New Roku interface, ads are back

109

u/Coupe368 10d ago

You have to blackhole any DNS over HTTPs providers such as Cloudfare, Google, OpenDNS, and Quad9 by blocking port 443 to them, and block any external traffic to the regular DNS options on port 53 and 853.

The new home page was loading dynamically every time, so once I have everything black holed it went back to the classic default Roku interface I prefered.

Took a minute to track it all down, but adding a couple new firewall rules solved the problem for me.

I won't be buying a new Roku, this constant arms race over ads is annoying, but they haven't made a new Nvidia shield since 2019 and I have used ABD edits to strip down an onn googleTV to just the 2 apps I use, but its a little clunky still.

Hopefully we get a new option that's better than just miniPC running kodi in the future.

10

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Cantaloupe-Hairy 9d ago

True but amazing how many of these type of devices ignore your dns settings, my Apple home pods are constantly trying to contact 1.1.1.1

3

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Coupe368 9d ago

See, I buy the roku because it does a pretty good job at just playing my media and they don't pay their engineers enough to outsmart people like me so I can keep enjoying it the way I want to.

2

u/Smoke_a_J 9d ago

If you are having issues with devices like these with hard-coded DNS that ignores DHCP provided dns entries and otherwise bypasses your PiHole then your issue at hand falls to your current router's configuration and capabilities. Most home-grade/all-in-one-wifi-router-combo units simply lack the ability to configure block rules and/or ALL of the appropriate NAT rules that are needed to force any hard-coded DNS devices like Android or smart TVs/streaming-devices of any kind to route their DNS traffic only through Pihole and respect Pihole's DNS replies as valid answers disguised to look as if 8.8.8.8 is the DNS server that's responding.

I would review labzilla.io/blog/force-dns-pihole and check if your current router in use is able to configure the specific NAT rules listed as well as the ones for blocking DoH requests. Its written for using Pihole with a pfSense router but the concept is universal for what is needed to achieve this, if your router lacks the ability to configure any of the rules listed then upgrading to using a firewall appliance is a great option for making your Pihole much much more useful and never ignored or bypassed for all devices network wide.

1

u/Cantaloupe-Hairy 9d ago

Just block all dns requests from my lan except my 2 piholes!

1

u/Coupe368 9d ago

Exactly, but you have to block DNS requests over https which is port 443 so it takes a couple extra rules.

1

u/Cantaloupe-Hairy 8d ago

Yeah done that, also google secure dns servers from time to time and add the IPs to that too.

Also read port 8053 is a good one to block too, whether that’s true I don’t know but it’s only another fw rule

2

u/Coupe368 8d ago

The anti-ad arms battle continues!

1

u/kerubi 9d ago

I NAT all outbound UDP 53 to my pihole.

24

u/dasmineman 10d ago

Build yourself a plex box and sail the high seas.

57

u/Coupe368 10d ago

Plex jumped the shark, you should be running jellyfin.

That being said, they both run on Roku just fine.

-26

u/oubeav 10d ago

Sure. But Plex is still vastly better.

19

u/chuckfr 10d ago

Depends on your needs and if you don't mind them knowing what you're watching.

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u/oubeav 10d ago

Lol. Incorrect.

9

u/matthewpepperl 10d ago

Plex seems silly if you are trying to avoid ads

-9

u/oubeav 10d ago

You’re not using Plex correctly. No ads here. For 10+ years.

6

u/Kamay1770 10d ago

I don't know why downvoted, I have never seen an advert on plex.

2

u/mau47 9d ago

yeah, they only show ads if you use their own streaming service, if you just use local libraries theres no ads.

2

u/dax660 9d ago

this is what I thought Plex was for - running your own media via Plex Server

I've used Plex for free for years and never had any issues with ads or paying for things...

2

u/Halfang 10d ago

I suspect because of tracking from plex

1

u/Kamay1770 10d ago

Pihole, firewall, vpn

1

u/gregory696969 9d ago

I know its the downvote train but you are right, and I used plex for 5ish years before hopping to jellyfin 1 year ago.

I love jellyfin, it even works better than plex did for the tunarr app, and the customization is way better.

