Roku TVs could one day show ads as soon as you pause playing a game on a connected Xbox, or stop a stream on an Apple TV.

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.

  • Landslide7648English
    161·
    3 months ago

    From the article:

    These days, TV makers hardly make any money with their physical products. Roku’s FY 2023 earnings report shows that the company lost $44 million on the sale of smart TVs, streaming players and other devices in 2023. What brings in the bacon are ads and services; Roku generated a gross profit of nearly $1.6 billion with this business segment.

    • exanime@lemmy.todayEnglish
      7·
      3 months ago

      I was joking that such a move would put them so hard on the shit list that people wouldn’t touch their products ever again

      • Landslide7648English
        11·
        3 months ago

        Yeah, I got that. What I wanted to express is that likely the opposite would happen. People just want cheap shit and don’t care about enshittification.

        • exanime@lemmy.todayEnglish
          4·
          3 months ago

          Hmmm not so sure I agree with that … We take enshitification mostly when there is just no other option

          For example, stewing services started great and now are poop, but what’s the alternative? Back to cable? Never … I for one, took to the high seas but none of my friends have the time or knowhow (or honestly just the will) to follow