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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

#461

Post by Uvix »

40four wrote: post #393
omilu wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costco vets their products very well, if I see something at costco and its something I need I just buy it. No need to research and I've never been burned. They only sell good quality stuff.

I don’t disagree, Costco has a reputation for selling well vetted products, but that’s not a good comparison. I trust Costco (even their online only sales), but in no way do I trust the other merchants listed. We’re specifically taking about merchants that have a super shady online presence. They will basically sell you anything and everything and don’t care if it harms you. The ones mentioned (Amazon, Best Buy, New…

Target as well. It was one thing when it was just Amazon acting as a sketchy third party storefront, but now everybody’s doing it.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#462

Post by mcphage »

inigyou wrote: post #450
autoexec wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Yeah, it's like—a cheap streaming stick AND it poisons the advertising well? Keep in mind that it's your IP and identity associated with those clicks and anything else criminals decide to do with your IP address. That means you're identity is being linked to things you may or not want to be known as being interested/involved in. The ads your TV stick clicks on can cause data brokers to include your name in lists of…

So you're saying it's going to weaken the presumption that an IP can be easily tracked to an individual? Even better!

Talk about the gift that keeps on giving…

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#463

Post by StilesCrisis »

fragmede wrote: post #426
StilesCrisis wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is unfortunately exactly how society operates in China. It is basically on the buyer to confirm that they're getting something acceptable. Once they've paid, it is what it is.

Not exactly. In 2008 there was a huge scandal where melamine was in baby's milk, so it isn't always what it is. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Chinese_milk_scandal

Yes, if your malfeasance is large enough to be on the front page of the New York Times, you'll be sentenced to life in prison or even death. But killing babies is a bit more heinous than fraudulent ad clicks!

(Also of note: WHY melamine in the baby formula? Because they knew the buyer would check the nitrogen content, because it's a caveat emptor culture.)

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#464

Post by ubermonkey »

simojo wrote: post #108

We purchased a Chinese-made projector from Amazon, which was surprisingly inexpensive (~40 USD). Upon connecting it to the internet, it placed a constantly running feed of ads on the corner of the screen, even while movies were playing. There was no way to disable it either. Even though it's not a stick, it's a similar principle.

I'm still trying to figure out why you didn't see that coming.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#465

Post by fn-mote »

riddlemethat wrote: post #458
omilu wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costco vets their products very well, if I see something at costco and its something I need I just buy it. No need to research and I've never been burned. They only sell good quality stuff.

We bought a Bosch dishwasher from Costco in January. It was defective and wouldn’t start after 10 days. Costco replaced it. The replacement came with a big gash on the front off the truck so we refused it and Costco sent a third replacement. Again, it was the same model and again it wouldn’t start after another 30 days. Costco took it back. No cost to us for any of these delivery or install attempts. We bought a diff…

> I will never buy a major appliance from any other retailer

Weird. You experienced failures of the manufacturer (failure to start) and the warehouse (huge scratch), and are still singing someone’s praises.

It sounds to me like the brand’s quality assurance is low and the retailer also isn’t taking care of their stock.

If I had to take three days off work to accept these deliveries, doubtless I would have a very different conclusion from yours.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#466

Post by pbhjpbhj »

azan_ wrote: post #316
ColdStream wrote: post #313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I did forget about that. When you flatten the pay structure across the board, it makes bribes and scams so much more desirable. But also, communist structure in practices is sort of the total opposite of capitalism at a distance. It was said that Karl Marx was completely right about Capitalism and completely wrong about Communism. And that is fairly accurate, both have big flaws. Most times, the opposite of one…

I think it's really far fetched to say capitalism is bad idea. It's great system, it has some problems, but the upside is so big and alternatives are so bad that it's really unfair to call it bad system.

Yh, the end of civilisation is a good thing after all, so enabling greedy fuckers to accelerate all life on Earth ever more rapidly towards destruction has to be good ...

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#467

Post by _RPM »

riddlemethat wrote: post #458
omilu wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Costco vets their products very well, if I see something at costco and its something I need I just buy it. No need to research and I've never been burned. They only sell good quality stuff.

We bought a Bosch dishwasher from Costco in January. It was defective and wouldn’t start after 10 days. Costco replaced it. The replacement came with a big gash on the front off the truck so we refused it and Costco sent a third replacement. Again, it was the same model and again it wouldn’t start after another 30 days. Costco took it back. No cost to us for any of these delivery or install attempts. We bought a diff…

> I will never buy a major appliance from any other retailer

That's called stinking thinking.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#468

Post by jon-wood »

al_borland wrote: post #180
SoftTalker wrote: post #145

> Despite repeated warnings from the FBI and security industry leaders about the security and privacy risks of using these streaming devices, major e-commerce providers like Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg and others continue to sell hundreds of different models and brands I scanned the comments and I didn't see anyone suggesting that these companies should share any responsibility for selling these harmful products. Why is…

One of the main value propositions for retailers in a world of endless cheap garbage being sold online, is to vet products so customers can trust that what their buying is from a legitimate company and not junk or stuff like these streaming sticks. This is the problem with being an “everything store”. “Everything” includes a lot of things most consumers would like to be protected from, and assume they are due to the…

Amazon even have big "people commonly return this product" warning on some product pages. Anywhere halfway sensible would maybe reconsider stocking a product worthy of that but because they've set themselves up as a middleman without any of the risk they can just churn junk out of their warehouses.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#469

Post by jon-wood »

wsintra2022 wrote: post #204
malfist wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If I open my own line of home improvement stores and do no oversight on what I sell and wind up selling really dangerous lawnmowers, I'm partly responsible. Or if I open up a gas station and allow any company without oversight to sell "supplements" through my shelves and cops arrest me for selling heroin, I don't get a free pass. Why should amazon or Walmart get a free pass just because they sell more items?

Except the devices are not dangerous. Its the software installed on the device. Consumers have a choice. Pay for the trusted Apple TV or Amazon firestick, or go the wild west and see what's on offer.

The typical consumer has no idea what they're buying, and they shouldn't have to because the retailer selling the product should have done some basic due diligence before stocking the thing. People aren't going to some clearly shady Chinese website and buying a device labelled "cheap TV streaming stick, will sublease your internet connection to criminals", they're putting "FireTV" into amazon.com and somehow being presented with these things alongside the Amazon FireTV they expect to find, or maybe "streaming stick" which really shouldn't be surfacing clearly malicious products.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#470

Post by red-iron-pine »

omilu wrote: post #251
al_borland wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the main value propositions for retailers in a world of endless cheap garbage being sold online, is to vet products so customers can trust that what their buying is from a legitimate company and not junk or stuff like these streaming sticks. This is the problem with being an “everything store”. “Everything” includes a lot of things most consumers would like to be protected from, and assume they are due to the…

Costco vets their products very well, if I see something at costco and its something I need I just buy it. No need to research and I've never been burned. They only sell good quality stuff.

arguably it's part of their main value proposition: bulk, but not terrible, and generally decent.

fixed fee membership also means a very stable revenue stream and they can take the time to do this, while other places like newegg are herding 3rd parties to get cuts of ever cheaper 3rd party crap

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