Roku, the popular streaming platform, is considering a new approach to monetizing TV HDMI through ad overlays. The company is exploring the possibility of serving ads over content received from your HDMI signals.
Roku overlays ads when you pause video playback on HDMI devices
A number of smart TV services have very low profit margins when sold with the expectation of ad revenue. However, there is a problem when external HDMI devices are connected to TVs. Because they can completely bypass the built-in operating system, they destroy Roku’s business model.
To meet this challenge, Roku revealed a patent that explores the idea of inserting advertisements into HDMI inputs. It was LowPass that originally spotted this patent. It suggests a way to identify paused content from HDMI sources in order to display advertisements during those periods.
Roku’s proposal would include video and audio stream monitoring for pauses in the HDMI input stream so that ads can be placed appropriately. The company cannot communicate directly with devices connected via HDMI. However, they can use metadata and content detection to tailor ads to specific content, as permitted by the patent texts.
However, it remains speculative whether such ideas will disrupt the traditional TV viewing experience with commercial breaks. According to 9to5Google, this is just a patent for the potential technology, but there’s no evidence that Roku has the practical means to implement it.
Sticky ads are possible over HDMI, as Roku has tried something similar before
The idea of smart TVs potentially monitoring our every move is truly alarming, and so is the concern about sticky ads. Plus, even existing Roku TVs have some suggestions like “more ways to watch” that offer HDMI inputs, which means HDMI ads are more than likely.
However, even with all the speculation surrounding the unveiling of this new advertising approach; there is no evidence that Roku has developed this feature yet. This application (sic) could eventually become something more tangible, especially if history is any indication.
This can be a new marketing technique in the form of abstract presentation of top layer ad compositions using HMDI integration (sic). With streaming happening all around us, these are significant issues for companies like Roku, which care about the transition to ad-supported models.
2024-04-06 15:10:56
#Roku #overlay #ads #HDMI
