Love being interrupted when my monitor asks me to accept user agreements

https://twitter.com/snwy_me/status/1847396175961641176

by h2odragon • 2 years ago

385 287 2 years ago

Y_Y• 2 years ago

    Is this the future you wanted?

    (Agree) (Later)

Certhas• 2 years ago

I want that T-Shirt.

domoregood• 2 years ago

Your LG monitor likely just read that comment and will bill you for the T-shirt immediately.

disqard• 2 years ago

(Later) --> Remind me (Tomorrow) (3 days Later)

netsharc3• 2 years ago

Aargghh, a prompt similar to this is going to make me an extremist that'll wage j**d on IT companies!

Google Photos wants you to turn on backups so you blow through your 15GB quota and buy storage from them, so once in a while when I open the app it screams "Back up is not turned on! You risk losing your photos!" (ok maybe not that hysterically).

Then the "Back up photos" slider is active, and I just have to hit "Continue". I'd have to slide it to off, and the button changes to "Continue without backup" and I have to hit it.

It's freaking disgusting that software companies now change your settings (ok, thankfully it still asks for your confirmation) and nag you about it every few weeks.

BTW Google, I have a Google Pixel 1 phone that has lifetime unlimited photos backup, and I intend on abusing that functionality by using automated transfers between my daily phone -> my NAS -> Pixel 1 -> your servers until you fuck me over and delete my account.

smegger001• 2 years ago

Unlimited photo backups? Well how many qr codes can you store in JPEG because that screams free HDD back up with a little scripting.

Nition2• 2 years ago

Please scroll to the bottom and confirm you have read the entire FUTURE EULA before continuing.

Terr_• 2 years ago

By definition, another "future I wanted" can only arrive "later" than now, so those two options actually kinda make sense. :P

rgavuliak• 2 years ago

There's a song called: "The future is not what it was" that I am a fan of in this context.

perihelions• 2 years ago

And if you gaze for long into an LG™ liquid-crystal display monitor, the LG™ liquid-crystal display monitor asks your permission to gaze also into you.

HPsquared• 2 years ago

Is this a side effect of allowing monitors to use USB-C? Is there some driver via WHQL that allows the monitor to connect to the internet???

This seems to me like a potential security issue.

johnnyo• 2 years ago

That was my question as well. What is the user benefit of the monitor having a network connection?

m4632• 2 years ago

special offers!

__MatrixMan__2• 2 years ago

Once you've identified the viewer you can see if they have a license for that they're viewing and report the thoughtcrime if not.

secondcoming• 2 years ago

I use my monitor's network connection so devices connected to it via thunderbolt also have ethernet.

jsheard2• 2 years ago

A few manufacturers are now shipping monitors with the same OS as their smart TVs, so they can stream Netflix and stuff standalone. OP has an LG one, and I know Samsung are also doing it on some of their newer models. Thankfully there's still plenty of dumb monitors on the market for now, including most LGs and Samsungs.

dgraph_advocate• 2 years ago

The manufacturer could have added connectivity via mobile baseband and a SIM card, just for the privilege of harvesting your viewing habits and passwords.

Animats• 2 years ago

Hm. Will Linux drivers permit this thing to talk to the Internet? And if it can't reach the mothership, will it still work as a monitor?

This has exploit potential. If a properly crafted ad can successful take over a monitor, the attacker now owns a USB-C device with an Internet connection. From there, it can make the device pretend to be some other USB device, such as a keyboard, mouse, and USB storage. From that point, they can do almost anything.

Apreche• 2 years ago

My TV did this. The worst part was that it disappeared so quickly I didn't have time to get the remote and acknowledge it. There did not appear to be any way in the settings to go and handle it manually. I just had to wait and get lucky.

yu3zhou43• 2 years ago

This is the first time I ever thought we need an open source monitor hardware

beretguy2• 2 years ago

I feel like we need open source hardware cellphones too, and everything else.

yu3zhou43• 2 years ago

Fair point

moepstar2• 2 years ago

Need? Absolutely.

