5 ms·

Why isn't the alternative to keep your TV off the network?

by piyh 5y ago

magnetowasright 5y ago
A family member has a Samsung “smart” tv that isn’t connected to the internet. It was hideously expensive, one of their high end TVs. It takes about 5 minutes to get from standby to being able to watch something (TV or via HDMI) when it’s working well. It also bugs out constantly with random pop ups with nonsense errors that can’t be dismissed (have to restart), the EPG doesn’t work because setting the date and time doesn’t work (saves random info when you manually enter it; it is often reset to jan 1970 on boot), it frequently freezes on boot and I’ve had to reflash it afterwards several times, and frequently it just won’t allow you to use the TV function at all. All of this is only getting worse and worse. Sample size = 1/anecdatally this is why I get frustrated at suggestions to simply not connect “smart” TVs to the internet. Internet or not, the software on these things is an absolute nightmare, even if you update them (via USB). It’s unfortunate that it’s either prohibitively expensive or mostly impossible to find non “smart” TVs. I lucked out and found a 50” 4K TV that has exactly zero “smart” features from some shitty brand for like $600, and it looks fantastic to me, but I am not picky about TV tech like some people are. If it breaks I’ll probably spring for a commercial display or a really big monitor.
beermonster 5y ago
Or segregate it from the network (e.g. using a VLAN). Some folk might need the freeview/on-demand TV apps (if they're trying to avoid having other smart devices for these things (e.g. fire sticks and Apple TVs et al) and these require at least working outbound internet access.
criddell 5y ago
For now, that works. It's easy to imagine a time when the TV includes it's own 5G modem or that Samsung would make a deal with Amazon or Comcast for access to their wifi mesh networks so the TV can get online without user intervention.
- hirako2000 5y ago
  This distopyan deal is surely coming soon. And unfortunately may apply to far more type of stuff we take home.
- Aspos 5y ago
  I once moved across the ocean and newly purchased LG TV refused to work because I am now in the wrong region. Off it went to a landfill, this perfect piece of hardware :-(
  - progman32 5y ago
    How did it know?
    - Aspos 5y ago
      I guess it picked up my ip address.
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      Might have picked it up from the SSID.
  - beebeepka 5y ago
    Refused to work on what way?
    - Aspos 5y ago
      There was a dialog window with a error message and a [Continue] button which did nothing.
      - beebeepka 5y ago
        Unbelievable. Not even as a monitor?
      - brokenmachine 5y ago

Why isn't the alternative to keep your TV off the network?

by piyh 5y ago

Why isn't the alternative to keep your TV off the network?

A family member has a Samsung “smart” tv that isn’t connected to the internet. It was hideously expensive, one of their high end TVs. It takes about 5 minutes to get from standby to being able to watch something (TV or via HDMI) when it’s working well. It also bugs out constantly with random pop ups with nonsense errors that can’t be dismissed (have to restart), the EPG doesn’t work because setting the date and time doesn’t work (saves random info when you manually enter it; it is often reset to jan 1970 on boot), it frequently freezes on boot and I’ve had to reflash it afterwards several times, and frequently it just won’t allow you to use the TV function at all. All of this is only getting worse and worse. Sample size = 1/anecdatally this is why I get frustrated at suggestions to simply not connect “smart” TVs to the internet. Internet or not, the software on these things is an absolute nightmare, even if you update them (via USB). It’s unfortunate that it’s either prohibitively expensive or mostly impossible to find non “smart” TVs. I lucked out and found a 50” 4K TV that has exactly zero “smart” features from some shitty brand for like $600, and it looks fantastic to me, but I am not picky about TV tech like some people are. If it breaks I’ll probably spring for a commercial display or a really big monitor.

beermonster 5y ago

Or segregate it from the network (e.g. using a VLAN). Some folk might need the freeview/on-demand TV apps (if they're trying to avoid having other smart devices for these things (e.g. fire sticks and Apple TVs et al) and these require at least working outbound internet access.

criddell 5y ago

For now, that works. It's easy to imagine a time when the TV includes it's own 5G modem or that Samsung would make a deal with Amazon or Comcast for access to their wifi mesh networks so the TV can get online without user intervention.

hirako2000 5y ago
This distopyan deal is surely coming soon. And unfortunately may apply to far more type of stuff we take home.
Aspos 5y ago
I once moved across the ocean and newly purchased LG TV refused to work because I am now in the wrong region. Off it went to a landfill, this perfect piece of hardware :-(
- progman32 5y ago
  How did it know?
  - Aspos 5y ago
    I guess it picked up my ip address.
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    Might have picked it up from the SSID.
- beebeepka 5y ago
  Refused to work on what way?
  - Aspos 5y ago
    There was a dialog window with a error message and a [Continue] button which did nothing.
    - beebeepka 5y ago
      Unbelievable. Not even as a monitor?
    - brokenmachine 5y ago