Gregory's ServerI love my smart TV. I love the way it takes a long time to boot up because it's trying to refresh the advertisements on the home screen. I delight in the way it randomly restarts because it's downloaded an update without asking me, each of which makes the TV slower and slower with every subsequent install. I adore the way it buries the apps that I want to use, and that I use without fail every single time, below the apps that it's being paid to promote and which I have never touched in my life and would never use without the cold metal of a glock pressed hard against my sweating temple. I am infinitely thrilled by the way the interface lags constantly, due to the need to have one thousand unnecessary animations rendered on hardware ripped wholesale from a ten year old phone. I feel myself borne aloft on wings of pure joy when I am notified that my data will be collected and analysed to determine my useage patterns. Even now I am writing this from a field of beautiful flowers and soft luscious grass as I lie and look up happily at the bright blue sky, smiling happily to know that this is the future of technology
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@dj2mn @burgerdrome watching FTA doesn't stop a smart TV from doing all that bullshit stuff. The only way is to completely block its network access. And then you lose Netflix et al unless you have a set top box of some description... ...which is just as susceptible to enshittification :( @unfnknblvbl @burgerdrome Fortunately for me there's nothing on Netflix that really appeals so I don't subscribe. I have an old rev2 AppleTV which is slowly becoming more incompatible with everything (something something HDMI something?) but I can still stream from my phone or iPad in an emergency. As mentioned earlier tho the whole experience is pretty awful and I was very glad to get my FTA back and not have to dick around with the tech. One area I'm entirely comfortable being a luddite in :) @dj2mn @burgerdrome I mean, replace Netflix with Plex or YouTube or whatever... I'm honestly surprised the Shield hasn't been killed off by now, to be honest. Eight years and counting! @unfnknblvbl @unfnknblvbl @dj2mn @burgerdrome @dj2mn @burgerdrome -- I read OP post with interest because I hate that all consumers are being sold all the time, but like you, my twelve year old Samsung is going strong and I am spared a bunch of bologna. We use an X-Box to access our apps. Sometimes an X-Box 360. @Wowwoweowza @burgerdrome I haven't bought a TV for 15 years so this is like science fiction to me. But hardly surprising now that I think about it  @burgerdrome@aus.social I know it's effectively sort of the same thing but I've had a better experience turning off the network on the TV and connecting an external Roku stick. It has the advantage at least that Roku don't care about selling me a new TV so it keeps getting updates to work with new versions of services, and I can just use the TV unencumbered for broadcast.  @burgerdrome that's a nice long list of reasons not to buy a TV running Android! Long time fan of LG's webOS here, which exhibits very few, if any, of those issues. I can't recommend it enough as a product range @witewulf @burgerdrome unfortunately, I have one of those, and LG does their best to actively ruin the experience by pushing more and more ads on the screen. Also, the inability to put the TV on it’s own vpn is what I would consider a deal breaker these days. I constantly get Nagged to upgrade the software, which if you wait long enough it’ll just force the update on you with your agreement. No, fuck LG, this is the last time I give them money for this shit. @AlexanderMars @burgerdrome I strongly recommend running something like pihole on your network to block ads and tracking. I have a separate client group for TVs and streaming devices on my network with a specific blocklist configured for it @oscarjiminy @burgerdrome That is what I did at home, but I think this is not what this post is about. We bought the hardware, we _should_ not have to do this!  @burgerdrome I especially love that 9 months into owning it, I'm still not entirely sure whether my tv can tune in to broadcast signals.  @burgerdrome I've played with enough smart tv test units to know I will never want one... So basically if the Chromecast stops being a thing I will be quite upset. @whatshisays @burgerdrome I like the google tv for the remote. It has some ads. But is more user friendly and app friendly.  @burgerdrome Smart TVs aren't all that smart. Give me a big dumb screen with 14 HDMI ports and I will plug what I want into it. @whatshisays  @andycarolan @burgerdrome @whatshisays but then that would no longer be a "TV" and it would become a "monitor" They'll charge much more money for it. Fine; I'll pay the money if they make a quality monitor. At least then their product would actually be honest!  @burgerdrome i recommend buying a big Computer Monitor as TV because they are dumb and dont do such shit
