CTV industry’s unprecedented “surveillance”
arstechnica.com
48-page report citing Ars Technica urges FTC, FCC investigate connected TV data harvesting. Gen AI, potentially racially discrimniatory practices head concerns.
  • Nima@leminal.spaceEnglish
    2161·
    2 个月前

    my TV incurred my wrath by having the gall to show me a banner ad while I was in the middle of a game.

    so I promptly cut its balls off. (disabled the internet entirely). now it is a dumb TV. and it behaves like a TV. and not an ad machine.

      • xthexder@l.sw0.comEnglish
        731·
        2 个月前

        I just run an old PC plugged in to my TV. It’s been running Windows, but I’m strongly considering switching it to linux now that it seems HDR on linux is getting stable. I might even use SteamOS directly since it’s got a nice interface for controller use.

          • xthexder@l.sw0.comEnglish
            4·
            2 个月前

            Looks like a nice little device. I’ve already got a similar Logitech keyboard that’s a bit bigger and is missing the IR remote, but I’m still able to turn on my TV via an HDMI CEC command.

            • chingadera@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              2 个月前

              Ah nice. We were using a mouse/on screen kb for a minute before i got fed up and did some looking around. we also didn’t have a TV remote so we thought we were killing two birds. Turns out you can only copy IR commands from another source, so I hit the bullet and bought a cheap 7 dollar remote too to program it that way were just using one device for the bedroom TV.

        • GhostlyPixel@lemmy.worldEnglish
          7·
          2 个月前

          I didn’t realize Valve released SteamOS to be installed on other devices, that’s killer! I just threw mint on a 15 year old laptop a few weeks ago and VNC into it from my phone to control it as my streaming box.

          • Aceticon@lemmy.worldEnglish
            4·
            2 个月前

            I’m using a N100 mini-PC with Kodi as a Media/TV Box and it works pretty much as a dedicated device would with one of these remotes.

            I seldom have to actually access it with a keyboard and mouse, though that machine also works as my home server so I do regularly access it remotelly for stuff that has nothing to do with using it as a media box.

            • GhostlyPixel@lemmy.worldEnglish
              2·
              2 个月前

              Oh that remote is not a bad idea, does it do mouse input via the circle d pad? Or is it keyboard only?

              • Aceticon@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                2 个月前

                There’s a button there to enable/disable air-mouse functionality (basically the tilting of the remote moves the mouse pointer), though it’s awkward to use compared to a normal mouse.

                The keyboard on the back is also awkward to use, not just because the keys are small and not quite in standard positions but also because Shift and Alt are both “press to enable, press to disable”, with no notification lights (so, say, your keyboard might be in “Alt mode” and you’re trying to used it and it’s just doing weird stuff).

                The thing does work as a combo of media player remote + mouse + keyboard, but it’s not very practical for the last 2. Also that specific model seems to have problems with the remote buttons not working if the remote is tilted (which shouldn’t be at all a problem given that’s a wireless remote).

                The idea is good, the implementation could be better. There are other models like that around. Just avoid the “Google” remotes as that’s Android-locked and for voice recognition (plus it comes pre-enshittified with only a handful of buttons which only start apps such as Netflix).

                Even with the quirks of the remote, whilst using that setup I often find myself altogether forgetting that what I’m using there is a PC with Linux.

          • Anafabula@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
            3·
            2 个月前

            I think they still haven’t officially released it, despite promising years ago. There are community projects like HoloISO

            • JustARaccoon@lemmy.worldEnglish
              1·
              18 天前

              They did release it but the latest iteration that’s on steam deck is still steam deck only, or shared via community projects like the one you mentioned

        • firebyte@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 个月前

          Same here, still on Windows 10 though it’s desperately trying to reinstall it’s crapware removed from the image with NTLite.

          Will be switching to some flavour of Linux at some point (we also use this PC for some Steam games), so I’ll check SteamOS out!

        • M600@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          1 个月前

          Louis Rossman has a video about goes Netflix will not play 4K content on Linux. For some reason they limited the video resolution to 720.

          Not sure if it’s still an issue. Also I had my brothers login for peacock and it didn’t run on Linux at all.

          Now I’m just using a mibox, and it’s pretty good and doesn’t feel spammy.

          • xthexder@l.sw0.comEnglish
            1·
            1 个月前

            Yes, there’s issues with playing DRM content on linux. Only certain browsers support the encryption decoding extension.

            Since most of my viewing is on YouTube and media I have saved on Plex, it’s not really an issue.

