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Roku TV bricked until agreeing to new terms of service (programming.dev)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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See title - very frustrating. There is no way to continue to use the TV without agreeing to the terms. I couldn't use different inputs, or even go to settings from the home screen and disconnect from the internet to disable their services. If I don't agree to their terms, then I don't get access to their new products. That sucks, but fine - I don't use their services except for the TV itself, and honestly, I'd rather by a dumb TV with a streaming box anyway, but I can't find those anymore.

Anyway, the new terms are about waiving your right to a class action lawsuit. It's weird to me because I'd never considered filing a class action lawsuit against Roku until this. They shouldn't be able to hold my physical device hostage until I agree to new terms that I didn't agree at the time of purchase or initial setup.

I wish Roku TVs weren't cheap walmart brand sh*t. Someone with some actual money might sue them and sort this out...

EDIT: Shout out to @[email protected] for recommending the brand "Sceptre" when buying my next (dumb) TV.

EDIT2: Shout out to @[email protected] for recommending LG smart TVs as a dumb-TV stand in. They apparently do require an agreement at startup, which is certainly NOT ideal, but the setup can be completed without an internet connection and it remembers input selection on powerup. So, once you have it setup, you're good to rock and roll.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I've owned multiple Sceptres and the only thing that ever broke for me was button related (on both the remotes and TV itself). You'd think buttons would be a solved problem, but I've owned three of those TVs because of the price (SmartTVs were not universal then).

That all being said, the displays themselves are mediocre and the speakers are weak and poor quality. The quality is probably right in line with the price, but if you're coming from a higher end TV, it will be noticeable. I always had to use speakers or a soundbar to get acceptable quality sound, the display you get used to pretty quickly.

Assuming Sceptre still makes dumb TVs by then, I'll probably switch back to them when mine either die or LG crosses some red lines.