Roku is no longer a neutral platform after today’s Roku OS 9.1 update

Wow. TechCrunch is hijacking the back button on mobile in a really bad way. After opening the link I see 5+ entries in my browser history, meaning I have to use the back button really a lot to go back to HN!<p>What a great way to make me feel I shouldn’t have agreed to the the Oath screen ...

I just bought a Roku for my elderly in-laws; I was expecting the experience to be <i>awful</i> but instead it was very nearly everything I could hope for from an embedded device. If these changes mean they get pointed to free content first (above what the thing already did!) I&#x27;m going to have to say this is a good change.<p>They&#x27;re going to be watching live TV on Sling for the most part. We&#x27;re going to add on an AirTV so they can get PBS in the Sling interface as well. They already watch Netflix on their Vizio TV, and hopefully we can get them to turn off the TV&#x27;s internet connection with the Rokus.

I have kind of enjoyed Roku, but I&#x27;ve wished to install adblock on it, and perhaps an alternative Netflix interface that doesn&#x27;t have any kind of autoplay.<p>Is this currently possible? Someone must have already figured out how to truly own their own device, haven&#x27;t they?

I think TC is overreacting and being sensationalistic here. We should treasure Roku especially today when every platform is blocking every other platform, they are place of sanity.<p>At least I do.

I pretty much ignore the Roku search as it has too much PPV content. If I care about what&#x27;s on the Roku channel I&#x27;ll just navigate to it.<p>What they really need to do is get rid of the high friction signup process for new channels. Why should I have to go to an external website when Roku should have all the identifying information third parties would need?

Roku has never been neutral. The CEO said himself that he doesn’t see Roku as a hardware company. Roku has always made money by advertising. From the ad that takes up half the home screen to the hardcoded short cut buttons that go to the highest bidder.<p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.recode.net&#x2F;2018&#x2F;9&#x2F;13&#x2F;17852908&#x2F;roku-anthony-wood-apple-google-amazon-tv-competition-peter-kafka-media-podcast" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.recode.net&#x2F;2018&#x2F;9&#x2F;13&#x2F;17852908&#x2F;roku-anthony-wood-...</a>

Roku previously sold content but then it was transitioned to FandangoNow.