Android TV Update Puts Home-Screen Ads On Multi-Thousand-Dollar Sony Smart TVs (arstechnica.com) 212
Google is testing a new "Pilot Program" that puts a row of advertisements on the Android TV home screen. XDA Developers, which was the first to report the program, says: "We're currently seeing reports that it has shown up in Sony smart TVs, the Mi Box 3 from Xiaomi, NVIDIA Shield TV, and others." Ars Technica reports: The advertising is a "Sponsored Channel" part of the "Android TV Core Services" app that ships with all Android TV devices. A "Channel" in Android TV parlance means an entire row of thumbnails in the UI will be dedicated to "sponsored" content. Google provided XDA Developers with a statement saying that yes, this is on purpose, but for now it's a "pilot program."
Sony has tersely worded a support page detailing the "Sponsored channel," too. There's no mention here of it being a pilot program. Sony's page, titled "A sponsored channel has suddenly appeared on my TV Home menu," says, "This change is included in the latest Android TV Launcher app (Home app) update. The purpose is to help you discover new apps and contents for your TV." Sony goes on to say, "This channel is managed by Google" and "the Sponsored channel cannot be customized." Sony basically could replace the entire page with a "Deal with it" sunglasses gif, and it would send the same message.
Sony has tersely worded a support page detailing the "Sponsored channel," too. There's no mention here of it being a pilot program. Sony's page, titled "A sponsored channel has suddenly appeared on my TV Home menu," says, "This change is included in the latest Android TV Launcher app (Home app) update. The purpose is to help you discover new apps and contents for your TV." Sony goes on to say, "This channel is managed by Google" and "the Sponsored channel cannot be customized." Sony basically could replace the entire page with a "Deal with it" sunglasses gif, and it would send the same message.
suckers (Score:5, Insightful)
Those of us that bought the original sony google TVs and were abandoned by both sony and google have never forgotten. Pretty sure none of us will buy Sony again - definitely not TVs at least.
Re: suckers (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm AC... but honestly I haven't purchased Sony shit since their rootkit crap in the mid 2000s. I may have inadvertently bought media they control (movies) but I guess that's less than $100 since that event. Sony is a garbage ethics corporation.
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Re: suckers (Score:5, Insightful)
I quit Sony after I got a Rootkit installed on my laptop just by playing a CD.
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Dropping OtherOS on the PS3 was the final straw for me and Sony. At least when I buy a Samsung product I expect to be screwed in some way (e.g., all my old Samsung TVs slowly dropping support for apps... easily fixed with a FireStick or similar).
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Re: suckers (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: suckers (Score:4, Funny)
I never liked them.
[looks all smug and superior]
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I don't know, it seems like their Mirrorless cameras are all the rage right now, and I personally have preferred the Playstation to the competitors since sega folded as a hardware concern.
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They do produce an exceedingly well rated camera.
I didn't even consider buying it though, because rootkit.
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Re:suckers (Score:5, Insightful)
I would NEVER buy a smart TV anyway, they are a bad investment.
With a dumb TV you can add what smarts you want, from a chrome cast to ATV through to a full blown computer.
And these devices will receive software updates long after the SmartTv has been abandoned
And you can upgrade or swap you preferred smarts as you want.
Dear Samsung (Score:4, Informative)
I've got a Samsung Smart TV, but it keeps trying to switch me to their online Korean channels. Everytime it starts, by default, its on their channels, trying to show me k-pop or some such. I got sick of it, unplugged it from the internet and use a TV box instead. The TV still switches to its default channels every-time, but they don't get the benefit of forcing me to watch the channels they control, instead it just shows an error message.
It's not just the TV, Bixby! It pops up, to use it you have to agree to an invasive EULA, to turn it off, you have to start it up, agree to the invasive EULA, then it only turns the button off, not Bixby or the invasive snooping it does. That cost them a smartphone sale on the last upgrade.
The TV shit will cost them a TV sale on the next upgrade of TVs.
Dear Samsung, Fuck You.
An ex-customer.
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I got sick of it, unplugged it from the internet and use a TV box instead.
Why in the world did you ever plug it into the internet in the first place? I thought everyone on Slashdot knew better.
The TV shit will cost them a TV sale on the next upgrade of TVs.
Dear Samsung, Fuck You. An ex-customer.
