March 10, 2026
Tonight’s show: Ad vs. Remote
Hisense TVs add unskippable startup ads before live TV
Power button now a play button for ads—owners revolt, deal-hunters shrug
TLDR: Hisense’s VIDAA TVs are reportedly showing unskippable ads right after you power on, before live TV. Commenters are split: some vow to boycott over privacy and control, others say the bargain prices make it tolerable, while tinkerers plot workarounds like unplugging internet or using external streamers.
Hisense owners say they’ve unlocked a new boss fight: an unskippable ad the moment you power on. Reports claim VIDAA-powered sets—including some Toshiba and JVC models—now force a full-screen commercial before you can reach live TV. Cue the meltdown. One commenter sneered, “Hisense has low taste,” while another announced a personal boycott, lumping the brand in with “sellouts” like Apple and Lenovo. Meanwhile, a few deal-lovers clap back: a 100-inch Hisense for about $1,000? “Still worth it,” says one, even if you have to sit through an ad.
The drama doesn’t stop there. Users say even with data-consent toggles off, the ads still pop—fueling privacy panic over VIDAA’s data collection and Nexxen’s programmatic ads (read: automated ad slots that are easy to fill). Some are already plotting escape routes: block it with ad tools, yank the ethernet cable, or slap on a streaming box and never look back. Others are despondent that even rival brands auto-install stuff—one LG owner says Copilot keeps appearing.
Bottom line? Advertising just crashed the power-on party, and the community’s split between boycotting, bargain-hunting, and building clever workarounds. If this rollout sticks, expect more people to treat the TV’s own software like a pop-up they’ll do anything to avoid. Source
Key Points
- •Users report Hisense TVs running VIDAA show unskippable ads immediately after power-on, before live TV access.
- •Similar behavior is reported on Toshiba and JVC TVs using the same VIDAA OS, indicating a platform-level change.
- •The startup ad pauses the TV’s power-on flow until completion, altering the baseline user experience.
- •Nexxen is cited as a programmatic partner enabling scalable ad delivery within VIDAA’s interface.
- •Some users report seeing startup ads despite disabling data-consent options; VIDAA documentation details extensive device and usage data collection, and no clear user toggle to disable the startup ad is identified.