the browser on the phone that is most likely in her hand?
      - supernovae 5y ago
        Oh puhhlease. i don't police my wife, she can order whatever tv she wants. I don't have apple tv anymore anyway - BUT, if you do order on the phone there is a good chance its going to try and force Apple Pay or the Store if you installed the app and you're still walled garden paying apple tax
  - salamandersauce 5y ago
    Apple also refused to support the encoding YT was using for 4K. It took several years before the ATV4K could actually show YT in 4K and they had that whole stupid spat with Amazon that kept Prime Video off the platform for years. Everyone in the streaming market has been greedy and childish.
    - supernovae 5y ago
      Yeah, it's been pretty pathetic. I thought apps would make things better or just wide adoption of web players but apparently not.. reminds me of the cablecard fiasco and having to buy new STBs or pay a monthly fee to rent one.. back to plex it is
brightball 5y ago
I have 3 Roku TVs and I love them. The UX is better than any other system I've used in the last 5-10 years. If YouTube TV isn't available, I'll just cancel YouTube TV and get Hulu TV instead. Roku makes dealing with all of these streaming services a lot easier. If a service isn't going to work on Roku, I'm just not going to use it.
josefresco 5y ago
> hey seem to sell advertising all over the device I paid for. The ads "all over the device" only appear on the menu and "screen saver" screen which represent a tiny fraction of my screen usage. I turn on TV, I choose Netflix/YTTV/etc. and I'm off. Time spent looking at the ONE banner ad less than 1 second. It's not obtrusive, it's not "all over the device".

jfrunyon 5y ago

Yeah, they're actually a pretty crap offering. Between the app buttons on the remote (which serve only a single purpose: interrupting whatever we're watching when my toddler decides to grab the remote and press one of the app buttons), the absolutely AWFUL wifi range (had to get a new AP just for it, even though every other device - in the same room as the Roku but further from the AP - worked fine: iPhone, OnePlus N100, Google Home Mini, Thinkpad, Dell), and the fact that half of the apps on it seem like they would require twice as much processing power as it has to actually be useable...

supernovae 5y ago

The entire apple ecosystem is extremely expensive to be on - asking 30% of revenue share - not much for major networks since they don't have to invent it themselves, but a hefty tax to consumers in comparison to non apple devices. The funny part is, they charge a premium on both ends and people like it. (and i do believe Apple had to fight similar battles on youtube placement...)

whoknowswhat11 5y ago
This is really totally false. Youtube TV - Apple is not taking 30% - that's a lie basically as an example. Most of these major players (Youtube TV etc) you can sign up just on a regular website. Apple only takes a cut of these subscriptions IF you use their platform to enable them. If you do use them, the % is only 15% after 1 year. Either way - the outcome is I as a user have good access to lots of good content, no crap ads, no advertising buttons I don't want and more. So it's a win for me. I'd really like Roku to be transparent in terms of what they are asking for from Youtube. In the past, they refused to support encoding Youtube TV was using etc.
- supernovae 5y ago
  If someone buys and apple tv and then buys Youtube tv - then the market fees are 30% If someone already has youtube tv and signs in on apple tv, the sure... BUT.. when you use an apple tv, Apple makes it remarkably hard NOT to use an apple account to not subscribe to services so in most cases, it's gonna be your wife seeing HBO in the apps and installing and subbing through there. That's the entire premise of their walled garden and i still can't believe people pay a premium for it.
  - lotsofpulp 5y ago
    > Apple makes it remarkably hard NOT to use an apple account to not subscribe to services so in most cases, it's gonna be your wife seeing HBO in the apps and installing and subbing through there. It is remarkably hard to tell your spouse to not pay for things on the Apple TV and rather do it via the website using the browser on the phone that is most likely in her hand?
    - supernovae 5y ago
      Oh puhhlease. i don't police my wife, she can order whatever tv she wants. I don't have apple tv anymore anyway - BUT, if you do order on the phone there is a good chance its going to try and force Apple Pay or the Store if you installed the app and you're still walled garden paying apple tax
- salamandersauce 5y ago
  Apple also refused to support the encoding YT was using for 4K. It took several years before the ATV4K could actually show YT in 4K and they had that whole stupid spat with Amazon that kept Prime Video off the platform for years. Everyone in the streaming market has been greedy and childish.
  - supernovae 5y ago
    Yeah, it's been pretty pathetic. I thought apps would make things better or just wide adoption of web players but apparently not.. reminds me of the cablecard fiasco and having to buy new STBs or pay a monthly fee to rent one.. back to plex it is

brightball 5y ago

I have 3 Roku TVs and I love them. The UX is better than any other system I've used in the last 5-10 years. If YouTube TV isn't available, I'll just cancel YouTube TV and get Hulu TV instead. Roku makes dealing with all of these streaming services a lot easier. If a service isn't going to work on Roku, I'm just not going to use it.

josefresco 5y ago

> hey seem to sell advertising all over the device I paid for. The ads "all over the device" only appear on the menu and "screen saver" screen which represent a tiny fraction of my screen usage. I turn on TV, I choose Netflix/YTTV/etc. and I'm off. Time spent looking at the ONE banner ad less than 1 second. It's not obtrusive, it's not "all over the device".