I could be wrong, but it seems that you're missing the point. The most important lesson here isn't "don't buy Samsung" - although that's certainly a good idea - it's "don't buy a smart TV". And if you MUST buy one - I know it's getting harder and harder to buy any other kind - then for Dog's sake never connect it to the Interwebs!
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I'm contemplating just buying big computer monitors to replace my TVs when they wear out.
Although computer monitors are increasingly software defined now too :(
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I just bought a Vizio 40" smart tv...and don't have it plugged into my ethernet, and the ad-free AppleTV is.
Re:suckers (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm with you. I have a "dumb" monitor and feed it with a sub-$100 Rasberry Pi setup (since I only need 1080p because I'm old and feeble of sight). I can run Kodi (with illegal plug-ins) and thus access a raft of great stuff (including YouTube) and I have a Chromecast that lets me access Netflix.
For the money, I bet a *much* better quality "dumb" screen than I'd get if I went the "Smart TV" way and if I don't like the smart side of things I can always change software at the flip of a micro-SD card. Who the hell would buy a smart TV????
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I too use a Pi, but I also have a smart TV. The key is to have options so that if one goes sour you are not stuck with it.
There are benefits to buying a proper TV over a dumb monitor too. TVs do a lot of image processing that monitors don't. Even with high quality content it helps to remove/hide artefacts and to improve things like motion resolution. Also they don't make plasma or OLED monitors, and there are not many monitors that go up to TV sizes (50+ inches). Most only have one or max 2 HDMI ports and n
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For the money, I get a *much* better quality "dumb" screen than I'd get if I went the "Smart TV" way
That's inaccurate. Smart TV's are actually cheaper [slashdot.org] BECAUSE they are "SMART". The cost of the TV is subsidized by the advertising revenue the OEM's expect to collect once you connect it to the internet. I simply never set up internet on the TV.
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We all know this.
I'm currently using an old dumb tv, connected to hdmi to linux mint, and it works great.
However, when looking for a replacement the pickings are quite thin.
Sure, a "non-smart" display can be purchased from Dell or somesuch, but they are incredibly pricey compared to the giveaway deals on "smart" tvs.
What do people reccomend for a dumb(smart) tv?
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What do people reccomend for a dumb(smart) tv?
Buy a Smart one and never connect it to your network. It will essentially be a non-smart one
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That's where I'm at. Got a decent deal on an LG Smart TV. Spent a couple hundred bucks for an Intel NUC and dropped in a 500gb drive and 16gigs of ram. Installed Kubuntu, and plugged it in via HDMI. The TV gets 3 inputs - power and 2 HDMI cables. It doesn't need more than that.
That little box is beefy enough to push 2k content, streams stuff flawlessly, and if I wanted to, I could install Steam on it and play a whole lot of games. I've got most of my current rotation of music on it to play through the surro
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That's great in theory, but where is this dumb TV that you can buy? When we went shopping for TVs, this simply wasn't an option.
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The Sony Trintron CRT was amazing and I don't regret the one I bought in 1992. But they never quite achieved that level of technical dominance in the flat screen era.
Mostly they were a company with some great individual technologies -- the various Walkman models were always pretty good, they had some decent VCRs but overall they never seemed to be the best at any one thing and I don't think they were ever considered a real high end brand.
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Sony used to be a company I thought I could trust. Advertisements junking up everything? No thanks.
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What choice do we have? All the TVs are running crapware. What I do is to just make sure that it can't connect to the network and download updates, and then I use an external set-top-box (an Apple TV, as it happens, but doesn't have to be) to deliver content. I wish you could buy a TV that wasn't "smart," but that doesn't seem to be an option at present.
"Smart" TVs (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:"Smart" TVs (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not very smart to have a computer connected to the internet inside your television that you can't actually control.
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Older "smart TVs" were much worse than Android TV smart TVs. Android TV is far more customizable and has a lot more software for it.
That said, having actually had to fuck wi... ahem, configure one for my parents, I ended up just giving them my old laptop to be plugged into another HDMI port and told them to just ignore the entire "smart" aspect of it. Android TV is almost as locked down as typical smart TV systems that came before it, to the point where even getting a sideloaded apk to run on it was a chore
All hail the almighty advertising dollar! /s (Score:5, Insightful)
Why are people surprised that companies are NOT interesting in your time, space, and money? All they care about is selling you out in order to make a few bucks.
