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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] 6 points 8 months ago (4 children)

Does nobody in this thread know about HDCP? This wouldn't fly at all.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago

They'd be doing this change on their TVs, in principle this would be no different from displaying the settings menu that comes up when you press the * button, no tampering of the HDMI signal required. HDMI inputs are their own "channels" in the UI so it's pretty trivial to put ads on the screen periodically when one such channel is open.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

HDCP signal is decoded by the TV before being displayed on the screen. The TV has complete control over what is shown to you.

Don't get it wrong: HDCP was not made to protect user interests, but specifically for the publisher and display device OEMs who subscribe to it.

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

Can you elaborate? I thought hdcp was mostly about preventing piracy type of things, what does it do for this situation?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

It (in theory) prevents signal tampering of any kind, which would include injecting advertisements into the stream.

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

Have you heard of the analog hole? Or wondered how your TV can display things like volume changes over the program you're watching?