How good will it be? Hopefully better than the OpenMoko Freerunner I once had - good idea, worst execution ever. Wouldn’t even work half decently as a phone, not to mention any other aspects of it…

pabs32• 2 years ago

How do you feel about the PinePhone? There even the LTE modem runs FOSS Linux (on one of the two processors in the modem).

https://github.com/the-modem-distro

exe342• 2 years ago

I have started preparing myself mentally for a future where I give up on most of modern technology in the home and just go back to paper books/vinyls/etc.

yu3zhou43• 2 years ago

I guess it could become so difficult that it could be easier to RE the hardware and remove all the spying stuff

amatecha5• 2 years ago

Same. My newest computer is from 2015... That said, at least one vendor is making computers I'm willing to purchase: https://www.crowdsupply.com/mnt/mnt-reform-next

krenzo• 2 years ago

Unfortunately, DisplayPort and HDMI specifications are kept private unless you're a paying member. I've successfully implemented DisplayPort 1.2 in an FPGA from specification documents I found, but I could never find the specification for anything better.

kebokyo• 2 years ago

Do you have anything online documenting how you did this? That’s actually really cool

mafuy• 2 years ago

I thought only HDMI is problematic, and DP is quite open?

pabs32• 2 years ago

I thought that when I found out about MonitorDarkly, a remote code execution exploit for the Dell 2410U monitor firmware.

https://github.com/RedBalloonShenanigans/MonitorDarkly https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32634467#32635631 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA4_POi9rsg https://web.archive.org/web/20160809063532/https://www.redba... https://web.archive.org/web/20160809062931/https://www.redba...

account4217• 2 years ago

The multi-second startup times that many modern monitors have wasn't enough?

rspoerri• 2 years ago

Better get a firewall for you monitor. Maybe a usb-c plug that filters non visual traffic? /s

meindnoch5• 2 years ago

A prepaid cellular modem is installed to transmit essential telemetry.

micahdeath• 2 years ago

This would be a great thing to hack to get free internets. =D

netsharc3• 2 years ago

The idea of TVs doing this smells of urban legend to me, but a friend bought a new car recently, and he can connect to it from his phone (obviously over the cloud), he was wondering how it works because he didn't have to subscribe to anyhing, but yeah it has cellular connectivity paid for by the car manufacturer...

ZYbCRq22HbJ2y7• 2 years ago

This is one from a line of LG monitors that state they come with webOS

https://www.lg.com/us/smart-monitors

https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-32sq730s-w-smart-monitor

nuancebydefault• 2 years ago

Wow the Q&A's answers seem AI generated... Everything about these 'smart' monitors feels quite 'fabricated' to me. I feel next time I shop for a monitor I will skip LG.

morkalork• 2 years ago

Coming soon to monitors with integrated webcams: please drink verification can to continue working!

airstrike• 2 years ago

Sadly they've only given us Mountain Dew flavored Doritos but not the other way around yet...

tokai• 2 years ago

Doesn't microsoft have that patented?

Randor2• 2 years ago

I know you guys are joking, but there use to be a Microsoft energy drink, that was only available to employees.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Microsoft+employee+Talking+R...

The blue one actually tasted really good. Was available on campus for several years in nearly every building. :)

zinekeller• 2 years ago

Actually, it's Sony's patent 8,246,454 which has that "interactive networked video game" feature (https://patents.google.com/patent/US8246454B2/en), and AFAIK there isn't a "drink verification can"-style patent yet.

andrepd• 2 years ago

DRINK VERIFICATION CAN

93po• 2 years ago

mountain dew is for me and you

in a life-imitates-art twist, Xbox did in fact release an Xbox minifridge that was mountain dew colors many years after this greentext

dredmorbius• 2 years ago

For those as out of the loop as myself, apparently a 12 year old 4chan greentext meme:

<https://imgur.com/please-drink-verification-can-dgGvgKF>

FactKnower69• 2 years ago

https://media.snopes.com/2023/01/sony-fig-9.png

CoastalCoder• 2 years ago

I'd love to see a lawsuit regarding them knowingly shipping a monitor with this defect.

When the EULA is blocking the content, the monitor isn't working as advertised. And they willingly shipped it like that.

jasomill2• 2 years ago

If this is anything like an LG smart TV — and, as the UI is identical to my C4, I assume it is — none of the agreements are required to use the device as a monitor.

On LG TVs, at least, you can also completely disable the WebOS UI via a command sent through an onboard RS-232 interface, at which point the TV displays no overlays at all.

throwaway314155• 2 years ago

via a command sent through an onboard RS-232 interface

Christ

Teever• 2 years ago

I think the solution to these kinds of issues is a coordinated campaign in small claims courts across the world.

