Channels & viewing

[Michael_Gee]

We just got our Roku and since it has the YouTube app, I've been using that instead of casting from my phone or the YouTube app on my Sony TV BUT I noticed that I was getting a lot more ads so I did a little test and watched a 12-minute show on my Roku and then went back and watched the same show on my phone. On the Roku, I got ads at the 2, 6, and 10-minute marks (not exactly, but within that minute). On my phone, I only got one at 6 minutes. Now, this is just one test but I still use my phone to watch YouTube videos and ads are just much more infrequent.
So, either Roku has made a deal with Google to allow their app on their streaming device BUT they must play more ads OR Google is targeting more ads at Roku because they want more people to use their streaming device. If the latter is the case, that sounds like a conflict of interest.
I'm going to switch back to Chromecasting from my phone because this just makes watching YouTube unbearable using my Roku.

[CelticsFan]

That is a question to ask Google. I never watch YouTube on my Roku. I either use my phone or Chromebook with an ad blocker. YouTube is FREE. Ads pay for the content you watch. 

[Michael_Gee]

If Roku and Google have an agreement, the Roku guys could probably answer that. Also, if the YouTube app on Roku is being targeted with more ads, it might be something they would be interested in. For example, if someone was trying to decide between the Roku and Google's Chromecast (and maybe the Firestick) and they tended to watch a lot of YouTube, if one device had fewer ads and that device was sold by the same people that also owned YouTube, that would seem like a conflict of interest. It's sorta in the same line as Comcast owning an Internet service and also offering streaming options while at the same time slowing down the network for other streaming services such as Netflix.

[AvsGunnar]

@Michael_Gee 

The amount of ads that show on Youtube Channel when used through the Roku have certainly increased significantly and in the manner you described.  Difficult to get through a 20-min video at times.  The ads however have also increased when watching on a browser with an ad blocker disabled or using a browser without a built-in ad blocker.  Whether or not Youtube behaves similarly on a Chromecast, I cannot say.

Personally, if I am going to watch any extended Youtube, I just use my laptop with an adblocker and connect via a long HDMI cable to my TV. 

Otherwise there are some casting apps available with ad blockers that can also be used to wirelessly cast Youtube videos to your Roku in similar manner.

I cringe every time I have to actually launch Youtube Channel on my Roku device with the remote though to watch a quick video. 

[Strega]

Years ago, I used to watch some videos on Youtube/Roku but the ads did get to be too much so I haven’t tried it in the last year or two.  Lots of people do watch it on computers and most of those probably have an ad-blocker of some sort, so that probably encourages YouTube to make up for that by putting even more ads where people can’t block them.

[CelticsFan]

@Michael_Gee  on my iPhone I can't even watch a YouTube video without watching 2-3 ads. Sometimes you can skip them. This has nothing to do with Roku. YouTube is FREE. 

[Michael_Gee]

@AvsGunnar I ended up switching to the YouTube app on my Sony BRAVIA TV and it made a MASSIVE difference. I'm now back to maybe 1 or 2 ads within a 15-minute video. I can live with that. Of course, YouTube bookends ads so you also get the one before you watch the video and at the very end but I usually back out of the existing video before that initiates and save that for the start of the next video.
It's sad that I have to switch over but at least it's a solution. Hopefully, someone at Roku is reading this and can give us a reasonable answer as to why there is a different ad experience on these different devices

[Michael_Gee]

@CelticsFan I have a Samsung phone so I can't speak for the iPhone experience but my ad experience is obviously different between the Roku and my Samsung S20 and Sony BRAVIA TV using the YouTube app so in all cases, no ad blockers.
When you say you receive 2 - 3 ads, how long is the video you're watching, and did these ads play during the video you were watching? In my example, the video was around 12 minutes. You generally get an ad before the video starts and at the end. The ones I'm talking about are played during the video.

Since you watch videos on your iPhone, I'd now spin up the YouTube app on your Roku, start watching videos, and see if you notice a difference after a while.  It should be immediately obvious if there is a difference. It's also possible YouTube increases ads on Apple devices seeing that Google also owns the Android operating system. Again, if this is happening, this would be a conflict of interest by intentionally making your YouTube experience less than enjoyable on a non-Android platform.

[CelticsFan]

@Michael_Gee  The ads (which on occasion can be skipped) are only 20-30 seconds a piece on my iPhone. You can also skip them on Roku. I find it extremely hard to believe you are watching a 12 minute ad before watch your video. If so show us a picture. I went on my Roku. I watched a video from Motor Trend. An ad popped up which was 20 seconds long. After about 5 seconds it allowed me to skip it. Throughout the years YouTube has increased the amount of ads. Why? Cause YouTube is FREE and they have to make money somehow. Ads make Google money. But the ads get annoying and make you upgrade to the Premium. Spotify free does this also. They bombard you with ads forcing you to upgrade. Its not a conspiracy theory. 

[Michael_Gee]

@CelticsFan I don't think you read that correctly. I didn't say I watched a 12-minute ad. I said this, "...watched a 12-minute show on my Roku and then went back and watched the same show on my phone. On the Roku, I got ads at the 2, 6, and 10-minute marks (not exactly, but within that minute). On my phone, I only got one at 6 minutes."

It's not the length of the ads, it's the frequency when using the YouTube app on Roku. I agree that YouTube has increased how often ads are shown but since I tend to watch a lot of YouTube, I'm already familiar with this increase. What I'm new to is watching it on my Roku and THAT is where I noticed an increase compared to watching them using the YouTube app on my Samsung phone and Sony TV.
I decided to collect a larger sample. I watched 4 shows on YouTube with my Roku and then the same 4 using my Sony Smart TV's YouTube app. Again, there are more ads played on Roku than on the TV app. The interesting thing is that some ads play at the same time on both systems. Here are those results. I'll break them into shows, the length of the show in minutes: seconds, then the system, and the times the ad was played. I hope that this effort convinces you that Roku plays more ads than the YouTube app on my TV and that you'll then take my word for it that my phone also shows fewer ads.
NOTE: All ads were skippable after 5 seconds unless otherwise mentioned.

Show 1: 20:52

Roku

A: 1:14
A: 4:29
A: 7:58
A: 12:41
A: 14:07
A: 17:18

TV

A: 7:58
A: 12:41
A: 17:18

Show 2: 18:44

Roku

L: 18:44
A: 4:47
A: 7:29
A: 11:40
A: 15:58

TV

A: 7:29
A: 11:40

Show 3: 11:18

Roku

A: 1:30 (Had to watch the first one, could skip the second at 5 seconds)
A: 5:28 (Had to watch the first one, could skip the second at 5 seconds)

TV

A: No ads played

Show 4: 10:55

Roku

A: 2:47
A: 2:53(After the ad I had to pause it. When I came back, an ad immediately played. After the ad, the show played for 5 seconds and then another ad played, which was @ 2:53)
A: 5:55
A: 8:45

TV:

A:5:55