This is what I did for my TCL Roku TV: just taped over the annoying blinking light.

If enough people do this, I anticipate that in the next model, they'll replace that blinking light with an forced on-screen overlay.

I have a TCL Roku 6-series. If you do a factory reset, and from the start don't let it connect, then you won't get the blinking light.

You only get the blinking light if you take away access after having given it.

I was curious about this -- I've been digging and I can't find a solution, is it possible to tell these things to jump straight to HDMI once you turn them on? Or are you always stuck with at least that one homescreen jump. Trying to make this thing as "dumb" as possible.

If you use any device that correctly uses HDMI CEC, then yes. I only have an Apple TV remote with some cheap Element Amazon TV, and I keep the TV remote taped to the back of the TV. Apple TV and Chromescasts will turn it on, off, and swap source to itself when used. I'd imagine Roku/Firesticks do as well.

Yes, there's an option in Settings to automatically open a specific input on startup.

What is your usecase? Trying to understand the point of having apps without the wifi.

I have noticed a marked increase in youtube ads in the roku app. Prob due to roku has updated itself without permission.

Now i dread having to deal with pihole hacks + routers to fence it out of our home network :/

They said internet, not wifi. Perhaps some Roku apps can play media from your local network? Plex, or a built-in media player?