If people decided to take the time to simultaneously take this issue before a judge who will give them a default judgment when a company like LG no-shows it'll start to hurt them and the publicity from this will force change.

mimischi• 2 years ago

So is this Recall by Microsoft, without having to use Windows? Great!

rglullis12• 2 years ago

I am seriously considering creating a dropship company focused exclusively on buying and selling electronic components that are sold for parts and people can assemble them at home, Ikea-style.

I would start with selling 50" and 65" inch "dumb" TVs. Just the panel, a nice enclosure and a board with an IR receiver, TV tuner and HDMI outputs. BYO top box and Soundbar. I wonder how fast it would take to get 10000 orders.

CooCooCaCha• 2 years ago

Is it even possible to just buy panels for normal consumers?

beAbU• 2 years ago

Look up "large format display". Its basically a TV sans any smart shit. Used in commercial display applications, dynamic menus in restaurants, info panels etc.

They are mad expensive because presumably they are not subsidised by the shitware that "smart" tvs ship with.

meindnoch5• 2 years ago

Customer here!

seletskiy• 2 years ago

Drop me a line if you ever decide to start. Be glad to help.

pixiemaster• 2 years ago

please do. but it seems it would be more expensive to produce a tv with less features: https://www.tomsguide.com/features/dumb-tvs-heres-why-you-ca...

leereeves• 2 years ago

"Google pays between $12 and $15 per unit to a manufacturer like TCL or Hisense per TV that uses Google TV."

I'd be willing to pay a $15 premium for a TV that is built to do what I want, not what an advertiser wants.

bigstrat2003• 2 years ago

I would absolutely love something like that.

snakey• 2 years ago

I’ve also thought about this in quite some depth. I think people would be willing to pay a premium for simple, quality electronics.

I also think there could be a good opportunity to expand this to kitchen appliances too. Premium quality but really dumb. I would be a loyal customer

doe_eyes• 2 years ago

With kitchen appliances, it's already a thing. For example, there's a "retro" brand that sells microwaves with a timer knob:

https://www.amazon.com/Nostalgia-NRMO7YW6A-Countertop-Microw...

The problem in that segment is that it's basically the same disposable, non-repairable tech that's destined to the dumpster in a couple of years. The company is selling the appearance of having a different design philosophy, and it works because the consumer has no way of telling.

So, if you want to do anything more profound in that space, it's going to be hard to compete.

Tempat• 2 years ago

Microwaves that are just time and power setting, cooktops that are just four knobs, ovens that are just mode and heat, maybe a simple timer… I’d buy those too.

bloqs• 2 years ago

Sign me up

jbombadil2• 2 years ago

I would love to buy a TV with a great image quality, a bunch of ports, image tweaking and nothing else. No wifi, no cellular, no internet, no speakers.

Honestly? Doesn’t even need a remote provided CEC works fine with my Apple TV.

cassianoleal3• 2 years ago

How would you tweak the image via CEC over the Apple TV?

silisili• 2 years ago

I think you'll find the price at that volume and without subsidy a bit higher than a lot of people want to pay.

It may be cheaper and even easier to just buy and somehow modify Onn/Hisense into dumb displays, though I've never explored the idea myself to know how feasible it even is.

neuralRiot• 2 years ago

Honestly when you see what a modern TV has inside and how it is assembled you realize that there’s not much “subsidy”.

leptons11• 2 years ago

Just don't connect the "smart" Tv to the internet. It's still a "dumb display" if you don't give it internet access. Don't give it wifi access, don't plug in an ethernet cable.

moepstar2• 2 years ago

Problem is: you’d still be stuck with a Hisense TV. They got planned obsolescence built in, most of their TVs power supplies go out after only 4 years or even less.

edgineer• 2 years ago

How about BYO tuner while you're at it?

See the LG 48 CX OLED television versus the Gigabyte AORUS FO48U OLED monitor. The LG was a jump in quality and performance (4K 120Hz) and many people bought it to use as a computer monitor. But it's smart (cannot disable advertising itself over Bluetooth while on), cannot be woken up over HDMI (requires using the remote control to turn on each day) and it does not have displayport in.

The Aorus is the same panel but not a TV, functions as a monitor should, and I would have bought that instead had I known.

If a product finder like alternativeto.net existed, where you find non-shittified alternatives to a popular appliance, I would use it every time I shop.

mhuffman3• 2 years ago

You can search NewEgg or Amazon for "Business TV" or "Commercial TV" and they will almost all be "dumb" TVs. They are readily available.

ska4• 2 years ago

Readily available at a good premium.