Is Sony, etc. going to stop? No, all that will happen is that a few people will complain about how disrespectful this is and absolutely NOTHING will change. :-(
Boycotting these companies won't stop this stupidity. Most people just don't care.
I'm not sure what a good (or practical) solution is to get this to stop. While banning ads would solve the problem too many people just don't give a fuck about blatant (commercial) propaganda.
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It's a new video scaling method! Super advanced.
Just show video in native and use the rest of the screen for ads.
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All hail the class action law suit. Suing stuff like this in court is so easy, class action millions up for grabs. They are stealing your bandwidth, stealing your time and stealing the use of the hardware they sold you, leaves they wide open to major penalties. They can not claim you agreed, they are just out and out stealing it, Sony and Google, evil inc, at it again.
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Indoctrination. It's easier when you start them young, just like religion.
It's just weird that a country would need to do this, as if they might all grow up resentful of their country for some reason.
“Trojan Horse” comes to mind (Score:3)
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The way this was sneaked in is alarming.
Yeah, the audacity is a bit staggering. If I spend multiple thousands of dollars on a device I'm OK with advertisements in the Google Play store or iTunes or some app like that but I'm not OK with the space on my home-screen/desktop being chewed up so that these bozos can make money by shoving advertisements in my face. One of the things you pay for when you buy a device is freedom from bullshit like that.
Re:“Trojan Horse” comes to mind (Score:5, Insightful)
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If you use a TV with an OS made by an advertising company, can you really find it that surprising or audacious? People need to stop thinking of Google as a technology company and start thinking of them as what they really are: The world's biggest ad agency.
Does it surprise me that Google would do this ... ummm ... No. this is Google we are talking about here. Do I find it audacious? You better believe that I do, in fact it's not just audacious it is bloody outrageous. Apple and Microsoft do not repurpose my desktop background or screensaver to shove advertisements in my face, Toyota does not project advertisements onto the windshield of my car and the Asus company who made my computer monitor does interrupt my work by flashing advertisements across it. If Goo
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Apple and Microsoft do not repurpose my desktop background or screensaver to shove advertisements in my face
You don't remember Active Desktop all the way back in the Windows 98SE days? It's true that you could turn it off. Today, the lock screen by default is Microsoft-controlled.
If Google wants to subsidise devices or hand them out for free in exchange for people putting up with advertisements that OK in my book, but if I buy a device outright unsubsidised doing this is bloody outrageous.
This is what happened. You just didn't get a choice to buy an unsubsidized device.
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More like: If I bought a multi-thousand dollar top of the line TV without advertising financial support, back dooring it into the product after it's too late to return it is a taking. Ad supported products are worth far less.
Yup, there is a reason I don't own a singe Google device and there is a reason I always buy 'dumb' televisions and this episode is basically it.
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Google isn't damaging their reputation. They're damaging the manufacturer reputation. In the end, the average consumer is not going to realize it's Google - they're going to complain to the manufacturer.
Re:“Trojan Horse” comes to mind (Score:4, Insightful)
The whole point of "Smart" TVs is for natively streaming online media, quickly & easily, without the fuss of having to muck around with HDMI cables & external devices. And the concept of locally streaming via DLNA is very much limited to the realm of the geek/enthusiast, and that's very unlikely to ever change.
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I use an old Dell dual core desktop, to a Panasonic smart TV via hdmi. The TV never gets connected to the internet, the whole exercise took 1/2 an hour to setup, including OS install. No mucking around, just a once only setup, still going fine 4 years later.
I will never allow my TVs to connect to the internet, exactly because they can pull this shit.
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In this case, "mucking around with an external device" would be having to use the computer controls instead of a simplified remote control UI. This works only because you're in the "realm of the geek/enthusiast" as stated. That said, I don't have my TV connected and I use a Roku - which in a few years pays for itself vs the electricity cost of running an old desktop.
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It’s mucking around to use a palm size wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse? it’s very easy for most people not just geeks, exactly like using the ubiquitous PC. My 91 year old father can do it. With my various channels as shortcuts, I rarely need to use the keyboard.
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I don't store anything locally, I run an openSuse box that acts as a NAS for the home and gives me torrenting or anything else I want.
