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Comment by jbluepolarbear | Hacker News Reader

If history taught us anything it’s that people will move to less friction platform. I was long time Google, but over the last few years I’ve almost migrated completely to Apple. I know a lot of developers in my field (video games) that have done the same. Google is using its size and reach to fill my products with ads. I’m not an ad id and I want to be treated as such. Also, why is android such a bad development platform? Android is the worst part of mobile development and I’m glad I left it for good.

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I remember when moving to Linux in 2010 (then Mac) being surprised that:

- There were practically no ads, and especially no ads with easy traps such as “You have a virus, install this to remove it”.

- There were no OEM drivers, and thus no Askbar, the 404 pages were really 404s, and the Search on Google bar really went to Google.com. That was new for me, coming from Windows.

- If there were ads, on Mac, they were for higher-class products, not fast food.

People joke about the 20% to 100% higher cost of Apple products, but being away from the grandma/noobs ecosystem has no price. Corollary: Grandmas and noobs endure an obnoxious OS experience, because advertisers know that a lot of them will click on traps like “Error 404. Enter your credit card to view content” (or, today, “Want in on the Bitcoin experience?”).

Same here, although my reasons were a bit more mixed.

My wife and I went from flagship Android phones (latest and greatest Samsung or Sonys) to mid-range iPhones (XR) over the last few years and it feels like a massive improvement.

I'm not going back anytime soon and next week two more of my kids are getting (refurbished) iPhone 8 to replace their aging Samsung Galaxy S7 and Huawei <something I can't remember>.

I'd love to move to Apple, but muscle memory is a real PITA. I just can't seem to overcome that obstacle, no matter how small. I always seem to find my way back to 'good old' Android/Windows. It's almost like an abusive relationship.

tvOS has the same problem I’m afraid.

With ads that I can easily go into settings to turn off?

That’s the problem people are upset about is this is forced upon you with zero realistic alternatives. Apple puts it into the settings whereas you have to use adb to forcefully swap the launcher. That’s a pretty bog difference c

Where can I switch ATV ads off in the settings?

I also assumed it would be there, but unless I’m missing it, the option to disable those ads doesn’t exist.

Which problem? Because there aren't ads on the home screen, or even in the Apple TV app (other than promos for TV shows, but that's like...why you're there).

And that’s a feature that makes sense promote tv shows on your tv device. Most/all of the promoted shows are from apps already installed. Like the Disney+ Promo for Raya. I already had Disney+, so it was more of a hey watch this new content you’re already paying for.

I only have Hulu installed, and it's the only paid streaming service I use. I'm getting ads for peakcock and disney+ too.

This ^^

Why am I getting ads for services I don’t have, and why can’t I switch them off if I want to?

Is the App Store, iTunes, iMovie, or tv+ highlighted? Because that’s how ads work on Apple tv

You’re wrong and they’re ads.

If I’m on the home screen and I want to search across apps (a core feature) I’m routed through the TV app, which will try to make me buy new services or pay fees to watch content I already have access to on Netflix.

It will also mix in banners for shows/movies I don’t have access to without paying additional fees, and doesn’t allow a way to disable this.

This is exactly the problem people are having with the new Google TV app.

Don’t want Google ads? Cool, uninstall the Google TV launcher and remove massive amounts of functionality you already paid for (including universal search) and crack on with a terrible experience.

Don’t want Apple ads? Cool, move the TV app to your junk folder and remove massive amounts of functionality you already paid for (including universal search) and crack on with a terrible experience.

Even Prime video has a free to me button.

The ATV is not a subsidised device, this is shameless gouging and Apple again get a pass on here that other companies are (rightly) dragged for just because they’re Apple.

You’re wrong and confused on the Apple TV. There were is a home bar on tvOS, apps in this bar directly represent the ads you’ll see. If you highlight tv then you get ads for shows in that app. Likewise, highlighting the App Store shows ads for popular apps and services. You can remove any of these apps from that bar.

False.

Others in this thread have already spoken about getting ads for Peacock, Disney+ and Hulu even though they don’t have the services installed, let alone in the app bar.

Today I tried to continue watching a show I’ve been watching for a month and Apple wanted me to pay money just because it’s on Netflix. No mention whatsoever that it’s on Netflix or even a banner to read “content from other services may not appear in this app”.

Sure I can check Netflix separately, but that means that if I want to use the most popular streaming service in the world on this device reliably then I no longer have a universal search feature.

It’s crazy that the experience is this bad and no-one is willing to point it out.

I don’t have this experience and I’ve pointed out you can tailor your experience in tvOS. Ads are pulled from the app highlighted. If you put apps on the home bar that aren’t the tv app, App Store, iTunes, iMovie, etc you won’t get ads. How is that so hard to understand?

Please see posts above and elsewhere in the thread.

Services are advertised regardless of what’s in the App Bar.

Shows are advertised on services that aren’t even installed, even if they’re on Netflix and Netflix is installed.

Movies that are on Netflix are shown as iTunes rentals for additional fees, with no message to the user that they can watch it on Netflix.

I asked if you know of a toggle to switch these of, I’ve been unable to find anything to suggest such an option exists either on my device or via Google.

I like a lot of what they make, but tvOS is just bad in it’s current state.

I use tvOS everyday and it’s not the same.

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