Rage Against the (Smart) Machine – Why I want my TV to be ‘dumb.’

https://www.nationalreview.com/2022/12/rage-against-the-smart-machine/

by everybodyknows • 4 years ago

54 35 4 years ago

nationalreview.com

LinuxBender• 4 years ago

Non-JS accessible version [1]

[1] https://archive.ph/Fh4Qc

cityzen• 4 years ago

Rage against shitty websites… I can’t even see the article with all the pop ups, jittering on scroll, etc. I’m sure it’s deep, maybe post it on a “dumb” website so we can read it.

ThrowawayTestr2• 4 years ago

The solution to the author's problem is to pay more for a better device. The solution to your problem is to pay the author so the ads aren't needed.

tsuujin• 4 years ago

Cable TV would like a word.

ThrowawayTestr2• 4 years ago

I'm tired of these "anti smart device" articles. Here's the harsh truth: most people don't care or appreciate Netflix/Disney/whatever being built in. Alternatives exist if you're so inclined.

ArmandTanzarian• 4 years ago

Unless things have changed since i last researched this, there aren't non-smart hdtvs currently being manufactured.

Bjartr• 4 years ago

What you want to buy is commercial signage displays. They're dumb and reliable.

rolenthedeep• 4 years ago

While I don't necessarily disagree with the author, my phone now reeks of bengay from just opening this article.

This whole thing just drips "old man yelling at cloud"

seattle_spring• 4 years ago

That's pretty much the National Review's target audience, so you're not wrong.

adriancr3• 4 years ago

I made my tv semi dumb via a dns whitelist and some firewall rules.

Set up code to do dns forwarding/dropping on a raspberry pi pico for fun and its been working great. Only allows netflix/prime/disney+ and so far no ads.

https://github.com/AdrianCX/pico_hole

VTimofeenko3• 4 years ago

I have been thinking about incorporating similar thing for my unbound/nsd stack through client tagging.

How do you maintain the white list of domains for netflix/prime/disney+?

adriancr3• 4 years ago

I have been thinking about incorporating similar thing for my unbound/nsd stack through client tagging

That's a nice idea, ping if you do get it working.

How do you maintain the white list of domains for netflix/prime/disney+?

You can use any of existing whitelists for domains like this: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/JO2EY/Rules/master/Surge/R...

Domains for me are hardcoded, i recompile to change them (not ideal, i only did it to experiment and it's good enough so it stuck, also not much ram)

If things stop working I look at logs and update.

On other environments you could just present domains in a UI and have user block/allow/permanent block and hide. (that would be fine for me)

hanafudafan• 4 years ago

Amazon Sidewalk and dirt cheap 4/5g are appearing in many products including TVs - how do you audit yours to ensure it's not simply going over your head?

adriancr3• 4 years ago

1. If i start seeing ads I will investigate. So it would be painfully obvious whatever they do.

2. When I buy I check reviews and avoid 4/5g or sidewalk.

3. If bought by mistake - return.

4. If left with no choice then:

- I will buy but not accept monitoring

- add automated gdpr request every month for my data and request to delete after.

- see what they return and figure out how it was captured (ex: kill microphone if audio data), sue if anything illegal

Technical wise, play around:

- custom firmware - if tvs get powerful enough to run full linux distributions then I would be very happy.

- desoldering/reusing 4/5g or sidewalk components on my other projects... (free connectivity on sensors on car/bike etc)

- replace board entirely with a raspberry or similar

ViceCitySage• 4 years ago

I have a Sceptre TV that I bought a few years ago and couldn't be happier. Sceptre does have Smart TVs using Roku or Google TV, but there are many models such as what I bought that are modern (made within past 3-5 years) and non-smart. Quality isn't anything substantial but its sufficient and not horrible. Hate how bloated proprietary botnet is the norm out of the gate. Most people already have or will just buy their own media centers like game consoles or Fire Sticks anyway. Personally I have a SBC with LibreELEC (Just Enough OS for Kodi).

than35• 4 years ago

Sceptre is pretty much the only game in town at this point if you are looking for a regular non-SMART TV.

I hate how these companies have malevolently made it so you don't have any choice about installing what ammounts to sophisticated surveillance devices in your own home.

When I talk about HIPAA protected issues with my family, in my own home, I should not suddenly see ads directly targeting the related condition I was talking about, and yet I do.

washadjeffmad• 4 years ago

Vendors provide "commercial" displays whose only differences are better warranties, more complete serial control and, you guessed it, no ads or SMART features. Some have a web accessible menu, and others you can buy a separate service remote for to program the panel exactly as you need it to function.

In general, there's no reason to network connect your TV, but if you do, and they won't they don't tell you this, you don't have to accept the TOS for the SMART features or data collection. The TV will still work.

moistly• 4 years ago

I am surprised that there isn’t a website with instructions on how to give your television a lobotomy. Snip the leg of a chip, or pull the wire to the antenna, stuff like that. Turn it into a dumb display and do everything using a separate entertainment box.

JohnFen• 4 years ago

I require any TV I might buy to be dumb. If smart is the only option, then I'll just skip a TV altogether.

euroderf• 4 years ago

In Finland you can't lock the toy into the Happy Meal: the toy has to be sold separately too.

Using analogous logic, the EU could mandate that all audio-visual consumer devices can be sold at two prices:

One price for a machine that is effectively firewalled, and guaranteed not to accept anything from third-party websites OR to phone home (or anywhere it isn't asked to) (except of course when asked to go online to get software updates).

A second (presumably higher) price for infestation with crapware & nagware.

If the former is the default setting (which would be mandated), then the latter becomes inevitable, driven by the business models now in existence.

This regulation might be written to include computers too, which would be awesome.

jonhankok• 4 years ago

Has it dawned on anyone to simply not use the so called smart features of a smart TV?

I got a killer deal on my Roku 4K TV that I use exclusively as a monitor. The TV has never been set up on the WiFi, so it cannot access anything nor act as a surveillance device.

Rage Against the (Smart) Machine – Why I want my TV to be ‘dumb.’

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