5 ms·

If you want a high end tv you don't have much choice. But also, why do you not expect your Roku / apple tv / etc to be watching you?

by wrsh07 10y ago

ceejayoz 10y ago
> If you want a high end tv you don't have much choice. Don't connect it to the Internet? Barring the manufacturer sneaking a backup cellular modem in there, seems like it's an easy fix.
- kevin_thibedeau 10y ago
  They can nag you about retrieving updates.
  - Relys 10y ago
    root it then! Any kid that knows how to point the libstagefright and DirtyCOW MetaSploit modules at the browser can root their "smart" TV...
    - khedoros1 10y ago
      Better option: Buy a different TV that requires less effort to make acceptable, unless there's a huge price incentive to buy the more troublesome TV and "fix" it.
    - Clubber 10y ago
      But you are also supporting the invasive practices by giving the manufacturers your money.
bduerst 10y ago
You can still find OLED or 4K off-brand "dumb" TVs, like from Hisense and Selki, but you run the risk of terrible support.
- pdimitar 10y ago
  PERSONAL OPINION: warranties are hard to enforce de facto. Would you be so kind to provide links to these products? I am interested in a high-quality display without smart features.
  - rhizome 10y ago
    Yeah, I tried to go down that route about 10 years ago when the Internet was younger and dumber and I wound up not being able to find anything. Here's a recent (UK) story about the idea that could provide some vectors, though: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2016/sep/08/can-i-still-buy-a-dumb-tv https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2016/sep/08/c...
- khedoros1 10y ago
  Don't those often use B-grade panels from other manufacturers? I know Hisense has the reputation for punching above its weight, but I wouldn't expect them to produce "high end" TVs.
  - bduerst 10y ago
    Not for Hisense televisions, but I don't know for Seiki. The former is basically a high quality panel with crappy speakers. Hisense is also now selling under the Sharp brand name.
- TwoBit 10y ago
  Somebody other than LG sells an OLED TV? Where?
ghostly_s 10y ago
Well, if it turns out your <CommodityVideoStreamerA> is spying on you, you can throw it in the trash and get a <CommodityVideoStreamerB> instead. That gets a bit trickier when it's hardwired into your $1000+ display panel's control board.
010a 10y ago
Honestly, I'm 100% more fine with Apple spying on me than pretty much anyone else. I'm less perturbed with the entire concept of spying than I am with who is doing it.
- splike 10y ago
  I don't agree with this. Why do you feel that way?
72deluxe 10y ago
I have a "smart" LG TV - it's slow and a few years old. I manage to avoid LG's tracking of me by not having the Ethernet cable plugged in... I suppose you could just buy a new smart TV and not inform it of its WiFi details.
- Arizhel 10y ago
  From what I've read, some smart TVs actually require you to connect them to the internet for them to work at all.
  - Fuxy 10y ago
    That's funny in really tragic way. So what happens if your internet goes down or if for instance you are just moving in and you don't have internet for a week or so? Does like everything stop working without internet now? ...sigh
monochromatic 10y ago
You do expect the box to keep track of what content it's showing you. You don't expect the tv to keep track of all content, regardless of where it's coming from.
kodt 10y ago
You could buy a high end Digital Signage display. Usually these are "dumb" and also have no TV tuner or consumer type settings. But are high quality, designed to be powered on 24 hours a day and have great picture quality. Because of the lack of additional image processing, they often have some of the lowest input lag as well. http://www.samsung.com/us/business/displays/digital-signage/ http://www.samsung.com/us/business/displays/digital-signage/ Prices are much higher though.
- rsync 10y ago
  "Prices are much higher though." Not that much higher ... maybe double ? Remember, the digital signage displays are often used in arrays of 12 or 18 or 24 displays, so they have to be somewhat cost-competitive - otherwise an airport or hotel lobby or mall couldn't stitch 24 of them together. I always chime in on these discussions to urge folks to buy a digital signage / commercial display (probably from NEC). Not only are they as dumb as dumb gets, but they are also very, very high performance displays.
- hfsktr 10y ago
  WTF is wrong with that site. I enabled the scripts so that I could use the filters, waited while it refreshed several times, and it just covers the screen with a pop up that just re-opens when you close it. That was one of the worst I've visited. It's probably because of the ad blockers but still a site should be a little functional without all the scripts and ads.

