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I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

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Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#311

Post by cgrealy »

cassianoleal wrote: post #169
cgrealy wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Get an LG. Picture quality is just as good, and bugger all ads. I will never buy anything from Samsung ever again.

Likewise. I used to mostly buy Samsung. My latest TV was an LG OLED. Not only I find webOS infinitely more usable than anything I've seen on Samsung TVs, but the image quality is excellent and even the built-in speakers are acceptable after I disabled the crappy AI-assisted stuff that makes it all sound like it's reverberating in a dumpster.

I'm honestly a bit surprised whenever I hear someone talk about the speakers on a TV.

Surely most people (especially for anyone who is dropping decent money on an OLED) are running external speakers?

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#312

Post by Terretta »

tssva wrote: post #258
pb7 wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're probably in the minority with that opinion. Apple UX is wildly renowned for being great and Apple TV is no worse than any of the competitors. The TV input interface is just awkward in general but being able to use an iPhone to automatically fill in passwords, authenticate purchases, or just use as a second remote is smooth as butter. It's another example of how Apple products are better together within the eco…

The Apple UX on all devices lacks discoverability which annoys me to no end. I can use my phone to fill in passwords and as a second remote on my Roku TV without needing to be locked in to the eco system of a single vendor. Haven't used the current remote but the previous one was an atrocity.

> lacks discoverability

What are you trying to discover?

The only hidden gestures left on ATV4K are tap-tap home to show carousel of recent apps, and swipe up to force quit (same as iPhone gestures on iPhones or iPods w/ a home button). Everything else in ATV UI is giant buttons on screen, real buttons on remote.

> use my phone to fill in passwords

Also, 1Password (among others including keychain) works great on ATV, and happily fills in passwords for, e.g., HBO+, from your laptop logins. Any input field, you can input from another device and 1Password into those on the device which inputs it on ATV.

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#313

Post by fragmede »

xerox13ster wrote: post #254
AtlasBarfed wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And there are long wifi IoT networks supported by proof-of-coverage cryptocurrencies.

...... what ? Do you mean as in there is a cryptocurrency that pays out for creating wireless signal coverage or maintaining a node/repeater?

Yes! There's less focus on crypto part of it, and more emphasis on connecting people and communities as a WISP, but underneath it all, Althea is doing just that.

https://blog.althea.net/case-study-nevada-city-ca/

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#314

Post by FireBeyond »

pb7 wrote: post #138
TacticalCoder wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and a projector has tons of downsides? I'm not so sure. I've been using a projector as a TV for something like four years straight: no TV at home, only a projector. As a bonus the living room becomes a home cinema. I didn't see much downsides. Zero issue. No ads. Cheaper than a TV for a much wider diagonal and a more "cinema'ish" picture too (I hate it when movies look like cheap sitcoms on modern TVs). And as many…

>I hate it when movies look like cheap sitcoms on modern TVs That has nothing to do with "TVs" in general and more the software smoothing settings that are on by default. Properly configured (takes literally minutes or less one time) using a website like rtings.com for the optimal settings, a TV will look better than a similar quality projector every time, and in greater lighting situations. There's a reason why proj…

Since we're talking Samsung, there's a picture mode called FILMMAKER (weirdly all caps I know) that promises to not do any 'smart' fuckery. And I guess there's an alliance of other manufacturers too who offer the same mode with the same name.

https://www.trustedreviews.com/explainer/what-is-filmmaker-m...

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#315

Post by pb7 »

tssva wrote: post #301
pb7 wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yet Apple devices are usable and enjoyed by both young techies and old grandparents and all groups in between. >I can use my phone to fill in passwords and as a second remote on my Roku TV Mind explaining how? No one is "locked in". I can sell my phone and my Apple TV will still be better than all of its competitors.

>Yet Apple devices are usable and enjoyed by both young techies and old grandparents and all groups in between. And many of them don't know the features they could be using and enjoying but aren't because they aren't discoverable. >I can use my phone to fill in passwords and as a second remote on my Roku TV >Mind explaining how? The Roku app allows you to fill passwords via your phone and use the phone as a remote fo…

For comparison, you can access the remote from anywhere within iOS by opening Control Center and a notification with a text field automatically appears when there is a text input on the Apple TV or you need to authenticate with Face ID. No app required. You can also output audio to AirPods and it prompts you automatically if you are watching something and you put them in your ears. Works seamlessly. Is this lock in or is this 1+1=3?

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#316

Post by solarkraft »

walterbell wrote: post #127

https://github.com/RootMyTV/RootMyTV.github.io > RootMyTV is a user-friendly exploit for rooting/jailbreaking LG webOS smart TV. It bootstraps the installation of the webOS Homebrew Channel ... At the time of writing (RootMyTV v2 - 2022-01-05), all webOS versions between 4.x and 6.2+ we tested (TVs released between early-2018 and late-2021) are supported by the new exploit chain.

I haven't yet seen something like this for Tizen, it would be nice.

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#318

Post by egberts1 »

tenebrisalietum wrote: post #102
tpxl wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> perhaps in the near future we'll have public wifi or free Google community wifi, and the new firmware will have the smarts to use that and bypass your wifi. Xfinity WiFi has been around for at least 8 years. Amazon sidewalk has been around for over a year. Wanna bet those are or will be used by your smart TV producers to connect them to the internet via wifi?

What makes me think this will never happen is that - Open Wi-Fi networks are a thing of the past. There hasn't been any around me in a residential area for a long time now. Businesses and workplace lobbies, more likely, though. - No one is going to just give Samsung free Internet except the hapless consumer by supplying Wi-Fi credentials. - Samsung might make a deal with providers, but it would have to have unique cr…

Open WiFi are prevalent throughout our neighborhoods.

The SSID name starts with “Xfinity”.

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#319

Post by brokenmachine »

nsxwolf wrote: post #52
worble wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>It goes against conventional wisdom Does it? So long as it's not connected to the internet, and generally works, then why would you want to? Whats the risk?

Firmware updates can bring image quality improvements, hardware compatibility fixes, all sorts of stuff beyond the built-in streaming apps.

Aah, the ever-present, nebulous and unlisted "bug fixes and security enhancements".

...oh, and more ads (not mentioned in the changelog).

...and feature removals (not mentioned in the changelog).

...oh, and you can't downgrade (not mentioned in the changelog).

Firmware updates are fine, but it should definitely be illegal to not allow a device to be returned by a consumer to the precise functionality it had at the time of purchase.

I can't believe people have been brainwashed to accept this as normal.

Re: I spent $3k on a Samsung Smart TV and all I got were ads and unwanted content

#320

Post by walrus01 »

robswc wrote: post #269
walrus01 wrote: post #6

never, ever give a TV an internet connection, wifi password or dhcp lease. I realize there are ads on the homescreen of an xbox series x, ps4 pro, ps5, etc but I would much rather deal with those than whatever shoddy operating system TV manufacturers put on their thing. I have a thousand times more confidence that microsoft and sony will keep their OSes patched and up to date (they have a strong financial/self-intere…

There's ads on consoles now? Wow... I feel like people would not have tolerated that 10 years ago. I remember reading memes about how you have to "pledge" to the Mountain Dew or else you can't turn your console on... and that was comically exaggerated but we're certainly getting close...

PLEASE DRINK A VERIFICATION CAN
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