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I think Apple’s strategy here is going to pay off. Provide a box with an actual fast processor in it, a simple Home Screen with no ads, and an OS with no tracki

I think Apple’s strategy here is going to pay off. Provide a box with an actual fast processor in it, a simple Home Screen with no ads, and an OS with no tracking. Somehow this is a revolutionary idea in this industry. But slowly I’m seeing more people recommending the AppleTV, even amongst enthusiast circles which tend to be rather anti-Apple.

hollow-moe 2y ago
no obviously apparent tracking*
- KolmogorovComp 2y ago
  Do you have a source for the hidden tracking in Apple TV you’re referring to?
  - yencabulator 2y ago
    I don't have much hands-on experience of Apple TV's, but the internet is full of mentions of a "Limit Ad Tracking" option that defaults to off (more tracking). https://www.groovypost.com/howto/limit-ad-tracking-on-roku-and-other-streaming-devices/ https://www.groovypost.com/howto/limit-ad-tracking-on-roku-a...
  - hollow-moe 2y ago
    apple's own privacy policy, have a fun read https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/
mkl 2y ago
How would that help? You plug your AppleTV into a smart TV (to be able to use it) and the TV takes tracking snapshots anyway.
- vultour 2y ago
  You don't connect your TV to the internet.
  - mkl 2y ago
    A report of a Samsung TV automatically connecting to a nearby unsecured network: https://web.archive.org/web/20210912135232/https://forum.developer.samsung.com/t/if-you-choose-to-not-connect-your-samsung-smart-tv-to-wifi-it-will-secretly-connect-to-your-neighbours-passwordless-wifi/7926 https://web.archive.org/web/20210912135232/https://forum.dev... Not as common as I thought though: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25275350 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25275350
    - Someone1234 2y ago
      We're linking to a random forum post as "proof?" If this was a widespread problem, we'd know it, but all we get is conspiracies which this is.
      - mkl 2y ago
        Kind of the opposite. I had heard of it happening, so looked for evidence, and found that HN post asking for evidence, with that random post seemingly the only bit supplied.
        rbanffy 2y ago
        Shouldn't be hard to honeypot your TV into doing that - just set up a network and check if the TV connects to it, or set up sniffing at the gateway and see if there's any traffic that seems unaccounted for (as in not coming from your set-top box and suspiciously large for the periodic software update checks).
patwoz 2y ago
Yeah TV is not something everyone wants to play around with. Not even nerds. Especially if you have a partner which just want to watch tv. You just want to relax and watch tv without any issues.

hollow-moe 2y ago

no obviously apparent tracking*

KolmogorovComp 2y ago
Do you have a source for the hidden tracking in Apple TV you’re referring to?
- yencabulator 2y ago
  I don't have much hands-on experience of Apple TV's, but the internet is full of mentions of a "Limit Ad Tracking" option that defaults to off (more tracking). https://www.groovypost.com/howto/limit-ad-tracking-on-roku-and-other-streaming-devices/ https://www.groovypost.com/howto/limit-ad-tracking-on-roku-a...
- hollow-moe 2y ago
  apple's own privacy policy, have a fun read https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/

mkl 2y ago

How would that help? You plug your AppleTV into a smart TV (to be able to use it) and the TV takes tracking snapshots anyway.

vultour 2y ago
You don't connect your TV to the internet.
- mkl 2y ago
  A report of a Samsung TV automatically connecting to a nearby unsecured network: https://web.archive.org/web/20210912135232/https://forum.developer.samsung.com/t/if-you-choose-to-not-connect-your-samsung-smart-tv-to-wifi-it-will-secretly-connect-to-your-neighbours-passwordless-wifi/7926 https://web.archive.org/web/20210912135232/https://forum.dev... Not as common as I thought though: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25275350 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25275350
  - Someone1234 2y ago
    We're linking to a random forum post as "proof?" If this was a widespread problem, we'd know it, but all we get is conspiracies which this is.
    - mkl 2y ago
      Kind of the opposite. I had heard of it happening, so looked for evidence, and found that HN post asking for evidence, with that random post seemingly the only bit supplied.
      - rbanffy 2y ago
        Shouldn't be hard to honeypot your TV into doing that - just set up a network and check if the TV connects to it, or set up sniffing at the gateway and see if there's any traffic that seems unaccounted for (as in not coming from your set-top box and suspiciously large for the periodic software update checks).

patwoz 2y ago

Yeah TV is not something everyone wants to play around with. Not even nerds. Especially if you have a partner which just want to watch tv. You just want to relax and watch tv without any issues.