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Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

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Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#51

Post by ghostly_s »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #39
pavel_lishin wrote: post #6

> generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee I don't want to blame the purchasers of these things - who are some of the victims - but at the same time, it does seem like a Too Good To Be True situation.

Maybe, but if they're a not-very-tech savvy older person buying this, they probably remember shows being free from over the air antennas and may think it is something like that.

> they probably remember shows being free from over the air antennas

you are aware broadcast TV never ended?

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#52

Post by ocd »

Mistletoe wrote: post #32

I recently got an Apple TV 4K and have been really enjoying the ad free experience. Worth every penny. Our smart tv had turned into a Christmas tree of ads.

As much as I hate Apple for what they've done to the average consumer in regards to computing, it would be just impossible and dishonest to say anything other than Apple is the outright winner in streaming devices. The experience is so smooth.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#53

Post by codedokode »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #35
codedokode wrote: post #26

I do not see problems with fake ad clicks and have no sympathy for ad companies. Also pre-installed adware is not a surprise, I found adware in the official firmware image of a certain Chinese tablet. What worries me much more is backdoors from the foreign companies and governments that can be pre-installed at the factory to collect intelligence information. For example, I became aware that a certain maker of a popul…

Fake ad clicks cost the advertiser money, not the ad company. Ad companies generally try to detect fake clicks, but any fake clicks that get through just earn money for the ad company (at the cost of making the advertisers campaign have a lower ROI)

Good products do not need much advertising. For example, when buying DRAM, I compare the specification and prices and do not look at the advertisement.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#54

Post by ghostly_s »

Cider9986 wrote: post #30
flerchin wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well now I want one

Stremio+TorBox are the two words. ($3/month)

That's not what these things are. They come preloaded with apps that stream pirate broadcast streams and on-demand servers operated out of China.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#55

Post by bdangubic »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #39
pavel_lishin wrote: post #6

> generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee I don't want to blame the purchasers of these things - who are some of the victims - but at the same time, it does seem like a Too Good To Be True situation.

Maybe, but if they're a not-very-tech savvy older person buying this, they probably remember shows being free from over the air antennas and may think it is something like that.

I watch TV over an antenna, shows are free still

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#56

Post by Cider9986 »

codedokode wrote: post #26

I do not see problems with fake ad clicks and have no sympathy for ad companies. Also pre-installed adware is not a surprise, I found adware in the official firmware image of a certain Chinese tablet. What worries me much more is backdoors from the foreign companies and governments that can be pre-installed at the factory to collect intelligence information. For example, I became aware that a certain maker of a popul…

>What worries me much more is backdoors from the foreign companies and governments that can be pre-installed at the factory to collect intelligence information.

Most Americans are at a greater threat of harm from their own government that a foreign one. What worries me is all the mass surveillance done by big tech which bypasses the 4th Amendment and gives the government Americans data without a warrant.

There's already a front door with the adtech for US alphabet boys. This could likely be collected by others as well. We saw this happened where foreign hackers exploited a backdoor designed for American authorities[1]. This is what experts are referring to when they say there's no backdoor only for me.

This could be compelling to politicians, though, and would certainly be a step in the right direction.

>- any telemetry or data collection, or updates must be opt-in only and disabled by default

This should be how it is for everything foreign made software or not. Would be very hard to get done with the big tech lobby in the US.

[1] https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/07/the-30-year-old-internet-b...

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#57

Post by IncreasePosts »

ghostly_s wrote: post #51
IncreasePosts wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, but if they're a not-very-tech savvy older person buying this, they probably remember shows being free from over the air antennas and may think it is something like that.

> they probably remember shows being free from over the air antennas you are aware broadcast TV never ended?

Yes, in fact I have an antenna and a HDHomeRun nestled in my attic to record over the air shows that I occasionally consume.

But, I think it's far more common for people to have a TV service today, perhaps since comcast and their ilk push hard the TV/phone/internet bundle, and gone are the years when everyone would fiddle with the antennas on the back of their TV to get the right reception.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#58

Post by ghostly_s »

giantg2 wrote: post #19

So where can I get an actual privacy focused streaming box, even if the apps (Neflix etc) running on it are not?

These are not "streaming boxes" in the sense you are talking about. Their appeal is that they come preloaded with chinese pirate streaming apps. Traditional streaming boxes - Apple TV, Fire stick, Roku - are not affected by this, though if you want privacy-focused Apple TV is the only remaining contender, and with Apple's continued descent into advertising vendor I'd guess that one is not long for this world, either.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#59

Post by aeturnum »

codedokode wrote: post #50
meatmanek wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah this is extremely standard: Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-us/102515 > If Location Services is on, your device will periodically send the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers to Apple to augment Apple's crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations. Google: https://support.google.com/android/answer/15157297?sjid=1648... > When Location Accuracy is on, Google perio…

They should ask the permission from device owner and local government before collecting the data.

They do ask the device owner - if you review the location services description on android[1] you will see they explicitly say they collect this information from your device. I strongly disagree that they need to get government permission for this - they are simply recording signals that reach the device, akin to making notes about what kinds of cars you see. This is not a thing a government should have control over people doing and not a thing that should be registered with the governement.

[1] https://support.google.com/android/answer/3467281?sjid=66634...

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#60

Post by bee_rider »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #34
codedokode wrote: post #26

I do not see problems with fake ad clicks and have no sympathy for ad companies. Also pre-installed adware is not a surprise, I found adware in the official firmware image of a certain Chinese tablet. What worries me much more is backdoors from the foreign companies and governments that can be pre-installed at the factory to collect intelligence information. For example, I became aware that a certain maker of a popul…

> Obviously they collect this information to be able to guide missiles and drones when GPS signal is jammed Are there a lot of missiles that travel slowly enough to be able to guide themselves via watching for nearby wifi signals? > for every imported device having a CPU and Internet connectivity Why limit this to imported devices?

I think that might have been semi-sarcastic. I mean, there are lots of reasons to do this sort of thing, some are bad, some are not so bad, most are not war.
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