8 ms·

Or build low tech versions of products. No one really wants a smart tv for example.

ahtihn 5y ago
That's just not true. Most people are happy to have Netflix and other streaming apps integrated directly in their TV without having to acquire an external device.
- tluyben2 5y ago
  I thought I would hate them but accepted my fate and got one last year after our not so smart TV died after 18 years. I had no bad experiences so far: very smooth ride.
  - hkt 5y ago
    This sort of thing put me off for life: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/samsungs-warning-our-smart-tvs-record-your-living-room-chatter/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/samsungs-war...
    - tluyben2 5y ago
      Yes, that's mostly why I did not want one. But unless we go open everywhere it gives us all a worse experience and anxiety to think about. First of all we need phones to change as those are, well in my opinion, worse than TVs. But I agree: why not a smart TV with fully FOSS Linux? Using the browser and vlc and such, it would be quite perfect for most people if packaged right.
- Tenoke 5y ago
  Sure, but it is a bit counter-productive to have no non-smart options for people like me who just plug it to a device instead. Even if I look at my parents' TVs - all smart but they don't need or use that, they just watch cable.
- omgwtfbyobbq 5y ago
  I think it's in the middle. Even my wife isn't a fan of built in apps compared to a discrete external device. I'd like to see more power efficient dumb tvs. My favorite TV is a 65" led tv that sips power. At the same time, I've read that manufacturers providing data on their customers helps subsidize lower TV prices, and in that case adding apps likely doesn't incur that much more cost.
- oriolid 5y ago
  Netflix is cool, but stuff like SambaTV and showing ads right in the main menu are reasons to keep the smart TV away from both Internet and my home network. Chromecasts and Apple TVs are at least a bit less obvious about it.
- overtonwhy 5y ago
  Until a couple years later and the apps stop working from lack of updates and you've got the TV for another decade.
  - 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
    People will just buy TVs more often. "The customers must love this since they're buying 3x as many TVs! Keep em coming!"
    - M2Ys4U 5y ago
      > People will just buy TVs more often. Yes, and that's the problem.
      - 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
        I know it is. Good luck convincing enough consumers to give a shit though. It's unfortunate.
  - hakfoo 5y ago
    If it were modular, it would be more manageable. Put the "smarts" in a form factor reminiscent of a Raspberry Pi Compute Module, and put it behind a door like a decent laptop's RAM sockets. This also offers more product flexibility from the same basic chassis. You can offer a "dumb" module for security-centric "cannot have unapproved devices on the network" markets, or a module that has specialized software or connectivity (i. e. a built-in KVM-over-IP client, or something bidirectional for hotels with internal cable and pay-per-view technologies) Aside from the consumer benefit of "You can just snap in a new $100 module in 3 years and it will be snappy and up to date instead of scrapping a $600 set", this could be a good way to manage the ATSC 3 rollout. You can sell a 4K set today without an ATSC3 tuner, then the customer can add it as an "updated smart module" for $100 later once the format is live in their market.
    - asciimov 5y ago
      This sounds exactly how TVs worked before they became "smart", except instead of some module we had a standardized plug and you could attach what ever you wanted to the tv. In my case, I have an HD tv from 2006, it ain't smart, but it does tune to what ever port I want by default. I've got roku on there now, but in the past I've had cable boxes, consoles, even some rabbit ears.
- asdff 5y ago
  Pretty much every TV sold the last 10 years has some junky netflix app. Yet we sill see a large market for rokus, fire sticks, apple TVs, and even game systems relegated to streaming service use, all because smart TVs have been so awful. That market could evaporate overnight if TV manufacturers suddenly gave a crap.
  - CamperBob2 5y ago
    Unfortunately for the rest of us, the TV manufacturers are very well paid not to give a crap.
ithkuil 5y ago
The shortage also applies to low tech complements such as resistors. Probably a healthy ability to reuse, repurpose, repair and recycle can be quite effective against the inability to just buy a new thing (regardless of whether the new thing is hi or lo tech)
version_five 5y ago
I would love low tech versions of a lot of stuff. For a car, my guess is it's impossible to comply with modern emissions and safety regulations without ICs, not to mention the redesigning and retooling that would be required. I would suspect that these regulations have also basically evolved symbiotically with the industry to be a most for them, and they would have no interest in pushing to allow less complex cars. For TVs and for cars, there are big revenue streams associated with things chips do, like serving ads and tracking what you do with your car, and well as making it impossible to maintain without a dealer. Companies would be very reluctant to shut this down. None of this helps consumers, but I think that's where we are. Time to look at getting an old motorcycle maybe
galangalalgol 5y ago
I'd love a dumb EV. You need controllers for the charging of lithium ion batteries and for brushless or three phase ac motors, but even those could be asics or microcontrollers disconnected from the rest of the system. Switches, no touchscreens.
- mrfusion 5y ago
  Yes!! My thoughts exactly. Just because it’s electric doesn’t mean it has to be high tech.
- josephcsible 5y ago
  Isn't that almost what the Bollinger EV's are trying to be?
MonaroVXR 5y ago
Isn"t thst you (as manufacturer) can make mire money by getting data from customers and sell it?

