SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
https://www.techdirt.com/2022/04/14/its-still-stupidly-ridiculously-difficult-to-buy-a-dumb-tv/
Historically, "smart" TVs aren't always particularly smart. They've routinely been shown to have lax security and privacy standards. They also routinely feature embedded OS systems that don't age well, aren't always well designed, don't perform particularly well over time, are slathered with ads, and are usually worse than most third-party game streaming devices or video game consoles.
Yet when if you go shopping for "dumb" televisions — as in just a high quality display with a bunch of HDMI ports and not much else, you're usually going to be out of luck. There are options, but guides on this front will usually shovel you toward computer monitors (too pricey at large sizes), or business-class displays (ditto).
[...] Of course it's challenging because TV manufacturers now make more money collecting and monetizing your personal data than they do selling the actual hardware. Last year Vizio noted it made $38.4 million in one quarter just from tracking and monetizing consumer viewing and usage data. It made $48.2 million on hardware (which also includes soundbars, and other products) in that same period.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 17 2022, @06:28PM
I too object to having a "Smart" TV which spies on me and shovels forced ads on my screen, on a display that is my property. This isn't the first article I've read concerning this.
It seems to me that there is a market to take the F-The-Customer out of these "Smart" TVs. Two approaches come to find. The first would be to do it via software with a firmware modification. The second would be to create a generic, replacement controller board, which can interface directly with the display itself. Connect the replacement controller board, and toss the manufacturer made one in the recycle bin. Make the replacement board capable of storing multiple configurations for various models of TVs. Sell it with the appropriate cables. I'm inspired by sellers on eBay I've seen selling controller boards for old laptop screens that turn them into external monitors. Why not do something similar with these darn "Smart" TVs? Start with the models that have the best price / capability ratio and start working one's way down from there. If necessary, rent the tool set needed to do the replacement as well.
While it would probably take me two years of full time study to build my own prototype, I'm guessing that some of you guys here on Soylent could get this going in months. If anyone is inspired by my idea, please use my idea, and go for it. Perhaps, I'll be one of your customers ...