If you want a high end tv you don't have much choice. But also, why do you not expect your Roku / apple tv / etc to be watching you?

by wrsh07 10y ago

If you want a high end tv you don't have much choice. But also, why do you not expect your Roku / apple tv / etc to be watching you?

ceejayoz 10y ago

> If you want a high end tv you don't have much choice. Don't connect it to the Internet? Barring the manufacturer sneaking a backup cellular modem in there, seems like it's an easy fix.

kevin_thibedeau 10y ago
They can nag you about retrieving updates.
- Relys 10y ago
  root it then! Any kid that knows how to point the libstagefright and DirtyCOW MetaSploit modules at the browser can root their "smart" TV...
  - khedoros1 10y ago
    Better option: Buy a different TV that requires less effort to make acceptable, unless there's a huge price incentive to buy the more troublesome TV and "fix" it.
  - Clubber 10y ago
    But you are also supporting the invasive practices by giving the manufacturers your money.

bduerst 10y ago

You can still find OLED or 4K off-brand "dumb" TVs, like from Hisense and Selki, but you run the risk of terrible support.

pdimitar 10y ago
PERSONAL OPINION: warranties are hard to enforce de facto. Would you be so kind to provide links to these products? I am interested in a high-quality display without smart features.
- rhizome 10y ago
  Yeah, I tried to go down that route about 10 years ago when the Internet was younger and dumber and I wound up not being able to find anything. Here's a recent (UK) story about the idea that could provide some vectors, though: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2016/sep/08/can-i-still-buy-a-dumb-tv https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2016/sep/08/c...
khedoros1 10y ago
Don't those often use B-grade panels from other manufacturers? I know Hisense has the reputation for punching above its weight, but I wouldn't expect them to produce "high end" TVs.
- bduerst 10y ago
  Not for Hisense televisions, but I don't know for Seiki. The former is basically a high quality panel with crappy speakers. Hisense is also now selling under the Sharp brand name.
TwoBit 10y ago
Somebody other than LG sells an OLED TV? Where?

ghostly_s 10y ago

Well, if it turns out your <CommodityVideoStreamerA> is spying on you, you can throw it in the trash and get a <CommodityVideoStreamerB> instead. That gets a bit trickier when it's hardwired into your $1000+ display panel's control board.

010a 10y ago

Honestly, I'm 100% more fine with Apple spying on me than pretty much anyone else. I'm less perturbed with the entire concept of spying than I am with who is doing it.

splike 10y ago
I don't agree with this. Why do you feel that way?

72deluxe 10y ago

I have a "smart" LG TV - it's slow and a few years old. I manage to avoid LG's tracking of me by not having the Ethernet cable plugged in... I suppose you could just buy a new smart TV and not inform it of its WiFi details.

Arizhel 10y ago
From what I've read, some smart TVs actually require you to connect them to the internet for them to work at all.
- Fuxy 10y ago
  That's funny in really tragic way. So what happens if your internet goes down or if for instance you are just moving in and you don't have internet for a week or so? Does like everything stop working without internet now? ...sigh

monochromatic 10y ago

You do expect the box to keep track of what content it's showing you. You don't expect the tv to keep track of all content, regardless of where it's coming from.

kodt 10y ago

You could buy a high end Digital Signage display. Usually these are "dumb" and also have no TV tuner or consumer type settings. But are high quality, designed to be powered on 24 hours a day and have great picture quality. Because of the lack of additional image processing, they often have some of the lowest input lag as well. http://www.samsung.com/us/business/displays/digital-signage/ http://www.samsung.com/us/business/displays/digital-signage/ Prices are much higher though.

rsync 10y ago
"Prices are much higher though." Not that much higher ... maybe double ? Remember, the digital signage displays are often used in arrays of 12 or 18 or 24 displays, so they have to be somewhat cost-competitive - otherwise an airport or hotel lobby or mall couldn't stitch 24 of them together. I always chime in on these discussions to urge folks to buy a digital signage / commercial display (probably from NEC). Not only are they as dumb as dumb gets, but they are also very, very high performance displays.
hfsktr 10y ago
WTF is wrong with that site. I enabled the scripts so that I could use the filters, waited while it refreshed several times, and it just covers the screen with a pop up that just re-opens when you close it. That was one of the worst I've visited. It's probably because of the ad blockers but still a site should be a little functional without all the scripts and ads.