this post was submitted on 11 Oct 2025
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The track record for people using that condescending phrase while not understanding what's happening continues...
The smart TVs operate on Android TV, made by Google.
Amazon uses their own version of Android, and that's where all the shitty stuff comes from.
I've got a nice name brand android TV, the only ads are "this movie is on streaming" or "this show premieres in a week".
I got a cheap Amazon TV in another room, in the same place for ads on the home screen, it has ads for random products
There is a marked difference. They are "better" at this. Obviously no one in 2025 thinks google is "good"
I've been self hosting as much as I can for awhile. The one thing I don't have a good replacement solution for is Google TV. At least with alternate launchers and being able to install APKs (for now) it mostly works as a decent experience.
Back in the day wed hook up old desktops straight to living room PCs. There was no apps so we'd just go to websites.
I'd be surprised if there isn't some kind of raspberry pi mini PC with a good guinerap around Linux.
Some people will use a PlayStation/Xbox as well.
Kodi is the open source alternative and it is a terrible experience compared to the purpose made sticks. It is confusing to use, and worse, very unreliable (my install would regularly completely break and crash on startup).
Eh, I gave up and bought cheap used Apple TVs to replace all the Android / Google TVs and Rokus in the house.
Apple TV isn't compatible with some of the services that I use so h That isn't an option either.
Like what?
ALL the shitty stuff, exclusively from Amazon? Google is part of the game, the difference is in their business model.
No. As a user of both Amazon and Google devices (with screens/sticks), Amazon is far more aggressive in their advertising practices. As the other guy said, neither is ad-free out of the box, but Amazon devices will literally make your screensaver/lock screen a full screen ad (even on your TV). Google just has a home screen ad about something that's going to play on streaming, usually.
If you want NO ads, set up DNS ad blocking or get an Apple TV and use that for streaming. But again, Amazon's devices are FAR more aggressive about advertising as much as possible. My father has one of those Echo Show things that's a speaker with a rotating screen attached to it. It's playing ads almost all the time.
I do not have anything from these MFs that's not jailbroken or hacked. They are partners, not competitors. But sure, as long as you get less ads for now, go with the other, I guess.
We're talking about ads (and maybe privacy) on TV's mate...
Okay, buddy. I think my comment is more about privacy than ads, bit it covers both.
I agree ...
Everyone else was talking about one thing, and you acted like I was talking about a bunch of other things.
That's why you're confused, we were talking about ads, and you got upset we weren't having another discussion.
Now why are antelopes the super ungulates?
See how little sense that makes?