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Some people seem gleeful about this, but Firefox OS is actually an excellent Smart TV OS, especially at a time where a lot of manufacturers feel comfortable ins
by kmfrk 11y ago
Some people seem gleeful about this, but Firefox OS is actually an excellent Smart TV OS, especially at a time where a lot of manufacturers feel comfortable inserting ads into people's TVs without their consent.
It's obviously ridiculous that this is something we need to deal with in the first place, but I'm definitely happy that I got one of the few TVs without a scummy OS.
The smartphone OS was always a vague idea that never materialized into anything. Part of that was probably a result of the frustration that we never really got that Nokia OS for lower-end devices. Instead we're left with Android.
I plan on making the TV OS a big parameter for the TVs I buy in the future. (Which feels about just as dumb as doing the same with future microwave ovens, but this is the world we live in.)
Fortunately I won't be buying a new TV within the next three years. I've genuinely been wondering whether I need to set up an intermediary Raspberry Pi ad-blocker to safeguard my Internet of nonsense at home.
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- striking 11y agoIt wasn't going to function well as a TV OS though. The UI descriptions and mockups were overly complex and seemed like something designed for a computer rather than a smart TV. I like how open Mozilla was about it. I just disliked the actual OS, and how it was made.
- kmfrk 11y agoI don't know whether we'll ever have the privilege of a great TV OS, though. The iTV was supposed to deliver us (from) that, but looks like we're stuck with just the Apple TV for now. I'm not impressed with any interfaces, but at least my Panasonic's FxOS is better than my old Panasonic's.
- pjmlp 11y agoI just buy plain old dumb TVs, no need to worry about anything. As for FirefoxOS I never understood the point of it. OpenMoko tried to be an open smartphone platform and failed. Nokia did it for Symbian OS with web widgets and it failed. Palm did it with WebOS, with the plus side of allowing C++ bindings for games, and it failed. Android and iOS allow for web widgets and cordova like apps and there usually have bad feedback from users vs native apps. Windows Phone allows for first class development with web based tech and few bother to use it, rather CoreCLR and WinRT. OEM and network providers always have the final word, they learned not to let others follow Apple's footsteps. That was a very far hard attempt from the begging. I rather see Mozilla spending their efforts in Firefox, Thunderbird and Rust.
- blux 11y ago> I just buy plain old dumb TVs, no need to worry about anything. This is a bit short sighted. In the near future, we will only have 'smart' TVs to chose from.
- scrollaway 11y agoThere's also the choice not to buy a TV. A large high quality monitor hooked up with a chromecast is far better, imo.
- izacus 11y agoAnd where do you get those in sizes of 50"+ with proper remotes, color reproduction (HDMI color range!) and other functionality expected from a TV?
- pjmlp 11y agoA trip down to any consumer store here in Germany?
- mst 11y agoGiven most of us aren't in Germany, what's obvious to you presumably isn't obvious to the people downvoting you. If that's the case, providing links might help.
- pjmlp 11y agoWhy should I provide the links anyway? The haters will downvote, regardless of what I write. The others will think that instead of Germany I could have written any European country name, because you just need to get into a regular store to find such dumb TVs.
- freehunter 11y agoThey have 50 inch computer monitors for $450 with built in TV tuners and speakers at any store in Germany? Oh wait, if it has a built in TV tuner and speakers, it's just called a television. And we have those at Wal Mart in the US.