You can sometimes get a great deal on these during liquidation though.

epcoa4• 2 years ago

And they are invariably inferior to the latest models of higher end consumer TVs for movies and gaming. Older panels, poorer contrast ratio, if they even support HDR or VRR. For even partial feature parity they will be thousands more in cost. Outdoor and digital signage panels are great for their intended purpose only.

Show me the commercial equivalent to the LG G4.

And even these commercial TVs may be “dumber” but they still have firmware and it can still have some of the same nuisances. Meanwhile you can opt out of most shit on the smart TV and just not leave it connected.

mananaysiempre• 2 years ago

The Framework folks hit an unexpected snag with a similar idea: turns out the US tax on a laptop assembled in Taiwan is much lower than on a box of parts made in Taiwan that you can assemble into a laptop yourself. (Why? Because.) Thus the strange not-really-DIY “DIY edition”.

bee_rider2• 2 years ago

What is a laptop anyway? Can somebody sell 60 2-in-1 convertible laptops where the top bit comes off and also has an HDMI in port? The computer could be a raspberry pi or something…

meindnoch5• 2 years ago

You mean import tax? Then the solution is simple: assemble a dummy device from the components, pay the lower import duties, and then disassemble it and sell the parts. This is called tariff engineering.

rglullis12• 2 years ago

U eu lkdn7g 53 55 me 4fg2n5

svilen_dobrev• 2 years ago

i think somebody is already doing it - you may combine forces. Check this thread, about year ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35484594

also, check this one from yesterday:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41855403

epcoa4• 2 years ago

Wouldn’t hold my breath.

The relevant subthread really is this:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35487062

Industrial panels make horrible TVs. Even if you use an appropriate panel, there’s more than just designing a sheet metal case.

Based on people suggesting commercial large format displays, apparently some don’t understand this. The market for someone foolish enough to drop $3k on a large screen without Dolby Vision is very small though. People that are absolutely cost conscious will continue to buy the loss leader crap TVs.

alkonaut• 2 years ago

Try buying the regular smart ones and disabling the spyware while keeping the rest of the subsidized price. It would be a legal battle about whether you can actually enforce some terms of use that would prohibit it. The rough part is having to cover the warranty when resold which will cost a lot. But probably still cheaper than the dropshipped dumb panels.

sgerenser2• 2 years ago

I recently picked up an 85” Sony TV from Costco on clearance for $1399 (this model originally retailed for $2500, its only a step or two down from their top-of-the-line). I connected it to a hardwired ethernet cable, let it do the software updates, then unplugged it. No need for it to be online if I’m just using it with an AppleTV box anyway. I’d suspect an 85” “business TV” would be at least 4-5x the price.

Funny thing was after the software updates, the next day the TV prompted me to install a firmware update on the remote. First time I’ve ever seen that one.

Wowfunhappy3• 2 years ago

Why did you do the software update at all?

oynqr• 2 years ago

Most TV manufacturers still supply firmware updates as a separate download for installing from a USB drive. I just checked Sony's site for a model that sounds like yours, and they do offer this.

Ancapistani• 2 years ago

IR receiver is optional IMO. Most people would plug an Android TV box or media PC into it anyhow, which will handle volume control and power via HDMI.

White_Wolf• 2 years ago

Just order a standard, add infested one, and a basic chinese board for it. Sellers will flash them for your panel and all. It can't any more basic than that.

Whatarethese• 2 years ago

Simple. Buy TV, never connect to wifi. Plug in Apple TV. Never worry about ads or anything.

camgunz• 2 years ago

I love this idea; it really does seem like us geeks need to come to the rescue here.

m4632• 2 years ago

soundbars suck too.

All of them have wireless subwoofers, which require wifi or bluetooth.

Really, why can't they do cables or spdif?

rglullis12• 2 years ago

Everything sucks where the hardware is a loss leader and just good enough to perform its function and the software is developed as a trojan horse for the actual revenue generating business. Soundbars, "smart" speakers, printers...

bogwog2• 2 years ago

I wonder what would happen if Amazon introduced a boycott feature. It could be a list of active boycotts next to the buy button on a product page. Customers can choose to join one of the boycotts instead of clicking the buy button, and then get redirected to a list of alternatives.