That's just not true. Most people are happy to have Netflix and other streaming apps integrated directly in their TV without having to acquire an external device.

tluyben2 5y ago
I thought I would hate them but accepted my fate and got one last year after our not so smart TV died after 18 years. I had no bad experiences so far: very smooth ride.
- hkt 5y ago
  This sort of thing put me off for life: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/samsungs-warning-our-smart-tvs-record-your-living-room-chatter/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/samsungs-war...
  - tluyben2 5y ago
    Yes, that's mostly why I did not want one. But unless we go open everywhere it gives us all a worse experience and anxiety to think about. First of all we need phones to change as those are, well in my opinion, worse than TVs. But I agree: why not a smart TV with fully FOSS Linux? Using the browser and vlc and such, it would be quite perfect for most people if packaged right.
Tenoke 5y ago
Sure, but it is a bit counter-productive to have no non-smart options for people like me who just plug it to a device instead. Even if I look at my parents' TVs - all smart but they don't need or use that, they just watch cable.
omgwtfbyobbq 5y ago
I think it's in the middle. Even my wife isn't a fan of built in apps compared to a discrete external device. I'd like to see more power efficient dumb tvs. My favorite TV is a 65" led tv that sips power. At the same time, I've read that manufacturers providing data on their customers helps subsidize lower TV prices, and in that case adding apps likely doesn't incur that much more cost.
oriolid 5y ago
Netflix is cool, but stuff like SambaTV and showing ads right in the main menu are reasons to keep the smart TV away from both Internet and my home network. Chromecasts and Apple TVs are at least a bit less obvious about it.
overtonwhy 5y ago
Until a couple years later and the apps stop working from lack of updates and you've got the TV for another decade.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
  People will just buy TVs more often. "The customers must love this since they're buying 3x as many TVs! Keep em coming!"
  - M2Ys4U 5y ago
    > People will just buy TVs more often. Yes, and that's the problem.
    - 2OEH8eoCRo0 5y ago
      I know it is. Good luck convincing enough consumers to give a shit though. It's unfortunate.
- hakfoo 5y ago
  If it were modular, it would be more manageable. Put the "smarts" in a form factor reminiscent of a Raspberry Pi Compute Module, and put it behind a door like a decent laptop's RAM sockets. This also offers more product flexibility from the same basic chassis. You can offer a "dumb" module for security-centric "cannot have unapproved devices on the network" markets, or a module that has specialized software or connectivity (i. e. a built-in KVM-over-IP client, or something bidirectional for hotels with internal cable and pay-per-view technologies) Aside from the consumer benefit of "You can just snap in a new $100 module in 3 years and it will be snappy and up to date instead of scrapping a $600 set", this could be a good way to manage the ATSC 3 rollout. You can sell a 4K set today without an ATSC3 tuner, then the customer can add it as an "updated smart module" for $100 later once the format is live in their market.
  - asciimov 5y ago
    This sounds exactly how TVs worked before they became "smart", except instead of some module we had a standardized plug and you could attach what ever you wanted to the tv. In my case, I have an HD tv from 2006, it ain't smart, but it does tune to what ever port I want by default. I've got roku on there now, but in the past I've had cable boxes, consoles, even some rabbit ears.
asdff 5y ago
Pretty much every TV sold the last 10 years has some junky netflix app. Yet we sill see a large market for rokus, fire sticks, apple TVs, and even game systems relegated to streaming service use, all because smart TVs have been so awful. That market could evaporate overnight if TV manufacturers suddenly gave a crap.
- CamperBob2 5y ago
  Unfortunately for the rest of us, the TV manufacturers are very well paid not to give a crap.

ithkuil 5y ago

The shortage also applies to low tech complements such as resistors. Probably a healthy ability to reuse, repurpose, repair and recycle can be quite effective against the inability to just buy a new thing (regardless of whether the new thing is hi or lo tech)

version_five 5y ago

I would love low tech versions of a lot of stuff. For a car, my guess is it's impossible to comply with modern emissions and safety regulations without ICs, not to mention the redesigning and retooling that would be required. I would suspect that these regulations have also basically evolved symbiotically with the industry to be a most for them, and they would have no interest in pushing to allow less complex cars. For TVs and for cars, there are big revenue streams associated with things chips do, like serving ads and tracking what you do with your car, and well as making it impossible to maintain without a dealer. Companies would be very reluctant to shut this down. None of this helps consumers, but I think that's where we are. Time to look at getting an old motorcycle maybe

galangalalgol 5y ago

I'd love a dumb EV. You need controllers for the charging of lithium ion batteries and for brushless or three phase ac motors, but even those could be asics or microcontrollers disconnected from the rest of the system. Switches, no touchscreens.

mrfusion 5y ago
Yes!! My thoughts exactly. Just because it’s electric doesn’t mean it has to be high tech.
josephcsible 5y ago
Isn't that almost what the Bollinger EV's are trying to be?

MonaroVXR 5y ago

Isn"t thst you (as manufacturer) can make mire money by getting data from customers and sell it?