patrick.net

Exactly how does one block ads on a Roku?

Talking about pi-hole: mine apparently uses 18 Exabytes of disk space!



Nah, not really:

NuttBoxer says

Actually, I've noticed it does seem to limit bootube commercials, unless they're just getting shorter? The one's I've seen lately only last three seconds, and I don't have to do the skip anymore.

The stuff I watch is mostly on the Roku channel, Pluto, and some Peacock(all free). Now when it's supposed to cut to commercial, I see it cut out, then cut back with no commercial.

Nah... I'd log into my pihole if it wasn't so fucking slow right now but I pulled some github repo (can't remember, don't see a book mark) and installed some bash that updates the black list every night.

If I recall basically the way it works is every night it uploads all youtube content I've blocked manually and send that out to others and vice versa. Soon youtube didn't work. Also I noticed yeah, I could manually block stuff for a bit but youtube would keep trying and eventually find a work around and send adds to my roku app anyway.

The real issue is that youtube in particular interleaves the adds and the content for lots of what they send so the ip is the same.

NuttBoxer says

I blocked almost every Roku request after I saw the amount of logging they do.

Yup, I saw that too!

zzyzzx says

Exactly how does one block ads on a Roku?

I believe the default blacklist blocks Roku adds, but not for sure as I have added rules to block over 95% of their requests. If it's not the default blocklist, I'd guess it's my entry blocking any address containing the text dns. I'm not a fan of services going around my dns setup, but have noticed a few that break if I don't use theirs.

I think I used this:

https://github.com/kboghdady/youTube_ads_4_pi-hole?source=patrick.net

just_passing_through says

Nah... I'd log into my pihole if it wasn't so fucking slow right now but I pulled some github repo (can't remember, don't see a book mark) and installed some bash that updates the black list every night.

Haven't added anything beyond their default list, which is updated weekly. Everything else is from my personal blacklist, created by scanning the logs and researching anything that looks suspicious. It's also a lot of trial and error, as I've broken sites/apps more than a few times, and had to figure out which route to whitelist, or remove from blacklist to fix it.

I only watch gootube for three entertainment channels. Most videos I watch on my laptop directly from the creators site, or on bitchute. Roku is mostly used for TV shows and movies, mostly local(Plex).

ChauvinsKnee says

Talking about pi-hole: mine apparently uses 18 Exabytes of disk space!

Mine runs on a shitty Dell Celeron laptop repurposed with headless Debian for Tor bridge and pihole. Logs average about 15% of memory, and that's blocking 90% of requests.

I know it's awfully old-school, but we get whole series from the library and watch one episode per night most nights. Have to go to the library every two weeks or so, but that's OK. Saw most of The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, etc this way.

No ads. And if you watch with VLC, then no bogus "FBI Warning" either.

https://www.videolan.org/vlc/?source=patrick.net

Patrick says

I know it's awfully old-school, but we get whole series from the library and watch one episode per night most nights

LP Records came out in 1948 and lasted as a mainstream medium until the 1980's where CDs replaced them. That's 30 years.

Compact Discs lasted from 1980 to the early 2000s. 20 years

DVDs came out in 1995 and lasted to around 2010. 15 years

BluRay came out in 2006 and is still in some use today. 15 years.

It's weird to see defining technology come into and out of existence within your lifetime. And really, what is the next step? For TESTING purposes of moving data around, I have every Star Trek Episode from the original show, a few dozen films, all of Red Dwarf, I think Green Acres, and some other miscellaneous crap - on a $23 SD Card. Is there anything worth inventing any more for data storage?

NuttBoxer says

just_passing_through says

Nah... I'd log into my pihole if it wasn't so fucking slow right now but I pulled some github repo (can't remember, don't see a book mark) and installed some bash that updates the black list every night.

Haven't added anything beyond their default list, which is updated weekly. Everything else is from my personal blacklist, created by scanning the logs and researching anything that looks suspicious. It's also a lot of trial and error, as I've broken sites/apps more than a few times, and had to figure out which route to whitelist, or remove from blacklist to fix it.

