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Roku explores taking over HDMI feeds with ads (www.lowpass.cc)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Roku is exploring ways to show consumers ads on its TVs even when they are not using its streaming platform: The company has been looking into injecting ads into the video feeds of third-party devices connected to its TVs, according to a recent patent filing.

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Whilst the 5 minutes are total bullshit (having been a software dev for decades I was torn between laughing and crying at a variant of the good old "this should take 5 minutes") the point is entirelly valid:

You can get an ESP32 with a camera and there are a ton of tutorials out there about making it send video over the Internet.
To pull power from mains there are these tiny modules that do all the work and cost $3 or so a pop. Batteries are easier but need changing.
3D printing (for the shell) is a bit of a craft but not too bad to learn. Alternativelly, just get a box with the right size and drill/saw some holes in it. Just keep in mind that in needs to be waterproof.
It is stupidly easy to rent a VPS somewhere on the Internet for peanuts if you want "access from anywhere" functionality. If all you need is recording and access at home, use whatever you have around always on (a NAS, a good router with storage, an old laptop or cheap mini PC as a Linux server).

That said, it's definitelly not "5 minutes" and the combination of skills needed to do the various parts (microcontroller programming, server programming, electronics, 3D printing) is not at all common, hence why Amazon is selling their Ring doorbells which were designed by an actual team of people rather than solo individuals.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I mean, the code is written, most of that 5 minutes is soldering.

You can use a USB cable, I wanted to replicate ring functionality (aside from snitching), so i chose battery (also on my desk), but I already have the tools to draw from mains. Special module is cheaper, I guess. Plus I'm not using it to charge my phone right now.

And yeah I'd probably fuck up the configuration first try, so I concede on five minutes. But also, if your door is covered (mine is) you don't even need waterproof.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My criticism of the "5 minutes" comes from decades of professional experience.

That said, I totally agree with you that it's definitelly doable for a capable hobbyist and I would even say it fits the definition of a "fun project".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Yeah. I still say the hardware and the upload (of the program) I could handle in about 3 if I planned it right.

Less if I soldered during upload and didn't break anything, but that feels like a really stupid idea.

But I would absolutely fuck it up server-side at least once.