It won't ever happen obviously, but I wonder if it would solve these types of problems? Consumers collectively boycotting something is the most powerful way to fight things like this, but I can't think of a successful example of that in recent times. Even "viral" boycotts on social media platforms are likely to get limited reach due to algorithm fuckery. Or is it that nobody but us tech nerds actually cares about stuff like this, and even a blatant in-your-face boycott feature on Amazon wouldn't make a difference?

squiffsquiff• 2 years ago

It would probably be possible as a third party extension. See Fakespot extension for instance.

Aurornis• 2 years ago

I wonder what would happen if Amazon introduced a boycott feature. It could be a list of active boycotts next to the buy button on a product page

A feature that simultaneously discourages sales, encourages retailers to pull products from the platform, and heavily incentivizes abuse from competitors who would benefit from convincing customers to boycott their competitors products? For some reason I don’t imagine Amazon product managers are going to like this idea.

Boycotts are wishful thinking in the modern era of online shopping. The Venn diagram of people who would actively boycott a product like this and the people who would seek it out on Amazon has no overlap. These products are targeted at people who do purchasing for their office or who click the buy button without taking 1 minute to glance at reviews. The people who care enough to actively boycott have already read reviews of a product before they seek it out for purchase.

bogwog2• 2 years ago

If Amazon were competing to win customers, they might do something like this to increase trust in the quality of the products on their store. Of course, that's not Amazon. The only significant threats to Amazon today are anti-trust regulators.

jonnycoder• 2 years ago

This would be a fantastic chrome extension because Amazon would never do this. It would be great to vote on the reasons why to boycott, allowing the most egregious reasons at the very top.

I'm on the fence regarding a "likely boycott" for Ooni pizza ovens, specifically the Karu 16 dual fuel. There are many videos about defective or improperly installed thermocouples. Ooni has some really helpful FAQ guides for fixing it on your own, but I was amazed at how many videos exist about this problem for an $800 pizza oven.

netsharc3• 2 years ago

Hah, like the ad-block extensions you'll be able to download boycott-lists.

But as Basil Fawlty said... don't mention the war!

mihaaly2• 2 years ago

Not buying alone sounds a pretty powerful boycott thing.

Unluckily, so many care less than nothing, buying whatever is the cheapest and loudest in praising itself with the biggest lies or misdirection. There is a huge and successful market for these kind of customers. Actually it overwhelms the small group of conscious costumers. So manufacturers are making less and less 'honest' products.

fedup32• 2 years ago

Amazon is part of the _problem_. What you're really looking for is called a "law", and it's something a government does to make people stop doing things that hurt other people. Laws are then enforced so the bad actors stop doing their harmful stuff.

throw_me_uwu• 2 years ago

I doubt "boycott" thing would work, but "nerd recommendations" as browser addon would actually be useful.

acd• 2 years ago

Have your pet accept the EULA :)

andrewinardeer• 2 years ago

Did they really get interrupted or did they willingly click into 'Settings' and select 'Reset AD ID'?

Why would a device, monitor or TV or refrigerator, randomly reset it's AD ID?

I believe this is just your stock standard X (formerly known as Twitter) ragebait post.

Congratulations, you fell for it.

It's a shame ragebait is now popping up on this site.

zizee• 2 years ago

I don't think the "interrupt" part of this is what I find concerning.

vaindil• 2 years ago

The title text is from the quoted tweet, not the one that's directly linked.

https://twitter.com/snwy_me/status/1847389300687860062

h2odragon• 2 years ago

apologies for the confusion, i could have linked the first tweet but the further exploration was also interesting

scrubs2• 2 years ago

Related: my mac bugs the hell out of me to accept new cloud Eula junk after os upgrade ... it's constantly popping up every 5 mins or so and can interrupt shutdown. Out stubbornness I've ignored for 6months running.

scrubs2• 2 years ago

buttercraft• 2 years ago

What keyboard is that and where do I get one?

jsheard2• 2 years ago

Topre Realforce R2, but that colorway was a limited edition and it's already gone.

https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/products/topre-realforce-r2-...

amatecha5• 2 years ago

Nice, I've got the same (default colorway)! Such a good keyboard! I built/bought many keyboards and finally got tired of the search and decided to finally try the fabled Topre... so good <3

lostlogin• 2 years ago

I thought it was going to be some ‘90’s thing with a janky rewiring.

That’s neat.

ortusdux• 2 years ago

I just want a somewhat trustworthy group to create a 'dumb' certification.

saxonww• 2 years ago

I wonder if they bought these on purpose, or if the monitors were provided by their employer. That looks like an office.

