4 ms·

The average consumer wants the smart features.

technofiend 7y ago
They might want the features but be unaware of the price they're paying. That spyware is a revenue stream that pays the manufacturer dividends as long as the TV is used. All the major brands claim TVs are discounted due to these marketing-included features. They don't actually reveal the discount nor their profit. And most modern TVs have antipatterns that try to bypass consumer choice or punish the consumer for opting out. I'm not disagreeing with you as much as saying the "smart features" moniker papers over things the consumer might use to make an informed choice but those things are definitely in small print or essentially mandatory EULAs. Consumers may want the features but given the choice they might not choose to pay that price.
- Nursie 7y ago
  My LG OLED has optional EULAs. You can disagree to them and it will handicap or remove the associated functionality. I have no idea what happens if you refuse them all, but selective activation has worked fine for me so far.
  - AdamJacobMuller 7y ago
    You can't refuse ALL of them, only the ones related to data sharing. I have all of the optional ones off and the TV works fine for what I need. I'm obviously not using any of the smart apps at all.
CivBase 7y ago
They can keep selling their "smart" trash to the average consumer. I'll pay extra for a purposely dumb skew. All I want from a TV is a good panel, at least one modern video input (latest HDMI or DisplayPort), and a nice-enough housing to hold it all together. Speakers are nice but not necessary since I'll probably just use something external. I'll even get a separate box to handle all the inputs. No apps. No internet. No voice commands. No virtual assistant. No cameras. No ads. Just a freaking display, please. I will pay extra and I doubt I'm the only one.
- null_object 7y ago
  I often read statements on HN in reaction to articles like this, saying “I’d willingly pay more for a TV that doesn’t do this...”. Those TVs do exist: Loewe make really nice TVs which don’t depend on internet connectivity to work[1]. And depending on how seriously the “pay more” part is meant, the Danish company Bang & Olufsen[2] make enormously expensive TVs that won’t spy on you, or insert advertisements into your films. [1] https://www.loewe.tv/int https://www.loewe.tv/int [2] https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/televisions https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/televisions
  - rainbowzootsuit 7y ago
    NEC industrial/commercial displays make good and dumb lcd displays as well. https://www.necdisplay.com/ https://www.necdisplay.com/
    - joking 7y ago
      Almost any comercial / digital signage display can be dumb enough, and probably don’t have the user spyware, even the Samsung ones.
  - CivBase 7y ago
    I've never heard of them. Thanks! I'll check them out for my next TV. I still wish mainstream, highly accessable brands would provide the option, though.
AdamJacobMuller 7y ago
I agree (and even said so in my comment). I wish I had better options. Basically I can pay a lot more for a less good panel.

They might want the features but be unaware of the price they're paying. That spyware is a revenue stream that pays the manufacturer dividends as long as the TV is used. All the major brands claim TVs are discounted due to these marketing-included features. They don't actually reveal the discount nor their profit. And most modern TVs have antipatterns that try to bypass consumer choice or punish the consumer for opting out. I'm not disagreeing with you as much as saying the "smart features" moniker papers over things the consumer might use to make an informed choice but those things are definitely in small print or essentially mandatory EULAs. Consumers may want the features but given the choice they might not choose to pay that price.

Nursie 7y ago
My LG OLED has optional EULAs. You can disagree to them and it will handicap or remove the associated functionality. I have no idea what happens if you refuse them all, but selective activation has worked fine for me so far.
- AdamJacobMuller 7y ago
  You can't refuse ALL of them, only the ones related to data sharing. I have all of the optional ones off and the TV works fine for what I need. I'm obviously not using any of the smart apps at all.

CivBase 7y ago

They can keep selling their "smart" trash to the average consumer. I'll pay extra for a purposely dumb skew. All I want from a TV is a good panel, at least one modern video input (latest HDMI or DisplayPort), and a nice-enough housing to hold it all together. Speakers are nice but not necessary since I'll probably just use something external. I'll even get a separate box to handle all the inputs. No apps. No internet. No voice commands. No virtual assistant. No cameras. No ads. Just a freaking display, please. I will pay extra and I doubt I'm the only one.

null_object 7y ago
I often read statements on HN in reaction to articles like this, saying “I’d willingly pay more for a TV that doesn’t do this...”. Those TVs do exist: Loewe make really nice TVs which don’t depend on internet connectivity to work[1]. And depending on how seriously the “pay more” part is meant, the Danish company Bang & Olufsen[2] make enormously expensive TVs that won’t spy on you, or insert advertisements into your films. [1] https://www.loewe.tv/int https://www.loewe.tv/int [2] https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/televisions https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/televisions
- rainbowzootsuit 7y ago
  NEC industrial/commercial displays make good and dumb lcd displays as well. https://www.necdisplay.com/ https://www.necdisplay.com/
  - joking 7y ago
    Almost any comercial / digital signage display can be dumb enough, and probably don’t have the user spyware, even the Samsung ones.
- CivBase 7y ago
  I've never heard of them. Thanks! I'll check them out for my next TV. I still wish mainstream, highly accessable brands would provide the option, though.

AdamJacobMuller 7y ago

I agree (and even said so in my comment). I wish I had better options. Basically I can pay a lot more for a less good panel.