3 ms·

Good! Here's an easy one, build a TV with no crap, no apps, no smart, no anything, literally just a screen. But make it gorgeous, solid build, OLED, 65+, etc...

bjord 3y ago
are TVs these days displaying ads over HDMI inputs or something? what's stopping you from just getting any modern TV and not using the "smart" features?
- avidphantasm 3y ago
  FireTV-based TVs in my experience work okay most of the time, but occasionally it switches to the FireTV software by default and I have to fiddle around to get it to default to showing HDMI-1. Also, I'll bet the power usage is much higher than for a simple monitor.
danpalmer 3y ago
Framework's USP is not making simple products, it's making repairable and customisable ones. I don't think there's anything to do there with a TV – there aren't bits you want to replace unless you make it a smart TV where you can replace "the smart" or "the TV" in it independently. You could make the I/O modular, but there's also no reason to not just include a ton of I/O on a TV because it's already huge and HDMI sockets are cheap. The other issue here is that if you remove the crap/apps/smart/etc, you have to charge more, because TVs are typically subsidised by the post-purchase revenue flow that you can get from those features. Most people won't pay more for a TV that lacks features, that's a very niche market of HN commenters, and Framework have been explicit in wanting to move to less niche markets.
- i3oi3 3y ago
  That was my first thought also. OTOH, Framework's business model is "we're going to charge you more to get that thing you actually wanted without locking you into stupid business models." I would absolutely pay a premium for a decent TV without all the advertising crap that pops up every time I turn on the TV.
  - danpalmer 3y ago
    I'm not sure that is the business model. Framework laptops are more expensive, but not by much. They compete well with Macs and the high end laptops they are aiming to replace. On the other hand, TVs can be bringing in quite a significant amount of their revenue post-purchase, like $100/year.
voxadam 3y ago
How about a TV with a slot for a Framework mainboard and maybe a drive bay or two?

bjord 3y ago

are TVs these days displaying ads over HDMI inputs or something? what's stopping you from just getting any modern TV and not using the "smart" features?

avidphantasm 3y ago
FireTV-based TVs in my experience work okay most of the time, but occasionally it switches to the FireTV software by default and I have to fiddle around to get it to default to showing HDMI-1. Also, I'll bet the power usage is much higher than for a simple monitor.

danpalmer 3y ago

Framework's USP is not making simple products, it's making repairable and customisable ones. I don't think there's anything to do there with a TV – there aren't bits you want to replace unless you make it a smart TV where you can replace "the smart" or "the TV" in it independently. You could make the I/O modular, but there's also no reason to not just include a ton of I/O on a TV because it's already huge and HDMI sockets are cheap. The other issue here is that if you remove the crap/apps/smart/etc, you have to charge more, because TVs are typically subsidised by the post-purchase revenue flow that you can get from those features. Most people won't pay more for a TV that lacks features, that's a very niche market of HN commenters, and Framework have been explicit in wanting to move to less niche markets.

i3oi3 3y ago
That was my first thought also. OTOH, Framework's business model is "we're going to charge you more to get that thing you actually wanted without locking you into stupid business models." I would absolutely pay a premium for a decent TV without all the advertising crap that pops up every time I turn on the TV.
- danpalmer 3y ago
  I'm not sure that is the business model. Framework laptops are more expensive, but not by much. They compete well with Macs and the high end laptops they are aiming to replace. On the other hand, TVs can be bringing in quite a significant amount of their revenue post-purchase, like $100/year.

voxadam 3y ago

How about a TV with a slot for a Framework mainboard and maybe a drive bay or two?