It's hard to sympathize with someone buying one of these in 2024 and then being outraged that it wants to do ad tracking. 'Smart' monitors are so easy to avoid right now, they are all clearly marketed as such and it's still the case that premium 'dumb' monitors are available in every category.

Spooky23• 2 years ago

We updated security policy at our company to prohibit use of monitors that aren’t specifically authorized.

One of our customers detected a risk in an audit - it hadn’t occurred to anyone. Now we log display connections and customer facing folks can be terminated for violating the rules.

amatecha5• 2 years ago

Holy. This is so dire. I like how "smart" is always a euphemism for "shitty" when it's the prefix of a technology product.

karmakaze2• 2 years ago

Jury's still out on the Smartphone with a good number of pros/cons.

I'd bet that many who are enraged by this story, have already accepted numerous such agreements in the software/sites they use.

tomjen3• 2 years ago

The smartphone is fine. It’s the apps that suck, and most of all it’s advertising.

xboxnolifes• 2 years ago

I'd say it's the smartphones success that lead to smart bring a euphemism for everything. smartphones worked so well, It led to everyone and their mother attaching smart to everything.

kristjank• 2 years ago

I am outraged by the lack of outrage over this enshittified dystopia. I would like to think myself better than that but things have really escalated to a point I really wish death and illness upon the advertiser leeches that started and continuously fueled the enshittification train till the point that we're at now.

mysteria• 2 years ago

A lot of vehicles also show this on the nav screen every time you start the car, and many websites also display similar popups when you visit. It's a disgusting practice but it certainly isn't new.

BTW if you want a TV that doesn't have any of these smart features you can get one of those commercial displays used in malls, train stations, and such. They're expensive though.

bri3d• 2 years ago

For what it’s worth, this is a Smart TV (ie, a streaming box) that happens to also be monitor sized. I have no idea why anyone would buy one of these for primary use as a computer monitor, and the marketing and messaging is clear and up-front that these are streaming devices running an Internet connected OS.

Why streaming devices need to be so ad-infested is a different interesting topic, but IMO this “my monitor has an EULA” thing is just engagement bait.

vunderba2• 2 years ago

Agree - this twitterbait is purposely omitting relevant details that this is NOT a traditional external display in any sense of the word. I mean the category of displays on LG's website is labelled "Smart Monitors with webOS" - which should be a clue right there.

That Samsung/LG/etc. are sulfurous pits of spyware is a completely different and well understood problem (but coincidentally too pedestrian to garner the desired rage induced upvotes).

account4217• 2 years ago

Just give it another decade and you will be telling us how it's ok that all monitors come with smart features and how you can just ignore them with only minor annoyances.

tealkitsune• 2 years ago

LG has a page dedicated to "LG SmartMonitors", and the photo shows a desk with mouse and keyboard, no mention of TV or Smart TV

atombender• 2 years ago

No, pretty sure this is specifically marketed as a monitor. The product is called SmartMonitor for that reason.

tlonny• 2 years ago

I would love to create a simple, searchable directory of consumer appliances, software and services that list all the ways you are _objectively_ fucked over as a consumer (I.e. whether something sells your data, requires always-on internet connectivity, requires additional subscriptions to unlock full functionality, etc..)

sxp• 2 years ago

It appears to be this line of Smart Monitors: https://www.lg.com/us/smart-monitors

Why the fuck would anyone buy a "smart monitor" that is hooked up to a computer? Are they too incompetent to directly watch Netflix/Prime/etc on the computer? What is LG's target audience here?

I'm guessing snwy_me got the monitor from someone else and forgot to factory reset it and disable WiFi.

bialpio2• 2 years ago

I bought something like this from Samsung. Honestly, was an oversight that I only started regretting when I learned that the controls to change the input source suck in a major way (not possible to switch source via a provided remote, source-switching buttons are very inconveniently placed at the bottom of the monitor and sometimes enter full settings instead of the source-switch menu). Lesson learned the hard way. And yeah, I keep the wifi disabled on that thing, except when occasionally checking for updates in the hopes that they fixed that shit via a software update.

meowster3• 2 years ago

in the hopes that they fixed that shit via a software update.

Hell will freeze over first.

karmakaze2• 2 years ago

Yeah, I'm trying to see what the problem is here. Seems like just a reason to gripe. What difference does any of this makes if the monitor itself is only fed a video signal (i.e. don't connect its wifi). Does the monitor fail to operate without its WiFi connection or something?

indrora• 2 years ago

My partner has the Samsung equivalent of these.