      • loie@lemmy.worldEnglish
        441·
        2 个月前

        Honestly, the apple TV is the least spammy by a long shot. I also hear great things about the Nvidia shield, but it is pretty ancient by now. Or use a computer, but of course that’s got its own annoyances. Of course these are all the most expensive options, apparently for a reason.

        • smiletolerantly@awful.systemsEnglish
          11·
          2 个月前

          It’s ancient, but in a way I respect Nvidia for not milking it by releasing a new version every year.

          Its still a perfect decive. Fast, streams absolutely everything, amazing remote. I seriously don’t know what I would want from a new version

      • olympicyes@lemmy.worldEnglish
        20·
        2 个月前

        I bought an Apple TV after I had some smart tv related issues with my Samsung. I’m happy with it and it supports any app you’d want.

      • bdonvr@thelemmy.clubEnglish
        17·
        2 个月前

        Apple TV has been reliable for many years. Don’t even have an iPhone or iPad anymore but the OS gets the fuck outta the way and it probably has the least spyware of all the commercial options.

        Building your own with like, a Pi or a PC is the best option if you mainly have pirated content… If you stream anything that option isn’t great because your device won’t pass all the DRM checks to play higher definition/4k stuff. (Someone correct me but last I looked into it this was still true)

        • Damage@feddit.itEnglish
          3·
          2 个月前

          Yeah, streaming platforms are problematic even on Windows, nevermind Linux

      • catloaf@lemm.eeEnglish
        142·
        2 个月前

        I’ve been using a Chromecast for years. I cast whatever I want from my phone. It plays media and that’s it.

      • QuarterSwede@lemmy.worldEnglish
        8·
        2 个月前

        Another chiming in on the best device by a long shot is the AppleTV. It’s damn fast and its UI is actually nice to use. Oh and all the apps are always up to date. Zero ads just sitting on the screen anywhere.

      • DuskyRo@lemmy.worldEnglish
        5·
        2 个月前

        I use a rooted Xiaomi Mi Box 2S rooted and degoogled filtered by pi-hole and I only use stremio or jellyfin and smartube for youtube.

      • Refurbished Refurbisher@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        5·
        2 个月前

        I rooted my (Android TV based) smart TV, removed all the tracking (verified with PCAPDroid), and I use Stremio and SmartTube to stream everything. I also use AFWall as a firewall to whitelist only apps that I install to access the internet only through my VPN. I set my DNS to 0.0.0.0 to block all traffic outside of my DNS if my firewall ever fails because Android TV doesn’t have that option unlike regular Android.

        I have a Hisense TV if you’re curious. You can also get a TV box that is supported by LineageOS and do the same thing on there.

        Whenever Android 10 gets super outdated, I’m hoping that Plasma Bigscreen will be advanced enough to be able to replace it, then I will just use my laptop for TV activities instead. I also would need Linux to get better HDR support (currently it only supports HDR10 and not HDR10+ or Dolby Vision) and for AMD drivers to gain HDMI 2.1 support (which is being blocked by the HDMI forum for stupid reasons. The code has been ready for a while, but AMD isn’t allowed to release it)

      • archonet@lemy.lolEnglish
        4·
        2 个月前

        I usually hook my Steam Deck up to my TV via a USB hub and HDMI, and then fire something up on Plex, which I keep running on my desktop.

        Bonus: Make it a wireless HDMI dongle (which I’m too cheap for but are a thing), and now using it from the couch is even more convenient.

      • Aceticon@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        2 个月前

        My TV has always been run without the “smarts” ever since I bought it.

        That said, recently I’ve replaced my TV Box and Media Box with a N100 Mini PC running Linux and Kodi plus a wireless remote and in addition to that the thing even works as my home server with additional functionality than just that of the devices it replaced.

        For a cheaper/easier option try LibreELEC on top one of the devices they support (check the downloads page or the Wiki for the list). It’s basically a Linux distro with Kodi, so open and with none of the privacy intrusion risks of Android. The same kind of wireless remote (example - note that you don’t actually need to use the keyboard on the back or the air mouse) also works here since it just relies on standard shortcut keys of media programs like Kodi so works everywhere (even Android).

        However what all these privacy-protecting non-enshittified options have in common is that they’re not fully configured solutions that you just buy and use - as you’ve noticed, if you just buy a streaming stick or device it will likely be at the least “spammy” - and you do have to do some of the work to get them working.

