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Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

theregister.com

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Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#111

Post by Fezzik »

dylan604 wrote: post #102
megablast wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They aren't getting much back from selling the data. Maybe $20 off.

And that is based on what data? BigCorps tend to not continue doing something if it's not going to bring them much return.

Somewhat tangential, but Facebook’s average revenue per user was less than $9 in 2019. I can’t imagine TV manufacturers can eek out nearly that much revenue from the data they collect. Especially considering that almost everyone is streaming or using cable and all of that data is going to Hulu/Netflix/Cable providers and then passed on to advertisers anyway.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#112

Post by Mandatum »

Johnny555 wrote: post #65
userbinator wrote: post #54

One thing you have to understand is that these internet-connected Blu-ray players in question are programmed to log their activities and send copies of this information to Samsung. In some ways, this is even more disturbing than the bricking. Only corporate greed can create a media player that watches you and needs constant firmware updates. I have a VCR and DVD player which still work, and things like this are the r…

It's worse than you think - it's not just your DVD player that's spying on you, but your TV is too -- many TV's use Automated Content Recognition to detect what you're watching regardless of source (DVD, over the air, streaming app, etc). They even detect commercials, and which language you're listening to. https://www.adexchanger.com/ad-exchange-news/the-marketers-g...

Unfortunately piracy is often a good answer to this type of issue. If your smart TV is not connected to the internet, or you're not browsing on a licensed platform riddled with DRM and tracking agents, there's no chance of that data leaving your house.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#113

Post by amiga-workbench »

ekianjo wrote: post #110
amiga-workbench wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't buy a TV then, buy a monitor. https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there any difference in display quality between a monitor and a TV with roughly the same specs?

I really doubt it. My 2015 Sony bravia has a similar 4K VA panel that I'm largely happy with. I absolutely hate that TV for reasons besides it's panel. And I regret blowing £850 on it.

You're not going to find IPS or OLED panels on those large form factor monitors for a sensible price, so do consider that.

Also keep an eye open for NEC digital signage displays on eBay, they're quite common coming from liquidated businesses. I bought a few of them for the office on the cheap and they're solid as long as you avoid the really old plasma models.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#114

Post by dylan604 »

Fezzik wrote: post #111
dylan604 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that is based on what data? BigCorps tend to not continue doing something if it's not going to bring them much return.

Somewhat tangential, but Facebook’s average revenue per user was less than $9 in 2019. I can’t imagine TV manufacturers can eek out nearly that much revenue from the data they collect. Especially considering that almost everyone is streaming or using cable and all of that data is going to Hulu/Netflix/Cable providers and then passed on to advertisers anyway.

FB has 1.5B+ daily users. $9 * 1.5B = A LOT OF CASH. Is that per month, per year? Plus Insta, plus WhatsApp

TV Manufactures may not sell 1B units (maybe they do), but it's still a large enough number that it will not be unnoticed in a balance sheet

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#115

Post by userbinator »

ekianjo wrote: post #110
amiga-workbench wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't buy a TV then, buy a monitor. https://www.dell.com/en-uk/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there any difference in display quality between a monitor and a TV with roughly the same specs?

Traditionally, a computer monitor would be superior in quality since they are used at a closer distance where things like dead pixels are much more noticeable, in contrast to a TV that's mainly used for video at a longer distance.

With LCD monitors being available in sizes as large as TVs and with the same resolutions, I suspect there won't be much difference but perhaps panels intended for TVs may still have more allowable defects.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#116

Post by Merad »

bgwhn wrote: post #61
userbinator wrote: post #54

One thing you have to understand is that these internet-connected Blu-ray players in question are programmed to log their activities and send copies of this information to Samsung. In some ways, this is even more disturbing than the bricking. Only corporate greed can create a media player that watches you and needs constant firmware updates. I have a VCR and DVD player which still work, and things like this are the r…

I'm with you, and I prefer "dumb" devices, but you can still buy these blu-ray players and not connect them to the internet. The internet connectivity is sold as an additional feature so that you can use your blu-ray player to watch Netflix. I agree that I don't want logging on a device like this, but if I was going to connect one of these to the internet, I would at least want regular security updates.

> you can still buy these blu-ray players and not connect them to the internet.

Unfortunately this is only a temporary solution IMO. Within the next decade I think you'll see these smart devices shipping with built in connectivity that's difficult or impossible to disable, especially if Starlink or other satellite based services really take off.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#117

Post by mirimir »

Mandatum wrote: post #112
Johnny555 wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worse than you think - it's not just your DVD player that's spying on you, but your TV is too -- many TV's use Automated Content Recognition to detect what you're watching regardless of source (DVD, over the air, streaming app, etc). They even detect commercials, and which language you're listening to. https://www.adexchanger.com/ad-exchange-news/the-marketers-g...

Unfortunately piracy is often a good answer to this type of issue. If your smart TV is not connected to the internet, or you're not browsing on a licensed platform riddled with DRM and tracking agents, there's no chance of that data leaving your house.

That's my answer. I'll never own a "smart TV", just decent gaming graphics with a large monitor.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#118

Post by electro_blah »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #107

Yet another reason for the warning don't connect your 'smart' TV, DVD player, or any other entertainment device to your wifi router. If you need Netflix, use a standalone device such as a Roku and connect it to the TV with HDMI.

smart my arse. it's as smart as the guy who designed/programmed it.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#119

Post by jen20 »

GordonS wrote: post #56
_ph_ wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But that is the point I was trying to make. No language can save you from logic errors, but a lot of languages let you recover from errors in functions. The simplest way is exception handling in Java like try { parse(xmlFile) } catch ( ... ) {.... } There is no reason the device should get in an undefined state if parsing that file fails or even completely crash.

But not having a `try...catch` for such events is a kind of logic error. The choice of programming language only gets you so far - it's up to the developers to actually handle errors in a meaningful way.

I'd argue that languages which force handling via the type system (e.g. `Result` in Rust) makes it less likely that bugs like this will go unhandled, since the position if the programmer does not explicitly opt out of error handling (with `unwrap` etc) is a compilation error rather than missing error handling.

Re: Samsung Blu-ray players bricked because of an XML config file

#120

Post by grugagag »

userbinator wrote: post #83
dastx wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> needs constant firmware updates Firmware updates are good. They can patch security issues and they can improve different aspects of the device. The security being the best plus obviously. Wholeheartedly agree that there is no reason for a company like Samsung to track your every move despite you paying them hundreds for said devive. I'd be very surprised if they don't make a hefty profit from such devices. So why t…

Firmware updates are good. They can patch security issues and they can improve different aspects of the device. The security being the best plus obviously. The point is that there are no "security issues" in a dumb media player like the DVD player I have. Suppose an "attacker" (and that is stretching the definition a lot...) can create a disc that can overflow a buffer somewhere and crash the player or cause it to do…

I agree with the upgrade sentiment, it’s mostly a disaster and a step backwards for the consumer.
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