Hisense Smart TV owners report a troubling new feature: mandatory startup ads that play before reaching live TV or the first channel. According to user posts, the ad appears immediately after powering on the TV, even when viewers simply want to watch traditional broadcast programming rather than launch a streaming app. Similar complaints reference Toshiba and JVC-branded televisions running the same VIDAA operating system, suggesting the behavior is platform-wide rather than model-specific.

The issue isn't just that ads exist—it's how they're delivered. Users describe the placement as unskippable, meaning the TV UI doesn't allow dismissing or bypassing the ad to reach channels or inputs. The startup flow is effectively paused until the ad completes, making advertising part of the "power-on path" rather than something ignorable on a menu screen. For buyers who treat live TV access as a basic function, being forced to watch an ad before tuner access is generating significant backlash.

There's also a broader context around VIDAA's advertising ambitions. Nexxen has positioned itself as a programmatic partner for VIDAA-native Smart TV inventory, enabling advertisers to buy and serve ads dynamically through automated systems. Privacy concerns are now part of the discussion as well, with some users claiming startup ads appeared even after disabling data-consent options. Hisense hasn't provided a consumer-facing toggle to disable the startup placement entirely, leaving owners to wonder whether this becomes optional or expands across more interface elements.