5 ms·

Probably some new AI/tracking/ad delivery features

jakeydus 2y ago
Few things over the past few years have infuriated me as much as tracking and advertising being introduced at the OS level, especially on TVs. I'm looking at you, LG! I will gladly pay more for a TV that doesn't try to advertise Roku's streaming service to me or track my kids' watch history. Seems like they are few and far between, though. The best thing we have been able to come up with is leaving the TV itself disconnected from the WiFi and using an Apple TV for smart features/streaming. I'm sure they're still gathering data but it's at least not as blatant. It's a real crapfest for the consumer at the moment.
- vosper 2y ago
  > I will gladly pay more for a TV that doesn't try to advertise Roku's streaming service to me or track my kids' watch history. Seems like they are few and far between, though. Plug in an Apple TV?
  - RUnconcerned 2y ago
    That's... not a TV, it just has TV in its name.
  - freedomben 2y ago
    This just swaps one locked-down company for another. You're still at the mercy of a giant corp, and worse it's unlikely to work well with my linux laptop and Android phone whereas at least Samsung tries (and often fails). A better solution is needed. I buy Sceptre TVs when I can, though for a "big screen" there aren't great options.
  - gamblor956 2y ago
    Apple TV is just as bad (and in the context of the OP's statement, would be the same as a Roku box or an Amazon Firetv).
    - jakeydus 2y ago
      Yeah, we do use Apple TV because at the very least if they are collecting our data, they're not using it to advertise directly to us on the same device. My parents have a Roku TV and the number of ads it serves up directly on the device leave me feeling nauseous.
- whatwhaaaaat 2y ago
  This is sound advice for keeping yourself free from malware as well. Many of these TVs end up running super vulnerable junk that doesn’t get updated and has known exploits. I’ve had two devices end up with malware like this. A Sony blue ray player that was uploading 2gig a month before I caught it and a Samsung tv. It’s worth mentioning you have to block or change WiFi credentials. The device with malware may attempt to connect to any known wifi even if you disable it on the device. I get 45000 auth attempts a day from my tv.
- ethbr1 2y ago
  Anyone who uses smart tv features and connects one directly to the internet is insane.
  - onemoresoop 2y ago
    Id extend that to all smart TVs and all 'smart' devices as such.
grishka 2y ago
It's a speaker system. It plays sound. Why could it possibly have AI, tracking, or ad delivery?
- nemomarx 2y ago
  Insert ads into the music the customer is playing, using AI to find pauses, and track what songs they're playing for data gathering?
  - grishka 2y ago
    Yeah but why would anyone actually buy that then?
    - paradite 2y ago
      You are asking the right question, but to the wrong person.
  - timewizard 2y ago
    > using AI to find pauses, You can just use regular math to do this. We've been doing it for 30 years now. You don't need a trumped up overpriced garbage LLM to do anything for you here.
- ww520 2y ago
  Broadcast high frequency tunes in the background for other devices to pick up to identify you.
  - grishka 2y ago
    Dogs hate this one simple trick
    - genewitch 2y ago
      on android you can install SoniControl Firewall to "see" the ultrasonics in your house. Try it with all tvs and things off, then try it with the TV on, youtube videos, and so on. Pixel tracking works better if the TV is connected to the internet. I remember samsung as one of the companies, where, if your TV was not ever given a wifi connection, it would attempt to connect to any open network to do what it needed to do. This sounds unlawful, so i don't know the veracity, but anyhow - if the TV is online, it can just send a half dozen pixels at known locations back home and there is a database of "content pixels at timestamps" and they match the half dozen pixel values to the database and know what you're watching to some degree of certitude. but for things like dumb panels older TVs and the like, ultrasonics still work.

Few things over the past few years have infuriated me as much as tracking and advertising being introduced at the OS level, especially on TVs. I'm looking at you, LG! I will gladly pay more for a TV that doesn't try to advertise Roku's streaming service to me or track my kids' watch history. Seems like they are few and far between, though. The best thing we have been able to come up with is leaving the TV itself disconnected from the WiFi and using an Apple TV for smart features/streaming. I'm sure they're still gathering data but it's at least not as blatant. It's a real crapfest for the consumer at the moment.

vosper 2y ago
> I will gladly pay more for a TV that doesn't try to advertise Roku's streaming service to me or track my kids' watch history. Seems like they are few and far between, though. Plug in an Apple TV?
- RUnconcerned 2y ago
  That's... not a TV, it just has TV in its name.
- freedomben 2y ago
  This just swaps one locked-down company for another. You're still at the mercy of a giant corp, and worse it's unlikely to work well with my linux laptop and Android phone whereas at least Samsung tries (and often fails). A better solution is needed. I buy Sceptre TVs when I can, though for a "big screen" there aren't great options.
- gamblor956 2y ago
  Apple TV is just as bad (and in the context of the OP's statement, would be the same as a Roku box or an Amazon Firetv).
  - jakeydus 2y ago
    Yeah, we do use Apple TV because at the very least if they are collecting our data, they're not using it to advertise directly to us on the same device. My parents have a Roku TV and the number of ads it serves up directly on the device leave me feeling nauseous.
whatwhaaaaat 2y ago
This is sound advice for keeping yourself free from malware as well. Many of these TVs end up running super vulnerable junk that doesn’t get updated and has known exploits. I’ve had two devices end up with malware like this. A Sony blue ray player that was uploading 2gig a month before I caught it and a Samsung tv. It’s worth mentioning you have to block or change WiFi credentials. The device with malware may attempt to connect to any known wifi even if you disable it on the device. I get 45000 auth attempts a day from my tv.
ethbr1 2y ago
Anyone who uses smart tv features and connects one directly to the internet is insane.
- onemoresoop 2y ago
  Id extend that to all smart TVs and all 'smart' devices as such.

grishka 2y ago

It's a speaker system. It plays sound. Why could it possibly have AI, tracking, or ad delivery?

nemomarx 2y ago
Insert ads into the music the customer is playing, using AI to find pauses, and track what songs they're playing for data gathering?
- grishka 2y ago
  Yeah but why would anyone actually buy that then?
  - paradite 2y ago
    You are asking the right question, but to the wrong person.
- timewizard 2y ago
  > using AI to find pauses, You can just use regular math to do this. We've been doing it for 30 years now. You don't need a trumped up overpriced garbage LLM to do anything for you here.
ww520 2y ago
Broadcast high frequency tunes in the background for other devices to pick up to identify you.
- grishka 2y ago
  Dogs hate this one simple trick
  - genewitch 2y ago
    on android you can install SoniControl Firewall to "see" the ultrasonics in your house. Try it with all tvs and things off, then try it with the TV on, youtube videos, and so on. Pixel tracking works better if the TV is connected to the internet. I remember samsung as one of the companies, where, if your TV was not ever given a wifi connection, it would attempt to connect to any open network to do what it needed to do. This sounds unlawful, so i don't know the veracity, but anyhow - if the TV is online, it can just send a half dozen pixels at known locations back home and there is a database of "content pixels at timestamps" and they match the half dozen pixel values to the database and know what you're watching to some degree of certitude. but for things like dumb panels older TVs and the like, ultrasonics still work.