How do I free my television?

  • blackris@discuss.tchncs.de
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    9 days ago

    Your smart TV is a computer of some sorts. You can do shit like watching Netflix with it. If that is all you want to do, why should you use another device with it, that brings no benefits but uses more power?

    • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      i already said why. there are stories where an update now injects ads into the tv, more than were there when you bought it. so after you can’t return it, well, now it’s “updated” and can’t take the piece of shit back.

      using a 3rd party device still leaves you in some sort of control. i use an nvidia shield, which definitely does add better functionality, but if it starts acting stupid, i flash it back to defaults/roll back any updates or i replace it, tv unchanged.

      and power usage is negligible at best.

      here is one story - https://choice.community/t/samsung-now-injecting-ads-into-your-smart-tv/26124

      spying - https://money.cnn.com/2015/02/09/technology/security/samsung-smart-tv-privacy/index.html

      phone updates can do the same - https://old.reddit.com/r/ShittyDesign/comments/1fqy9rh/samsung_wants_to_turn_my_charging_screen_into_ads/

      bottom line, if you don’t control the device, you have no say in what gets update/installed/“upgraded” to support more ads. on an external device, i know how to wipe it/block updates. on the tv, best i could do is factory reset it, im IT, not TV.

      also, samsung tvs have a “sleep” mode where with the right button presses, can turn into a recording device where an attacker can see/hear everything in the room. built in backdoors!

      • Zanathos@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        I mean, that sucks but I run pihole on my network and don’t have any injected ads on my Samsung displays, and all base functionality I need works without issue.

        • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          I have pihole setup too. I’d still never need to connect my tv. but you’re free to do as you want

    • SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee
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      9 days ago

      Because Xbox and PlayStation exist? Also, the ergonomics of the TV remote vs a controller are night and day different.

      • blackris@discuss.tchncs.de
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        9 days ago

        Yes, the differences are night and day. Every time I want to watch one of the few movies I own on Blu-ray, I turn my old PS4 on and remember how shitty a controller is for media playback and I download the movie and watch it on my Raspberry Pi with Kodi and a proper media remote.

        So again: if I just want to watch Netflix, why should I add a console that has no advantages, but uses more power and forces me to use a controller that is nice for many games but shit for watching movies?

        • SynopsisTantilize@lemm.ee
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          9 days ago

          Yes, the differences are night and day. Every time I want to watch one of the few movies I own on Blu-ray, I turn my old PS4 on and remember how shitty a controller is for media playback and I download the movie and watch it on my Raspberry Pi with Kodi and a proper media remote.

          • lol no you don’t.

          So again: if I just want to watch Netflix, why should I add a console that has no advantages, but uses more power and forces me to use a controller that is nice for many games but shit for watching movies?

          -You aren’t raw dogging your TV apps…youre using a console of sorts to run your media vs letting the TV do it. Which was what I was asking in the root comment in this thread.

          So what I originally said…and what I’m replying to now are the same sentiment. You’re being a contrarian.

        • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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          9 days ago

          if it’s such a problem, then don’t use anything, let your tv be open to the Internet and browser hacks. that’s your prerogative. but we’re telling why it’s a bad idea, that’s all.