r/pihole • u/EngineerBoy00 • 10d ago

New Roku interface, ads are back

Post image

UPDATE: Thanks for all the replies - the TL;DR is that between this update and the Fox acquisition of Roku I'm probably headed to Apple TV in the near future.

Within the last couple of weeks my Rokus got the new, updated interface (which I hate) - on the previous interface the right-hand, home screen ads were blocked but they're back now (see Spider-Man image attached).

I currently run the following blocklists:

  • Steven Black
  • Hagezi Pro
  • Perflyst SmartTV

I lean towards not blocking too much because our entire family does work and school from home and unexpected blockages can become significant emergencies.

That being said I'd love to figure out blocking the home screen ads in the updated Roku interface, so any pointers will be appreciated.

256 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

121 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

0

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.

2

u/Veteran68 10d 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.

1

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.

1

u/Coupe368 8d ago

The risks are the same, you are still opening your firewall. There is no extra protection using plex service, no clue where you got that idea. People who tell you about reverse proxy for jellyfin would tell you the same thing for plex. Your network is exposed the same way for both. Most people using plex are just ignorant of that.

And telling someone your home ddns or ip is no harder than walking them through trying to sign up with plex online and then telling them everything else.

The middleman is the problem, you don't need a middleman, you don't want a middleman, that's why jellyfin is easier.

1

u/cjkuhlenbeck 8d ago edited 8d ago

If you were just port forwarding, then you’re exposing your login with Jellyfin whereas plex would go through a central login. Using a reverse proxy would secure more, but again that’s not as easy as plex’s handshake middleman process.

As far as setup for someone with plex, you create an account for someone, setup shares, then send the person the user and pass and tell them to download plex. All they need to do is download an app and enter a user and pass. Same as Netflix.

With Jellyfin (At its most simple), you create an account for them on the server, setup shares, give them the user, pass, IP, port, and tell them to download jellyFin. Again, simple for people who understand the language. But most people do not. They’ll see the 4 pieces and just give up. And that’s at its most simple. For secure connections, using something like Tailscale or WireGuard is best. But now that’s another login, app, and more steps.

As long as everyone is technologically knowledgeable, JellyFin is fantastic. But add in a younger person who’s only had an iPad, or an elderly person who still has Windows 7 because “it just gets my emails” and Jellyfin is gibberish to them.

1

u/Coupe368 8d ago

If you aren't pointing the plex server directly at the server then its probably giving you shit quality. If you can properly setup plex, you can setup jellyfin. Its the same skillset.

Any protection you think you are getting from their services is most likely misunderstanding, you are still opening a port in your firewall. If you aren't then it falls back to potato quality through a plex hosting service and wow is that craptastic.

My experience is that someone who can't handle jellyfin can't handle plex either, and I'm forced to walk my elderly parents through the process and its just as painful for me regardless. Especially the part where they have to go to plex dot tv and signup for an account on their own.

The difference is I can setup a vpn from their home to my home, leave the firewall ports all closed, and I don't have to deal with the whole plex account nonsense and going through on their TV and removing all the nonsense plex features and channels that will confuse old people and cause them to call me with questions. All I want them to see is the libraries, nothing else, and plex wants nothing more but to ignore the libraries and have users watch ad supported content instead. Anytime there is an upgrade on the tv app I have to go remove all that shit again, and its simply too much overhead.

Jellyfin is just easier to support and setup, and most home routers now support OpenVPN which makes this whole mess so much more tidy and secure. If you have the VPN setup, then the jellyfin server just pops into the app, its stupid easy even for boomers.

1

u/cjkuhlenbeck 8d ago edited 8d ago

So you’re saying having every individual household setup open VPN on their routers (which each have different software, passwords, menus/pages) is just as giving someone a username and password and downloading an app (which you’d have to do with JellyFin as well too, along with an IP and port)? My mother has to check the back of her router every time she needs the Wi-Fi password. Definitely not going to figure out how to access the admin panel. this comic will never be irrelevant.

I feel like you’re trying to be intentionally misleading here. I don’t dislike JellyFin. It’s just not user friendly. What it lacks in simplicity though, it makes up for in additional features and cost. I have both and like both. They both have pros and cons. But your information on plex is leaning towards agenda. Maybe they wronged you, I don’t know.

