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Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

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Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#381

Post by pnt12 »

grey_earthling wrote: post #376
amelius wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's unfortunate the manufacturers are in a position where such perverse anti-customer incentives exist. Why can't we have a consumer organization that protects us from having to buy stuff that we don't want. Wouldn't it be great if any product sold in mass quantities would have to pass a consumer/environment protection committee first?

> Why can't we have a consumer organization that protects us from having to buy stuff that we don't want. You don't have to buy stuff you don't want. You just can't buy the stuff you do want without it being bundled with stuff you don't want - the manufacturers have decided there's no market for it. Evidently it's more profitable to persuade a large fraction of people that they are “consumers”, whose lives are a seri…

Being disappointed that stuff is degrading due to anti consumer for the sake of increased profits is not consumerism.

Depriving people of TVs, phones and computers is not the solution. Redirecting them to the FOSS alternatives which are more expensive, have less features and are harder to use is also not a solution.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#382

Post by GekkePrutser »

vineyardmike wrote: post #361
GekkePrutser wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just don't ever give it the wifi password This works for now but Amazon is already working on a way to share messages from devices through echo dots etc in the area. Even your neighbors'. It's intended precisely for this purpose :( To capture days from those trying to stay under the radar. It's called sidewalk.

> It's intended precisely for this purpose Its literally not. Sidewalk is based off LoRa, which has serious bandwidth and duty cycle constraints. Its effectively limited to sub-dialup speeds, which will heavily limit its ability to get OTAs over it, never mind download 4k video ads. It probably could be used for very limited telemetry, however.

Not ads no, but for tracking consumers it would be more than sufficient. What channel are you watching at what time? That data is extremely valuable.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#383

Post by GekkePrutser »

indrora wrote: post #356
GekkePrutser wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just don't ever give it the wifi password This works for now but Amazon is already working on a way to share messages from devices through echo dots etc in the area. Even your neighbors'. It's intended precisely for this purpose :( To capture days from those trying to stay under the radar. It's called sidewalk.

That's a gross misunderstanding of Sidewalk. If you read the paper, the goal of Sidewalk is to handle "how do I unlock my smart door" when your power/internet has gone sideways. It's intended for super low bandwidth "please pass this note to this device" type situations.

The paper is written by Amazon. Of course they're going to present it as a benefit to the end user.

But I'm personally sure that "keeping visibility on a device the user doesn't want to be connected" is also a goal. I could be wrong but Amazon is just as focused on data collection everywhere as Google.

Perhaps Amazon simply doesn't understand some of us want all our devices to not be connected to their hive all the time. But I'm sure the reason they want this is for their benefit, not ours.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#384

Post by hedora »

tunap wrote: post #240
GekkePrutser wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not the same at all, smart tvs can still send tracking data home about what you're viewing etc. I would not want either.

Ditto. And what's to stop someone from making a relay/chip/switch to turn the speakers into microphones when the TV is off-not-off, save Big Co LLC the microphone costs and get a big fat promotion? If it's possible, someone will do it. Remember when Goog "forgot" to mention the Nest microphone? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/googles-nest-alarm-system-has-a... EDIT: Even better, Visio's lapse. This shit used to be illeg…

Also, Samsung devices have started establishing mesh networks with each other.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#385

Post by tssva »

ruraltech wrote: post #298
tssva wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I block the ads on my Roku TV through DNS filtering.

I use a Pi-hole for the network, but this doesn't block YouTube ads (sadly). Since I refuse to see ads of any stripe ever, I discovered that my Amazon Firestick can be put in developer mode and then install SmartTubeNext. Looks very similar to YouTube, but blocks all ads, sponsor content, and other nonsense. Pure videos. I of course also use UBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, Decentraleyes, and Referer Block on the lapto…

I just pay for YouTube Premium and don't see YouTube ads on any platform while still providing some income for the content creators I watch.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#386

Post by earth_walker »

cat_plus_plus wrote: post #35

It's one of the things that doesn't make sense anymore, like cars with manual transmission. Smarts in smart TV might cost $25 per unit, but OEMs get paid for streaming service placements on remote / home screen and a cut of revenue if users sign up. Even without streaming functionality, TV would still need some smarts to display tuner/inputs/settings UI and it's cheaper to develop Android apps than go custom route. P…

For goodness sake, please don't do this! Our only point of control in this matter is at the cash register, and every time you validate their consumer-unfriendly choices, we lose.

Here's how it's already playing out:

- The dumb TVs start to disappear or become very expensive.

- The smart TV manufacturers identify those who get around their tracking and advertising as "cheaters", and work to plug up those holes.

Soon enough you really won't have any option. You don't think they won't start making all the monitors, all commercial displays, every available screen mesh-connected advertising stations once they've proven that you'll lie down and accept it?

Cmon, hacker newserites - you're supposedly all champions of the free and unregulated market. Buy a dumb TV while you can. Let them know there's still a market. If you're reading this site there's a good chance you can afford it.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#389

Post by distances »

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #379
distances wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pay per view would add exactly the kind of incentives that would be disastrous. It's important that public broadcasters are (comparatively) free from commercial and political pressures, that's the only way to execute the mission they have been created for.

Which is mostly (dis|mis)information and propaganda. Go home. Edited for insertion of mostly.

It seems we have very different views of the world so let's just agree to disagree here.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#390

Post by 93po »

cpach wrote: post #380
molszanski wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I removed a logo with a nail polish and a dental floss

Intriguing! What was the use for the floss there…?

if the logo is attached with adhesive, you can slip the floss under the plastic logo and floss it off without damaging the TV (which you may if you just try to pry it off)
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