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My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

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Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#131

Post by buro9 »

TAForObvReasons wrote: post #126
buro9 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Mubi, BBC iPlayer... in Hi-Res, UHD or 4k mode. The apps with rich capabilities are restricted to the platform. Android is the one with them all. (caveat on Amazon vs Google stupidity)

Is there any concern with a smart TV that isn't connected to the Internet (using a chromecast to connect to netflix)?

Depends how disconnected it really is.

If it's doing some kind of "always scan WiFi in the background" shenanigans then it's still a computer slowly going out of date without security updates and occasionally exposing itself to the local area.

I wish I could take a "smart" TV and flip a switch and have it gracefully fall back to "dumb" TV where the Android device is physically disabled.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#132

Post by bambax »

NoNotTheDuo wrote: post #115
ManlyBread wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2008: plug the TV into the power outlet and you're done 2018: your TV needs internet access because updates What the hell happened? This is ridiculous.

2008: Manufacturer finds a defect in the firmware code that causes excessive processor usage, thus causing the internal electronics to fail earlier than anticipated. No fix available. 2018: defect in firmware found. New version deployed to internet connected devices and lifespan extended. Both of those are made up scenarios, but I would argue that there are legitimate reasons for devices to be connected to the intern…

> lifespan extended

Right. Sure. The manufacturer will spend time and money to extend the life of devices already purchased.

I would prefer not take the chance, and see what happens. If the TV dies early, so be it.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#133

Post by spacehome »

braythwayt wrote: post #113
spacehome wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is the current situation possible? Shouldn't some company be able to buy the same panel, put minimal electronics and casing around it and sell it cheaper?

What if... Work with me here... The "Smart" TV company is paid by malicious hackers to include malware that snoops on its customers. That would allow them to lower the price of the TV to below the cost of the dumb TV. Mind you, they might have to call the malware "apps" and call the hackers "partners." Ok, snark aside, what if the makers of Smart TVs call them "platforms," and they get a subsidy for bundling apps, an…

Sounds plausible. Is there any evidence that this is what's going on?

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#134

Post by tehwebguy »

buro9 wrote: post #76
pwg wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solution: don't ever purchase a smart TV. Preferably, no one would ever purchase a smart TV. When smart TV sales go to zero, the makers would get the message. Sadly, too many folks don't know, or if they do know, they don't care.

Try it. I did. I couldn't find a non-smart TV. They are everywhere. If you want the 4k, then you have a smart TV. The best alternatives were super large monitors (way over the price of a TV, and with no decent sound built in), or corporate display panels (for advertising, signage, etc) whose prices are also way above a TV and include no sound system at all.

Is it dangerous to open a modern TV?

Might be worth finding the network chips and disconnecting or breaking them off.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#135

Post by fwdpropaganda »

lucb1e wrote: post #79
buro9 wrote: post #55

I'm the author and linking to my tweets is a bad idea because they auto-delete after 14 days. For future HN context, as the author I'm reproducing them here in full: My @Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app from https://samba.tv and boy oh boy... this is worse than recent @facebook stuff. From their own privacy policy: https://samba.tv/legal/privacy-policy/ … they track what you w…

> linking to my tweets is a bad idea because they auto-delete after 14 days. I feel like you should mention that in your bio, it's not standard and breaks conversations. People should know that they should cite you if they want something to be preserved in conversations or when linking.

> People should know that they should cite you if they want something to be preserved in conversations or when linking.

If people are worried about that they shouldn't be relying on a third-party (twitter) for record keeping.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#136

Post by jcousins »

squarefoot wrote: post #64

"I really wish that @Google provided a TV box that was the full Android TV, but that was vanilla Google with the ability to install @netflix, @BBCiPlayer, @mubi as apps. That I could just plug this into any display panel, including dumb displays." He is basically asking to be spied in a different way, just like his cellphone does.

I was bamboozled by that comment. Out of the frying pan....

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#137

Post by beached_whale »

buro9 wrote: post #76
pwg wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solution: don't ever purchase a smart TV. Preferably, no one would ever purchase a smart TV. When smart TV sales go to zero, the makers would get the message. Sadly, too many folks don't know, or if they do know, they don't care.

Try it. I did. I couldn't find a non-smart TV. They are everywhere. If you want the 4k, then you have a smart TV. The best alternatives were super large monitors (way over the price of a TV, and with no decent sound built in), or corporate display panels (for advertising, signage, etc) whose prices are also way above a TV and include no sound system at all.

The non-smart 4k tv's exist and can be found for relatively inexpensive prices. I just got one, an off brand Technicolor TC5580-UHD.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#138

Post by checkyoursudo »

buro9 wrote: post #81
lucb1e wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> linking to my tweets is a bad idea because they auto-delete after 14 days. I feel like you should mention that in your bio, it's not standard and breaks conversations. People should know that they should cite you if they want something to be preserved in conversations or when linking.

The bio space is too short. Meh, I can delete if I want to :)

Every so often I just delete all my tweets. It's not automated, because I do it when I feel like it. The first ever twitter app I made was a delete-all-tweets app just for myself to use.

I purge content from my law firm website all the time.

I completely trash and start over my personal website every few years, too, and I've never kept anything in a purge. I have personal archives of it, and the various archiving sites have been snapshotting my stuff since 1999, so, meh, if anyone wants to find my old work product, there's a way, without me having to archive it all for the whole world for all eternity.

Sometimes it's nice to start over.

I like to purge my real life too. De-cluttering is fun. My zen would be to have nothing left.

Regarding link rot, the walled garden comment above/below is spot on. When you're dealing with a bunch of walled gardens, link rot is so far unavoidable.

Re: My Sony "smart" TV has updated itself and tried to force me to use a new app

#140

Post by dest »

NoNotTheDuo wrote: post #115
ManlyBread wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2008: plug the TV into the power outlet and you're done 2018: your TV needs internet access because updates What the hell happened? This is ridiculous.

2008: Manufacturer finds a defect in the firmware code that causes excessive processor usage, thus causing the internal electronics to fail earlier than anticipated. No fix available. 2018: defect in firmware found. New version deployed to internet connected devices and lifespan extended. Both of those are made up scenarios, but I would argue that there are legitimate reasons for devices to be connected to the intern…

2028: defect found, but purposely not fully fixed so that people buy a new TV
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