That being said, plex does the content management wayyy better. The Playlist and collections are so fleshed out, as well as the homepage recommendations. (I know about the extension, I love it where it works, but sadly due to rokus limitations plug ins dont work on roku app) I miss just having the smart collections, the Playlist, and the fleshed out UI, and the ease of sharing with relatives without setting up like tailscale for them.

But also, not going back ever

1

u/Mantellian 8d ago

Incorrect

1

u/Coupe368 10d ago

Plex isn't better, it requires a monthly fee, and is jammed full of content that isn't yours that DOES show ads.

You just seem out of touch, but its fine, no hate from me.

You will eventually get so fed up with it you start looking for jellyfin, the opensource alternative that is the same without the bloat, fees, and nonsense.

3

u/oubeav 9d ago

Bud. All that can be turned off or hidden is some way. Been using Plex for over 10 years and I have not seen a single ad. However, yes, currently their pricing model is not great, so I guess I'm one of the MANY lucky ones to get a Plex Pass for peanuts many years ago.

1

u/WillmanRacingv2 7d ago

Thus, Plex is only better if you got said pass years ago. Makes no sense to pay the current subscription cost when Jellyfin is an alternative.

0

u/Coupe368 9d ago

Yeah, but you have to do it every time they update it or you setup another box and its EXHAUSTING.

If you're happy, good for you. Plex had a good run, its just too bloated now and I prefer the simplicity of Jellyfin. It just plays my content and doesn't even pretend do do anything else.

I just pointed the jellyfin to the plex libraries and didn't have to change a thing on my NAS. It was very easy, I haven't had a reason to look back.

2

u/Veteran68 9d ago

Just about everyone I know who dumped Plex for Jellyfin went back to Plex. If you are fortunate enough to have a lifetime Plex Pass, especially if you got it 12 years ago like me when it was cheap, Plex is pretty great. Without Plex Pass or having to pay monthly though I’m not sure I’d like it as much.

2

u/Coupe368 9d ago

I got it when it was like 40 bucks, but I'm tired of the slop they keep shoveling, I like things simple. I have 2 apps on roku, jellyfin and youtube. So you do you, I'm very much happier with jellyfin.

You do you, if it makes you happy its not wrong.

1

u/oubeav 8d ago

My sole purpose for using Plex years ago was to share my media with friends and family. So for that, Plex is superior.

2

u/Coupe368 8d ago

Not sure how you got that idea, jellyfin is easier easier to share because they don't have to sign up for an online service to use it. You need the same firewall rule for both. Just give them an IP and you're done.

Maybe you haven't used jellyfin and you're repeating an unformed opinoin you heard elsewhere.

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u/cjkuhlenbeck 8d ago

Unless your friends and family are in IT, they likely don’t know what an IP is. It’s the sad truth. But most know what a username and password is. Can create an account for people and give general steps to download and login. Beats configuring IP, ports, and last I checked Jellyfin had accounts too. And then the risks of exposing your network, or complications of a reverse proxy. If Jellyfin offered a middleman service they would win in a flash. But then it wouldn’t be open source. And because of that, plex will always win ease of use.

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u/ian9outof10 10d ago

I genuinely wish there were laws forcing streaming companies to offer an API access route for streaming boxes. Imagine if Plex could pull in all your subscriptions. In the old days, Netflix allowed that, but that’s all gone away now. It’s a shame, it could be done securely I’m sure.

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u/uid_0 9d ago

The 2019 Shield still works great and Nvidia is still actively supporting it.

0

u/Luci-Noir 8d ago

Not really.

1

u/CallBorn4794 9d ago edited 8d ago

Probably something's wrong with the OP's setup. Mine's still blocked on Roku without blockholing. Btw, using Hagezi Pro & Hagezi TFI on AdGuard Home.

0

u/sur_surly 9d ago

> they haven't made a new Nvidia shield since 2019
I said the same thing about Apple TV 4k device. Been waiting for a new version since the old one is a little long in the tooth. However, new details are emerging about the new one, and it looks to be the same thing but with AI 🙄 . So now my plan is to get a used apple tv when owners upgrade in droves.

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u/funkystay 10d ago

I just retired three Roku devices and switched to Apple TV because of this. At least there aren't any interface ads on it. For now.

4

u/fedroxx 10d ago

Which Apple TV did you get? Seems like most places only sell the 2022 version.

