If the new patent filed by the company comes to fruition, ads could be displayed when an Apple TV, Xbox Series X, or PS5 is connected to the HDMI port on a TV.

The patent, discovered by Janko Roettgers of Lowpass, uses frame analysis and HDMI detection to determine when there is a pause in the content on an external HDMI device. Once a pause is detected, Roku can use that opportunity to display an advertisement.

The way this technology is described, it will only work on TVs that use the Roku smart platform, such as the Roku Plus Series 4K QLED TV, and not on Roku Streaming Stick 4K or Roku Streaming Stick 4K Plus It will not work with external streaming sticks.

Currently, Roku devices may display ads as part of the screensaver or home screen, but this patent would allow Roku TV to display ads even when the input is changed.

One of the main reasons TV prices have dropped so much in the past decade is that manufacturers are covering the cost of hardware with plans to monetize advertising on TV home screens. streaming sticks under $20 and 55-inch TVs under $500 have appeared That's why.

The most famous example of discounting TVs in exchange for incessant advertising is Telly, which was giving away a 55-inch TV in 2023. Not only did this TV display ads on the accompanying second screen, but the terms of service stated that "we may collect information about the audio and video content you viewed, the channels you watched, and the duration of your viewing session," and "we may also store details about how you interacted with the TV Details about "how you interacted with your TV" were also stored.

While Roku is not completely on its way, if Roku decides to implement this technology, it will have a new way to display ads in areas where none existed before. Hopefully, the initial cost of television may come down, but it is hard to say based on this patent alone.

Want a TV that doesn't show so many ads? LG's WebOS 24 in the new LG C4 OLED and LG G4 OLED models can completely disable ad banners.