My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened? • Hacker News Board

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#61

Post by robocat » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:21 AM UTC

kulahan wrote: post #31

nightski wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can however turn scenic mode off which I would do immediately. That said, probably would never consider a Vizio tv.

Yeah, looks like all they’re saying is that you can’t use scenic mode without ads. They even promise it won’t turn itself back on after an update, which is a surprising yet refreshing thing to see.

> They even promise it won’t turn itself back on after an update

The cynic in me thinks that they've tried that and only after it backfired they created the promise (and they'll silently revoke their promise in the future)

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#62

Post by crooked-v » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:25 AM UTC

afavour wrote: post #9

nosrepa wrote: post #7

And possibly why this got posted: https://www.reddit.com/r/ABoringDystopia/comments/1jkwcbx/if...

God that’s another level of dystopian. Not just ads but political propaganda.

Literally 1984, in that it's functionally recreating the Two-Minute Hate.

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#63

Post by robocat » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:25 AM UTC

netsharc wrote: post #24

afavour wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

God that’s another level of dystopian. Not just ads but political propaganda.

[flagged]

> Orwell

There's a little about Eric's son here:

"George Orwell and me: Richard Blair on life with his extraordinary father": https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/mar/19/george-orwell-...

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#64

Post by zahlman » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:29 AM UTC

ninjin wrote: post #4

pmags wrote: post #2

I seem to recall that Vizio was added to my "do not buy" list quite a long time ago, when it turned out they were monitoring your watching habit ( https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/7/14527360/vizio-smart-tv-tr... ). This seems to be more of the same I guess. Choice text from the link above: Q: Why did I see an ad in Scenic Mode? A: After Scenic Mode launches to full screen, you may see ads. We offer free, scenic conten…

Sure seems like a "wonderful" company. Their Wikipedia page lists the personal data collection lawsuit and them also likely being GPL violators at that with a court date in September this year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vizio#Legal_issues

All that plus they expect to run JavaScript on my computer to show any of this page content.

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#65

Post by mbac32768 » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:29 AM UTC

reactordev wrote: post #11

I refuse to buy any “smart tv”. If that means going without a TV, then I’m going without one and will use the largest monitor I can use with a small beelink Linux box. We’re prey for their bottom line as they can’t sell TV’s for a profit without running ads all over it. I’m done. I’m out. Back to books, vinyl, fresh press, gnu, board games, and going outside.

I wonder if smart TVs are even profitable if you buy them but then prevent them from ever placing a single ad...

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#66

Post by caymanjim » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:30 AM UTC

pmags wrote: post #2

I seem to recall that Vizio was added to my "do not buy" list quite a long time ago, when it turned out they were monitoring your watching habit ( https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/7/14527360/vizio-smart-tv-tr... ). This seems to be more of the same I guess. Choice text from the link above: Q: Why did I see an ad in Scenic Mode? A: After Scenic Mode launches to full screen, you may see ads. We offer free, scenic conten…

There's a reason their TVs are basically free.

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#67

Post by ortusdux » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:35 AM UTC

I've said it here before, but I wish a consumer focused org would create a 'DUMB' certification. "Don't Upload My Bits"

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#68

Post by chrismorgan » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:37 AM UTC

kulahan wrote: post #31

nightski wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can however turn scenic mode off which I would do immediately. That said, probably would never consider a Vizio tv.

Yeah, looks like all they’re saying is that you can’t use scenic mode without ads. They even promise it won’t turn itself back on after an update, which is a surprising yet refreshing thing to see.

I simply don’t believe such a promise. Maybe that’s their intention now, but such companies subsequently change their minds all the time, and so not seem to feel any obligation to uphold former “promises”.

They even have a habit of blatting miscellaneous user preferences in updates by accident just because they’re careless.

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#69

Post by jowea » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:37 AM UTC

do_not_redeem wrote: post #30

tzs wrote: post #26

My TV occasionally turns on unexpectedly. I'm pretty sure it is the Xfinity Flex streaming box that is connected to it telling it to do so. It used to happen between 3 and 4 am, if I remember correctly, and was very annoying because the TV is in the same room I sleep in. I guessed that it might be the Flex box doing it after I remembered that the Flex box was scheduled do to automatic updates between 3 and 4 am. My g…

That's crazy of you to sacrifice your sleep enough nights to notice a pattern. The extent of my patience would be 1st night - disable CEC on the TV 2nd night - to hell with you, into the garbage it goes

I think there should be "pull out the cord" step somewhere

Re: My TV started playing a video in full screen by itself. What happened?

#70

Post by jorvi » Sun, Mar 30, 2025, 2:39 AM UTC

pmags wrote: post #2

I seem to recall that Vizio was added to my "do not buy" list quite a long time ago, when it turned out they were monitoring your watching habit ( https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/7/14527360/vizio-smart-tv-tr... ). This seems to be more of the same I guess. Choice text from the link above: Q: Why did I see an ad in Scenic Mode? A: After Scenic Mode launches to full screen, you may see ads. We offer free, scenic conten…

To be honest, this is part of why TVs can be offered for so cheap these days. Same reason really cheap phones are stuffed with bloatware.

Luckily with TVs you can freeload: just never connect it to the internet and only apply updates via USB. Stick an Apple TV / Chromecast / console into it for playback. This might even become standard operating procedure considering Samsung is getting into the ad game, and LG and Sony likely to follow.