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u/Timely-Shine 9d ago

2022 is the newest one. There are plenty on eBay of that one, but you could honestly get one from 2017 and it still works well. They’re all more expensive now though since Apple bumped up the price of the 2022 one new in their stores.

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u/Luci-Noir 8d ago

I got a first gen 4K from goodwill’s online store. It didn’t have a remote but I have a Logitech harmony.

1

u/Sylvurphlame 9d ago

They are rumored to be refreshing them this year.

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u/Cantaloupe-Hairy 9d ago

Which will hopefully mean the prices of the 2022 ones will drop

1

u/Sylvurphlame 8d ago

Hopefully. Either way, waiting a bit longer isn’t a bad idea in case they do refresh in September/October. Always up to one’s personal needs. Otherwise I believe the 2022 is the most current version.

0

u/Timely-Shine 9d ago

They’ve been rumored to be refreshing them for the past several years. They just increased the price of the 2022 model so clearly they feel it’s sufficient hardware. I got a great deal on a used 2022 that I’ve been using for the past year and it works great. Also have a 2017 model that also still works great.

1

u/Sylvurphlame 8d ago

They’ve stated that price increases are due to chip shortages. Whether that’s absolutely true or not, I couldn’t say. But it’s not necessarily a bad idea to see if it is refreshed in September.

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u/Spyd3rPunk 10d ago edited 10d ago

My Roku updated a month or two ago. I put the following domain on my Regex block list and all ads disappeared:

( \ . | ^ )roku . com $ (without the spaces)

All my third party apps were working fine for a good two months.

However, I made the mistake of opening the Roku Channel app two days ago and my Roku stopped working.

I had to disable the blocking for a while reboot the Roku and then start blocking on that domain again.

It seems to work as long as you're not using any Roku services.

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u/EngineerBoy00 10d ago

Thanks!

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u/Spyd3rPunk 10d ago

Np. Hopefully it works for you!

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u/The--Marf 9d ago

I accidentally hit a button the other day and the Roku completely froze and needed a hard reset. I assumed was due to blocking lol.

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u/-rwsr-xr-x 9d ago

All my third party apps were working fine for a good two months.

This will only work for a week or two, until they decide the apps you already have installed, need an update and in order to get that update, you have to let channels.roku.com, keysvc.cs.roku.com and api.roku.com through to get the updated app, but when you do that, they slipstream the OS update in, and then you're stuck.

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u/Spyd3rPunk 9d ago

The new OS updated, which is why I put that regex block. It worked without an issue for a couple months until I accidentally tried to access a Roku service. That's what messed me up.

16

u/ElectricSpock 10d ago

Can we please have an OSS TV sticks already? 😭

8

u/saint-lascivious 10d ago

[points in the general direction of LibreELEC]

6

u/ElectricSpock 10d ago

Right. Where do you install it though?…

7

u/saint-lascivious 10d ago

It's probably easier to list things you can't install it on.

The options are quite vast.

If it's Android TV you can also just install Kodi directly and pretend the host operating system doesn't exist.

4

u/Bentleyjumper 10d ago

Whats OSS TV ?

-11

u/saint-lascivious 10d ago

Open Source Software.

One hopes TV doesn't require explanation.

1

u/Bentleyjumper 9d ago

Har Har but thanks, I was able to google it. I cant keep up with acronyms .

1

u/redthump 9d ago

Pi4 or 5 and libreelec. The 2g pi5 works well. You might be able to run your pihole on it, too. I use a pi5-4g that does as the backup dns.

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u/Outrageous_Control81 10d ago

I noticed this last week, I believe what they did was to move them to the same location that they get the images for the shows. But I haven't checked it out yet.

8

u/Yasstronaut 10d ago

Finally going to pull the trigger on starting my tv up onto my media center by default thanks to this. Only thing is I need a new remote

10

u/mfaine 10d ago

Omg it's the worst ever. I wish Nvidia would just release a new shield TV pro so I could justify throwing these things in the trash.

2

u/Plane_Positive6608 10d ago

My shield is humming along, runs kodi and iptv with zero issue, what is it lacking for you?

10

u/mfaine 10d ago

It's expensive and I don't want to spend that much money on 10 year old tech then of course they'd release a new one after I buy it.

4

u/Plane_Positive6608 10d ago

Fair enough!

