ROKU fans are divided over what appears to be a controversial change to the app.
TV viewers have flocked to Reddit to argue about a surprising addition to one of the features.
Roku is known for making streaming devices and software – but it also offers an in-app remote control.
Now users on a Reddit thread have noted ads appearing on the virtual TV remote.
“Utter garbage. Get that out of there, Roku. Massive fail,” said one irate user.
Another wrote: “I know! It’s on my home page too! I can’t get rid of it! Ticks me off.
“I have the box, not built in the TV Roku device and if I paid for it, I shouldn’t have ads at all.”
But others said that the ads weren’t even that bad – and made sense for the app.
“That’s pretty unobtrusive. I didn’t even notice it right away. Roku’s not a charity.”
Another said: “This is pretty unobtrusive and I’m pretty sure all devices will move to this eventually.”
They added: “Part of the issue is that Roku makes stuff that lasts for years, so people don’t buy upgrades that often and they need to keep having income.”
Roku sells premium devices – but it also offers a huge library of free content.
The Roku Channel app is available on a huge range of devices.
And it serves up hundreds of channels and tens of thousands of TV shows and movies.
These are all supported by ads, meaning you don’t need to pay for a membership each month.
It’s a way to save money on your monthly TV bills if you avoid forking out for premium subscriptions.
So while some users are angry about the ad on the virtual remote, it could help to fund the freebies available on The Roku Channel.
The U.S. Sun has asked Roku for comment and will update this article with any response.
Here's the lowdown...
The Roku Channel is a streaming app that’s available on a range of devices.
It offers more than 400 live TV channels.
And it promises over 80,000 movies and TV shows on an on-demand basis.
Roku says that the app is available on:
Roku notes that the app is only available in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It’s also available in Mexico, but only on Roku devices.