        Something like LibreELEC on a mini PC should be the simplest to put together as the hardware comes preconfigured in an actual box and all that’s needed is to install the LibreELEC image from a bootable USB stick, but if you have a bit more technical know-how (not really that much needed, mind you) you can get something like one of the supported Orange Pi boards along with a box for it and it will cost you less than half as much as even a basic Mini PC - those boards are basically using the same chips as Android TV media boxes so you get the same performance without the “spammyness”.

      • Fribbtastic@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 个月前

        Nvidia shield with a custom launcher. Google updated their Android TV home which made 60% and More of the dashboard just ads so I added projectify as my launcher. There are now only 2 apps being shown on my screen. Plex and Google Play (for updating apps).

      • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 个月前

        If you want customization and the ability to sideload apps, get an Nvidia Shield. There are custom OSes you can load which remove a lot of the spammy ad BS that the Shield’s default OS has baked in.

        If you want ease of use and setup, get an Apple TV. It won’t natively run all of your pirated hentai apps, but it at least has Plex so you can stream custom content from a server if you set one up.

        • dan@upvote.auEnglish
          1·
          2 个月前

          You don’t even need a custom OS, just a custom launcher. I’m using FLauncher on mine. You can use adb to disable the built-in launcher.

      • uzay@infosec.pubEnglish
        2·
        2 个月前

        Never connected my LG TV to the internet. I got an Nvidia Shield TV Pro hooked up to it. The default home screen got riddled with ads as well after I got it, but at least you can change it to a third party one and never have to see it again. Otherwise a cheap used Xbox Series S might also work, but is much bigger and arguably less flexible. And if you want a truly privacy-respecting device you might have to go with a Linux mini PC, though that’s much more involved to set up and many commercial streaming services won’t give you the full quality streams you are paying for.

      • whereBeWaldo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        2·
        2 个月前

        Old laptop connected to tv through hdmi + cheapest wireless mouse I could find. If you want to get fancy you can also get a wireless keyboard but screen keyboard does a good enough job

      • MajorHavoc@programming.devEnglish
        1·
        2 个月前

        But what device do you use to stream?

        Raspberry Pi with a bare image of Android TV installed. The result is a Roku without any attempt to serve home screen ads.

    • lolrightythen@lemmy.worldEnglish
      141·
      2 个月前

      I’ve never given a tv my wifi password.

      I’m not any techier than the average millennial. Maybe my trust issues are worse than average. I don’t regret my actions.

      Also - my xbox one s may have streamed more video content than provided rocket leaguery…until I tripped on a cord…

      Laptop now. Learning how to utilize these new capabilities.

    • Refurbished Refurbisher@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      392·
      2 个月前

      First you’d need to ban money from politics and change the voting system to better represent the people living there instead of wealthy elites, but that would just be the start.

      Whenever wealthy elites have even a tiny bit of power (as they do in any capitalist system, including social democracies like what the Nordic countries have), they will seize as much control as possible. We saw this happen many times.

      • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        47·
        2 个月前

        Nico Semsrott (Kabarettist and member of the EU parliament. Yes, both) proposed in jest sponsoring placement on the jackets of the political members that got donations by companies.
        The jackets should then look like the race overalls from Formula 1 or (not US) football players.

        And I am fully supporting this.

        Edit:
        Like this:

    • Frosty@pawb.socialEnglish
      3·
      2 个月前

      But their constituents corporate donors would not profit as much. Won’t someone think about my profits? 🙃

  • rustydomino@lemmy.worldEnglish
    752·
    2 个月前

    pi-hole ftw. the vast majority of my pi-hole’s DNS drops are from various Roku and Roku-like devices. Also, put all your IoT stuff onto a guest network, or if your gear supports it, on its own VLAN.

    • Excrubulent@slrpnk.netEnglish
      17·
      2 个月前

      See, I just don’t connect it to the network. It complained when I set it up but now it just works as a screen.

      I’ve got a raspberry pi steaming my desktop to it with gamestream/sunshine/moonlight, and it’s now as smart as my computer. It can even stream from different computers no matter where they are in the house, watch anything with stremio, and play games from them too. It’s way better than using the youtube or netflix button on the TV, most of the services it offers I don’t use anyway.

      But actually pihole does sound like a good idea and maybe I should get that set up one of these days.

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.worldEnglish
        29·
        2 个月前

        So with all the recent drama I learned that some TVs look for other open networks or other same brand TVs in range, and if found will join those networks and still share data.

        So not connecting it isn’t enough in all cases.

        A pihole wouldn’t solve this either if it was smart enough to know it’s blocked and look elsewhere.

        • rustydomino@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 个月前

          You could set up a dummy LAN with no internet access for the tv. Unless it actually has more than one network card, it would need to be able to have the ability to virtualize network interfaces to connect elsewhere, and I really doubt these TVs are that smart.

