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Smart tv should have open boot loaders allowing open operating systems and then this would not be an issue. There should also be a http boot firmware recovery o

by acd 10y ago

Smart tv should have open boot loaders allowing open operating systems and then this would not be an issue. There should also be a http boot firmware recovery option. Open operating systems can receive security updates by the community long after the manufacturer has lost their interest in the device. Should it even be called a "Smart TV" if its hard to recover?

untog 10y ago
IMO, smart TVs shouldn't exist. You should buy a dumb TV then plug in whatever Chromecast, Roku, Amazon, Apple you want into it. Coupling the two together just means the software gets outdated long before the hardware does. Up until now I haven't really cared, since I ignore all the smart TV junk and use my device anyway. But if it's going to start getting ransomwared no matter what I do... just let me buy a dumb TV.
- macjohnmcc 10y ago
  We bought a Sharp Roku TV because of price and regret it. I don't care for a TV that has to boot up or have software updates. A dumb monitor even without a tv tuner would be better.
- angry-hacker 10y ago
  What stops you not connecting the device to network in the first place? Serious question, I haven't bought one yet but probably soon have, because there's no other choice.
  - izacus 10y ago
    Well, just like for many modern phone OSes (e.g. iOS for example in some cases), you're not able to finish the setup wizard and start using it without connecting it to the internet for inital activation.
    - teacup50 10y ago
      What manufacturers require internet activation? That's a non-starter for any product I purchase.
      - izacus 10y ago
        I've seen a single Samsung TV up until now, but it was a rather non-common model. Luckly (FOR NOW!) vast majority of TVs still work offline. In the future this may change - at this point some Samsungs already overlay their ads on volume change UI (and some other parts) to get additional revenue. With such incentives, I'm worried just how long you'll be able to buy a TV that can function offline.
- PaulHoule 10y ago
  It seems like an awful neat solution to me to plug the TV into the ethernet and there you go... If you look at low end TVs you'll find the "useful life" limited more by the hardware than by the software. If the hardware can't do it, for instance, no H.265 decoding for you.
  - izacus 10y ago
    Then again, pretty much all 5 year TVs or so will easily handle H.264 in their supported panel resolution. Which doesn't help you if your Netflix / YouTube app was never updated and can't connect to the service anymore. H.265 is generally only used for 4K content and 4K TVs carry decoders with them mostly.
- Animats 10y ago
  LG procedure from YouTube video to revert to factory defaults: Plug in. Press Settings + CH Dwn together, release. Select "Wipe data," then "Yes." Wait for "complete." Power cycle. It's not that it's hard, it's that it wasn't in the manual.
nothrabannosir 10y ago
> Smart tv should have open boot loaders allowing open operating systems and then this would not be an issue. There should also be a http boot firmware recovery option. Yes > Open operating systems can receive security updates by the community long after the manufacturer has lost their interest in the device. Yes > Should it even be called a "Smart TV" if its hard to recover? ...? Yes.
jaclaz 10y ago
There are some alternative firmware projects like samygo (for Samsung) and openlgtv (for LG): https://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php5?title=Main_Page https://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php5?title=Main_Page http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Main_Page http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Main_Page But they support AFAIK only a limited number of devices and also only some firmware versions (it seems like both Samsung and LG are attempting to close the doors).

by acd 10y ago

untog 10y ago

IMO, smart TVs shouldn't exist. You should buy a dumb TV then plug in whatever Chromecast, Roku, Amazon, Apple you want into it. Coupling the two together just means the software gets outdated long before the hardware does. Up until now I haven't really cared, since I ignore all the smart TV junk and use my device anyway. But if it's going to start getting ransomwared no matter what I do... just let me buy a dumb TV.

macjohnmcc 10y ago
We bought a Sharp Roku TV because of price and regret it. I don't care for a TV that has to boot up or have software updates. A dumb monitor even without a tv tuner would be better.
angry-hacker 10y ago
What stops you not connecting the device to network in the first place? Serious question, I haven't bought one yet but probably soon have, because there's no other choice.
- izacus 10y ago
  Well, just like for many modern phone OSes (e.g. iOS for example in some cases), you're not able to finish the setup wizard and start using it without connecting it to the internet for inital activation.
  - teacup50 10y ago
    What manufacturers require internet activation? That's a non-starter for any product I purchase.
    - izacus 10y ago
      I've seen a single Samsung TV up until now, but it was a rather non-common model. Luckly (FOR NOW!) vast majority of TVs still work offline. In the future this may change - at this point some Samsungs already overlay their ads on volume change UI (and some other parts) to get additional revenue. With such incentives, I'm worried just how long you'll be able to buy a TV that can function offline.
PaulHoule 10y ago
It seems like an awful neat solution to me to plug the TV into the ethernet and there you go... If you look at low end TVs you'll find the "useful life" limited more by the hardware than by the software. If the hardware can't do it, for instance, no H.265 decoding for you.
- izacus 10y ago
  Then again, pretty much all 5 year TVs or so will easily handle H.264 in their supported panel resolution. Which doesn't help you if your Netflix / YouTube app was never updated and can't connect to the service anymore. H.265 is generally only used for 4K content and 4K TVs carry decoders with them mostly.
Animats 10y ago
LG procedure from YouTube video to revert to factory defaults: Plug in. Press Settings + CH Dwn together, release. Select "Wipe data," then "Yes." Wait for "complete." Power cycle. It's not that it's hard, it's that it wasn't in the manual.

nothrabannosir 10y ago

> Smart tv should have open boot loaders allowing open operating systems and then this would not be an issue. There should also be a http boot firmware recovery option. Yes > Open operating systems can receive security updates by the community long after the manufacturer has lost their interest in the device. Yes > Should it even be called a "Smart TV" if its hard to recover? ...? Yes.

jaclaz 10y ago

There are some alternative firmware projects like samygo (for Samsung) and openlgtv (for LG): https://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php5?title=Main_Page https://wiki.samygo.tv/index.php5?title=Main_Page http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Main_Page http://openlgtv.org.ru/wiki/index.php/Main_Page But they support AFAIK only a limited number of devices and also only some firmware versions (it seems like both Samsung and LG are attempting to close the doors).