Reddit users thevincentasteroid and MMD3_ posted about an auto-playing video ad (with sound) on the home screen. The ad is for Chicken Tender Wraps from Carl’s Jr. When it begins auto-playing, it pushes all the other UI elements out of focus and goes almost full-screen, returning to the home screen after it has played through once.
I’ve had an Android TV for about five years. I recently bought a TV with Google TV. I don’t know if this is how Google TV has always been, but it wasn’t that way in Android TV.
Seeing the home screen on the Google TV made me immediately regret the purchase. Unfortunately, the model I bought disabled the ability to make alternate launchers default. I was able to put it in app mode, but it was still plastering ads everytime you turned on the TV or hit the home button. Absolutely disgusting.
The home screen is so bad I finally set up pi-hole on my network. Now there is just a blank area where the ads used to be with a notification saying I’m not connected to the internet, although my services are fine.
I’ll never by a Google TV again unless I can make alternative launchers default. I’m really glad I installed pi-hole, those TV send so much info back to Google. I recommend it to anyone.
Apps Only mode is a decent workaround… for now. https://support.google.com/googletv/answer/10070784?hl=en
Really cuts down on the amount of clutter and suggestions on the main screen.
Yeah, it was much better, but still had ads showing everytime I turned on the TV. The only real fix was the pi-hole blocking the domains I posted on another comment.