Channels & viewing

[ektoplasm]

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@fluke wrote:

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@atc98092 wrote:

There is no setting you can make in a Roku device to reduce/block ads on YouTube. Settings outside a channel can have little relevance within the channel itself. Google owns YouTube, and they have complete control of the ads within the YouTube Channel. No Roku setting will change that. There are apps you can install on Android based players that can block the ads, but Roku devices are not Android based. On a Roku, you’re stuck with whatever Google streams to you.

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I think that should normally be true.

The only way to block ads is to pay for YouTube Premium.

In terms of reducing ads, I feel YouTube for Roku gets second rate quality assurance testing and that there have been bugs with user tracking which resulted in more frequent ads.  Clearing out *ALL* of that tracking does seem to make a difference.

I also think there is some psychology games going on in some cases.  If you watch a video that a creator didn't mark for monetization on Windows 10 and then watch a video with frequent monetization on Roku, it is easy to convince yourself that it is Roku that is causing the more frequent ads instead of the specific video.  I also think when watching YouTube on TV it is easier to notice the ads than on a computer were you might also have another program open at the same time to also divide your attention.

But again, despite all of the self-deception that might take place, I do also believe some version of YouTube for Roku by Google/Alphabet has had tracking bugs to make ads on the platform more aggressive in one way or another until the tracking is fully removed. 

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Its not "self-deception." There are easily 3X as many ads on the Roku as on a browser on a laptop. I think Roku is monetizing the ads themselves and profiting off of their users. 

There is a channel I've been watching for about 10 years. This person despises mid-roll ads and only places pre-roll and post-roll ads on his videos. Yet, I get at least 4 or 5 mid-roll ads on his videos when using the Roku. Doesn't happen on a PC. 

I actually don't mind watching some ads to support the platform and content creators but the number of ads on the Roku platform is totally ridiculous. There are ads at least every 3 minutes on most videos and sometimes it decides its going to play two sets back-to-back (2 - 1:00 slots followed by 2 more you can't skip). Considering this channel's videos are around 25-45 minutes, That means that at best, I'm watching 18 minutes of ads for every 45 minutes of content. 3 minutes of content then 2 minutes of commercials with NINE commercial breaks in the content. Seems a bit excessive, doesn't it? If you factor it out is 24 minutes of commercials for a 1 hour program broken into 12 commercial breaks. Ridiculous!

[atc98092]

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@ektoplasm wrote:Its not "self-deception." There are easily 3X as many ads on the Roku as on a browser on a laptop. I think Roku is monetizing the ads themselves and profiting off of their users. 

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Roku is not placing ads within a channel they aren't responsible for. They provide The Roku Channel, and they do place ads within it. But when you use something like YouTube, Vudu, Hulu, and any other channel that has advertisements, those ads are not placed by Roku. Now it's certainly possible that those ads are being provided from a Roku ad server, which would provide Roku with some monetization, but it's still under the complete control of the channel provider. Google is the only one that is placing ads within YouTube, regardless of the source of the ads themselves. I'll stick with my theory that Google is making YouTube on Roku more unpleasant than rival devices, with the intent of driving customers to buy the Chromecast, which they themselves sell. 

[ektoplasm]

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@atc98092 wrote:

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@ektoplasm wrote:Its not "self-deception." There are easily 3X as many ads on the Roku as on a browser on a laptop. I think Roku is monetizing the ads themselves and profiting off of their users. 

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Roku is not placing ads within a channel they aren't responsible for. They provide The Roku Channel, and they do place ads within it. But when you use something like YouTube, Vudu, Hulu, and any other channel that has advertisements, those ads are not placed by Roku. Now it's certainly possible that those ads are being provided from a Roku ad server, which would provide Roku with some monetization, but it's still under the complete control of the channel provider. Google is the only one that is placing ads within YouTube, regardless of the source of the ads themselves. I'll stick with my theory that Google is making YouTube on Roku more unpleasant than rival devices, with the intent of driving customers to buy the Chromecast, which they themselves sell. 

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How do you know they aren't? It could be built into the SDK. 

I don't sit around making excuses for nameless, faceless SIlly-Valley companies that can't be bothered to respond to their customers' issues. It's Roku's platform, they should take responsibility for the problem and resolve it with Google. 

[atc98092]

Because Roku has zero control over the coding of individual channels. For them to be able to place an ad within a running channel, they would need access within the code. If they did have such access, it would only be because Google gave it to them. Again, it's completely on Google. Perhaps Roku was able to negotiate such a hook in their last contract negotiation, I don't know.

