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The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

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Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#21

Post by Shady69 »

brightball wrote: post #5

This type of expectation is why I've always gravitated towards Roku sticks. They're cheap, really well designed, centrally controlled on your account and you avoid any need to over-invest in specific TV vendors to have the same experience across the board. And it can't do anything that the HDMI port can't do.

I get what your saying but the article specifically mentions Roku partnering with Walmart to not only show ads but even facilitate the purchase...

My solution has been a Raspberry Pi running Kodi.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#22

Post by ValentineC »

brightball wrote: post #5

This type of expectation is why I've always gravitated towards Roku sticks. They're cheap, really well designed, centrally controlled on your account and you avoid any need to over-invest in specific TV vendors to have the same experience across the board. And it can't do anything that the HDMI port can't do.

> This type of expectation is why I've always gravitated towards Roku sticks.

I like Roku's interface and price, but it's a shame that they're nigh-useless outside the US.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#23

Post by littlecranky67 »

candiddevmike wrote: post #7

Downfall implies a failure or ending, it seems like they're still selling like hotcakes. This is why we need regulation to save us from surveillance, most consumers want cheap and don't understand/care that they're selling their privacy instead.

Any TV sold in the EU must adhere to the GDPR, so there has to be some sort of opt-out for tracking (and yes, GDPR opt-out also applies for "anonymized" profiling)

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#24

Post by a4isms »

dwighttk wrote: post #9
DethNinja wrote: post #6

There is a much better option for HN crowd: Buy a large/modern computer monitor and connect it to your homelab’s media server. Literally there is no need for a smart TV so long as you are capable of setting up a small homelab.

Eh, I’d rather get that ad subsidy and never connect the tv to the internet

For now, this appears to be feasible.

And it will probably stay feasible as long as the number of people who do it is relatively miniscule. But economics being economics, we’re freeloading off the customers who hook their smart TVs up to the internet and provide manufacturers with enough revenue that they don’t care about us.

But should the practice become widespread and manufacturers notice a material impact on their revenues, or should growth stall and manufacturers start looking to squeeze more revenue out of customers, they will start embedding SIM cards in TVs that can’t be disabled, and work out deals with wireless carriers to have a private data channel as Amazon does with its kindles.

my 4K “smart” TV is the first I ever bought, and I believe the last. By the time I will want to replace it, I believe manufacturers will have closed this “loophole” and it will be impossible to keep a new TV from phoning home.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#25

Post by teddyh »

littlecranky67 wrote: post #19
teddyh wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TVs will soon, if not already, come with cell phones; the ad revenue is larger than what they are charged for the cell phone IP traffic. TVs also reportedly use any open WiFi they can see, and use DoH to make DNS-based ad blocking impossible.

The "they use any open wifi they can see" myth has been brought up on HN multiple times, and never did anybody provide any credible proof of this rumour (that started as a single reddit comment).

I would be surprised if modern TVs didn’t connect to open WiFis; there is literally no reason for TVs not to do this, and every incentive to do it. Even if we discount the ads as a motivator, it’s still a simple solution to get people’s stuff configured automatically.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#26

Post by scarface74 »

DethNinja wrote: post #6

There is a much better option for HN crowd: Buy a large/modern computer monitor and connect it to your homelab’s media server. Literally there is no need for a smart TV so long as you are capable of setting up a small homelab.

Where can I get a 65 inch computer monitor?

I’ve done the homelab media server. I did my first one back in 2006 with a Mac Mini running Front Row. But this is 2022. If you want a set top box without tracking, just buy an AppleTV. It cost more because Apple makes money off of hardware and not advertising.

Yes I know the reports about Apple getting even deeper into advertising. Yes it saddens me.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#27

Post by nicbou »

theandrewbailey wrote: post #10
DethNinja wrote: post #6

There is a much better option for HN crowd: Buy a large/modern computer monitor and connect it to your homelab’s media server. Literally there is no need for a smart TV so long as you are capable of setting up a small homelab.

Just don't use a smart monitor. Yeah, those will spy on you, too. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-announce...

Frankly at this point I'd just avoid buying anything from Samsung. If there's one company that's displayed consistent disregard for data privacy, it's them.

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#28

Post by littlecranky67 »

teddyh wrote: post #25
littlecranky67 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "they use any open wifi they can see" myth has been brought up on HN multiple times, and never did anybody provide any credible proof of this rumour (that started as a single reddit comment).

I would be surprised if modern TVs didn’t connect to open WiFis; there is literally no reason for TVs not to do this, and every incentive to do it. Even if we discount the ads as a motivator, it’s still a simple solution to get people’s stuff configured automatically.

Legal issues aside, there might be loss of company image and also privacy related matter (I can run an open wifi to see the data that my neighbour TV sends).

And to add to this: There has been no proof ever that modern TVs do this, and it would be quite easy for anyone/journalists/reviewers to check this (just run an open wifi and monitor it).

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#29

Post by bilekas »

Gigachad wrote: post #16
DethNinja wrote: post #6

There is a much better option for HN crowd: Buy a large/modern computer monitor and connect it to your homelab’s media server. Literally there is no need for a smart TV so long as you are capable of setting up a small homelab.

I’d honestly rather watch adverts than have to run a home server again.

Controversial .. Would you care to expand on that ? I don't know anyone who would prefer to see adverts compared to plugging in a NAS / DLNA ?

These days there is nothing more than plug and play..

Re: The downfall of smart TVs: From promises of seamless viewing to ad tool

#30

Post by [deleted] »

theandrewbailey wrote: post #10
DethNinja wrote: post #6

There is a much better option for HN crowd: Buy a large/modern computer monitor and connect it to your homelab’s media server. Literally there is no need for a smart TV so long as you are capable of setting up a small homelab.

Just don't use a smart monitor. Yeah, those will spy on you, too. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-announce...

[deleted]
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