The Breaks Tubi

[Agnella Datson]

Tubichannel is stuck on loading screen. The tubi splash screen appears then it goes blank with the loading icon spinning for a minute or so then goes back to the tubi splash screen and so on, it is stuck in that loop forever (tried letting it go for over 20 minutes...)

If the issue remains unresolved, I'd recommend reaching out to Tubi directly to report the issue and request additional support. Many channels on the Roku platform are developed and maintained by the channel provider directly, and they'll be able to best assist. If other channels are working correctly, and you only experience this issue on the Tubi channel (app), that is likely an indication that the issue lies within that particular channel. In these cases, the channel provider will need to investigate the issue in order to help resolve it.

Having the same problem with a Roku Ultra (2018-ish) and a Samsung TV. I did "reach out" to Tubi via their support, and have had no response in a couple of weeks now. Since Tubi costs nothing, I guess that you get what you pay for, nothing :-). My Roku has the latest updates, Tubi has whatever updates that app has for the Roku platform, and my internet is fast and reliable. And the Roku has no problems with any other apps that I use.

Got no idea how to fix this, pretty stupid, really. I've tried all sorts of things, uninstalling and re-installing the Tubi app, etc. I've even removed the Tubi app, restarted my Roku, and re-installed the Tubi app. Always does this. I guess I'm done with Tubi on that TV. The Android TV Tubi app does work fine on the NVIDIA Shield, though, so I'm not totally out of luck with it. Couldn't afford to put an NVIDIA Shield on all of our TV's, though :-), especially just to get content from a free app.

Troubleshooting on a Roku seems a bit thin, the OS is much more opaque than Android TV is. On the Shield I can force stop an app, flush storage and caches, and, in general, have more debugging options.

If the issue remains unresolved, I'd recommend reaching out to Tubi directly to report the issue and request additional support. Many channels on the Roku platform are developed and maintained by the channel provider directly, and they'll be able to best assist. If other channels are working correctly, and you only experience this issue on the Tubi channel (app), that is likely an indication that the issue lies within that particular channel. In these cases, the channel provider will need to investigate the issue in order to help resolve it.

Thanks Danny, I did open a support ticket with Tubi for the problem, and Tubi support acknowledged the ticket. Never heard back other than the initial acknowledgement, though. The Tubi app's still broken here, so I guess I won't be using Tubi on that TV :-).

Not sure where the reply that I wrote to the individual that offered no help, just trashed me for mentioning a weak point of a product that he owns, disappeared to. Probably just as well, posts like that really don't deserve a reply anyways :-).

For those not familiar with Halo lore, here's why this is a big deal: John 117, or the Master Chief, is the protagonist of six mainline video games plus countless novels and comics, has adorned an endless parade of merch, and he never shows his face. It's just not done. A key part of his appeal is his anonymity. He's a relentless, indomitable soldier voiced with stoic gruffness by actor Steve Downes, a laconic vessel into which gamers can place themselves when battling hordes of aliens hellbent on stamping out humans.

So I'll admit I winced when watching the Halo series, which streams on Paramount Plus on Thursday, March 24, as the iconic green and yellow helmet rises to reveal actor Pablo Schreiber's face. As someone who's played virtually every Halo game and is emotionally invested in the Master Chief, something in my gut told me this was wrong. For whatever image I had of John built in my mind, Schreiber wasn't it. He was, for the lack of better description, too normal.

But after a moment (or two) of processing the scene, and after making a conscious decision to let the story unfold over the next few episodes, I realized it was smart to rip off the bandage (or helmet) early.

Blasphemy, you say? Maybe. But seeing this war-weary face, of a man questioning the military authority he's been raised to obey, is key for the show given how much the other characters, the story, and really the entire universe, hinges upon this one character. This isn't Star Wars, where the characters and settings are well understood by the masses. Halo will need to educate many viewers on the different races, worlds and political dynamics, and it does that through John's eyes.