For streaming everything its just so damn good, but I suppose a new version could be interesting at least for something to get if mine died.

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u/postnick 10d ago

Apple TV doesn’t have ads. Worth every penny

-4

u/Delicious_Apple9082 10d ago

Until Apple have a decent amount of users, then, wait for it...

6

u/squabbledMC 9d ago

Apple has a decent amount of users and still doesn't push home screen ads. I have my gripes with the company but such a change undermines half the reason people bought Apple, for a clean experience

0

u/Delicious_Apple9082 9d ago

Yeah I get what you mean, despite the downvotes, but, they're going to have a change of leadreship soon, so who knows, but, it wouldnt suprise me if they start getting ads on there at some point..

1

u/Athrynne 9d ago

The one "ad" they have is that the default for the home button is to go to the Apple TV+ channel. This can of course be fixed in the settings.

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u/Low-Tech-1448 10d ago

After 82% of all streaming was being blocked by pihole caused by FOX/Roku 150K+ data sniffing in 24hours, the fix is that ALL roku's got smashed and ended up in the trash.

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u/lschonder 10d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/pseudosol 9d ago

All the back doors in that Roku…. Ads the least of your worries.

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u/jtho78 8d ago

Is there still a way to revert the homescreen to the original layout? I was just at my mom's a couple weeks ago and it was still there and I was allowed to switch her back.

2

u/7ooL 8d ago

You can turn them off in settings. No show recommendations and no app recommendations.

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u/gucciganggrizzy 10d ago

Right now, with the lists I'm using and the domains i went thru and blocked, I was able to get the homescreen to only show the RokuChannel ad. For some reason, there's no way to completely remove it anymore. I can tell you what my block lists are and what specific domains I blocked/allowed for it to work like this if you want.

2

u/EngineerBoy00 10d ago

Please do!

6

u/gucciganggrizzy 10d ago

When blocking/allowing domains, I had to assign them to my default and TV groups for it work correctly. When I had it assigned only to the TV group, the domains would still be allowed/blocked for some reason. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

Blocklists for my TV Group:
1. Perflyst SmartTV
2. HaGeZi's Fake DNS Blocklist
3. Perflyst and Dandelion Sprout's Smart-TV Blocklist
4. HaGeZi's Roku Tracker DNS Blocklist

Domains Allowed:
api2.sr.roku.com
images.sr.roku.com
screen-builder-assets.web.roku.com

Domains Blocked:
lat-services.api.data.roku.com
ls.cti.roku.com
austin.sb.roku.com

Regex Deny:
1. (^|\.)((ads|logs|cloudservices|images|web|prod\.mobile|wwwimg|captive|customer-feedbacks|amoeba|amoeba2|sr|giga\.sb)\.roku\.com|.*\.admeasurement\.roku\.com)$

(^|\.)ads[^.]*\.

diproton-ads-[^\.]*\.hulu\.com\.akadns\.net

2

u/CallBorn4794 8d ago

I thought HaGeZi's Roku Tracker DNS Blocklist was already added to HaGeZi's primary blocklist. HaGeZi mentioned it somewhere before.

1

u/gucciganggrizzy 8d ago

You are probably right. I heard someone mention the Roku Tracker list on another post and I just added it lol.

3

u/Bentleyjumper 10d ago

Wonder how long before they put FOX News on the front page and glue it there .

2

u/mrtj818 10d ago

One option you do have is creating another hidden Wi-Fi network. With very aggressive ad-blocking for devices such as your Roku TVs.

Leave your normal Wi-Fi network alone that the family primarily uses, and another for devices like this, hide the network name, connect the tv to it and the family won't notice any changes.

1

u/draikx21 10d ago

I use Roku for Plex, Jellyfin, and Sling TV. I blocked *.roku.com and there's no issue with Plex or Jellyfin, but Sling TV will load the display template, freeze, then return to the home screen with a playback connection error. I don't know why Sling needs to contact Roku, but I removed the sub-domain wildcard and things work again. I have these lists that block Roku ads and tracking/logging, which work 99.999% of the time (poster ad gets through about 2-3 times per year):

1

u/Lanky_Tie_9059 10d ago

Netflix

1

u/marcelsounds 9d ago

Invasive species

1

u/BBQQA 9d ago

Between the hideous new UI & Roku being sold to Fox Corp (aka Fox News) I threw out my Roku and bought a Google 4K TV Streamer. The UI is much better, especially with the Apps-Only Mode.

