Buy an Nvidia shield and never look back
And disable the telemetry and ads services.
Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
131–140 of 190 posts
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#132Used to use Roku, but why anyone would use anything other than an AppleTV these days who knows.
It’s obvious that the TV manufacturers have no motivation to provide updates and now they are moving to steal your data.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#133Is there any kind of “hook up” on wholesale large dumb displays? I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I just want a giant dumb display from my Apple TV. I vaguely remember someone posting a link to tvs restaurants use but I don’t remember exactly what or if it was what I’m looking for. (Sorry, being lazy here)
Many (most?) "smart" TVs will work fine if their network connection is never set up. Many of those can be set to wake on an HDMI signal from, for example, an outboard streamer box. That means you can take advantage of the subsidy paid by the bloatware that comes inside your TV, for a price that I bet is coincidentally close to the same as the price difference of an unsubsidized dumb TV.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#134I have a Hisense Roku TV with on a network with a pihole. It can't reach any of it's ad networks so the interface is always the default. The default isn't great, mind you, but it is ad-free.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
No, but neither do Roku. All three participate to embed their software (and hardware, probably) on smart TVs that other people make.
Roku makes TV, as well as Amazon. All 3 make streaming devices (Stick, set-top box, etc).
Show me a listing for a Roku made TV? All the ones I've seen are for like a TCL Roku tv. Same for Amazon, usually the same makers.
n/m I do see that Roku sells tvs under its own name now. That's a change from the last time I looked.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#136From a security perspective... never connect your TV directly to the network. But artificially creating a Walmart dependency is total garbage.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#137I have a Hisense Roku TV with on a network with a pihole. It can't reach any of it's ad networks so the interface is always the default. The default isn't great, mind you, but it is ad-free.
Just out of curiosity: why add the TV to your network just to block it from the internet?
Perhaps you stream content to it locally?
I have both a PiHole and SmartTVs — the latter never even get WiFi access (just use them as displays for CCTV & PS4).
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#138In every Smart TV thread there are dozens or hundreds of comments that say people don't put connect their TV to their wireless.
I understand. I've been an EFF supporter for decades, at least when I can afford it. I get it.
The problem though is that you sometimes want to screencast a video or song from your phone. Your dirty dirty phone that has been out in the wild collecting malware. Or a guest does. And sure, what's one video?
And of course your TV doesn't have the latest updates.
It's a fucking perverse incentive that will lead to more regulation of the Internet and IoT when we get malware "leaks" and outbreaks.
The civil libertarians have been co-opted with game theory and smart knowledge of the tragedy of the commons in this case by the intelligence services.
Instead of just educating citizens and democratic debate.
I don't have the political power to sell that idea now, and I know it sounds crazy.
Oh well. I wonder what I can't sell next.
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#139In every Smart TV thread there are dozens or hundreds of comments that say people don't put connect their TV to their wireless. I understand. I've been an EFF supporter for decades, at least when I can afford it. I get it. The problem though is that you sometimes want to screencast a video or song from your phone. Your dirty dirty phone that has been out in the wild collecting malware. Or a guest does. And sure, what…
Never have I ever wanted to do that" The problem though is that you sometimes want to screencast a video or song from your phone."
Re: Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
Saw this elsewhere: "It will not let you do anything until you download the app on your phone, make an account, and log in on the TV. You cant just change it to HDMI 1 and use a Firestick. I set it up with a throw away email, then deleted the app, and took the TV off of the WiFi."
Well that sucks, but maybe tolerable for a cheap TV if you only have to do it once.
Do they tell you this up front? When you buy it? I once returned a small bluetooth speaker, because it would not just let me connect to it. It wanted me to download an app, create an account, sign in and then accept a metric ton of crap about how they would collect all kinds of data about (in this case my mom's consumption of content that would be streamed to the speaker).
It was a damn portable bluetooth speaker. Well it was returned within an hour and the competitor was bought online.
At least, the store accepted it - I would have instantly send this as a case to the consumer protection agency, if they hadn't, though. Because they never even hinted (neither on the packaging, nor in the store) towards the necessity of the app and crap.