It's a clear signal that this show breaks from the game's canon in a lot of big ways. Master Chief's face is an early warning to help you adjust to the TV show's big changes to Halo history, dubbed the "Silver Timeline." That's not necessarily a bad thing. Video games plots and characters are tuned to that medium, and an uber-faithful adaptation doesn't always work (remember Warcraft and Assassin's Creed?). Creating something unique, especially given Halo's complicated canon, might be the best way to create an entertaining show for everyone, and not just hardcore gamers. And besides, there are a few fan-pleasing nods to the game -- watch Master Chief take cover while fighting, for example -- which prove the filmmakers aren't just throwing out the game for the sake of it.

As my colleague Mark Serrels noted in his early review of Halo, the show shifts gears from the original game's simplistic and jingoistic tale of a UNSC super soldier and space marines who could do no wrong.

The TV show introduces complexities that make the story more compelling, even if it turns what Halo fans know and love on their head. And it only works when you can get a read on the emotional state of the main character. This isn't going to be a show about a super soldier tearing his way through alien Covenant forces -- that would get repetitive after a few episodes, as would a faceless, near-emotionless character. Instead, the hope is these story wrinkles and how Master Chief reacts to them provides a compelling character arc.

The show also sets up a mystery around Kwan Ha (played by Yerin Ha), who survives a brutal assault by the alien Covenant forces. The growing bond between Master Chief and Ha draws comparisons to The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda, but there are some key differences.

Halo, as popular as it is, doesn't have the same mass appeal of Star Wars. Kids grow up learning about lightsabers, Tatooine, jumping to lightspeed and all that lore (including prominent helmeted characters like Boba Fett and Darth Vader). The Mandalorian was set up as a western, with a faceless gunslinger caring for an uber-adorable, melt-your-heart sidekick. There's a familiarity with the dynamics, settings and mythos that you're able to comfortably slip into the world and enjoy the ride.

Halo doesn't have that luxury of familiarity. Unless you're a gamer, you probably only know Halo as a shooter on a giant alien ring structure -- if that. There's a lot of world building that needs to be established, from the Covenant hierarchy to the tension between the UNSC and the colony worlds -- details that might be lost to even some gamers.

The Halo show is just getting started, so it remains to be seen whether the story and story twists are compelling enough to justify this bold and potentially fan-annoying move. But it's also an opportunity to take Master Chief's character to new and different places.

The big knock against free Peacock is how much it's designed to get you to pay for the premium tier. Many of the NBCUniversal streamer's library titles like "The Office" and "The Voice," or originals like "Vampire Academy" are limited to a few episodes or seasons, a tease that encourages you to pay. One thing that could make free Peacock better would be a dedicated hub for shows, films and sports that don't require a premium-tier subscription. Sorting through (and looking for) titles without the little feather that indicates it's only available for premium is annoying when you're in the mood to watch something good. The ad experience is fine and has a countdown clock. Notably, in films, Peacock's ads are not placed randomly but at smart pauses in the narrative.

Crackle is a collection of on-demand TV and films, with a few originals included in a library that leans heavily on BBC content such as "Midsomer Murders" and classic shows like "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "What's Happening," "The Little Rascals" and "Barney Miller." It's not as expansive as many of its competitors and it has long ads both before and during its programming (it does tell you how many you have to sit through, which is always helpful).

Almost every conglomerate has its own free streamer these days, and this one is owned by Paramount Global, the parent company of paid streamer Paramount+ and broadcast network CBS. Pluto is one of the free streamers that also serves as a cable stand-in, with niche live TV channels such as "NBC News Now," "TV Land Drama" or channels curated by Pluto like "PlutoTV Christmas" available along with on-demand shows and films. Those shows and films lean heavily on shows on CBS's broadcast lineup like the "FBI" franchise and the films in Paramount library. But it doesn't have original programming, and its ad experience is not the best: They're long, sometimes thrown in odd places in movies and the service doesn't tell you how many ads there are, and how long they will last.

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