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Sometimes they will seek out nearby open WiFi networks to join. There’s concern that in coming years with the spread of 5G availability that smart TVs may start

Sometimes they will seek out nearby open WiFi networks to join. There’s concern that in coming years with the spread of 5G availability that smart TVs may start packaging a 5G modem and connecting to cell networks, bypassing the need to be connected to a WiFi network.

tshaddox 5y ago
Why would 5G make that be a more viable choice for the TV manufacturers than existing widespread cellular networks?
- handrous 5y ago
  It's supposed to enable much-cheaper options for IoT applications. If the cost of the chip + the cost of low-bandwidth access drops below the profit gained by ensuring all your TVs can always reach an unfiltered network, they'll start adding them.
- ectopod 5y ago
  As I understand it, the standard allows a single tower to offer different quality of service levels so operators can sell cheap low bandwidth connections to IoT manufacturers. TVs wouldn't have modems before because no TV manufacturer wanted to pay for a full 3G or 4G connection.
- rocqua 5y ago
  Because 5G is intentionally marketed as having this functionality. It helps by allowing more efficient low-speed connections, and simpler radio design for very simple implementation. It also has 'slicing' which would make it much easier to provide a wide 5G network to e.g. all LG devices without LG building towers.
- raxxorrax 5y ago
  Because getting the data about what people are watching plus maybe input from microphone/camera is more valuable than a contract with mobile carriers that would give good prices to vendors.
Hamuko 5y ago
I can't wait to figure out how to run rtorrent on my 5G-enabled TV.
deadbunny 5y ago
> Sometimes they will seek out nearby open WiFi networks to join [Citation Needed]
- fouric 5y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27701977 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27701977 which links to https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choo... which is archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20201003141448/https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://web.archive.org/web/20201003141448/https://old.reddi...
  - deadbunny 5y ago
    So one Reddit post with zero evidence that has since been deleted? While I understand the distrust I'll take some repeatable evidence (which would be excedingly easy to do) over a random, now deleted Reddit post.
    - fouric 5y ago
      > which would be excedingly easy to do False. You would need to buy (or just randomly happen to have) a smart TV model that exhibits this characteristic, which would be very difficult to find, as there is a very wide spread of smart TV models and features, and obviously this "feature" wouldn't be advertised. This is neither easy nor free. You're also clearly moving the goalposts. You first asked for evidence, and then discarded the evidence because "it wasn't good enough". Nor is this capability either technically difficult to implement, illegal, easily-noticed by the average consumer, or abnormal for companies like Samsung, which already engage in highly-intrusive ad-surveillance activities[1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24662353 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24662353
      - _carbyau_ 5y ago
        While I am rather cynical about manufacturers of all sizes and their attitudes towards customers, I agree with the GP. If this is a common thing, this should be easy to replicate. If it is one unverified reported incident in the whole world then... I have to be skeptical. Don't get me wrong though, my innate cynicism expects this or similar via 5G to be coming in the near future. But it doesn't appear to be happening yet.

tshaddox 5y ago

Why would 5G make that be a more viable choice for the TV manufacturers than existing widespread cellular networks?

handrous 5y ago
It's supposed to enable much-cheaper options for IoT applications. If the cost of the chip + the cost of low-bandwidth access drops below the profit gained by ensuring all your TVs can always reach an unfiltered network, they'll start adding them.
ectopod 5y ago
As I understand it, the standard allows a single tower to offer different quality of service levels so operators can sell cheap low bandwidth connections to IoT manufacturers. TVs wouldn't have modems before because no TV manufacturer wanted to pay for a full 3G or 4G connection.
rocqua 5y ago
Because 5G is intentionally marketed as having this functionality. It helps by allowing more efficient low-speed connections, and simpler radio design for very simple implementation. It also has 'slicing' which would make it much easier to provide a wide 5G network to e.g. all LG devices without LG building towers.
raxxorrax 5y ago
Because getting the data about what people are watching plus maybe input from microphone/camera is more valuable than a contract with mobile carriers that would give good prices to vendors.

Hamuko 5y ago

I can't wait to figure out how to run rtorrent on my 5G-enabled TV.

deadbunny 5y ago

> Sometimes they will seek out nearby open WiFi networks to join [Citation Needed]

fouric 5y ago
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27701977 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27701977 which links to https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choo... which is archived at https://web.archive.org/web/20201003141448/https://old.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/bpr6xs/if_you_choose_to_not_connect_your_samsung_smart/ https://web.archive.org/web/20201003141448/https://old.reddi...
- deadbunny 5y ago
  So one Reddit post with zero evidence that has since been deleted? While I understand the distrust I'll take some repeatable evidence (which would be excedingly easy to do) over a random, now deleted Reddit post.
  - fouric 5y ago
    > which would be excedingly easy to do False. You would need to buy (or just randomly happen to have) a smart TV model that exhibits this characteristic, which would be very difficult to find, as there is a very wide spread of smart TV models and features, and obviously this "feature" wouldn't be advertised. This is neither easy nor free. You're also clearly moving the goalposts. You first asked for evidence, and then discarded the evidence because "it wasn't good enough". Nor is this capability either technically difficult to implement, illegal, easily-noticed by the average consumer, or abnormal for companies like Samsung, which already engage in highly-intrusive ad-surveillance activities[1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24662353 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24662353
    - _carbyau_ 5y ago
      While I am rather cynical about manufacturers of all sizes and their attitudes towards customers, I agree with the GP. If this is a common thing, this should be easy to replicate. If it is one unverified reported incident in the whole world then... I have to be skeptical. Don't get me wrong though, my innate cynicism expects this or similar via 5G to be coming in the near future. But it doesn't appear to be happening yet.