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Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

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Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#201

Post by jxcl »

knolan wrote: post #195
the_snooze wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I would pay a premium for a TV with no internet connection. I bought a Samsung QLED TV recently, and it works fine without an internet connection. I did give it an ethernet connection to grab firmware updates, and it downloaded a bunch of ads and crap to clutter the home screen. Luckily, unplugging the ethernet cord and factory-resetting the device got rid of the garbage and kept the updated firmware.

I bought an LG C1 and paired it with a new Apple TV 4K. I refused all the TVs EULAs for its smart features and only let it update firmware. Painless experience and no ads.

LG tvs will let you update firmware over a flash drive! It’s a bit fiddly but worth it in my opinion to avoid the internet connection.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#202

Post by MattPalmer1086 »

reacharavindh wrote: post #181
confident_inept wrote: post #2

Praise be the folks that curate these lists. Even without a pi-hole you can plug these into any firewall for your brand(s). More annoying is the 15 second "home menu" that pops up on my OLED every time it is turned on. I almost always forget to manually dismiss it before I set the remote down and there's no option I can find to disable it. I would pay a premium for a TV with no internet connection.

I really hope I’m not missing a silly point. I always buy a TV that has the specs I need and can afford, and have a steadfast rule that they are forbidden from ever connecting to my WiFi. No firmware updates! - if it does not work when I bought it, it goes back. If it works, I’m fine if it does the same job for its life. What am I missing? Isn't every smart TV in the market a dumb TV if you don’t ever give it the key…

That's exactly how I do it.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#203

Post by drexlspivey »

markovbot wrote: post #75
TeamXe wrote: post #32

For those who are still looking for dumb tvs these are the best ones available as far as I'm aware. Bought one last year and works as expected. https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV-category1category73.htm...

Is there something wrong with just buying a normal TV and not giving it your wifi password?

They soon will be able to connect to your neighbour's wifi via Amazon Sidewalk

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#204

Post by eli »

syshum wrote: post #179
eli wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Many of the biggest ISPs in the US are actively monitoring DNS queries, collecting the data of which sites you visit, and packaging it for sale to ad networks and data brokers. DoH stops that.

Yes and it is better that google and cloudflare do that collecting under the guise of protection... People really are gulible aren't they... DoH is a not or a privacy feature. It simply changes who is collecting your data and makes it harder for responsibile network operators to protect their users under the guise that the big tech companies are really protecting the users from the network operators and "big bad ISPs…

Google and Cloudflare don’t sell data on dns queries per their privacy policies. Verizon does.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#205

Post by QuarterReptile »

kstatz12 wrote: post #85
QuarterReptile wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So true. At about one week per year spent at a relative's home, I start to consider putting a pi-hole there, too.

I did what i think is the logical extreme and put a pihole on my tailscale network and use that as my dns on any device connected to that network so i have it on the go

Ooh, I will be all over that if the fiber rollout in my neighborhood ever finishes.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#206

Post by Nextgrid »

colechristensen wrote: post #132
confident_inept wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can always deny internet via MAC address, but a modern panel that just turns on instantly and works is the stuff of dreams.

You can buy them, commercial displays, but they are... quite expensive.

I’ve had good success with Sony Bravia professional displays. They seem to be very close to the consumer-grade version in terms of features and capabilities with just the firmware being different (bare Android TV) and cost-wise are maybe just 1/3 more expensive than the equivalent consumer version.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#207

Post by Nextgrid »

giantrobot wrote: post #147
colechristensen wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can buy them, commercial displays, but they are... quite expensive.

They don't always support the DRM apps want for 4K streaming.

My Sony Bravia professional display does support HDCP. I suspect it’s actually the same hardware as the consumer version but with a different firmware. So maybe if this is a concern look for models that have equivalents in the consumer range rather than purpose-built professional displays which might lack HDCP-compliant hardware.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#208

Post by Nextgrid »

AnonC wrote: post #117
the_snooze wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Just wait (perhaps it's already happening) until TV manufacturers install 4g/5g modems in their devices. I hear this raised every now and then, but is that even feasible economically? Those embedded cell connections are a recurring cost, after all. I'm curious if the per-unit revenue from ads and tracking is large enough to justify the per-unit cost to send/receive that data over a cell connection. Seems like UI nud…

It’s not just a recurring cost with 4G/5G modems, but it’s also practically infeasible in many countries where getting a cellular connection of any kind requires KYC and related formalities. There’s no way these TV manufacturing companies can buy one connection per TV (and accept the liabilities that come with such a connection) or get their customers to have one. If they do try WiFi to a known hotspot that the compa…

KYC might be needed for internet access - TV’s SIMs can very well be restricted to a specific APN that only allows traffic to the ad & telemetry servers, no longer counting as “internet” access for legal purposes and thus not requiring KYC.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#209

Post by Nextgrid »

the_snooze wrote: post #89
nobody9999 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I agree despite using DNS blocking myself. DNS blocking can easily be mitigated against with DoH or DoT at the application level. It's only a matter of time before advertisers start using either to bypass DNS blocking and serve ads. DoH/DoT are just the camel's nose under the tent. Just wait (perhaps it's already happening) until TV manufacturers install 4g/5g modems in their devices. At which point, there will be a…

>Just wait (perhaps it's already happening) until TV manufacturers install 4g/5g modems in their devices. I hear this raised every now and then, but is that even feasible economically? Those embedded cell connections are a recurring cost, after all. I'm curious if the per-unit revenue from ads and tracking is large enough to justify the per-unit cost to send/receive that data over a cell connection. Seems like UI nud…

The general public seems complacent when it comes to advertising, stalking and being treated like shit by their tech in general, so I don’t see it being necessary to put modems & cellular plans in appliances because the vast majority of people is happy to voluntarily give it internet access anyway.

Until this changes (and I don’t see it happening - if anything, the new generations seem even more happy with living in an advertising-saturated world), the people who resist will be a tiny minority not worth going after.

Re: Smart-TV blocklist for Pi-Hole

#210

Post by matty22 »

confident_inept wrote: post #2

Praise be the folks that curate these lists. Even without a pi-hole you can plug these into any firewall for your brand(s). More annoying is the 15 second "home menu" that pops up on my OLED every time it is turned on. I almost always forget to manually dismiss it before I set the remote down and there's no option I can find to disable it. I would pay a premium for a TV with no internet connection.

Check out Sceptre. Bought a completely dumb panel and it's been great.
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