I’m Terrified of My New Smart TV

MrGuvernment said:
As said, find a TV now with out the Smart Features but has the same panel quality and other features you want....
Click to expand...

SilkySalamandr said:
So many people that have not bought a tv in years. "If you dont want a smart tv, then buy one without it" there problem solved im so fucking smart comments are funny.

Usually ALL the higher end tvs come with smart features and cannot be avoided. Nobody is talking about your bullshit sekis or poloroid tvs. I didnt want any smart feautures when i bought my new tv because i have a damn xbox,ps4,blu ray that all do the same things. My Panasonic ST60 plasma (best rated tv in cnet history) has the best panel but smart crap comes with it.
Click to expand...

But you are not forced to get any specific set so putting smart features on high end panels does not amount to forcing you to pay for smart features.

As I said earlier, when I bought my set earlier this year I didn't care about the smart features at all, although I've found that I use the Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the media player functionality all the time and without issue.

I doubt smart tvs, when used for basics such as that are any more privacy infringing them a smart phone or computer.


DeChache said:
Your right but how much does the smart functions that I don't want raise the cost of the TV. How much did licensing the applications to run on your TV cost. How much of that am I paying for.
Click to expand...

Now this is just silly, lots of things have things or features not everyone wants, but I don't think I've seen people get their panties in a bunch like this before.

If you want to buy a GTX 980 do you complain that you don't want PhysX, and ask how much it adds to the cost of every videocard?
 
SilkySalamandr said:
I simply dont use it but it does still rob the tv of processing power. You cant even delete or disable them fully.
Click to expand...

Its easy enough to block the Smart functions or not even connect it to the internet. But then why put the features in at all? I would assume it costs money to add these SMART functions, why pay extra for something you aren't going to use? Then there's the "I am paying top dollar for a premium TV and these fuckers are selling my information you stole at a profit" with it to boot. Well if that's the case. Gimme the TV for free :p

Personally, if you want to steal my information and sell it to third party companies, I want a cut of it. Its my life, I should be the one who profits off it...
 
Dumb TVs are better because you can upgrade them with a Chromecast, Fire TV or Roku, and upgrade to the next latest and greatest instead of being stuck with something outdated in 6 months.
 
This is one of those things that's going to fall in the "it's set default on?! we're fucked!' department. Sure you might be able to disable it, but a million other people won't because they don't even know it's happening.

Ignorance is bliss
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
But you are not forced to get any specific set so putting smart features on high end panels does not amount to forcing you to pay for smart features.

As I said earlier, when I bought my set earlier this year I didn't care about the smart features at all, although I've found that I use the Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the media player functionality all the time and without issue.

I doubt smart tvs, when used for basics such as that are any more privacy infringing them a smart phone or computer.




Now this is just silly, lots of things have things or features not everyone wants, but I don't think I've seen people get their panties in a bunch like this before.

If you want to buy a GTX 980 do you complain that you don't want PhysX, and ask how much it adds to the cost of every videocard?
Click to expand...

In a way your correct. There is a difference between a company building in features that I don't want to a product (PhysX) and buying features to sell me on their product.

There are lots of things I won't buy because they are including stuff just to increase "coolness" factor and cost and yes I complain about it there too. Others should too. Don't buy something that costs more just because that's all there is. I think will be OK for one more TV purchase after that....

Don't get me started on modern cars.
 
If your tv has a webcam, then it is always on and uploading all the audio/video it records to the cloud.
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
Earlier this year I picked up a 60" samsung F8500 plasma tv, and while I didn't buy it for the smart tv features, or the 3D, but instead for picture quaulity and rich black level, but the better panels tend to also have the extra features.

I assumed i would never use the smart features, but I was wrong and I regularly use the Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime and the media player, but that's it. The first thing I did was to stow away the camera and turn it and the microphone off.

As many have pointed out, does it track my habits? I'm sure it does, but likely by no more than my PS3 or cellphone does when I used for those same apps on them.
Click to expand...

It's not just the TV tracking your habits, its the embedded always on microphones and, increasingly more common, cameras that bother me the most. How do you really know the microphone is off unless its unplugged or that the integrated low watt speakers don't have a second connection to act as a backup microphone?

And no, you can't get a halfway decent or better panel without it being loaded down with this intrusively invasive spy gear constantly monitoring you. I started a thread in the Display section of the forum asking for better panels with no smart features. The general answer was to just live with it.
 
SGA76 said:
Dumb TVs are better because you can upgrade them with a Chromecast, Fire TV or Roku, and upgrade to the next latest and greatest instead of being stuck with something outdated in 6 months.
Click to expand...

Samsung smart tvs actually are upgradable.as well.


Teenyman45 said:
It's not just the TV tracking your habits, its the embedded always on microphones and, increasingly more common, cameras that bother me the most. How do you really know the microphone is off unless its unplugged or that the integrated low watt speakers don't have a second connection to act as a backup microphone?

And no, you can't get a halfway decent or better panel without it being loaded down with this intrusively invasive spy gear constantly monitoring you. I started a thread in the Display section of the forum asking for better panels with no smart features. The general answer was to just live with it.
Click to expand...

I don't know, just as you can't say the soundcard in your computer, cellphone or any other high tech device isn't doing the same thing.
 
striker444 said:
I wonder if someone can find out where these files that are riddled with your private data are going to and just continue to upload bogus stuff to them.
Click to expand...