@burgerdrome well all this bloatware can be uninstalled be the european users starting August 2023. Will the providers comply with the new EU law? We'll see. My Xiaomi phone definitely is not complying yet with DMA (Digital Markets Act). @dan_mastodon @burgerdrome ooh, didn't even think about the TV being included in this, thanks for pointing this out! 🎉  @dan_mastodon @burgerdrome  @burgerdrome No one is stopping you from using a TV without internet access, and connect a low-power and silent media computer, install a linux + kodi and have all the nice things without relying so much on what big corporations are doing. @burgerdrome  @basisbit @burgerdrome do you usually find “nobody is stopping you” to be a good conversation opener? @burgerdrome @basisbit "I'm Sir David Attenborough. Here we see the Spiny Explainer Reply Guy, exhibiting its signature behaviour in the wild of barging into someone's feed and offering condescending, useless, and utterly unwanted 'advice.'" @burgerdrome  @burgerdrome I'm glad I still have a "dumb" TV, leave all the "smart" stuff to streaming boxes and game consoles  @burgerdrome I just treat my Smart TV like a dumb TV, disconnect it from the network and use a different, more capable and focused device as a media center. @burgerdrome you should just totally buy what I bought, even though I hate it as much as you hate yours. Recommending it allows me to feel validation in my choices and completes me as a person. @SubElement mike you may have a free pass. some motherfucker just tried to tell me that "glocks are quite notably made of plastic" @burgerdrome Did you try standing at the rear of the TV to see if it behaves differently when it doesn't think you are around? 🙂  @burgerdrome ah, so you hate being mansplained to, and yet you are a man? curious! i am very intelligent @burgerdrome The way you knew all this advice was coming is maybe even funnier than the original post and in a way also equally sad.  @burgerdrome Jesus fuck I just looked at the number of boosts and favourites on that. D: One of these: https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-tv-hat/ On a Pi With some of this: Fulfills all my (admittedly limited) TV requirements with the occasional adjunct of a budget chromecast dongle so I can watch GCN bikeracing from my phone.  @burgerdrome a lot of software is written on top of layers of other software by people who do not really understand or care to understand what the CPU or memory is really doing, all to serve features users don't really need. You would expect with technology getting better computers would get faster but it's not actually the case @burgerdrome yeah, it is insane. in my livingroom there is a sony android tv, a denon reciever and a ps5. each of these wants network, accounts, needs updates and all that stuff. i wish sony would sellco sumer devices with just the panel with one hdmi input, no speakers and no options other than energy saving maybe. just a 4k oled screen with no options. all of them sell public signage displays, which are basically that, but at 3x the price. meh.
@burgerdrome yeah, I've used a few brands of SmartTV over the years, and the Samsung one seems to be the shittiest. My favourite is my FirefoxOS based Panasonic. The OS is so simple and basic, but it's very quick to achieve what you want because of it, and there are only 3 small advert boxes that are non intrusive and easy to ignore. @burgerdrome Exactly why I'm reading this toot on a 40" display from 2006 that I found on the street next to a trash bin. Took a bit of work to dig up firmware and service menu info, then update to allow native 1080p60 on the HDMI, but AVSForum came through again. @burgerdrome that's just capitalism doing what it does, making everything trend towards increasing mediocrity in the hope of wringing more money out of people. Bugger UX, gotta get as many eyeballs on these apps as possible even if 99% of the people will never use them. @burgerdrome I lobotomized all my TVs by granting them isolated IP addresses and then denying them Internet access. AppleTV is worth the extra money to maintain some remnant of privacy.  @burgerdrome …and *this* is why we hope our 2010 LG 42” “dumb screen” (with a Chromecast plugged in) will keep working for the indefinite future 🙏🏻 @burgerdrome The best part, for me, was moving to a new country with my TVs, and now having many apps that don't work in the new location, but no access to the apps from the new country (because the TV thinks it's still in the old place).  @burgerdrome The song of my people. I especially love how, for those of us who eschew Smart "anything" for all of the "benefits" you itemize, it is increasingly harder to find Dumb appliances and electronics anymore. I drive my TV from a computer thanks. I just want a really big really crisp screen with 3-4 HDMI inputs and color, contrast and brightness controls, is that so much to ask? Apparently so. @burgerdrome @burgerdrome I love about smart TVs that they scream for a nerd like me who uses adb to send the android tv bloatware back to the hell it came from. @burgerdrome When I have the choice, I find it almost always easier to use a phone, tablet or even my laptop to AirPlay to my TV than the streaming box. And both are easier than the smart TV I use the rest of the time.  @burgerdrome You'd think since you know, you bought their TV, they'd want it to work decently so you'll want to buy another one when the time comes and recommend them to your friends. But it's all about the 5 cents of ad revenue they can get NOW. Personally I think roku is the least bad option but they're not innocent either. @burgerdrome didn't tried this FREE TV yet? On my side, I gave my TV in 2005 and never had one anymore since this time @burgerdrome I miss having this pleasure with my tv. Perhaps it’s because the company that made it (Olevia) went out of business & the PTB lack access to the needed APIs? @burgerdrome I also love how occasionally it decides it knows better than me and changes all my settings as well as the names of my inputs. Just the best, thank you so much. @burgerdrome Mmm, how do you spell fascinating (I mean facetious)? Thank you for the accurate descriptions. So relatable! @burgerdrome@aus.social This is why I have an AppleTV and use it exclusively instead of my tv’s built in “smart” bullshit. @burgerdrome Bravo. Hope you don‘t mind if I steal your „wings of joy“ for future GDPR Info request e-Mails to deserving companies? @burgerdrome It sucks that the options for "Dumb" TVs today are junk tiny screens that are budget-priced for a reason or commercial-grade stuff that isn't horribly priced, but meant for digital signage, so stuff like gaming or any fast-motion content is not going to be great viewing quality. I'd love to know if there are any good options out there in this field, but reviews are few and far between it seems. @FreakyFwoof @burgerdrome I love smart TVs especially the ones with a screen reader. It let me explore the program for the first time without looking at the program schedule on the internet. It let me change TV settings without asking someone to help. @chikim @burgerdrome I do too, but they are also becoming dumber, the smarter they supposedly get. @FreakyFwoof @burgerdrome Yea, I feel like software bloat is pretty much universal though not just smart tv. I guess new features bring more money than optimization/bug fixs. @burgerdrome this is so wonderfully written. I will save this post as the benchmark of how you can write prose where every sentence is dripping with pure sarcasm!! Well done. As for Smart TV software, I think the manufacturers of TVs should just give up trying. There are already at least 2 ecosystems that are leaps and bounds better: Roku and Android TV. Just plug one of them into your TV and forget it was ever "Smart". @burgerdrome Same advice should be given to the automotive infotainment makers. Just implement Android Auto and Car play and use the RnD dollars to make more efficient cars. @burgerdrome Former Geek Squad cadet here. The options for TV’s are all terrible, but I’ve been slowly taking control of my LG, FireTV, and Samsung using #homeassistant. When it’s you in control, it’s actually very useful to have a computer in your TV, but going the Home Assistant route is a huge, time consuming project. You can, however, easily make time for it by doing what I did: getting fired from Geek Squad. @burgerdrome you said that you don’t like unsolicited tech advice, so I ask myself why I am writing this 😃 I gave away our expensive Smart TV and bought a cheap dumb TV at a discount store for $180 that is only 1080. It has rabbit ears antenna and one HDMI interface, that is it. I plug an Apple TV into the HDMI and I am super happy, even with the poor video quality. We all need to find our own path to happiness 😎  @burgerdrome I have yet to purchase one of these. Please inform me of the brand, so that I may share in your joy  @dannotdaniel I imagine that if you make money - as I understand it, the majority of profit on tv units in the sub-1k market - on this stuff you’re gonna work pretty hard to prevent anyone from removing