        • Excrubulent@slrpnk.netEnglish
          3·
          2 个月前

          I’d be interested to see more information on that. I don’t doubt companies would do that, but some good information on when it happens and how to prevent it would be useful.

          • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.worldEnglish
            4·
            2 个月前

            So I did some looking, and as far as I can tell, there’s no definitive proof of someone testing this and reporting on it. It might just be all rumors and speculation.

            • Excrubulent@slrpnk.netEnglish
              1·
              2 个月前

              Thanks, I hope they don’t do it. I would expect the security community to be able to find something like this, since it’s not hard to hook up some devices and do packet sniffing to detect if they’re talking to each other.

              This would be an excellent use case for LTT’s faraday cage room for instance.

    • LoganNineFingers@lemmy.caEnglish
      7·
      2 个月前

      I need to replace my router as it’s coming to end of life. I want one with vlan so I can put all my iot on a separate lan. Any recommendations?

      • wrekone@lemmyf.ukEnglish
        5·
        2 个月前

        I recently picked up a GL-iNet Flint 2 because it’s a powerhouse and one of the easiest routers to flash Open-WRT onto. If you don’t want to mess with firnware flashing, it comes stock with their fork of Open-WRT. So, either way, you have a ton of control over your router, including setting up VLANs and running AdGuard.

        • LoganNineFingers@lemmy.caEnglish
          1·
          2 个月前

          Thank you for the reply - you’ve offered a great opportunity to ask another question 😂

          I was looking at adguard. Is this something worth the subscription? I was looking at it because it seems to handle a lot of ads, including those on mobile games and stuff. But in my cursory glance, people are saying it’s not safe…

          I’ll look at the GL-iNet because a) I want a powerhouse and b) I want nothing to do with flashing firmware haha

          • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            2 个月前

            AdGuard as a service is alright, but it’s essentially just a pihole that you don’t have any control over. It does DNS level blocking, which means the ads get blocked before they even load on your network.

            The issue is that since you’re routing all of your DNS traffic through AdGuard, you’re directly telling AdGuard which sites you are using. So there are concerns that you are just shifting the data collection from the ad companies to AdGuard instead, but AdGuard has the ability to be way more invasive in how the collect data.

            Just set up dual piholes (one for your primary DNS, and one for your secondary DNS) instead. You get the exact same end result, without any of the data collection worry.

            • LoganNineFingers@lemmy.caEnglish
              1·
              2 个月前

              Thank you for your detailed responses. Has adguard any track record of collecting data? Is there a way to know?

      • rustydomino@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        2 个月前

        I have the Ubiquiti Edgerouter X. I got it mostly because at the time it was on sale 😂 but it seems to have decent support. Note that you will have to get a wireless AP as the Edgerouter is a pure router without WiFi function. Lots of people also like Mikrotik products.

          • dai@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            2 个月前

            Mikrotik are really aimed at advanced users, ubiquiti brand themselves as prosumer products. I found the Ubiquiti interface a complete mess - but it could just be me.

            If it can run OpenWRT I’d suggest taking that path (if you like to tinker / the device supports it). My Google WiFi hubs are still humming away after all these years - now with way more features and a usable interface!

      • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 个月前

        For consumer grade gear, Ubiquiti is probably the best bet. Unless you want to get into the commercial side of things, but that’s prohibitively expensive for the average person.

        Personally I run a GL.iNet system. I like it being completely open source, and the Flint 2 is a workhorse of a router. But as far as ease of use and config, Ubiquiti is certainly more straightforward.

        • LoganNineFingers@lemmy.caEnglish
          1·
          2 个月前

          This might be my ignorance, but the Ubiquiti stuff I’m finding seems to be all commercial. I ended up getting a good price on the Flint 2 and it should be here next Friday. I’m hoping to chunk out some time setting it up on the 20th

    • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      3·
      2 个月前

      So lucky my smart thermostat and door/window sensor are connected via DECT-ULE to my router/modem combo (for those interested AVM Fritzbox) and I can poll those via home assistant.
      And I don’t think they could phone home (and I hope AVM doesnt do bs).

  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
    70·
    2 个月前

    One way to get Congress to act on this would be to remind them of how Robert Bork’s video rental history got released. They very quickly realized that they all had the same sleazy movies on their rental list and passed a law making it illegal to share them.

    Call your Congressmen and tell them that their smart TV is sending screenshots of whatever they’re watching back to home base, including stuff that’s not streamed, and there might be swift action.

