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Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#181

Post by rcarmo »

IshKebab wrote: post #139
rcarmo wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I second this simply because LG is the least evil of all smart TV manufacturers _and_ has the best panels and (usually) connectivity.

Less evil than Sony? I have an LG TV. I can't recommend it purely because they have the audacity to omit a play/pause button from the remote control. Pausing requires pressing the "centre" button one, two or three times depending on which app you are in. Pure insanity. WebOS is trash too. Probably going to buy a Sony next time.

I wouldn't confuse evil with incompetence...

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#182

Post by EvanAnderson »

kelthuzad wrote: post #173
EvanAnderson wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I got my Frame with the house we bought. I never put it on my network. It's irritating that it powers-on many times to the wall art display function versus just being a TV. I definitely wouldn't have bought it standalone.

>It's irritating that it powers-on many times to the wall art display function versus just being a TV. I personally love the Art Mode, but while browsing the service menu I've noticed that you can permanently disable it. You can make the secret menu appear by pressing some special combination or by pressing 2 buttons on the service remote[0]. [0] https://www.amazon.com/AA81-00243A-Replaced-Service-Control-...

I'll check that out. Thank you.

I actually like the idea of art mode, but I'd only want to use something like that if it were a passive technology like e-ink. Otherwise I think the electricity use and wear and tear on the display would eat at me. The device is well built and the presentation is lovely, but I just can't stomach the idea of it burning electricity all the time. (I don't know what its standby draw is, sadly. I do have a lot of stuff on power strips because I worry about standby draw. You're making me realize that this TV, being built-in to the wall, has escaped that scrutiny.)

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#184

Post by rcarmo »

bsimpson wrote: post #132
rcarmo wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I second this simply because LG is the least evil of all smart TV manufacturers _and_ has the best panels and (usually) connectivity.

I think LG made the 5K iMac panels.

They did, and I think they still do. I have two pretty amazing LG monitors and a couple of TVs.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#185

Post by nickthegreek »

heavyset_go wrote: post #180
batrat wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ads? I thought HN crowd already know how to use a pihole or at least adguard dns. I got Samsung TV's in every room because they are easy to use with a Galaxy phone, using it as a remote and a keyboard. Also wireless DEX is soooo underrated. Want a specific app on tv? no problem. I'm basically using them as displays for my phone.

It's not 2015 anymore, advertisers aren't relying on DNS requests that a Pihole or AdGuard can block.

yes, most are.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#186

Post by jdhawk »

adabyron wrote: post #168
paulgerhardt wrote: post #45

Do recommend the LG C series (C5 or C4 are new or the C1 series if you want a deal on classifieds - same hardware as the higher end models but needs a firmware bit flip). The OS is very rootable and it makes a great TV that doubles as a monitor. Supports free sync / g-sync. OLED is nice at this scale. Text is very readable, refresh rate is good. It uses the same panels as the fancier G series in the larger sizes. One…

I really wish there were alternatives for the millions of us out there who love the Frame concept but hate the Samsung OS.

Hisense Canvas and TCL NXTVISION

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#187

Post by queenkjuul »

MyOutfitIsVague wrote: post #32
gruez wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing out on resolution (4K) and picture quality (HDR, contrast ratios, color gamut) improvements by doing this.

My experience with HDR has been pretty abysmal on a $500 4K TV. Badly tuned HDR is way worse than no HDR at all. I have 20/20 vision, and I really can't tell the difference between 1080p and 4K for video games and movies. I will never do below 4k again on a desktop, but 1080p is more than fine for a TV. Higher framerate makes a far bigger difference than higher resolution for video games too.

I have a 1080p TV and it's fine for watching TV and movies but i am going to upgrade to a 4K display because i can definitely tell a difference in games, and i do most all my gaming on my TV.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#188

Post by queenkjuul »

reaperducer wrote: post #39
gruez wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing out on resolution (4K) and picture quality (HDR, contrast ratios, color gamut) improvements by doing this.

You're missing out on resolution (4K) and picture quality (HDR, contrast ratios, color gamut) improvements by doing this. Not everyone suffers from FOMO. I've only seen one movie that was worth the bother and expense of seeing it in 4K (Rear Window). The rest of the things you mention are mostly for a very small slice of theoretical people with perfect vision in perfectly lit rooms at the perfect height and viewing a…

I never want to go back to 1080p text editing on a monitor, personally.

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#189

Post by queenkjuul »

RajT88 wrote: post #136
shayway wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be warned, 'seemingly' is a key word there. I have picked up eight TVs up from alleys over the past few years and each has had a broken screen only visible when plugged in. I have no idea how people are breaking so many TVs.

I can help: Children. I can remember when the Nintendo Wii came out, and people I know were damaging things when the remotes would go flying. It's like the Wii release every day in a house with kids. My brother-in-law is on their third TV in 5 years.

We got our first flat panel and the Wii together on my sister's fifth Christmas and the TV was broken within 3 months lol

Re: Ask HN: What's the best hackable smart TV?

#190

Post by godelski »

aljgz wrote: post #142
paulgerhardt wrote: post #45

Do recommend the LG C series (C5 or C4 are new or the C1 series if you want a deal on classifieds - same hardware as the higher end models but needs a firmware bit flip). The OS is very rootable and it makes a great TV that doubles as a monitor. Supports free sync / g-sync. OLED is nice at this scale. Text is very readable, refresh rate is good. It uses the same panels as the fancier G series in the larger sizes. One…

I Second avoiding Samsung. I had an LG, had to let it go to my ex, and got a Samsung because the rtings said it has a better color space coverage. The quality in the out of box experience is day and night. Samsung does every trick to take you to the homepage to show you ads. Even when using as a monitor, will analyse your content and phone home to use in showing you more "relevant" ads. I disconnected it from the res…

  > I Second avoiding Samsung.
I'll third this, as a Samsung owner who uses it as primarily a monitor. My "favorite" feature is that when I use an app like Netflix and then press the "Exit" button on the remote there's a 50% chance I just land back on my desktop and a 50% chance that the menu that covers the bottom third of the screen is open. It can also frequently not find the signal of the computer, maybe 1 in 50 times. Sometimes it'll connect in a few seconds, sometimes a few minutes, sometimes after replugging the HDMI, and sometimes updating the screen by doing things like pressing buttons that would cause something to change (my computer neither hybernates nor goes to sleep). Not to mention that it frequently will ask me to update the terms of service (I cannot reject them, I can only select "remind me later" and it starts to get aggressive) and it will change some settings when it force updates on me.

Do not get a Samsung...

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