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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

#371

Post by w0m »

owenwil wrote: post #164
warble wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow, never once ever had an issue with HDMI, although I only go 4K at most. I never even considered it a possibility.

I wish I was in your shoes! I also had no issues with HDMI until recent years--but HDMI-eARC is so buggy on Samsung TVs, especially when being used with surround sound or a sound bar. I had no problems before I moved to a surround system/beyond ARC, but with eARC I need to reboot the TV at the wall once every two weeks or it will "forget" it's plugged into a sound system, it's very annoying. It was far worse when I f…

That sounds like a nightmare; TV is supposed to be the 'set it and ignore' device.

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

#372

Post by thirdsun »

asdfk-12 wrote: post #84
cantrevealname wrote: post #35

The sentiment here on HN is to never connect the TV to the Internet and instead use a digital media player or external streaming device. I wholeheartedly agree. But then several people mentioned wanting to update the firmware. If you'll never connect it to the Internet, then you should never update the firmware either. It goes against conventional wisdom, but updating the firmware in this situation is more likely to…

This is good advice. I kept my 4k Vizio offline until updating the firmware on a whim. The update broke the ability to run 1080p@60hz from my PC, making it effectively useless for normal use. The annoying part about the panel is that it was advertised as 4k but only works at 30hz at that resolution. Cheap, so should have figured.

I find that hard to believe. This is most likely an issue with your GPU or cable/port used.

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

#373

Post by qzx_pierri »

cantrevealname wrote: post #35

The sentiment here on HN is to never connect the TV to the Internet and instead use a digital media player or external streaming device. I wholeheartedly agree. But then several people mentioned wanting to update the firmware. If you'll never connect it to the Internet, then you should never update the firmware either. It goes against conventional wisdom, but updating the firmware in this situation is more likely to…

A piHole fixed issues I had with my Samsung smart TV. No more ads in the homescreen, and there’s a way to disable analytics deep into the TV’s setting menu.

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

#374

Post by thirdsun »

FireBeyond wrote: post #314
pb7 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>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...

While that's a good thing it's really just a preset and you can get there with any TV by disabling all those "enhancements".

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

#375

Post by egberts1 »

tenebrisalietum wrote: post #366
egberts1 wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Open WiFi are prevalent throughout our neighborhoods. The SSID name starts with “Xfinity”.

Try using one. You get redirected to a captive portal asking for an Xfinity username/pass.

Try using a WebKit user-agent in Http header

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

#376

Post by samtheDamned »

bitL wrote: post #292
mikestew wrote: post #31

Just give me my Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO Max,... All of which are available on an AppleTV, and I assume other less-intrusive devices. TFA comes to that conclusion in the last paragraph, but just in case anyone didn't make it that far. And then, as everyone on this page is going to say, never let that TV anywhere near a network connection. Why anyone would go to the effort of dicking with a pi-hole cat-and-…

My Apple TV is happily showing me ads when watching Amazon Prime Video. So it's up to the app anyway - if Amazon wants to bundle LOTR:ROP with ads, they will do it on any box/platform.

This post is more about ads in the ui itself, on top of the individual apps where they already pay more to avoid ads

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

#377

Post by robswc »

walrus01 wrote: post #320
robswc wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

haha yep! that's the one!

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

#378

Post by ksec »

w0m wrote: post #371
owenwil wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish I was in your shoes! I also had no issues with HDMI until recent years--but HDMI-eARC is so buggy on Samsung TVs, especially when being used with surround sound or a sound bar. I had no problems before I moved to a surround system/beyond ARC, but with eARC I need to reboot the TV at the wall once every two weeks or it will "forget" it's plugged into a sound system, it's very annoying. It was far worse when I f…

That sounds like a nightmare; TV is supposed to be the 'set it and ignore' device.

Appliance is the word, unfortunately nothing is appliance when you start adding “smart” into it.

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

#379

Post by Graziano_M »

cgrealy wrote: post #159
jmcphers wrote: post #125

I own this exact model -- the QN90A, though in a smaller size -- and have had exactly the same experience. The most maddening advertisement is the one that is forcibly inserted in the menu between the apps and the settings. Using the remote, you must literally click past an ad to switch inputs. You ... must ... click ... past ... an ... ad ... to ... switch ... inputs. Every time. Unbelievable for a TV that costs thi…

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

LG OLED has better picture quality IMO. I will not go back to a non-OLED.
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