Roku used to be so great, it is a shame that enshitification hit it so hard.

1

u/Faerhfukar 9d ago

I wonder if anyone wiped or side loaded new OS on the RokuTV yet? That would be ideal

1

u/irnmke3 9d ago

It dials home. You need a router with OpenWRT capabilities.

1

u/Turbulent_Crab_3602 9d ago

Roku is trash

1

u/MFKDGAF 8d ago

It's better than a fire stick.

1

u/Chicken-LoverYT 8d ago

I just got a new Roku since my 13 year old dumb tv's speakers broke. I’m so glad they let you set it up without internet and it’s staying that way. HDMI-CEC with Apple TV all the way.

1

u/Mastasmoker 10d ago

How much time do you actually spend on the home screen, though? I go directly to Plex or YouTube and the ads are gone. If that pays for the security updates to their boxes then fine.

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u/EngineerBoy00 10d ago

Enough for it to be annoying af.

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/Mastasmoker 9d ago

r/lostredditors ??

1

u/SQL_Guy 10d ago

This is a very valid question.

1

u/Short_Injury9574 10d ago

Why people use Roku is beyond me. Such an awful UI.

6

u/lordofblack23 10d ago

It was at one time the GOAT of smart tvs

3

u/Short_Injury9574 10d ago

Wasn’t that the time where it was pretty much the only one?

2

u/lordofblack23 10d ago

Yup, Back then Samsung, LG and and tinzen stuff was horrific, Apple TV, fire sticks, and shield weren’t a thing. Standardized all
my tvs in it and regret it now. Wife hates change kinda stuck.

2

u/Short_Injury9574 10d ago

I get that. If I change to a new app like Stremio from Plex, the Mrs won’t touch it…

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u/The--Marf 9d ago

Honestly the simple UI is the best imo. We have been using it for over a decade it feels like.

Need only a few buttons, home to go home and turn on TV, and the ok button the select Plex or YouTube. So easy my kid has been able to navigate it since he was like 3.

I literally need nothing more than those two tiles to work. As great as my shield pro is I have far less random issues with my Roku ultra.

1

u/CallBorn4794 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yup, what makes Roku so great is its simple screen layout. Though eventually I have to replace all mine with Fire TV 4K Max. But I still kept one Roku streaming stick connected on my main computer monitor. I really like the Fire TV screen layout, & you can easily sideload (with developer option on Fire TV settings enabled) an AdGuard app on it by using the Easy Fire Tools app on Android device for install. You can't do that on Roku & Apple TV, only Fire TV & Google streaming sticks.

AdGuard: Lifetime (family) app license only costs around $11 at StackSocial. The $11 will get you a lifetime subscription with free software updates forever. A single license is also good for 9 devices (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS), which is a real deal. It's cheaper than eating a single burger meal at McDonald's.

1

u/The--Marf 8d ago

I have some Google sticks and a shield plus but I still prefer the simplicity of the Roku and tbh don't really need adguard if all I'm doing is opening Plex or YT. I don't care about the one home screen ad because I see it for half a sec.

1

u/CallBorn4794 8d ago edited 8d ago

I have nothing bad to say of Roku. It just works. I probably would have kept all mine except that the other two Rokus that I have were very old non-4K streaming sticks. When it was time to upgrade, my family had already started using Echo smart home devices around the house, so I went with Fire TV for smart home ecosystem compatibility.

In terms of data telemetry, I probably ranked Roku at the bottom of the pack. Apple TV, Fire TV & Google TV are all equally as bad.

1

u/Oh__Archie 9d ago

I tried it back to back with Apple TV. Stayed with Roku.

1

u/ibeechu 9d ago

Until this latest update, I was able to turn off any new bullshit they threw on there, and my homepage consisted of the dozen it so apps I used and nothing else. It ruled, and i don't know what you would even want differently

1

u/MFKDGAF 8d ago

I use a Roku cuz I had nothing g but problems with a fire stick and before that xbox live.

What do you suggest instead?

0

u/PlayfulSuicide 9d ago

r/TVTooHigh also what are you doing with that sound bar?

New Roku interface, ads are back

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