I only watch gootube for three entertainment channels. Most videos I watch on my laptop directly from the creators site, or on bitchute. Roku is mostly used for TV shows and movies, mostly local(Plex).

Default Pihole list completely breaks my AppleTV. As in "nothing works".

NuttBoxer says

ChauvinsKnee says

Talking about pi-hole: mine apparently uses 18 Exabytes of disk space!

Mine runs on a shitty Dell Celeron laptop repurposed with headless Debian for Tor bridge and pihole. Logs average about 15% of memory, and that's blocking 90% of requests.

It's an obvious bug. =)) I'm currently running it in Docker on my MacBook so it might be Docker-related.

Thinking about picking up a used Mac Mini for ~$100 or so and run it there.

ChauvinsKnee says

Default Pihole list completely breaks my AppleTV. As in "nothing works".

I wonder what breaks it? I've blocked a ton of apple specific shit as my wife has an iphone, and she seems to be doing ok. Although I did block something that was preventing her from sending images through text, but I think that's fixed now. The majority of what I block for them is dns queries, they try to re-route everything through their dns servers it seems.

ChauvinsKnee says

Thinking about picking up a used Mac Mini for ~$100 or so and run it there.

Raspberry Pi with a case is usually around $60-80.

NuttBoxer says

ChauvinsKnee says

Thinking about picking up a used Mac Mini for ~$100 or so and run it there.

Raspberry Pi with a case is usually around $60-80.

@ChauvinsKnee I agree - get a pi. Get a FLIRC case - https://flirc.tv/cases?source=patrick.net - make certain to get the right one for your board.

Suggest a 3 or a 4, also recommend a 256 GB card - be certain that it's a brand name and a real one. I use SanDisk.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-microSDXC-Memory-Adapter/dp/B0758NHWS8/ref=sr_1_13?crid=1U8DT515ED8GC&keywords=sandisk%2B256gb&qid=1642179116&sprefix=sandisk%2B256gb%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-13&th=1&source=patrick.net

The FLIRC case is also on Amazon. The entire case is a heat sink. I recommend also a CanaKit - that includes a power supply. The PS won't ever be underpowered, many 3rd parties are. It is impossible to over-heat.

IF you use a FLIRC case, you MUST insert the SD Card after you've assembled the board into the case. If you try to insert the board into the case with the SD Card in it, you will destroy your SD Card.

Raspbian OS is basically Debian, it's easy to use, it runs LXDE, it's clean. The PI (especially the 4) can easily handle 1080p and can (in theory) handle 4K although I've never run it with 4K. You don't need 4K even for films. The resolution is basically higher than your eye is unless you're a mutant. 1080p is on the edge of your visual perception, but it IS possible to see 4K versus 1080p if you have sharp eyesight. 8K is just stupidity and 16K is super stupidity.

If you need the internet, you have few choices in most non-urban areas unless you can get Starlink.
Where I live, it's Suddenlink or AT&T, and AT&T is lousy copper wire and terrible service. So really only one provider, so no real competition.

NuttBoxer says

ChauvinsKnee says

Thinking about picking up a used Mac Mini for ~$100 or so and run it there.

Raspberry Pi with a case is usually around $60-80.

I don't see anything less than $130-200 on Amazon. And all links from https://www.raspberrypi.com/?source=patrick.net lead to sellers who don't have anything in stock.

Speaking of cable, should I remove the cable lines that I'm not using on my house?

Melt them down and sell the copper!

zzyzzx says

Speaking of cable, should I remove the cable lines that I'm not using on my house?

They'll eventually fall by themselves.

Never had cable. One less wire coming to our house than the neighbors. We only have twisted pair and use Sonic.net for ISP for about $70/ month. We had satellite years ago but it was expensive and you usually end up watching the least bad of your 93 choices.

Now I just waste all my free time watching random videos and posting random thoughts on the Internet.

just_passing_through says

Melt them down and sell the copper!

That's a better idea.