it. @donw it looks like I'm not the first nerd to wonder about this @burgerdrome enshitification will set us all free, I got tired of paying for 900 channels of shit with ads constantly playing, I got tired of app ads, ads are almost definitely coming to subscription providers like Disney plus and Netflix, it's already all over prime, the more they try to push shit I to us the more they will force us to leave, I have no subscriptions, no TV licence & no bills to pay for entertainment, because you do don't have to, do something else... @burgerdrome I’m gonna bookmark this for the next time someone side-eyes me for spending money on some sort of streamer hardware product “when that stuff all comes in the tv already now.” @burgerdrome Samsung Q7? Mine just blinks relentlessly until it’s had a good half hour to find it’s feet. Open a window, you’re back to square one. Literally that affects it. Long past time for a class action there. @burgerdrome don’t give your tv WiFi. At least not until it’s finished it’s homework and cleaned up its room. @burgerdrome I used a tube TV, from about 25 years ago, until last year; then I unplugged it. Wasn't used anymore. Doubtful if I will ever need to buy a new TV: too much news and entertainment on the mobile phone anyway.   @burgerdrome and I still can't even fulfill the capitalist fantasy of buying a sweater I like on a TV show.   @burgerdrome I never plugged mine in to the internet. I just plugged everything I had in my older, non-smart TV and went. Have enough with ads on some of the Shield's apps.   @burgerdrome  @burgerdrome I block all “smart” tvs from my home network. There’s nothing that benefits me from a tv with net access  @burgerdrome ok the fact that you are staring at the sky instead of your tv makes me doubt your sincerity @burgerdrome You forgot the thing you were watching suddenly vanishing because the app decided to update and therefore closed itself. (Yes I've actually experienced this one :-( )  @burgerdrome   @burgerdrome Ah, a gentle reminder that you should never ever hook up a “Smart” TV to the internet. Or, come to think of it, a network of any kind. @burgerdrome Is it a voice activated one? Because if so, you can probably add to that list that it's listening in on your conversations as well @burgerdrome The rise of FOSS will get only bigger as people realize they’re being used for their data by big tech. @burgerdrome Worst part is you can't hardly find a new dumb tv. Everything has crappy roku, even the stupid overpriced 720p walmart TVs. @burgerdrome sei ohne Sorge, sei ohne Sorge ...  I disconnected my smart TV from the network, and use an nVidia Shield to stream. I did this after the whole scandal about the TV mic being on all the time, feeding audio to the manufacturer's servers. @burgerdrome Don't know which smart TV you have. So far, mine stays out of my way possibly because we have cut the cable/satellite and rely on streaming. It does offer one tremendous electricity/environmental benefit. If I have a light on in the room it will charge the remote through a "solar" panel on the back if I remember to turn it over. The manufacturer makes a selling point of this being environmentally friendly. The remote also takes a Type C cell charger. @burgerdrome Does your TV have a slutty sister? She can break my heart after the holidays 😍 @burgerdrome you've inspired me to go check the pi-hole logs for our Sony "smart" TV. @burgerdrome We got a newer, "better" smart TV to replace our older one that used a Roku USB device. I really miss our dumb TV, had no idea how much of a nightmare smart TVs are. @burgerdrome On the topic of adverts and tracking, I just installed a Pi-Hole at home today: https://pi-hole.net/   You have my sympathy, but the prose was beautiful. I started hearing 'America the Beautiful' playing in your head as I read it. I suppose this is why they say an artist must suffer.  @burgerdrome @lisamelton I don’t have a smart TV. Appreciate you detailing their #enshittification so I know I'll never have a smart TV. @burgerdrome @burgerdrome my Smart tv became dumb. Long time ago. It’s homescreen and all the BS controls and data-gathering superceded by other, slicker devices and services which are all on their own respective enshittification paths… |
@burgerdrome maybe try free to air? My 10+ year old 27” Samsung Tv still going great and doesn’t spy on me because it can’t.
(Funny story, when the antenna distribution system in our apartment block died recently, we were the only ones to complain. We already knew we were the weird old couple in the building but that proved it decisively 🤪 We tried using The Internet while it was off but the experience was too awful, much as you describe in fact.)