131–140 of 316 posts
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Just unplug it from the network. That should get rid of most of it. I have an LG smart TV that has never seen the network. I get no ads, no popups, no features, no EULA, nothing. It behaves like a dumb TV. It was the LG 65UH series from Costco.
HDMI cables can double as Ethernet cables. In the future "just unplug it from the network" will mean "just unplug all HDMI devices".
In my opinion you should not use ANY of the smart features of a "smart" TV. Don't give it your wifi key and don't put it on your LAN. I have about 400% more trust of Microsoft and Sony than I do of random smart tv manufacturers. I also have a fairly high degree of confidence that the xbox one and PS4 software will remain up to date with security patches, and address critical issues quickly. I have no confidence for T…
When i got my samsung smart tv 4 years ago i actually read the EULA and was so disgusted i refused to agree. It lives its life as a computer monitor, and a buggy one at that. I doubt there is a way to update the firmware without agreeing. Moral of the story: dont buy smart TVs.
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HDMI will share its connection through the cable as well. So if you want to use a Chromecast or a BluRay player, etc, then your TV can get internet through that.
If you’re using a chromecast and also trying to keep your tv from phoning home what are you even doing? I mean I guess one fewer place having your info is good, but...
Unfortunately, I need to consent to tracking by the WaPo to find out how much my Smart TV might be tracking me.
A “Dumb TV” is something I’m exploring developing. There is a gap in the market for a TV with a great panel, no internet connection, and only the processing strictly required for various types of signal processing and format conversion. The closest available solutions are large commercial monitors that cost an arm and a leg.
In my opinion you should not use ANY of the smart features of a "smart" TV. Don't give it your wifi key and don't put it on your LAN. I have about 400% more trust of Microsoft and Sony than I do of random smart tv manufacturers. I also have a fairly high degree of confidence that the xbox one and PS4 software will remain up to date with security patches, and address critical issues quickly. I have no confidence for T…
which are almost certainly also tracking everything.
In general i agree with your advice, and would rather keep smart TVs off my network. but if your goal is to not be tracked, plugging in an additional piece of hardware from another big tech co isn't going to accomplish that goal.
I use the PCWRT router, and it allows me to block the spying by blacklisting the relevant domains. https://www.pcwrt.com/2018/08/how-to-use-your-router-to-bloc...
Any way to build something like this myself, e.g. using Raspberry Pi or DD-WRT supported router?
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Look through this, they seem to connect to open WiFi networks. [1] https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choo...
I've been arguing for a long time that the "don't connect it to your network" defence was insufficient because sooner or later these devices will simply start including their own connectivity as well. Various other categories of device, notably cars, already do, and frequently abuse it for tracking purposes. My take on this is that we should impose the kind of draconian restrictions we have here in the UK on products…