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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

#171

Post by delecti »

anonymousab wrote: post #120
jokowueu wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or just get any smart tv and add a android tv dongle . They don't cost much

The problem is that you cannot turn off much of the smart tv junk, including things like ads. Paired with features such as the tv refusing to work if you don't periodically give it a valid internet connection (for it to send its cached metrics and download new ads, of course), which is slowly but surely becoming more common, and you're only marginally better off than just using the smart tv features.

> tv refusing to work [...]

Is that really a thing? I'd never heard of it until this. Is that something that only kicks in if it has been connected at least once?

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

#172

Post by cheschire »

tablespoon wrote: post #149
xoa wrote: post #87

FWIW, it is still possible to get TVs without this stuff, albeit at a premium. TVs are still made for business usage in areas like conference rooms, wall displays etc. They're often found under labeling like "commercial digital signage" or "business display" or the like, they seem to often try to avoid using "TV" (if being cynical maybe to make them harder for normal people to discover and confuse them if they do). B…

> FWIW, it is still possible to get TVs without this stuff, albeit at a premium. TVs are still made for business usage in areas like conference rooms, wall displays etc. Do they have tuners? I've heard many of those are missing them.

If this is a major concern for you, I think you'll be happy to hear that tuners are ridiculously cheap, with built in recording capabilities for under $30. I suspect if you're in the market for one of these pricier TVs and willing to pay the premium then the extra cost for an external tuner unit will be not be a major factor. For cleanliness you can attach it to the rear of the TV and use short cables.

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

#173

Post by mmmpop »

9991 wrote: post #168
tablespoon wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> FWIW, it is still possible to get TVs without this stuff, albeit at a premium. TVs are still made for business usage in areas like conference rooms, wall displays etc. Do they have tuners? I've heard many of those are missing them.

Quoted post unavailable.

The media has the best interests of emotionally-healthy people in mind. Just turn on some TV and relax.

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

#174

Post by JohnFen »

scarface74 wrote: post #90
blueflow wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not having an TV is also a viable option. Around 2016 my last TV broke down and i have adapted to live without it. When i say 'TV' i also mean to include Netflix and Hulu and other services serving the same purpose.

So, yes the alternative is not to use a device used by 95% homes in the US. What next the old Slashdot meme - “I haven’t owned a TV in 10 years. Do people still watch TV?”

Why does it matter what devices most homes have?

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

#175

Post by prasadjoglekar »

scarface74 wrote: post #144
s1k3s wrote: post #76

I feel like these anti-consumer practices by BigCorp can open the door for new companies to emerge on the market: build an ad-free tv, ad-free smartphones etc. Or is it just the effect of me living in a bubble while 99.9% of the customers don't care about this?

Yes because consumers have history of paying more for quality in aggregate… There is a reason that two of the five most valuable companies in the US are adTech - Google and Facebook. How many consumers are going to choose to pay $300 more for an ad free privacy first TV? How many consumers right now are willing to pay for an AppleTV over a $30 Roku stick?

You need a surprisingly small number of HN crowd like folks to ruin the market. Most ad targeting - regardless of actual product - goes after people with high discretionary income. If a chunk of those folks self selected out of the video ad market, it ruins the overall economics.

This is an idea I've toyed with - corner the >200K income TV market with privacy features. Make it as easy as Roku to block all this.

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

#176

Post by indeyets »

jtbayly wrote: post #155
nesk_ wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However those TVs are not easy to get and, like you said, they come with an increased price. I couldn't recommend enough to buy an Apple TV (or equivalent) and block all Internet access to your "smart" TV. I did this and everything was instantly better.

How do you block internet if it will join open networks automatically?

firewall by MAC-address

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

#177

Post by dylan604 »

jtbayly wrote: post #155
nesk_ wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However those TVs are not easy to get and, like you said, they come with an increased price. I couldn't recommend enough to buy an Apple TV (or equivalent) and block all Internet access to your "smart" TV. I did this and everything was instantly better.

How do you block internet if it will join open networks automatically?

That process tends to require the use of a screw driver and the willingness to perform a bit of modifications.

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

#178

Post by werds »

1ncorrect wrote: post #117
rendall wrote: post #57

> Some may argue that there's no need to be dramatic and that there's nothing wrong in seeing an occasional ad every now and then. Oh, no, I am very dramatic about this. I will go to any lengths not to see advertising. I will entirely forgo any platform that shows me even one ad, especially when I pay them. Amazon Prime video is already pushing it with their preroll previews. The second it's something else I'm cancel…

Advertising needs to become as socially acceptable as smoking. It indiscriminately pollutes the environment, and inflicts harm on non participants by incentivising unbridled data collection.

this is a bit silly

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

#179

Post by MerelyMortal »

littlecranky67 wrote: post #68
_aavaa_ wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the % of people who don't connect their smart TV to internet is small, then the % of people who will go through the trouble of soldering their TV (and voiding their warranty) is essentially 0%.

The whole "void warranty if any changes are made" is mostly not enforcable in Europe and as I understand it in some part in the US. In Germany, you would just have to proof that your change is not the culprit of the damage. I.e. if your OLED panel breaks, you can still claim warranty.

All of the US.

Magnuson-Moss Waranty Act. It's the same law that allows you to use aftermarket parts without voiding your car warranty.

In the U.S., "Warrantly Void If Removed" stickers are lying, and potentially illegal.

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

#180

Post by AlexandrB »

api wrote: post #147

One thing I fundamentally don't get: all this endless shoehorning of ads into everything is dependent on there being a seemingly unlimited amount of ad revenue on the table. Why? Do ads actually work this well if everyone hates them? What about ads shoehorned into marginal spaces and presented in ways that are barely relevant to the material? The only ads I EVER click on are relevant ads that come up from a search in…

> Why are companies so stingy with wages and willing to outsource their core competencies in exchange for small gains but at the same time are willing to piss endless amounts of money away on ads?

Because there's a whole analytics industry that tries to demonstrate ROI for each ad purchased. And as long at that ROI is positive it seems like a no-brainer to throw more money at advertising.

I wonder how much of said analytics industry is bullshit. Especially since these analytics are often provided by the same companies that are selling you the ad space.

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