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

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

#151

Post by Johnny555 » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 3:55 PM UTC

beached_whale wrote: post #137

buro9 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

And, which make/model is it?

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

#152

Post by rapnie » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 3:57 PM UTC

nip wrote: post #24

gcb0 wrote: post #4

to be honest, sony have a track record of doing this. bought a music CD or games? get a rootkit. if you still buy sony products, I can't be sory for you.

Any good tv recommendation, if not Sony?

i have a Philips with Ambilight, which is nice.. less tiring to the eyes. also mine is just not smart enough yet to cheat on me :)

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

#153

Post by Johnny555 » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 3:57 PM UTC

Mister_Snuggles wrote: post #116

I would like to see a TV with the following attributes: 1. 8 Inputs, with at least four HDMI and one HDMI accessible from the front panel. The remaining inputs would have at least two composite inputs. There would be no cable input since most cable companies, around here anyway, require a set-top box anyway. 2. An optical audio output, for those who wish to hook up a proper audio system. Those who don’t would get ok-…

No tuner? That's how I watch most of my TV -- I don't really want to have to add a separate tuner box.

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

#154

Post by noir_lord » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:01 PM UTC

My "Smart" TV is a new 4K Samsung screen that I never connected to the WiFi connected to a Media PC running Xubuntu.

I don't trust the security on any networked device I don't have the source code for (and I don't really trust the media PC hardware either since its intel, not a fan of their security policies).

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

#155

Post by teh_klev » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

beached_whale wrote: post #137

buro9 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Where did you find one?

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

#156

Post by skrebbel » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

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…

Can someone explain this tweet to me?

> But when @netflix and other content providers decline the use of their apps outside of integrated devices this is the hell we live in.

I don't understand. I can just open a web browser on a little media center PC, connect it by HDMI, point it to Netflix and play a movie, right? (Admittedly I haven't tried because our Panasonic has Netflix and no ads or spy apps that I've noticed)

But what exactly does Netflix forbid that @buro9 is referring to? And does anyone know what their reasoning is for doing so?

I ask because I'm rather interested in the concept of buying a dumb TV once this one breaks (hopefully long from now), but I do like me my Netflix. Lots of people in this thread suggest buying a dumb TV but I don't understand why Netflix and friends would disallow customers using that.

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

#157

Post by noir_lord » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

TheCoreh wrote: post #144

tehwebguy wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it dangerous to open a modern TV? Might be worth finding the network chips and disconnecting or breaking them off.

Or just don't connect them to the network?

Thats what I did, it popped up after first power up asking for wifi password, to quote Snowden "lol no.".

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

#158

Post by remir » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:04 PM UTC

And this is what trouble me with the so-called "internet of things". No regulation, no standards, nobody cares.

How long until you TV or microweave oven is part of a botnet?

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

#159

Post by andrepd » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:06 PM UTC

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…

>I really wish that @Google provided [...]

Why though? If you're concerned about privacy and freedom (as you should well be) then why jump out of the fire into the frying pan? Grab a dumb TV, grab a small form-factor PC (like an RPi) and install whatever you want on it (kodi, etc.)

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

#160

Post by dawnerd » Sun, Apr 01, 2018, 4:07 PM UTC

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…

The nvidia shield is pretty much what you’re looking for. I just don’t hook my tv to the network and just rely on my shield for everything. Works great.

Learned my lesson a few years ago when my 3,000+ Samsung tv decided one day they were going to spam advertisements for GameStop in the notifications. Of course they deny that ever happened but I have proof on my twitter. Too lazy to look it up right now though.