As a company that wants to make a profit, Roku wants you to watch as many ads as possible. If you want to quit your Roku streaming player and play games on your Nintendo Switch or watch shows on your Apple TV, this isn't currently possible. But if the company has its way, this problem may one day disappear, at least for people with Roku TVs.
Roku explains the idea this way: Patent applicationwhich received little attention when it was filed in November, was recently discovered by Streaming Newsletter low pass. In its application, Roku describes a system that can detect when users pause third-party hardware and software and display ads during that time.
The company says the new system will work via an HDMI connection. This suggests it's designed to target users who play video games or watch content from other streaming services on their Roku TV. Lowpass perfectly explained Roku's conundrum:
“Roku's ability to monetize moments when the TV is turned on but not actively used will no longer work if consumers switch to external devices, such as game consoles or connected streaming adapters from competing manufacturers. ” writes newsletter author Janko Letgers. . “In effect, his HDMI input was a bit of a black box for Roku.”
Plus, Roku doesn't just show you old ads. The company says its innovations can recognize the content users have paused and deliver tailored and relevant ads. Roku's system accomplishes this by using audio or video recognition technology to analyze what the user is watching and the metadata of the content.
The company's patent application has not yet been approved. When contacted by Gizmodo on Friday, Roque declined to comment on his patent application. It should also be noted that companies apply for patents all the time, and many of their ideas never see the light of day.
I don't have a Roku device, but the idea of ads invading my screen when I pause what I'm watching on another service to go get a soda or go to the bathroom is a no-brainer. It's scary. It's one thing to show ads when someone uses your service, but having them completely hijack their experience on other hardware and software can be infuriating.
In the case of games, there's also the risk that Roku will mistake a long thought for a pause and paste an ad right when you're ready to face the final boss. The company is aware of this potential failure, noting that its system monitors the frames of the content being watched to confirm that there was a phase. It will also use other methods to confirm that there were pauses, such as analyzing TV audio feeds to identify long periods of silence.
But none of these are fool-proof, and I don't think gamers want to be in a room where they inevitably get ads during important plays and all hell breaks loose.
