The most important job for any smart TV interface is to let users access movies and shows they want to watch quickly and easily. Unfortunately, the smart interfaces on many of the best TVs are clogged with ads, content recommendations, apps you don’t use, and all manner of other stuff that makes finding things frustratingly complicated.
This situation doesn’t just exist with TVs, but also on the best streaming devices. A big part of the problem is that the ‘home screen’ on any TV has become an opportunity to monetize your viewing session, either by steering you toward free ad-supported TV (FAST) streaming portals, or to on-demand movies you have to pay for to view. It’s not unlike walking through a mall to get to a movie theater at the far end, and no matter how much smart TV makers and streaming platforms tinker with home screen layouts – something they are constantly doing – clutter and commerce seems to be the norm.