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And the concept of locally streaming via DLNA is very much limited to the realm of the geek/enthusiast, and that's very unlikely to ever change.
You should wander through YouTube sometime. There are literally 1000 kids telling you how to set up local DLNA streaming, or any other "Smart" TV alternative your little heart desires, all geared for the audience with a 5th grade vocabulary. And they're getting views. Lots of views.
Geeks cherish the idea that only they can understand the holy rituals necessary to purge the dark demons from people's devices. It ain't so. You may understand, but understanding is not required in order to successfully perf
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Smart TVs are a dumb investment (Score:5, Informative)
1) Never EVER give your TV direct internet access
2) If you want a “smart tv”, use an external box which serves content to the TV via HDMI
3) See #1
These devices aren’t supported more than two or three years anyway - if you give them internet access, you’re providing a nice easy way for bad guys into your home.
Think of a smart tv as just another badly designed IoT device.
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Not to disagree with your overall premise (I do agree with it), but in this case this also effects some of those boxes from your step #2.
While this is true, if you buy an unlocked box, you're in control. Even cheap Android sticks often have years of ROM support before they're abandoned for the next cheap stick. It's somewhat wasteful to be replacing them regularly, but they're small. Many of them will run a "real" Linux kernel, some of them even mainlined, so they can have a useful life after Android.
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Problem is that the cheap unlocked Android sticks don't support Netflix at anything above SD resolution. Doubtless other streaming apps are the same - I can't imagine Disney will allow HD video streaming on rooted devices either.
DRM screws us again.
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I could never get hbo go and netflix to both work on Linux, but this was at least 3 years ago.
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2) If you want a “smart tv”, use an external box which serves content to the TV via HDMI
you mean, like the Mi Box 3 from Xiaomi or the NVIDIA Shield TV?
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I agree with you, but it's unlikely that they can be rooted in any meaningful way through WAN. At least the android TV device that I had to recently configure was so locked down, you couldn't even run apks from a hooked up flash USB memory without first fucking with it in some rather unorthodox ways. And then software package would often not work because of android TV not being quite like android.
People who actually do this kind of crime generally look for lowest hanging fruit, and massively diversified fie
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1) Never EVER give your TV direct internet access
2) If you want a “smart tv”, use an external box which serves content to the TV via HDMI
3) See #1
These devices aren’t supported more than two or three years anyway - if you give them internet access, you’re providing a nice easy way for bad guys into your home.
Think of a smart tv as just another badly designed IoT device.
I'm wondering how long it will be before manufacturers start installing non-removable SIM cards in there to shove ads/steal data via a non-turn-off-able cell connection.
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I don't see how that helps.
Now your external box updates and serves you ads. But at least they're not coming from the TV!
SBCs that run Kodi flawlessly cost like $50. You have a great number of choices.
the only solution is not buy smart TVs (Score:2)
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I was looking for a TV in the 20-35 inch range for my mother a couple months ago. I don't know what's available online, but in stores everything is "smart" unless it's tiny. Most of what was available was 720p as well - often without labeling it so. They just stay vague about the resolution. A couple of times I had to search the TVs model online to avoid buying one of those by mistake... but I couldn't avoid the "smart" stuff, not without ordering online at least. Everything is "smart" now.
I own a 40-someth
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My 32" set is "dumb" but it's about 5 years old. Even then I was hearing that it was hard to avoid "smart" sets. Sounds like it's getting worse.
Smart TVs are dumb (Score:3)
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My "tv" is a Commodore 1701 monitor that I got in 1984.
So it's been running for 35 years now.
Re: Smart TVs are dumb (Score:2)
"Help" whether you like ot not. (Score:3)
The purpose is to help you discover new apps and contents for your TV.
What if I don't want help? What if I don't want to be forced to discover new apps and content?
In any case, 99.9% will probably be crap and the other 0.1% I won't want anyway.
Your sense of "improved experience" may not be mine.
Like windows 10 ? (Score:2)
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Well, this sucks... (Score:2)
I'm thinking about replacing my 16 years old Sony projection TV - which has performed like a champ, but is getting a bit long in the tooth. Sony was the top contender - not only because they have some pretty good offerings, but specifically because they didn't put ads on my screen.
