Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What is the best dumb TV?

pointerclicker.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

551–560 of 661 posts

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#551

Post by rusk »

dkersten wrote: post #515
iforgotpassword wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Found the millennial? The knob design is the much older one as it's purely analog. I don't have a microwave anymore for almost a decade now, but even before I used it occasionally only, mostly for heating up food from the day before, nothing where I'd need sub-millisecond accuracy. Also in general food tastes different/weird if you blast it at full power, so going for lower wattage and longer cooking times would redu…

> Found the millennial? Given that millennial seems to refer to anyone born between mid 70's and late 90's, that could basically be any type of microwave design that ever existed.

I think you’re right ... he’s thinking of the one that comes after. I think we’re settling on your definition but there’s still sufficient confusion. It’s only in the last 5 years I think we’ve become settled with gen x.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#552

Post by rusk »

henrikschroder wrote: post #382
GordonS wrote: post #377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My microwave has a knob and a digital display - so turning the knob updates the display. The knob also has "clicks", rather than turning smoothly. I like this interface - it's tactile and usable.

I had a microwave like that as well, and it was absolutely fantastic! One big wheel to set the time, and it was 100% deterministic, so you developed muscle memory for setting it at different times. Loved it, never been able to find one like it since.

I have NEFF microwave that works like this. I agree that it is the best. Still haven’t fully got the muscle memory but ...

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#553

Post by strawberrypuree »

ascar wrote: post #455
moksly wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My microwave has a wheel to turn the timer, a wheel to set the WATT, a stop button and a start button. If you press the start button it’ll automatically run for 30 seconds, if you press it again it’ll add another 30 seconds to the current run. It took me maybe 4 years of owning it before I learned of the start button feature. Not sure what the hell people are doing with microwaves that connect to the internet, but I…

I want a smart TV so I can access Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc. right from the TV and don't need a separate device for it. Many people suggest buying a dumb tv and then an apple tv. The problem is, now I have two devices and instead of trusting [TV manufacturer] I have to trust Apple. I don't see a big gain in it and also don't consider Apple to be especially trustworthy. [TV manufacturer] should just sell me a…

Apple TV doesn't include ads, and doesn't sell your viewing habits to third parties who create profiles of you. [0]

Your TV manufacturer does.

[0]https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#554

Post by nitrogen »

Lio wrote: post #427
shajznnckfke wrote: post #307

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To play the part of the average consumer here... why should I care exactly? I know about the concept of TV ratings so some families are allowing a computer to keep track of what they watch. How does this hurt me? Maybe if I was using my TV as an output for my home surveillance system I would care. Otherwise it’s just displaying content featuring paid actors or other people who are already being watched by millions on…

Part of the distaste is the lack of control. That a faceless, remote corporation can reach into your home and arbitrarily control a product you've purchased feels very invasive. Companies like Samsung and LG have previously had cameras and microphones silently streaming unencrypted feeds. They've also been caught running network probes to search out, catalogue and report private media. All that feels very creepy to s…

Exactly. It's my house. It's my behavior. These four walls are sacrosanct.

Imagine you are working from home or your kids are schooling from home, and you use the TV for meetings. Are they recording your presentation? Are pictures of your kids' classmates being fingerprinted and archived somewhere for correlation with all the other classmates?

There are levels of outrageousness here:

- Spying on TV through a purpose-built device: mildly annoying that every show and ad now has a tracking watermark that can be used surreptitiously, but voluntary Nielsen participation is just fine.

- Spying on an app you own: YouTube collecting aggregated watch times for videos is useful to creators to avoid reaching people who don't want to watch them. Netflix collecting in-house analytics is only mildly annoying because I don't know how individualized the data is, but aggregate stats are fine. Behavioral analysis of individuals is still creepy.

-Spying on all apps running on your software: Roku or a smart TV reporting what you watch in all apps is starting to approach unacceptable. Presumably appmakers know about this when they are making the apps, but a third party doesn't have the same checks and balances to make sure they aren't alienating users with creepy behavior. There is not a functioning market here because appmakers don't get a choice of how to reach users, because platform rentiers are claiming all of the users.

