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Don't believe that using an external device helps -- the TV can detect what content is being played by sampling the video stream and creating a fingerprint. The

by mcrae 5y ago

Don't believe that using an external device helps -- the TV can detect what content is being played by sampling the video stream and creating a fingerprint. They can compare to live tv streams to detect channels, and static video files to detect movies/tv shows -- even the menus and cutscenes in video games can be detected. Also note that disabling WiFi isn't always helpful - some devices expose ethernet over HDMI which the TV will use to phone home.

SkyPuncher 5y ago
When Shazam was popular, I believe they embedded digital fingerprints in the non-audible ranges of the audio stream. That allowed phone apps to quickly label content. I suspect a similar thing happens with video content.
MAGZine 5y ago
time for hdmi condoms, I guess.
aulin 5y ago
> some devices expose ethernet over HDMI wait, is this really a thing? I've heard about hdmi over ethernet, but ethernet over hdmi? also it seems it would be a lot trouble to bridge the wifi connection and dhcp to this ethernet over hdmi interface, why should they do it?
- LASR 5y ago
  Yes. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#HDMI_Ethernet_and_Audio_Return_Channel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#HDMI_Ethernet_and_Audio_R...
  - ziml77 5y ago
    Using Ethernet to communicate between the connected devices doesn't mean that either device is acting as a router to send packets beyond that direct link.
  - aulin 5y ago
    TIL! doesn't seem it really gained any popularity though to be really a security concern
president 5y ago
Source? I couldn't find information on any mainstream TV brands using ethernet over HDMI. Not configuring wifi and using an external device seems like it would do the trick.