These days, we’re all used to dealing with ads while trying to stream YouTube videos and movies, or on all of our streaming devices and services. But how far is too far? Roku has started testing auto-playing video ads before users even get to the home screen before they can even use their TV, and owners are not happy.
Over the weekend, Reddit and the Roku community forums were flooded with complaints over ads appearing the minute users fired up a TV or Roku device. For most, this was an auto-playing video ad for Moana 2. And while ads are nothing new, how they are delivered and when is causing a huge stir with its customers.
Imagine turning on your Roku device, and ahead of the home screen, before you can even look for an app or service to launch, you get an ad. That’s what is happening, and some users are so upset that they’re considering buying a new TV entirely. Getting banner ads or the occasional pop-up is one thing, but for many, this is taking things too far.
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In a statement to Ars Technica, Roku didn’t have too much to say about this overreach but did say that it was only a test that went out to a few users. The company constantly tests new ways to generate revenue, and that includes random ads, ad buy buttons, and other things.
Following the continued outrage, the company told PCWorld, “Roku delivers the best value and experience for our 90M and growing TV streaming households. This has and will always require continuous testing and innovation across design, navigation, content, and our first-rate advertising products. Our recent test is just the latest example, as we explore new ways to showcase brands and programming while still providing a delightful and simple user experience.”
The latest intrusive Roku ads do have a “close” button, similar to the popular skip option, so users can quickly remove the ad and return to the home screen. The company even mentioned it continues to find ways to showcase brands while still providing a “delightful and simple user experience.”
However, the damage is already done, and this latest move isn’t delightful. In fact, we’re already seeing several rather negative comments on Reddit, including users mentioning throwing Roku devices away for Apple TV.
For now, we’re unsure how Roku plans to use these types of ads moving forward. Maybe this was a test, and auto-playing ads before the home screen will never happen again, or perhaps it’ll just try a slightly different approach. We’ll have to wait and see. For what it’s worth, I tried firing up two different Roku devices and didn’t see the ad myself. So, maybe the company quickly realized it made a poor decision.
Again, this is nothing new. Whether it’s Google, Amazon, or Roku, seeing ads on our devices is fairly common. I see random ads on my new Hisense U7N running Google TV, Amazon has faced similar backlash for ads on Fire TV devices, and Roku is no stranger to these types of complaints either.
If you’re looking for an experience without all this nonsense, go buy an Apple TV, but you’ll still see ads in third-party apps and streaming services. That’s just the way things are these days.
Source: Ars Technica