- Spying on arbitrary video files you watch through DLNA: not okay. My work-in-progress video productions and self-ripped discs are simply none of the TV makers' business.

-Spying on HDMI inputs: serious WTF. Like I can't even... WTF??? Who do they think they are?

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#555

Post by gautamnarula »

I have the Sceptre 65" "dumb" TV recommended in this article and have been really happy with it. I also got it on sale last year so paid only ~$350 for it-- wait until Black Friday/Cyber Monday if you're looking to get one. I got a Roku to stream with and have been pretty happy.

Meanwhile my family members all have Smart TVs, and have dealt with terrible firmware that makes streaming a real pain and slow boot/startup times, not being able to stream Disney+ for a while because the manufacturer wouldn't update their firmware for a long time, of course the general privacy/spyware, and I think even ads pushed through onto their TVs.

I hope dumb TVs continue, otherwise I fear I'll be forced to "upgrade" to a Smart TV once this one needs to be replaced.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#556

Post by read_if_gay_ »

kortilla wrote: post #549
read_if_gay_ wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anyone should be able to setup and use Apple TV. (If you trust Apple, that is). If not, you could use a Raspi? I had non-techie (but still young) friends who came up with and implemented this idea by themselves.

Apple TV is expensive though for people without a bunch of cash. Pay $400 for a 4K TV that has Netflix built in and then spend $200 for Apple TV too?

Definitely true, not everyone is willing to pay the price for privacy in the first price.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#557

Post by kspacewalk2 »

ascar wrote: post #455
moksly wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My microwave has a wheel to turn the timer, a wheel to set the WATT, a stop button and a start button. If you press the start button it’ll automatically run for 30 seconds, if you press it again it’ll add another 30 seconds to the current run. It took me maybe 4 years of owning it before I learned of the start button feature. Not sure what the hell people are doing with microwaves that connect to the internet, but I…

I want a smart TV so I can access Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc. right from the TV and don't need a separate device for it. Many people suggest buying a dumb tv and then an apple tv. The problem is, now I have two devices and instead of trusting [TV manufacturer] I have to trust Apple. I don't see a big gain in it and also don't consider Apple to be especially trustworthy. [TV manufacturer] should just sell me a…

>[TV manufacturer] should just sell me a smart tv without customer hostile "features".

The price will be much higher then. Right now, you're sold the tv at a discount (at a loss, I'm pretty sure) because the manufacturer will make money off you down the road by stealing and selling your data to advertisers. It's kind of like with social media (though to a lesser degree) - don't make the mistake of thinking of yourself exclusively as a customer. You're a product, too. Their advertising partners are the true customers.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#558

Post by devnonymous »

kossTKR wrote: post #514
devnonymous wrote: post #473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not too sure about that because if that were true the online shopping experiences in these richer markets in Europe would be better than India which is quite demonstratively not the case. Hence my assertion about correlation with age of the population.

How is online shopping in India better than in Europe?

The UX tends to be more sophisticated. The mobile experience is way better. The payment options are many and well integrated. The choices are better. Search is better. Delivery (time as well as tracking) is better.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#559

Post by tssva »

Moru wrote: post #437
tssva wrote: post #421

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm 52 and have used microwave ovens since my parents bought one in 1981. It had a touchpad and every microwave I have ever used since then has had a touchpad. My experience is that except for the extremely low end of the countertop microwave market it was rare to see a microwave with knob controls until the last 10 years.

All my micro waves have been nob controlled except one but that one broke down after a few weeks so that one does't count. The rest was two analog and three digital nobs. All the digital nobs broke down after 1-2 years but the analog nobs still work after 20+ years. And you can still buy new ananlog nob microwave ovens in the store but they aren't as good any more.

Maybe it is regional but in the US microwaves have been mostly touchpad since at least the late 70s.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#560

Post by michaelmior »

Nextgrid wrote: post #47
michaelmior wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what you mean by lack of "smart" features. Everything is controlled via an app. Sounds the opposite.

As in no online features & ads. They claim the app is open-source and I'm sure it only uses Bluetooth instead of WIFI thus no internet access at all. In any case, IR remotes are supported and the app is optional.

I'm curious what makes you sure that it only uses Bluetooth. I didn't see anything about this on the page.
Post reply on HN