Roku Channel pause ads spread; Roku seeks fix for HDR issue
Roku Channel pause ads spread; Roku seeks fix for HDR issue
Customers are having trouble streaming content with HDR on some Roku devices, but the company is at work on a solution.
The folks at Roku are busy these days. The company seemingly never stops rolling out new devices, expanding to other areas, or finding new ways to show ads to budget-conscious cord-cutters. This week, the largest streaming platform in North America is set to roll out more pause ads, while also grappling with an issue some viewers have encountered when trying to watch content in High Dynamic Range (HDR).
Key Details:
- More commercials: Customers are continuing to see ads on The Roku Channel.
- Ads everywhere: The company also began testing start-up ads on its devices earlier this year.
- HDR blues: Some customers have had trouble streaming in HDR on Disney+ since a recent update.
Update: After consulting with a Roku representative, The Streamable has confirmed that pause ads have been a part of the Roku Channel’s advertising offerings for many years. We apologize for the confusion this error may have caused.
The latest update at Roku deals with a subject that every streaming customer has had to confront recently: ads. The Roku Channel is following through with an update that many other ad-supported streamers have implemented in recent years, the expansion of pause ads. As the name suggests, these are static ads that appear on screen when the content is paused. In some cases, the ad will only take up part of the screen while keeping the show or movie you are watching at least partially visible. For some streamers, these ads will cover the whole screen.
Customers will see ads for products or services when they pause a show or movie while watching The Roku Channel. Some of these ads will be accompanied by QR codes that will allow viewers to find the advertised product more quickly with their phones.
There are potentially more new ad formats coming to Roku device owners, as well. In March, the company began testing ads that play when a user powers up their Roku device, forcing them to sit through a commercial before browsing the Roku home screen to find something to stream.
Roku also has a technical issue on its hands, in the form of an issue streaming in HDR on Disney+. Customers have noted that Disney+ content streaming in HDR is seeing its colors washed out, creating an essentially unwatchable viewing experience. Roku says the problem is under investigation, and urges viewers to report any issues so they can be resolved more quickly.
The issue should be resolved without much further delay, but customers will likely have to get used to the pause ads on The Roku Channel. A huge chunk of Roku’s revenues comes from ads, and the company will undoubtedly continue to experiment with methods to put new ads in front of viewers.
Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is a free, ad-supported streaming service that offers a broad mix of movies, TV shows, live linear channels, and original programming. Available to all viewers — not just Roku device owners — the service features licensed content from major studios alongside Roku Originals, which include exclusive series, movies, and specials previously produced for Quibi, as well as new original projects developed specifically for the platform.