It’s the only way to get a good hidpi panel in the 5K space without breaking the bank. They also have DEEP integration with the Samsung ecosystem like dex integration.

LG has been getting into this market; their target market appears to be folks that want to have a miniature tv at their desk in small (studio) apartments to watch Netflix, etc on without fiddling with a pc. Which makes sense: in Korea and a lot of other places now, 200sqft apartments are becoming more common and the affordable option without splitting with others.

coolspot• 2 years ago

in Korea and a lot of other places now, 200sqft apartments are becoming more common

No surprise Korea is on the verge of demographic collapse

freetime2• 2 years ago

I have a similar monitor from LG. I pair it with a MacBook, and there are times when the MacBook isn’t connected, but I still want to watch Netflix. Or even when the MacBook is connected, if I’m not at my desk it’s easier to control with the remote. It actually sees more use as a standalone streaming device than as a monitor.

I think smart monitors are convenient multi-purpose displays and make a lot of sense for home use. Not so much for office use like in the source tweet.

JayGuerette• 2 years ago

Any TV that doesn't have your WiFi password is a dumb TV. No TV I've owned to dated has required network connectivity to work.

vunderba2• 2 years ago

Yeah this is something I feel like doesn't get talked about enough. I have a raspberry PI that acts as my streaming device connected to my Samsung "Smart" TV and since Samsung can't get on the WIFI it's effectively just a display terminal.

snvzz• 2 years ago

Nah, it can still connect through the smart TV of the neighbours.

They probably have cross-brand agreements in place to let any "offline" device access advertisement networks. Your data is a very profitable business for them.

wcfields2• 2 years ago

I’ll keep repeating this but I used to be a TPM for “advance analytics” for a major media agency and we used this data in our reporting for ad reach effectiveness.

From a previous comment of mine:

… my Insignia TV (best buy store brand) with fire tv built in is basically unusable. Echoing a previous comment I made too, about “smart tvs” and the “streaming sticks”: Hey, have you ever thought of why even the $149 Black Friday loss-leader no-name-brand TVs all have Amazon Fire, Roku, or are now "Smart" in some way? Certainly isn't because they need to incentivise you to connect it to the internet so it acts as a Nielsen-esq measurement device of all media you view on the screen via digital fingerprints that exist in all commercial media and advertisements. [1][2]

[1] https://www.ispot.tv/

[2] https://www.samba.tv/

justinclift• 2 years ago

I used to be a TPM

For clarity, are you meaning "Technical Project Manager"?

A lot of people here are probably more familiar with TPM being "Trusted Platform Module":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Platform_Module

wcfields2• 2 years ago

Yup, technical project manager.

tzs2• 2 years ago

A particularly annoying aspect of monitor makers blurring the distinction between monitors and TVs that I hit with my Samsung S9 5K is that my Samsung TV remote can turn the monitor on/off and the monitor remote can turn the TV on/off.

Did it not occur to Samsung that people might have their computer in the same room as their television?

mihaaly2• 2 years ago

I don't know, I am still processing the 'remote for a monitor' idea. Sounds like the 'remote for a car stereo' kind of thing. Is this for people with short arms perhaps?

tzs2• 2 years ago

The remote actually makes some sense. It has a button/joystick-thingy control on the back than can bring up a settings menu and navigate it but it is a pain to reach. Leaning forward enough to reach under to it brings my face too close.

Edge controls would be easier to reach. Side edge controls can be a problem because people often want to have things right beside their monitor, such as another monitor. Bottom edge might be reasonable.

For people with bigger monitors than mine (mine is 27") their arms might actually be too short to reach bottom edge buttons comfortably, assuming they sit farther back from the screen than I do from mine.

Anyway, the remote can be faster than buttons would be because it allows for voice commands. If I want to set the brightness to say 6 I just pick up the remote, hold down the mic button, and say "brightness 6". That's faster than navigating to the picture settings menu and adjusting the brightness there.

hakfoo• 2 years ago

I think I saw a CRT with a little credit-card remote to make geometry changes.

There used to be desks where the monitor was sunk in somewhat in and maybe the knobs were unreachable.

fortran77• 2 years ago

Many of the responses to the post on X don't seem to realize that the _monitor_ is putting up this message, and they're blaming "windows"

talldayo2• 2 years ago

HN will really say anything except "We should regulate common-sense bad behavior" huh?

jiggawatts• 2 years ago

I don’t know why everyone here thinks it is unconscionable for a hardware vendor to block user access to content with a pop up, when this is standard practice in the entire software industry.[1][2]

I’ve had Microsoft Teams interrupt my presentation to a CEO to force me to click through some stupid dialog that a self-important developer put in there at the direction of an an even more self-absorbed manager.