Now Sony is also out, joining Samsung, LG and Visio. I'm starting to think the issue is actually with Android. Everywhere you get Android, ads will follow sooner or later, like a rash. Not to mention that you have to sign on with
Re: Well, this sucks... (Score:2)
I've got an LG TV and it doesn't show me ads. It's 3 years old but had an update not long ago. It runs WebOS.
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Re: Well, this sucks... (Score:2)
I don't know if yours is the same but I'm not logged into it and I have advertising cookies turned off.
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You can still buy any brand you want without worry, although you may still want to stay away from some brands on principle. Just use a third-party media device, and leave your TV as a dumb HDMI terminal. It's a better experience anyhow. For the moment at least, I believe most TVs only use WiFi, not the more expensive cell networks, so they can't connect behind your back without your consent.
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Are they that powerless? (Score:2)
Sony basically could replace the entire page with a "Deal with it" sunglasses gif, and it would send the same message.
Sony could also change the home screen to remove the advertising, could they not? I mean, like any mobile phone maker they have their own special "customized experience" on their Android smartphones, are they not able to make the same changed on the Android TV UI?
"I told you so" opportunity (Score:2)
Install a PiHole (Score:2)
Install a pihole on your land and laug hat all the suckers that have to watch ads!
However, it should be illegal to present ads on a device you paid the full price for. Would a class action lawsuit help to curb rhis behavior?
What's full price, exactly? (Score:2)
However, it should be illegal to present ads on a device you paid the full price for.
Such a law would have to define "full price" in such a way that a company can't claim that full price is half the company's market cap. What would be, say, the "full price" for a year of Google Search service? I'm interested to read how you might approach writing that law.
Well then... (Score:2)
Crossing Sony TVs and Android TV devices off the list of products I'd consider buying
This is why I hate smart TVs (Score:3)
All I want from my TV is several fully capable HDMI ports and stunning display and a trivial way to switch between the inputs (heck my audio receiver probably will be handling that function anyway, so not so many HDMI inputs). Definitely no "smarts". Would likely live without speakers (sound provided by external receiver system) and tuner. I'll attach an AppleTV or Chromecast or even a laptop with my own selection of software when I want "smarts".
Charge people OR show them ads. (Score:2)
If you don't like it push back. (Score:2)
Any company will push for what bring them money. The time to push back is now while it's still a pilot. Some people with cheap access to lawyers looking for full refunds on their Sony smart TVs because of admitted malware installation. Organized boycotts of the companies. Charges for theft of services of internet access for unwanted ads. I'm sure there's more ideas, which regardless of individual merit have a nuisance factor that will signal to Sony and the others this is not acceptable.
It is natural f
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That law makes anything a federal judge doesn't like retroactively illegal...Are you a federal judge?
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You keep repeating that. Fuckoff Drinkypoo.
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Yeah, but you missed the part where the update also happened on the MiBox 3. The MiBox is "like a ROKU".
I've been using one for the last 6 month and it's been great. I saw the update come through last week, though I havent seen the sponsored channel yet.
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The point stands though. You can much more easily replace your sub$100 MiBox 3 than you can your TV though.
The bad news is that roku dropped the 4k ultra unit which i have. Now if you want 4k you can only get the stick which only does wifi.
I only got the roku because netflix on the smarttv was buggy buffering garbage. Netflix on windows 10 was idiotic garbage. The roku just works and works well, but the one i'd recommend buying is discontinued... ... facepalm.
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OK, then just buy an actual Roku. Problem solved.
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buy whatever TV looks best, but do NOT put it on the network.
That wouldn't work for a TV that locks out even "dumb TV" features unless you connect it to the network in order to agree to the End User License Agreement for the system software.
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As soon as I unboxed my Sony XBR 75 and just after I got it set up I plugged in my Roku Ultra4k. I only use the internet to update firmware on the TV never the smart features.
What does the firmware do, other than support the framework for the "smart" part of your TV? Do you even need to update the firmware?
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My current TV had firmware updates that fixed the color settings - there were some options that didn't work correctly and some input signals that were flagged wrong. I know I'm in the minority that have a TV where firmware updates actually fixed bugs. I don't use its smarts.
Re:Android is a piece of shit! (Score:4, Insightful)
Android TV, not Android. It's a different OS.
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Android TV, not Android. It's a different OS.
No, it isn't. It's a different launcher. Android TV is Android.
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Make sure you don't have any open WiFi.