• AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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    1 day ago

    Roku is bad, I have one older Roku ““smart”” tv that I just block from accessing the internet entirely, and use a shield with a custom launcher instead.

      • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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        1 day ago

        So, I use regex to block all Roku domains on my network via pihole:

        (ads|logs|cloudservices|image|images|web|prod.mobile|wwwimg|captive|customer-feedbacks|amoeba|amoeba2|sr|giga.sb|cs).roku(.admeasurement)*.com$

        Then, possibly overkill due to the above, I used OpnSense firewall rules to block all traffic from my Roku tv. I think I just got fed up with seeing Roku spam in my pihole, as the above regex seems to completely “break” Roku.

        After that, I set up FLauncher (following the method #2 instructions on the gitlab page) on my shield. This makes it so I only see the Roku launcher for a few seconds while the shield starts up, and then I’m dropped straight into flauncher. I chose flauncher because it’s very simple and barebones, so you might want to explore other options if you want more advanced features. I don’t really need those features since I’m usually using an app anyway.

        Note that I did all of that after the tv was configured and set up, YMMV if it’s a brand new tv as it may need to call home to do the initial set up.

          • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
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            20 hours ago

            They have models that blink the large white LED light until it’s connected to WiFi. Annoying as hell.

              • QuarterSwede@lemmy.world
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                9 hours ago

                Yeah, I suppose. I don’t use the rock UI, it goes straight into the Apple TV when powered on so I don’t really care that much.

                • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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                  26 minutes ago

                  You using an OTA tuner with some HD Homerun app or anything? Boooo needing Roku’s interface for antenna TV (on Roku smart TVs) cuz Apple didn’t solve for that (why would they I guess, $treamers as they are)

                  It didn’t look like there was any fantastic super easy OTA solution for Apple TV. Fine for us but maybe not the elderly. IDK

            • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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              20 hours ago

              Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that - mine does do this, and the LED is right in the bottom middle, and it’s super bright.

          • AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today
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            21 hours ago

            It probably doesn’t need to be - but it was required to set up. Before I had my shield, I allowed local connections for local streaming, but you are correct, it’s probably no longer necessary.

        • Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works
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          24 hours ago

          Depending on the model there’s also a dev menu that disables some phoning home/connectivity shit

    • firadin@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      Is there any point in getting anything above the bottom tier Shield? Just trying to use it to replace my chromecast/stream tv and youtube

        • fishpen0@lemmy.world
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          18 hours ago

          Lemmy especially sleeps on the Apple TV more than most communities. It’s a solid box that has no ads and no privacy issues. Plex, Jellyfin, etc… all installable. With apples track record on previous versions of the Apple TV, software updates and support for about a decade

          • firadin@lemmy.world
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            18 hours ago

            I assume being Apple that it’s not possible to sideload apps not supported on the app store? In particular I’d like to use some kind of a SmartTube or other youtube app that is ad free

            • fishpen0@lemmy.world
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              18 hours ago

              You can use sideloadly but IIRC you need a Mac for it to work. My YouTube workflow is a YouTube-dl wrapper that pipes into jellyfin for the small handful of things I still watch from YT, so I’m less familiar with live YouTube interfaces to know which ones are out there.

            • AtariDump@lemmy.world
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              18 hours ago

              That is correct.

              But which do you want? Privacy or convenience? No one makes a streaming device that does both.

      • consumptionone@lemmy.world
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        23 hours ago

        I have been using an onn 4k streaming box, which runs Google TV. They’re $20. It’s pretty easy to disable the default launcher and have it boot to Flauncher. Then you can side load smart tube for an ad free YouTube experience asking with Plex, stremio, or whatever else you want to stream.

      • limonfiesta@lemmy.world
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        20 hours ago

        Nvidia has destroyed the stock Shield TV experience with ads, but it’s easy to install custom launchers like Projectivy. The underlying system is still a privacy nightmare, but I don’t care that Nvidia knows what TV shows I watch.

        I mean, I do care, just not enough to use something like Kodi as my primary TV interface. Maybe if I used any ad supported services I’d feel differently, but I don’t, so meh.

          • limonfiesta@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            Yes, Google is an inextricably linked to all Google TV issues, but they didn’t force Nvidia to ruin the Shield TV’S launcher with ads, and other bloat.

            At least, not as far as I know. If you have sources saying otherwise, I’d be happy to take a look.

            • Ulrich@feddit.org
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              2 hours ago

              but they didn’t force Nvidia to ruin the Shield TV’S launcher with ads, and other bloat.

              The “Shield’s launcher” is just Android TV… Nvidia did not write their own Android launcher just for this device.

              • limonfiesta@lemmy.world
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                2 hours ago

                Fuck me. You might be right, as I haven’t actually used the stock launcher since the big ad update years back.

                I just remembered my original launcher having a lot of a Nvidia specific integrations, but I guess those could have just been bolted on at the system level.

      • Ulrich@feddit.org
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        18 hours ago

        You should not buy a Shield. They haven’t been updated since…2019? And there’s really no reason to. Get the $20 WalMart one.

        • Q The Misanthrope @startrek.website
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          6 hours ago

          They just put out a huge update for the shield. Mine still plays the vast majority of things perfectly, even hevc and 4k content. I am perfectly happy with my shield pro. I’d buy one again if the current one shits the bed.

          What are my other options? Apple TV and what else? Everything else is ad ridden underpowered and lacking licenses to play media.

          • Ulrich@feddit.org
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            3 hours ago

            They just put out a huge update

            I obviously meant a hardware update.

            What are my other options?

            Anything that runs on Android TV?

            Everything else is ad ridden

            And the Shield doesn’t have ads? You can bypass all the ads by installing productivity launcher, same as on the Shield.

            underpowered

            How much power do you think you need to stream videos?

            and lacking licenses to play media.

            I don’t even know what that means.

            • limonfiesta@lemmy.world
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              2 hours ago

              As someone who owns both Nvidia Shield TV and standard cheap (Google certified) devices, all running Projectivy, it’s not really comparable.

              The Shield runs smoother, has significantly less minor/annoying issues, and actually receives fairly regular updates.

              Now, the new Chromecast with Google TV does get updates, but it doesn’t resolve the first two differences.

              If you can’t afford, or justify the extra expense, for an Nvidia Shield TV, completely understandable. But don’t pretend that the user experience is the same, because it’s not.

                • limonfiesta@lemmy.world
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                  2 hours ago

                  I said Playstore Certified, and yes, they are mostly the same when you look under the hood, at least for those classes of devices, per generation.

                  Same, or similar SoC, with 2/8 (sometimes 2/16) specs.

                  Once you get up to the 4/32 range, you’re already looking around the same price (+/-) of a Shield TV.

                  Also, lol @ citing LTT, for anything. Just because a broken clock is right twice a day, doesn’t change the fact that it’s broken.

                  And for the sake of being fair, I didn’t even mention the 1/8 boards.

                  • Ulrich@feddit.org
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                    1 hour ago

                    Okay, clearly you have no interest in learning anything new. Have a nice day.