“STOP TALKING NOW! You are nothing! Only our imagined legal risks matter! Click here to accept. DO THIS NOW.”

It didn’t exactly say that, but it may as well have. That was the meaning.

[1] https://how-i-experience-web-today.com/

[2] Command line tools used in unattended workflows will hang, waiting for EULA acceptance from a human who isn’t there: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5151034/psexec-gets-stuc...

doright• 2 years ago

New video game idea: In the 21st century, with increases in computational and networking power it is now inevitable that any device with a screen attached can be reconfigured to show ads. You fulfill this inevitability by hooking up your portable advertisement control computer to every car infotainment system, smartwatch, and Adafruit 16x16 RGB LED matrix in sight. Bonus points (your salary) for stealth interstitial insertion.

Buttons840• 2 years ago

Player controls a character that runs around putting ads on every screen and empty surface, gameplay is periodically interrupted by satirical EULA updates.

fmajid• 2 years ago

I knew most Smart TVs do these shenanigans, but computer monitors?

vax425• 2 years ago

In Soviet Russia, monitor monitors YOU.

Bwah hah hah!

mensetmanusman• 2 years ago

If it gets bad enough Apple will sell monitors at this price point.

fedup32• 2 years ago

If only we had some mechanism to force companies to stop doing things like this, instead of trying to invent economic dead-ends like Lego-style monitor assembly kits or Amazon-flavored voting systems.

notfed• 2 years ago

Interestingly, the wording of this title painted a VERY different image in my head. Consider the difference between these two:

1. "Love being interrupted..."

2. "I love being interrupted..."

ankurdhama• 2 years ago

Please follow a simple rule: Don't buy a device that has the word "smart" in its name or description.

beefnugs• 2 years ago

I don't get how we have the most connected technology that ever existed, but we dont have proper tools to stick it to these terrible practices?

Obviously , en-masse we need to be buying these things, opening them, losing the manuals and packaging, and returning them explaining very clearly how there is unwanted shit in the firmware that was not made clear upfront before purchase.

Each of us doing it over and over at every store we have access to.

austinjp2• 2 years ago

To those here who suggest buying a typical 'smart' TV and disconnecting it from the internet, there are a few issues. As some have pointed out, TV manufacturers will catch up with this and eventually make it harder. Embedded 5G, voiding warranty if you don't accept ads, etc.

Buying 'smart' TVs also sends a signal to the manufacturers that this is what people want (as some here have suggested). It perpetuates the delusion that ad-ridden TVs are acceptable. Vote with your wallet and buy something else.

It's also somewhat profligate to buy hardware and deliberately disable it (although I entirely understand the motivation and hacker ethos). That hardware represents sunk resources. Buying it to ignore it leaves a bad taste for me. Electronics manufacturers are ecological bad news, in general. I'd rather not contribute to unnecessary manufacturing if I can avoid it.

Regarding quality of image, I kinda suspect that the necessity for ultra-high def TV has been over-sold. Sure, for gaming, home cinema, etc it might be a real concern for some. For me, I've got a genuinely dumb TV and nobody has ever commented on the image quality for TV or movies or gaming (Switch). But maybe this is one area where the visual equivalent of audiophiles will never be dissuaded :)

account4217• 2 years ago

Vote with your wallet and buy something else.

Which unfortunately means not buying a high end TV at all because there are none without "smart features".

Regarding quality of image, I kinda suspect that the necessity for ultra-high def TV has been over-sold. Sure, for gaming, home cinema, etc it might be a real concern for some. For me, I've got a genuinely dumb TV and nobody has ever commented on the image quality for TV or movies or gaming (Switch).

Most likely people are just being polite - kind of a dick move for a guest to diss your TV.

But maybe this is one area where the visual equivalent of audiophiles will never be dissuaded :)

Size, resolution (up to 4K at least), true blacks from emissive display technologies and real HDR are all things immediately noticeable to the average user. Color space and bit depth are also very real improvements. This is very far from audiophile territory.

ouraf• 2 years ago

Are monitors so unprofitable you need to add this like of garbage onto it?

Love being interrupted when my monitor asks me to accept user agreements

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