    Better yet, hack Samsung and leak it to the press. That’ll definitely light a fire under them.

  • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
    65·
    2 个月前

    I blocked my two TVs from phoning home via my pihole. They are the two noisiest devices on my network, by leaps and bounds.

    On a day of heavy usage, my phone and desktop may get ~2000 blocked requests combined. That’s high, but not unheard of. It just means I did a lot of browsing, with a lot of blocked ad requests. My TVs average somewhere around 7500 blocked requests per day, on days that I haven’t even turned them on. That’s an attempt to phone home every ~12 seconds. And it is much worse on days that I actually use them.

    • Chaotic Entropy@feddit.ukEnglish
      21·
      2 个月前

      To be clear though, that’s largely because it is just repeating the same request over and over as it times out and retries. They’re a lot less noisy when they actually connect successfully connect, though it is still undesirable for them to do so.

    • cordlesslamp@lemmy.todayEnglish
      6·
      2 个月前

      Maybe i’m stupid, but why would a TV even do that? All it’s know is what you’re watching today, right? How is that information useful? If you’re living with other people, the TV couldn’t even know who’s watching, that would make the data useless.

      • Croquette@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        161·
        2 个月前

        Data mining. They know what you watch, when you don’t and any other habits you have.

        If you have a microphone on your remote or tv, then they also send that data over.

      • ArcticPrincess@lemmy.mlEnglish
        94·
        2 个月前

        Knowing the distribution of what entire households watch is very useful. It’s not about spying on you personally.

    • MajorasMaskForever@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 个月前

      Jesus dude, what brand TV do you have?

      My LG issues a few hundred blocked requests throughout the day with heavy usage. I’ve never seen it wake up and phone home (my Nintendo Switch does it every hour for some stupid reason)

      • doingthestuff@lemmy.worldEnglish
        18·
        2 个月前

        Civilians used to own canons. For blowing up ships. And the occasional home invader. Doesn’t matter if it has sailed if we sink it. We should sink that ship.

    • bob_lemon@feddit.orgEnglish
      203·
      2 个月前

      Cars being online has some tangible benefits in that they can transmit location data to emergency services, especially if the driver is unresponsive. Might save someone from dying in a ditch in the middle of nowhere.

      Arguably, some of the data collected while driving is also very useful for maintenance and development (e.g. if a lot of vehicles start having a similar issue after X miles).

      That said, this data should be limited in scope and use (e.g. must not be sold, especially not to insurance companies), as well as anonymized as much as possible. Which is currently not the case, and that definitely needs regulation.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        2 个月前

        You don’t need a high bandwidth connection to do emergency notifications, and considering it might be in a remote area satellite would be better than LTE.

        For the diagnostics you could log events internally and then collect them with OBD-II readers, though I’d like to force car makers to use open data formats so people can see for themselves what’s collected.

      • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
        10·
        2 个月前

        That said, this data should be limited in scope and use…

        Yep, anonymized, limited, non-distributable, and secured, with severe penalties (on the order of tens of thousands of dollars per person, paid to the harmed party) for failure to adhere.

  • Wahots@pawb.socialEnglish
    37·
    2 个月前

    For example, Amazon Web Services and ad-tech company TripleLift are working with proprietary models and machine learning for dynamic product placement in streamed TV shows. The report, citing a 2021 AWS case study, says that “new scenes featuring product exposure can be inserted in real-time ‘without interrupting the viewing experience.’”

    Peacock is also working with TripleLift to develop “In-Scene” Peacock ads that owner NBCUniversal says it’s currently testing:

    When a user plays episodic content, your brand’s product or message is dynamically placed in the frame of targeted scenes, creating a non-interruptive ad experience that aligns the programming with your campaign theme/goals.

    This could be hilarious when your omegaverse softcore porn drama gets plastered with prune juice, old people pill adverts, and trump propaganda on everyone’s shirts, tattoos, jock straps, voice lines and whatever else the AI can scrounge up. “It totally fits with the narrative!”

    • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      23·
      2 个月前

      Am I reading this wrong or are they literally hijacking a shot in the content by placing a product in there?
      Sounds like they could literally go in there and replace the kid watching tele-shopping in a movie with watching a literal ad made to look like it’s genuinley in the movie.

      • Croquette@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        5·
        2 个月前

        It’s exactly that. Detect where there are ads in a scene ( a panel for example) and replace the space with their own ads.

        • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          5·
          2 个月前

          Tbh could be worse replacing an ad placement with another (say adidas to nike).
          Personally actually be worse would be replacing an ad relevant to the movie (like an advertisement for the newest tool the protagonist always needed to progress)

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    34·
    2 个月前

    I’m more than happy to buy a TV that uses post-purchase monetization, because I am never going to connect that fucker to the internet. It’s a display. I shall use it as a display. I do not care that it can replace my streaming box. I fully control my streaming box, and I will use that.

    If I catch it doing any sketchy shit like trying to use unsecured/Comcast/etc WiFi to phone home, it’ll be time to pull out the screwdriver, though.

    • Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      172·
      2 个月前

      What happens when it no longer needs your WiFi and uses something like LoRa to phone home with your data and location? It may not know who you are exactly but it’ll have a good guess.

      • dtrain@lemmy.worldEnglish
        165·
        2 个月前

        What happens when it no longer needs your WiFi and uses something like LoRa to phone home with your data and location? It may not know who you are exactly but it’ll have a good guess.

        I mean…what happens when it becomes sentient, sprouts legs and you catch it sleeping with your spouse?

        Let’s deal with the here and now.

        • Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          91·
          2 个月前

          You know LoRa hardware is getting cheaper and the reliability of these TVs are just terrible. This is likely to happen sooner rather than later. For now just don’t plug it in to WiFi unless you’re willing to go further and desolder its module? I don’t think we can do much via legislation other than write to our congressional reps.

        • 0x0@programming.devEnglish
          2·
          2 个月前

          you catch it sleeping with your spouse?

          Streaming content right there - monetize it!

        • AWildMimicAppears@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
          10·
          2 个月前

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LoRa (Long Range)

          It’s a low power, large range connection technology, working a bit like a mesh network. It can achieve data rates between 0.3 kbit/s and 27 kbit/s and enables geolocation services. According to the LoRa Development Portal, the range provided by LoRa can be up to 3 miles (4.8 km) in urban areas, and up to 10 miles (16 km) or more in rural areas (line of sight).

          As soon as your LoRa-Device is in range of another LoRa-Device, it will probably be able to phone home.

  • bean@lemmy.worldEnglish
    34·
    2 个月前

    Why do we continue to be ok with this? Where is the outrage and call for change?

    • A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.worldEnglish
      36·
      2 个月前

      the overwhelming bulk of humanity cant be fucked to care about shit like this… until it personally affects them.

      Then they will wail like banshees about the great injustice of it all, and how could anyone let it happen to them.

    • nexusband@lemmy.worldEnglish
      6·
      2 个月前

      Because it works and provides a use case. Most “simpletons” do not want to invest any more time in than putting some Account Data and start watching netflix or whatever. “We” (e.g. the people that care about data privacy and stuff) never have been okay with that shit…

  • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    3411·
    2 个月前

    Just disconnect your TV from the Internet and get an Apple TV.

      • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
        373·
        2 个月前

        Apple TV doesn’t try to do much other than being a very technically capable passthrough. You get pretty much every streaming service, multiple Plex clients etc. And no ads.

        My 1st Gen ATV4K is 7 years old now and was buttery smooth until last tvOS update, now it’s only slightly smoother than most high end TVs. That’s quite a good run.

        • Kekzkrieger@feddit.orgEnglish
          64·
          2 个月前

          You mean the same Apple that was found guilty to artificially slowing older devices with software updates?

          • misk@sopuli.xyzEnglish
            7·
            2 个月前

            Yes. Have you ever used Apple TV? This thing is leaps and bounds ahead everything of else, even Shield in terms of pure performance.

          • Zink@programming.devEnglish
            81·
            2 个月前

            I always found it tough to get upset with them much for that one. They had to deal with battery aging because they were the ones to support their devices long enough for it to matter. Plus I had a Nexus 6P at the time, and when its battery started getting weak the damn phone would just shut off while at 30% or whatever.

            Them sneaking it in was obviously bad though.

          • TheRealKuni@lemmy.worldEnglish
            102·
            2 个月前

            Why do I doubt this.

            Because you hate Apple (for likely justifiable reasons) and thus at a basic level of intuition assume everything Apple does is bad.

            But while Apple certainly isn’t good (there is no “good” when it comes to the way corporations monetize their customers), Apple is significantly better in some areas than their competitors (while being worse in others). iPhones are much better than Pixels for privacy, for example.

            The Apple TV is a product that needs to do very specific things: show media, and run a few types of apps. This isn’t very computationally heavy. My smart TVs were always great until future updates added advertisements and features that slowed them down. The Apple TV doesn’t get bogged down by shitty advertisements.

            • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.worldEnglish
              21·
              2 个月前

              My experience with Apple is that it doesn’t play nice with other ecosystems. Cludgy workarounds are usually possible but if you are doing that you may as well go for Linux.

              • TheRealKuni@lemmy.worldEnglish
                3·
                2 个月前

                Yep. Like I said, likely justifiable reasons to hate Apple. Despite now being thoroughly in their ecosystem, I still hate them for iMessage exclusivity and it being easier for me to confirm than convincing 20+ people across my family and my wife’s family to switch to WhatsApp or something. Fuck them for that.

                But there are things they do well. Apple TV is one of them, in my experience.

              • PM_Your_Nudes_Please@lemmy.worldEnglish
                32·
                2 个月前

                What other ecosystems do you need your TV to interface with? It has a remote, or you can use your phone to control it. And it has all the major streaming apps you would want in a smart TV.

                • Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  21·
                  2 个月前

                  Plex, cable, ps4, Wii, switch, NAS drive, android phone, PC, DVD home theatre, pi-hole + all existing and future streaming services.

      • viking@infosec.pubEnglish
        1722·
        2 个月前

        Agree, of all the companies out there, Apple isn’t the one I entrust with my data. Pretty happy with my Nvidia Shield instead, the OS is open enough to allow monitoring all telemetry, and I’m happy to say that after switching everything off that Android enabled by default, nothing really gets out there. I’ve sniffed connections on my router as well, and it only really connects to where it should.

        Edit: Aww look, I’ve triggered the fanboys ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

        • Majestic@lemmy.mlEnglish
          191·
          2 个月前

          Apple TV 4K:

          • no ads on homescreen
          • updated near annually, last hw refresh 2023
          • HDMI 2.1
          • WiFi 6 / gigabit Ethernet
          • 128GB internal storage
          • $149 retail price ($129 for 64GB model that loses Ethernet for WiFi only)

          Nvidia Shield Pro:

          • ads on homescreen via google tv
          • last hardware refresh 2019 (5 years)
          • HDMI 2.0b
          • WiFi 5 / gigabit Ethernet
          • 16GB internal storage (USB 3 port for ext hard drive if desired)
          • $199 retail price

          Both support 4K, Dolby vision, atmos, etc. Apple’s dynamic frame rate switching actually works whereas NViDIA’s has bugs and been in beta hell for years.

          For your average person without very specific needs like running a Plex server off the same hardware the Apple TV4K is as or more private than the shield at a cheaper price and under active development.

          • viking@infosec.pubEnglish
            3·
            2 个月前

            I wouldn’t really compare the pro version, when the regular one works better and has extendable storage via SD card and comes at $149 retail, with offers as low as $129 around.

            Annual hardware revisions are nice and all, but in my understanding they don’t actually improve what the end user get to experience.

            The main advantage I see in the shield is the ability to sideload apps, such as SmartTube for adfree youtube with integrated sponsorblock, ftp server, torrent client etc., and not least use VLC as a media player. Plus you can customize the launcher or replace it as a whole to tailor the UI to your exact needs.

            • Majestic@lemmy.mlEnglish
              1·
              2 个月前

              I use the pro in comparison because the non-pro version is even more dated on lesser hardware and going to be sluggish, lesser in capabilities than other alternatives in the android space.

              For one it can’t (reliably) run a plex server or other services so there’s really no advantage other than brand loyalty to NVIDIA to buy the non-pro shield over say a Walmart Onn 4k for half that price. (And that’s the truth, you can’t reliably run other services on the non-pro shield without incurring a noticeable performance penalty and degradation if it’s even possible in the first place)

              I compare apples to apples here or tried to be honest. ATV4K has 4GB RAM, Shield Pro has 3, there are various other reasons to compare them, they’re both the top of the line. Though as I mentioned if you want to compare the non-pro shield then there’s the smaller ATV4k which still has without buying an SD card 64GB of storage for $129.

              As to “offers”. I used retail prices you use this which I consider dishonest and desperate. Not a credit to your side. Apple TVs regularly go on sale multiple times a year via official dealers like Amazon, Target, Costco. Shield’s rarely go on sale, if you’re talking about used or shady third party dealers then you’re not doing an honest apples to apples comparison.

              Shield promoters are strange people to me in 2024. I don’t think you’ve taken a proper inventory of the landscape. People call apple users shills and so some of them are, but I see shills for various brands and people unfortunately taken in by them.

