Your TV Is Now a Computer, but Not in a Good Way

[Heel n Toe]

Any of you guys ever experience this?

Not sure if our Samsung Smart TV is new enough for this nonsense, but it's never happened to us.
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The problem began mysteriously. I switched on my Samsung Smart TV to watch the Warriors game, and after about 20 seconds, the CBS News app switched itself on for a few seconds in a small rectangle in the upper left corner. Then my TV crashed, which is a thing TVs can do now, and the screen went dark.

This was particularly confusing because I’d never watched the CBS News app. I’d never installed the app, nor did I even know it was on my TV.

Full article: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/smart-tvs-are-dumb/581059/

[Bill Douglas]

Yep, all these things designed to make life easier...

This is a part of a really interesting ethics issue I've studied on lately. All IoT smart devices that take commands are on all the time, recording you, sometimes based on trigger words ("Alexa . . .") but record on a continuous loop that's erased at some point, while others we aren't always sure about. This raises all kinds of privacy concerns, and there have already been occasions where a smart device has sent a recorded conversation about a third party to that third party. Can lead to some real problems. The data is stored in the cloud, and, per the user agreement, is owned by the company. Good luck getting it. On the other hand, it's right there for law enforcement to listen to.

Makes the old Quasar with the rabbit ears look pretty good.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

Makes the old Quasar with the rabbit ears look pretty good.

Not when you're the one holding the rabbit ears while Dad yells out directions like a drunken choreographer!

[red-beard]

I only have one "smart" TV. It is fairly old, so not very smart. Just has Netflix and Amazon Prime built in.

[Mad Max]

We are living Orwell's 1984 where some school kid(s) gets accused of FaceCrime, TV or AI records very conversation and the mentally ill are running the insane asylum.

I am opting out, based on my Fourth and Fifth Amendment Rights, to be spied on in my home.

God Help Us All

[widebody911]

On the other hand, it's right there for law enforcement to listen to

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that facebook, google, 23-and-me, etc have become law enforcement proxies. The can capture and retain more data than any police dept, FBI, CIA, KGB, FSB could ever dream of.

[JackDidley]

I hate the thought of big brother watching. Cameras everywhere. At least my smart TV is a few years old so it has no voice recognition. I guess the next one will be listening and watching me.

[Arizona_928]

Yes.

I don't own a tv, but have a MacBook... I use it for Netflix when I have time.

I also cover my front facing camera with tape. I'm not paranoid...

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by widebody911

On the other hand, it's right there for law enforcement to listen to

The conspiracy theorist in me thinks that facebook, google, 23-and-me, etc have become law enforcement proxies. The can capture and retain more data than any police dept, FBI, CIA, KGB, FSB could ever dream of.

You left out Fitbit....

[legion]

I dread buying a new TV. All I really need is essentially a large monitor with an HDMI input. All it needs to do is display a video signal. That's it. All of the functionality that I need is supplied by other devices.

I'm hoping at the very least, I can just plug it in and never hook it up to my router and deactivate all the crap I don't want or need.

[john70t]

https://www.thecreepyline.com/
An eye-opening documentary, The Creepy Line reveals the stunning degree to which society is manipulated by Google and Facebook and blows the lid off the remarkably subtle – hence powerful – manner in which they do it.”

Twitter Facebook Google Amazon all became publishers when they started actively editing.
There is a huge difference.
The funny thing is that Hollywood SOPA/PIPA infringement laws would now work extraordinarily well against them.

[911 Rod]

Don't worry. Your TV will die in 4 years and end up in the trash.

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by legion

I dread buying a new TV. All I really need is essentially a large monitor with an HDMI input. All it needs to do is display a video signal. That's it. All of the functionality that I need is supplied by other devices.

I'm hoping at the very least, I can just plug it in and never hook it up to my router and deactivate all the crap I don't want or need.

Then all you need is a nice Epson front projector.

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by legion

I dread buying a new TV. All I really need is essentially a large monitor with an HDMI input. All it needs to do is display a video signal. That's it. All of the functionality that I need is supplied by other devices.

I'm hoping at the very least, I can just plug it in and never hook it up to my router and deactivate all the crap I don't want or need.

This is what we did. It was hard to pass up a 4K TV for $255 after the big game last year as they all went on clearance. It is a "smart tv" but has no connection to our network. We use it for the HTPC and OTA stuff.