For those who use piHole or other network wide ad blocking, I've compiled a list of servers to block: https://factory-reset.com/wiki/Samsung_Telemetry_Servers Typically I would suggest not connecting your TV to any sort of internet connection - firmware updates don't typically tend to add or fix much on these devices. If you really have an issue, update the firmware, factory reset and then disable wifi / unplug ether…
blocking like that works for now, but what's the plan for when they switch to DNS-over-HTTP? and host everything on ephemeral AWS addresses?
Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
271–280 of 383 posts
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#272Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ugh are you telling me that these TVs are aggressively trying to find and connect to unsecured Wi-Fi to upload data I don’t want them to have over an unsecure connection I don’t control? Gross.
Time for some HN user to break one of these TVs open and physically remove the antenna or wifi card.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#273If you own an Internet-connected TV, you've been seeing these for 2 years or more. I submitted it 11 months ago ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21427405 ) and it wasn't new then. The ACR-based retargeting audiences ( https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/resources/tv-... ) are probably the most offensive. For example: "Reach viewers who saw your competitor’s ads as quickly as 60 seconds after linear a…
How can we block all of this? Is Pi-hole sufficient?
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#274Earlier quoted context omitted.
Samsung can still try to connect to open WiFi networks. Not accepting the EULA makes this irrelevant.
Ugh are you telling me that these TVs are aggressively trying to find and connect to unsecured Wi-Fi to upload data I don’t want them to have over an unsecure connection I don’t control? Gross.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#275If you don't like this: 1) Buy an Nvidia Shield, Google Chromecast, or Apple TV 2) Connect that to your TV 3) Factory reset your TV and never connect it to the internet again
This is a temporary measure. Soon enough, they will have 5G or 6G modems inside, a special arrangement with carriers (a la Amazon’s whispernet), and You would have to wrap it in tinfoil to stop it from reporting on your viewing habits and showing you ads.
Samsung pays a bit to get access to this and voila - they can skip the internet setup steps (so more consumer friendly) and block you from blocking their ads / ACR (consumer not friendly).
If it hasn't already happened it will.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#276If you own an Internet-connected TV, you've been seeing these for 2 years or more. I submitted it 11 months ago ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21427405 ) and it wasn't new then. The ACR-based retargeting audiences ( https://www.samsung.com/us/business/samsungads/resources/tv-... ) are probably the most offensive. For example: "Reach viewers who saw your competitor’s ads as quickly as 60 seconds after linear a…
> If you own an Internet-connected TV, you've been seeing these for 2 years or more How to prevent all Samsung tracking and advertising: 1. Factory reset your Samsung TV. 2. When promoted to accept the Samsung EULA, select no/reject 3. Attach computer or streaming stick to Samsung HDMI port (Windows, mac, chromebook, appleTV, chromecast, Amazon Firestick, Roku stick). I use an ancient PC with Linux Mint installed. Yo…
Does the device continue to function? On some recent gaming consoles, if you select "No", you're basically left with an expensive paperweight.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#277Earlier quoted context omitted.
1. Don't buy a smart TV 2. Done
What do you buy instead? I don't imagine it's easy to find a recent, high-quality TV without "smart" features. A few years ago, I looked into getting a digital signage display instead, but they were pretty expensive.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#278Earlier quoted context omitted.
1. Don't buy a smart TV 2. Done
What do you buy instead? I don't imagine it's easy to find a recent, high-quality TV without "smart" features. A few years ago, I looked into getting a digital signage display instead, but they were pretty expensive.
I'm using something which is arguably both cheaper, bigger and gives more of a "cinema" feeling: a 1080p projector.
4K projector can be pricey, but there are a huge lot of very reasonably priced 1080p projectors. Just make sure to find one which is compatible with the size of your room (mine is in a big living room, so the smaller models weren't fit).
It's hooked to the system ceiling. If you don't like that look you can put them in a trap that comes down or use one of the newer, fancier, "short throw" ones.
The diagonal I have (for a few hundred bucks: 400 EUR IIRC) is something silly like about 350cm/138inches. Movies, sports, video streaming (Youtube or similar), ...
In my case it's the best solution: I love the theater feeling a projector gives and I definitely and positively hate the sharp and crisp pictures all these new TVs do give. Every time I see one at a friend I simply cannot stand the experience. And inversely: when friends come at home they're always impressed by how good the picture is from my cheap 1080p projector. I didn't even bother with the wall: I just project the picture on a regular blank wall. I didn't even make the wall perfectly flat: I just painted it white myself (and not even with a projector-specific paint: I had no idea these existed when I painted the wall).
It's getting used everyday since two years (had a 720p before that) and lamp use ain't even a concern.
As a bonus it's still trivial to find projectors without microphone listening to you 24/7 and which aren't sniffing on the HDMI ports.
Now I don't doubt that in the future we'll be graced with no other choice but "smart AI projectors", but that day hasn't arrived yet.
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#279Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If you own an Internet-connected TV, you've been seeing these for 2 years or more How to prevent all Samsung tracking and advertising: 1. Factory reset your Samsung TV. 2. When promoted to accept the Samsung EULA, select no/reject 3. Attach computer or streaming stick to Samsung HDMI port (Windows, mac, chromebook, appleTV, chromecast, Amazon Firestick, Roku stick). I use an ancient PC with Linux Mint installed. Yo…
1. Don't buy a smart TV 2. Done
Re: Samsung Ads – Demand-Side Platform
#280Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you handle streaming when all of the services refuse to stream 4K on any computer? I think Netflix does HD bit Hulu and HBO are like 720p. It's like watching a torrent from 2005.
720 to 4K is not the same as 480p to 720. The latter is far more noticeable. Most of the world hasn’t moved to 4K, I don’t see a huge amount of value in it personally.