But the excessive ads are the reason I use an app on my Shield that blocks not only all Google placed ads, but even block the sponsor promos within the videos. Now perhaps that's going against the intent of YouTube, but even on my Shield the regular YouTube app has far too many ads. They're going to drive users away completely, or force them to use a blocking app like I do. 

[fluke]

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@ektoplasm wrote:

Its not "self-deception." There are easily 3X as many ads on the Roku as on a browser on a laptop. I think Roku is monetizing the ads themselves and profiting off of their users. 

I'm not saying it is always self-deception.  I believe there has been a bug in some YouTube for Roku versions.  I am just saying some cases might be.

How would I recreate this specific instance of the problem?  Which specific YouTube video did you watch on both that did this?  What was the title and channel name?

[SEspider]

No one is going to be able to convince me that Roku doesn't have control of the YouTurd app.

 My channel is not in the partner program and thus has no ads. Yet my videos STILL gets ads every 30-60ish ****ing seconds!

 I've tested it from multiple computers, multiple browsers, and multiple devices. I've also tested it while signed in, not signed in, and via the accounts of others. And they all have the same results. NO ADS UNLESS ON ON ****ING ROKU!!

 Channels I watch already have ads in them. And they are always in designated parts of the videos. You can even see where they are when viewed through a browser. Yet Roku is jamming countless ads into every ****ing video!

 Roku has control over the apps on their platform, just as google has over them on Android, and Apple on their OS. They can easily interrupt any app they wish, with ads. It's built into their software and does not require access to a app's SDK.

 YouTurd is easily the most popular app on their platform, and they know it's users expect ads. And so they are using that to shove thousands of ads down our throats. This **bleep** started earlier this year with a update, but it was subtle. I noticed but ignored it because it wasn't too bad. But the recent update and taken the s*** to far!!

 **** Google/Chrome! **** Apple! And **** Roku! I'm not using their s*** platforms just to watch youturd. I now have all the more reason to use Rumble & Odysee. Most of the creators I watch are on them anyway. And those that aren't? Then I'll watch YouTurd via my Xbox. Or the browser on the console, with ad block enabled.

 Tired of all of this s***!!

[atc98092]

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@SEspider wrote:

No one is going to be able to convince me that Roku doesn't have control of the YouTurd app.

 My channel is not in the partner program and thus has no ads. Yet my videos STILL gets ads every 30-60ish ****ing seconds!

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When you say "my channel", are you a channel developer on Roku? If you're getting ads within a channel you develop and you're not using their ad service, you need to contact the developer support side of the house. I've never seen an ad on any channel that wasn't put there by the channel developer, either injecting it themselves (which is what Google does with YouTube) or partnering with Roku as you mention for them to insert ads (and of course collect payment from those ads).

I watch YouTube on my Rokus, and on the Nvidia Shield, which runs Android TV OS. I see just as many ads on the Android platform as I do on the Roku platform. However, neither of them have an ad every 60 seconds or sooner. I think the tightest I've ever seen is perhaps 5 minutes, but more common it's closer to ten.

For my general YouTube viewing, I use an Android app called STN, which not only blocks ads in YouTube, but can even skip sponsor placements within the videos themselves. Naturally, you have to be using a player that runs Android, such as my Shield. The Roku uses a highly modified version of Linux, and cannot run Android apps.  

[W7PM]

Exactly, I'm watching YOUTUBE on my WIN 11 Desktop (signed into EDGE via my normal Google account) LITERALLY NO ADS...

As soon as I move over to the TV and open up my YOU TUBE app on my ROKU, bam, adds every 5 minutes, no matter which GOOGLE account I'm logged into.

What's worse, is that the ADS are getting worse. Not just a 15 second ad before the video starts, but several every video of over 3 minutes long, then a final ad at the end.

It's WORSE than Broadcast TV.

I for one, make it a point to BOYCOTT every advertiser I see on YouTube.

YouTube used to be fun, but now its a pain to watch even a few minute long video. Shame of Youtube for ponying up with the evil GOOGLE Corporation.

[atc98092]

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@W7PM wrote:

YouTube used to be fun, but now its a pain to watch even a few minute long video. Shame of Youtube for ponying up with the evil GOOGLE Corporation.

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Google owns YouTube, and has since 2006. 

[Rashin]

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@Cpt1nsano wrote:

Try this:

Start with Roku Settings

1. Tap on the Settings option in your Roku home screen.
2. Next, tap on Privacy, and choose Advertising.
3. Then you need to tick the box next to Limit Ad Tracking.
4. Finally, restart your Roku device.

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This is not available on my device. The only check box is to remove personalization from ads. I wonder if that was a change that was made or if it is specific to a particular device.