Ahh, but what these companies are doing isn't illegal but a court might decide that your actions are or at least that they are justified in terminating all your services via the TV, hope you didn't like the Netflix App.


Just explain it to them with your wallet. Come on, Money is the only language they speak so use it. If you don't like that shit don't buy it ffs. When the costs aren't justified they will try something else, right now the tech companies are just riding the mystical big data wave. Everything is big data but it won't turn out, it never turns out like they thought it would. Watch, people came up with it, it's flawed.
 
Teenyman45 said:
It's not just the TV tracking your habits, its the embedded always on microphones and, increasingly more common, cameras that bother me the most. How do you really know the microphone is off unless its unplugged or that the integrated low watt speakers don't have a second connection to act as a backup microphone?

And no, you can't get a halfway decent or better panel without it being loaded down with this intrusively invasive spy gear constantly monitoring you. I started a thread in the Display section of the forum asking for better panels with no smart features. The general answer was to just live with it.
Click to expand...

Would this one qualify? I am not an expert on panels.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16889624010
 
heck that on the TV suggestion, reviews make it sound like a terrible choice.
 
serious said:
What makes a phone less terrifying?
Click to expand...

when it's in my pocket it isn't watching me an listening to everything I do... or is it?! no probably not since keeping the data connection open like that would kill the battery very rapidly

anyway I think my TV had smart features, I never hooked it up to ethernet and the wifi was a usb dongle that's probably long lost by now... never installed it since I didn't intend to use it anyway

friend of mine has the latest Panasonic plasma hooked up to his wifi, the stupid thing actually shows banner ads across the bottom of the screen sometimes, I would have returned it the second it did that..
 
striker444 said:
I wonder if someone can find out where these files that are riddled with your private data are going to and just continue to upload bogus stuff to them.
Click to expand...

That's easy enough.. all you would have to do is look in your router to see what IPs it connects to and how much data it sends when only using the TV.

Now setting up the connection not through the TV might be a problem.
 
nutzo said:
Dumb TV with a HTPC > Smart TV
Click to expand...

Except you control the data flow. Versus Smart TV's which log and store everything to report back to the mothership.

HTPC's are beyond superior to Smart TV's. You can completely customize them for whatever experience you want. All that's required is some effort on your part.

I think smart tv's are a blight. They have horrible firmware problems , crash constantly , often do work as well as stand alone solutions that cost far less and they introduce input latency which really sucks for gamers.

I like my TV's smart in the way that I want them to get the best picture possible. I do not like my TV's to want an inside line on my viewing habits , social media , personal pictures and etc. I find that incredibly intrusive.

I'm going for a high end projector in my next purchase. I'll get a picture that can't be beat (120 inches) and I don't have to sign into some dumb service or worry about constant firmware updates just to navigate the menus.

Fuck that.
 
I'm not a fan, but it's amazing how important people think the things they do are. Nobody cares enough to listen to you grunting and farting in your living room while surfing for tranny porn on your smart TV. :D
 
timta2 said:
I'm not a fan, but it's amazing how important people think the things they do are. Nobody cares enough to listen to you grunting and farting in your living room while surfing for tranny porn on your smart TV. :D
Click to expand...

No. On an individual scale no one gives a shit about your habits. But compound that by millions of people and you have a LOT of corporations caring about everything you. That kind of information makes and breaks companies daily.

Why do you think Facebook paid $16 Billion for Whatsapp? For the technology? Ha. They paid for the customer data base which was extensive. Information is just money waiting to happen.

Samsung , Sony , LG and etc all know that by offering common video/audio/social media streaming services that they can bury deep in their EULA's that they are allowed to collect data on your habits. No one reads the EULA.. ever. I'm absolutely positive its in their under very cloak and dagger like statements. And when you press "I agree" you give up that information freely. Its millions of dollars worth of information via a very low impact method of collection.

They often do not sell it to a third party but having that kind of information at their finger tips makes them a more effective business so why not? Of course you don't know exactly what they do with this information.

You have to remember that "you" really represents a massive number. Its not about individual data collection (ala NSA/CIA/FBI type methods) its about a dragnet of information pools.

Call it paranoia but everything you do leaves some kind of digital foot print. Isn't it reasonable to be a bit concerned with what happens to that information? Doesn't the micro concern eventually become a macro problem?
 
"I’m Terrified of My New Smart TV"

Well first thing that spring to mind is South Park and that super-duper-uber high-tech TV Chef bought that started exterminating people.

And next certainly 1984...

That's prime reason why no TV of mine is ever (&never) connected to the net.
 
come to think of it even if they did monitor my tv it would be pretty boring usage patters

"Man this guy really loves that HDMI1 channel!"

the mics and cameras are insane though... I remove them from my laptops... anyone remember NetBUS back in the day? good times
 
Ugh, yeah. "Smart" stuff is meant to spy on you, nothing more. And water is wet...

I won't buy a TV with a mic and camera. Hell, I won't take it for free, too.
 
FLECOM said:
when it's in my pocket it isn't watching me an listening to everything I do... or is it?! no probably not since keeping the data connection open like that would kill the battery very rapidly
Click to expand...

Heh. Who said it needs to all the time?

I have a Galaxy media player 5 with wifi and GPS that is rooted and at least once a week when it sees there is an active Wifi connection it fires up the GPS all by itself and tries to locate where it is at. The only way to stop it is to kill the power and reboot the device.

One of these days I'll have to have to monitor the traffic to see whom it is talking too.

Any apps based on GPS have been ripped out, still tries to phone home.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top