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

216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

youtube.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

811–820 of 1001 posts

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#811

Post by 1659447091 »

soared wrote: post #769
lrvick wrote: post #764

It is a screen. You plug an HDMI cable into your source device and another into the TV. Job done. Are there really that many people technical enough to know what an HDMI cable is without also knowing all TVs are subsidized by spyware with no security protections? Why would anyone connect a screen to the internet in the first place? Like, if suddenly computer monitors started asking for wifi credentials would everyone…

TVs have streaming services, those need internet to function. What else does anyone (average consumer) use their TV for? I don’t want a separate device to plug in and remote just to stream things.

> What else does anyone (average consumer) use their TV for?

Xbox/Playstation and free over-the-air channels. Great for major & regional sporting events - free ABC/NBC/CBS/FOX - tends to have less of a delay as well (for me anyway)

Pretty sure consoles have all the streaming apps too

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#812

Post by mrheosuper »

sgerenser wrote: post #459
lxgr wrote: post #324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could also use something like Amazon Sidewalk or ATSC 3.0's dedicated return channel.

They could (although I’m not sure of the 80Kbps that Amazon sidewalk allows is really sufficient for the purpose of uploading ACR data), but is there any evidence that any TV manufacturer actually is? The reality is, why would they bother? 95% percent of people that buy a “Smart TV” hook it right up to their WiFi as soon as they take it out of the box.

80Kbps is enough, after all they don't want to accidentally ddos their server.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#813

Post by drdexebtjl »

scosman wrote: post #755

Reminder: you can connect it to your network, but block it from the internet at the router. That way you can still use Airplay/Chromecast. I have an LG. Great OLED panel. It's never seen the internet.

No, you can't. They can just spoof their MAC address and be freed.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#814

Post by bbor »

hi_hi wrote: post #738

I guess this is unavoidable on today’s internet, but…reading a story that decries the (admittedly really bad) data gathering techniques of an advertiser, from a site that itself is plastered with adverts…I don’t know the right word here, but it feels a bit shit. Although I’m glad this is getting the visibility it deserves. I hope this hurts LG where it matters and sends a signal to other manufacturers, but I doubt it…

\#BanAdvertising, my friends. It sounds absurd until you think about it for a minute. If billboards and vice ads and this sort of monitoring should be banned, shouldn't it all?

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#815

Post by 15155 »

mitxela wrote: post #772
nosioptar wrote: post #771

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather open it up and remove/destroy just the network card. (I don't have to do so though because my tv is 20 years old.)

What if the network isn't on a separate card?

Remove the AC coupling capacitor connecting the antenna to the transceiver.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#816

Post by idiotsecant »

bbor wrote: post #814
hi_hi wrote: post #738

I guess this is unavoidable on today’s internet, but…reading a story that decries the (admittedly really bad) data gathering techniques of an advertiser, from a site that itself is plastered with adverts…I don’t know the right word here, but it feels a bit shit. Although I’m glad this is getting the visibility it deserves. I hope this hurts LG where it matters and sends a signal to other manufacturers, but I doubt it…

\#BanAdvertising, my friends. It sounds absurd until you think about it for a minute. If billboards and vice ads and this sort of monitoring should be banned, shouldn't it all?

All advertisement is psychological warfare. It's designed to reprogram you to do things you otherwise wouldn't do.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#817

Post by johnecheck »

bbor wrote: post #814
hi_hi wrote: post #738

I guess this is unavoidable on today’s internet, but…reading a story that decries the (admittedly really bad) data gathering techniques of an advertiser, from a site that itself is plastered with adverts…I don’t know the right word here, but it feels a bit shit. Although I’m glad this is getting the visibility it deserves. I hope this hurts LG where it matters and sends a signal to other manufacturers, but I doubt it…

\#BanAdvertising, my friends. It sounds absurd until you think about it for a minute. If billboards and vice ads and this sort of monitoring should be banned, shouldn't it all?

How much time, money, and human effort has been spent on the Pepsi/coke advertising arms race?

All for what? To maintain the same market share they've had since the 80s? What a waste.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#818

Post by idiotsecant »

digi59404 wrote: post #808
gruez wrote: post #783

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>and it will connect to any open WiFi I've seen this claim made over and over again for various smart TVs, but so far I haven't seen any concrete evidence of this, only random speculation.

I have a Samsung fridge. It’s not a smart fridge, it doesn’t have a screen, bluetooth, or any way to connect to it. I logged into my UniFi stack to monitor devices and it showed up. It had gotten the connection details from my wife’s phone, the other Samsung device and was transmitting data back to Google and Samsung.

What model of fridge?! How did you know the random device on your network was your non-smart fridge? This is a wild story. I want to believe but if it's true I think there's no sane solution other than exploratory surgery on every appliance you buy.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#819

Post by bbor »

adithyassekhar wrote: post #792

> They also found where the microphone was software disabled via settings, it was STILL recording things but had the dB level so low that it looked like nothing but when amplified to +50dB later the conversations were actually still there.

Can someone confirm this part of it? I'm highly, highly dubious that these TVs are sending back random ambient conversation -- for one thing, it would be a truly monstrously-huge stream of data, no?

I certainly believe that it sends back data when you use voice commands, ofc (both for advertising and product improvement). But this would be the first real case of something that's been a 100% false conspiracy theory for over a decade, which feels... unlikely. Kinda like someone finding a Sasquatch.

Re: 216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]

#820

Post by fwip »

lrvick wrote: post #790
soared wrote: post #769

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TVs have streaming services, those need internet to function. What else does anyone (average consumer) use their TV for? I don’t want a separate device to plug in and remote just to stream things.

But surely you know the TV will have ads, and spyware and screenshots you every few seconds to send to manufactures, and in some cases even has microphones involved? The apps built into the screen literally meet the definition of trojans which any casual search on most brands would tell you. All avoidable by plugging in an $20 dedicated source device for streaming or whatever. Is saving the $20 really worth it?

Genuine question - are there any $20 streaming sticks that don't put their own advertisements in?
Post reply on HN