After pushing out full-screen ads to the homescreen, Fire TV is now also replacing your screensaver with full-screen ads.
For years, consumers have been picking up ultra-cheap Roku, Fire TV and Chromecast dongles and TVs.
The time has come to pay the real price.
Amazon, Google and Roku have all been stealthily rolling out prominent ads to their TV homescreens via server-side updates – no software update required. Roku in April 2024, Google TV in January 2024, and Amazon Fire TV in November 2023.
They are also experimenting with interactive ads, pause ads, and even ads over your TV's HDMI inputs.
Next step: Screensaver ads
According to Cord Cutters News, Amazon has started replacing Fire TV screensavers with full-screen ads that last 30–60 seconds:
- "So far, we have seen ads for AT&T and original footwear from Easy Spirit. In the past, the screensavor would just start, but now Amazon seems to be looking for more ad revenue by showing full-screen ads before that happens."
It appears to be rolling out to all Fire TV devices from 2016 or newer. Here is an example:
A screensaver ad on Fire TV. Photo: Cord Cutters news
You are the product
With Fire TV, Roku and Google TV all introducing new invasive ad formats on the users' existing devices faster than we can report on them, it is time for consumers to start looking for alternatives.
Apple TV 4K does not display ads on the homescreen and is the best TV operating system in our opinion. You can read FlatpanelsHD's in-depth review here. The classic Chromecast does not have ads either but also lacks a user interface.
- Source: Cord Cutters News