              Yes it was revolutionary when it came out, now it’s not. That’s life when a company decides to abandon a product line for all intents and purposes and yes no hardware updates, not even a revision in 5 years signals stagnation. They don’t need a major processor upgrade but not bumping a few minor aspects of the hardware like the HDMI ports version or the WiFi for instance just shows they don’t consider it an important part of their brand and I’m not sure why you’d buy into something that could be sunsetted without any surprise come January.

              And not dropping the price which is rather hefty and high considering costs should have gone down over time is also a not so nice sign of greed and inattention. Apple dropped their prices. No reason NVIDIA with its scale and buying power doesn’t have the ability to drop the price if they’re not going to at least actively develop it to justify it.

              VLC is awful for network playback. It’s fine for local fines (though mpv is better) but playing network files you’re going to have pixelation, stuttering, all kinds of problems I can say from experience trying it on both wired and wireless connections. I strongly recommend Kodi, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, etc over VLC for non-local playback that’s smoother and better.

              Ad-free youtube is likely soon to go the way of the dodo given the aggressive moves by youtube to stop it and most people don’t need or want that on their TV because they’re interested in paid or FAST streaming services. You have eclectic tastes and needs and that’s fine but recommending that to your average person isn’t doing them a service. And it’s nice to think of others, not your own biases and unusual needs.

              And most people don’t need an FTP server (an FTP server, serving what exactly given you’re talking about the non-pro and SD cards, that’s not a great experience compared to an ext hard drive, if you’re going to do that, go for the pro and connect an external spinning disk HDD or SSD via USB).

              Most people don’t need a torrent client (and again on the non-pro you’re talking about downloading onto an SD card, major yikes don’t do that, again if you want to do that please recommend people the pro for USB drives and use that in your honest comparisons here).

              Both the above also require investing in an SD card (or an external drive via USB for the pro which is the better way to go). Reliable non-trash (good brand, good speed) SD cards are going to drive up that cost you stated another $15+ dollars which puts even your non-pro “on sale” (good luck finding it) shield within $5 spitting distance of the ATV4K higher end 128GB model (to get that much storage on the non-pro shield via SD card of a decent brand and speed would absolutely put your costs in line with the ATV4k 128GB model).

              You mention alternative launchers, most people don’t want to do that. Apple TV is ad free out of the box without mucking about with ADB and other things. Again consider the average user and how they’re not going to do that.

              • Majestic@lemmy.mlEnglish
                1·
                2 个月前

                Fact is Apple TVs are likely to get better and more features including new ones because they’re under active development and most will get 6+ years of tvOS updates with those new features whereas the NVIDIA shield is stuck in time, no new development has been apparent for years.

                Unlike AppleTV which is important to Apple’s home ecosystem of devices (including homepods, various home devices, iphone integration with on-screen video calling) and thus less likely to have development stopped, the shield is just another androidtv platform among a sea of them and poses no larger risk to NVIDIA products and loyalty if discontinued. And likely the only reason it isn’t discontinued is they can sit on it, reap increasingly lowered costs as profit and just sell it at the same price without investing anything in it further.

                If NVIDIA shields were at least permanent price-dropped by 30% they’d at least be competitive on price even if stagnant but the asking price is unacceptably high.

                If you want expensive, premium non-Apple streaming products then buy a Dune-HD, they at least silo things like a plex install via virtualization away from the androidtv google stuff so privacy is maximized via their customized linux container. They also have excellent support and are constantly and actively improving their products including offering AV1 support, frame-rate switching without flicker, and so on. They have a model at $199 for equivalent product to the shield pro but it comes with WiFi 6, av1 support, and the ability to run all kinds of services with absolute ease as well as an internal bay for a 2.5" hard drive and optical audio outs. It has a linux container which has the ability to install and run a torrent client, various other services, including I believe plex, SMB sharing (already present by default I think). You can also install android apps on the model I mentioned.

  • jabjoe@feddit.ukEnglish
    23·
    2 个月前

    Technical fixes only work for the technical and often it’s technically working against the law. We need the law on our side, not the corporations. So we need to engage with law as much as technology. Or we end having to break technologies like secure boot and laws.

    • xthexder@l.sw0.comEnglish
      20·
      2 个月前

      It’s also slightly confusing because CTV is a major TV station in Canada. I’ve never heard CTV to mean Connected TV.

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
        9·
        2 个月前

        I’m not even Canadian and the CTV television station is what came to mind. Have also never heard “CTV” to mean connected TV.

  • zzz711@lemmy.mlEnglish
    21·
    2 个月前

    Of course they are without any data privacy laws companies are going to collect and then sell as much of your personal data that they can get away with.