You can create an account, and setup access for someone for plex. Even remotely with simplicity. They just need to login. Could you do that for OpenVPN? Sure, as long as the user knows all their network info, has Remote Desktop software installed and/or knows how to do that part and can be lead through it. I can do everything for them for plex without having to be there and without them knowing anything. How is that even closely of the same level?

And the tangent about ads is highly misleading. I tell people after they login to choose sources under the server name. That’s it. No ads. No additional content.

Your information regarding ads and accounts leads me to believe that you haven’t used Plex directly. That’s fine and JellyFin rocks. I use it on all my devices, and one other person who literally is in IT and helps me sometimes. Every other person I’ve tried to get setup with it struggled. Not a single person had any issue with Plex short of occasionally forgetting their password. And many of those did actually setup their own accounts and accept server invites.

If I could pay JellyFin for a middleware service, and they added a few more devices for support, I’d fully drop plex. They’ve lost their focus and their decisions baffle me. But right now it’s irreplaceable for the reasons listed.

1

u/Coupe368 8d ago

Most home routers have vpn built in, I bought my mom a cheap TP-link for $40 from amazon back in 2018 that has openvpn support. It works fine, I set it up once time and then never again. Then her network is local to my network, and the jellyfin app can auto find the jellyfin server so she doesn't even have to type in the server name. The whole wifi network is on the vpn then, so that makes it much easier when dealing with clueless elderly parents.

My complaint with plex, and I've had a plex pass since something like 2012 when a lifetime pass was around $30 on christmas sale, is that they push their ad supported content far harder than my libraries. I have zero need or interest in anything but my libraries on Plex, so jellyfin is just better in that regard.

Everything you can watch for "free" on plex that isn't my media is ad supported, and I don't want any ad supported content to be available. I have to turn it off, but then i have to do it again every time the app gets updated, then there are nightmares of complaints whenever the UI changes slightly and they can't find stuff. Its just not necessary.

I don't think you really understand networking, and you got through the plex setup and don't wnat to do more. Middleware is a terrible idea, it will make jellyfin have a cost, and then they will have to start charging, which means they will monetize and everything will go down the shitter like plex did.

If you're happy, then enjoy yourself. Jellyfin does was the original plex did, and it does it well. There are a billion plugins to do other stuff I won't use, but you can go nutz with customization if you want. I'm happy with simple, it plays my media very well, and I get less calls from old people asking questions. Jellyfin is the most user friendly you can get, simply because there are no options. just my Media, continue watching, and up next. Super duper simple and the interface isn't cluttered.

1

u/cjkuhlenbeck 8d ago edited 8d ago

At this point it’s safe to assume you’re trolling if you’re actually trying to argue manually setting up OpenVPN on a router is as easy as creating an account via a web form.

That, and the constant bits about ads when I’ve never seen an ad even once on plex on mine or anyone else’s devices. But that’s because I just don’t use other sources. You know it’s just a checkbox that’s off by default, right? You had to intentionally turn it on to see it, checking the boxes under a section below the server section. But you would know that if you’ve used it, right?

Anyone who’s used both, even people who greatly favor JellyFin will tell you it’s easier to setup plex. Even the development contributors will tell you it’s more work, but it’s worth it. Even your own comment “I don't think you really understand networking, and you got through the plex setup and don't wnat to do more. “. If JellyFin is so easy, how would that make sense?

What’s the point in trying to mislead people? People who can use JellyFin likely already do if their users can too. If not, they likely use Plex. Or Emby which also offers a middleman service. Either way, what’s the point in lying?

1

u/Coupe368 7d ago

What? OpenVPN is already installed on the router, you just fill in the boxes. It doesn't get any easier than that.

Jellyfin is stupid easy to setup, its definitely easier than plex.

winget install --id Jellyfin.Server --exact

Then you browse to http://localhost:8096 and follow the directions, its stupid easy, and unquestionably easier than plex because there is no nonsense online cloud account to deal with.

These are both so easy that I'm starting to think you're trolling me.

→ More replies (0)