While it is disappointing, I honestly am coming from those other systems (primarily the Firestick), and I can say Roku has them beat. Primarily because there aren't adds being shoved down your throat. But that is just my opinion, dude.
People who are touting Amazon Fire OS products over Roku products because they allow you to sideload Android APK files (for pirated IPTV services or whatever) have apparently missed Amazon's plan to move from Fire OS to a new proprietary OS (code-named 'Vega') which will likely be based on Linux. So your Amazon TV devices are likely to become as locked-down as a Roku.
www.howtogeek.com/amazon-begins-replacing-its-android-based-fire-os-with-new-software/
Roku used to have perfectly legal private channels that could be added such as public domain archive channel and librovox audiobook channels. These sites are free due public domain laws and commercial free. Roku has removed all their private channels as well as not having a channel to access the internet. Roku has removed their ability to access the commercial free public domain sites which made them preferable to amazon.
So what’s stopping them from creating a not private channel? (Or you?!!) Anyway, I searched for: librivox roku
And found a post on their forum that said they are busy making books so don’t bother with any apps. A choice they’re free to make of course.
However, another match for my search was this Roku app:
https://channelstore.roku.com/details/779811e1752955675bc2f1ca8bda92dd
Which says it has Librivox books.
Locked down because it’s based on Linux? You can’t make a proprietary os on top of Linux, the licensing doesn’t allow it. The code that is submitted to Linux is contributed based on licensing conditions that are immutable without tracking down each and every one of the thousands of contributors.
