Web-aware TV sets

[Tea]

Tannin's parents recently bought a new TV set which, among other things, has an ethernet socket and a wireless function, either of which can connect to your home network, presumably for watching stuff on-line on your big screen in some manner unfamiliar to me. (We don't have a TV. Life is too short for that.)

I'm not comfortable simply hooking up some unfamiliar device up to a network and assuming that nothing can go wrong. Sure, I hook computers up to networks, but I understand them, I know how to keep them patched, how to firewall them, and how to fix them if something does go wrong. Is Tannin's folks' new TV set (a) too dumb to come to any harm or do any harm, or (b) smart enough to keep itself safe and smart enough not to act as a vector for anything else on the network, or (c) an evil thing not to be trusted?

(PS: I don't know anything about TVs and unless I have no choice I don't want to learn anything about the damn things. Life is too short to waste any part of it learning about TV sets, let alone watching them, when there are thousands of vastly more interesting and useful things to do, such as cooking apple crumble, watching grass grow, eating apple crumble, and watching paint dry. I just want to know if it's safe to connect the thing. Did I remember to mention apple crumble?)

 

[Stereodude]

I'd go with C unless they have a compelling need to put it online.

 

[Handruin]

If your goal is to connect it in hopes of having your parents watch content from the internet then I would think it might be fine. There is the simple fact that adding complexity will increase the possibility of providing support. If you want to keep things simple so you can make more apple crumble, don't plug it in.

 

[Bozo]

I read somewhere that these smart TVs are reporting back on what you watching. And, some of these TVs have a camera built in, so it can watch you. I'll see if I can find the article.
Don't plug it into the internet.

 

[Mercutio]

I'd go with C unless they have a compelling need to put it online.

One of my least favorite aspects to smart TVs is that they are updated both briefly and infrequently. It's very easy to find TVs with orphaned features, such as devices made in 2012 that can no longer talk to Youtube, or with support for abandoned services like Redbox's online streaming option. I wouldn't want to depend on an actual smart TV because I know the stupid thing will be obsolete right around the point in time that your parents actually be comfortable with the user interface on it... and then they won't want to change. On top of that, the CPUs and control interfaces for those functions will be the afterthought you've probably already assumed that they are. It's just a bad deal all around.

If they legitimately want or need online streaming, do them a favor and at least get some kind of purpose-made set top box. A Roku 3 or (preferably) Amazon FireTV are probably best of breed options if they need it and if they don't, their live are probably complicated enough already, what with all medications and grandapes running around.

 

[time]

If Tannin's parents are as smart as a certain orangutan, they should have little problem driving the web interface. That's not to say these TVs aren't tedious and annoying to use; I think only Samsung will work with a cordless keyboard, so otherwise, you're trying to use a joystick-style remote to select letters on a virtual keyboard ...

All Mercutio's points are true, except that we have a different (far smaller) set of services available in Australia, unless you set them up with a VPN - which is definitely going to reduce valuable apple crumble time (my favourite dish my mother used to make, BTW). I've temporarily added a Chromecast (there's a beta option to select 1080 resolution) which is better but a bit flaky.

In practical terms, you need at least 3Mbps DSL and decent WiFi coverage (unless you're going to rewire their home for them, or use Powerline adapters like I did).

 

[Buck]

C

 

[Chewy509]

That's not to say these TVs aren't tedious and annoying to use; I think only Samsung will work with a cordless keyboard, so otherwise, you're trying to use a joystick-style remote to select letters on a virtual keyboard ...

Is that using bluetooth keyboards with the Samsungs? Interesting, wasn't aware of that feature.

I know most Sony's can use the Sony Remote App (both iOS and Android) or "Quick Remote: TV SideView" (Android) to control their TVs as well, but it requires either a phone or tablet to be the hosting device.

 

[ddrueding]

Merc nailed it. I would however connect it to the network exactly once, just to download and install the latest update, then forget about it altogether. The thought is here that since they have the ability to push updates, they may go through even less QA before shipping.

 

[LunarMist]

I read somewhere that these smart TVs are reporting back on what you watching. And, some of these TVs have a camera built in, so it can watch you. I'll see if I can find the article.
Don't plug it into the internet.

I recall that it was the Koreans. The Chinese probably have similar plans.

 

[Chewy509]

Spying TVs:
http://bgr.com/2015/02/11/how-to-stop-samsung-smart-tv-spying-guide/
http://www.cnet.com/au/how-to/samsung-smart-tv-spying/
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/sec...gates-smart-tv-spy-claims-20131121-hv3nx.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-reveals-personal-data-TV-sets-knows-you.html

 

[LunarMist]

Spying TVs:
http://bgr.com/2015/02/11/how-to-stop-samsung-smart-tv-spying-guide/
http://www.cnet.com/au/how-to/samsung-smart-tv-spying/
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31296188
http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/sec...gates-smart-tv-spy-claims-20131121-hv3nx.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-reveals-personal-data-TV-sets-knows-you.html

Do they all spy through HDMI or only the Ethernet/wireless?

 

[Howell]

Is that using bluetooth keyboards with the Samsungs? Interesting, wasn't aware of that feature.

I know most Sony's can use the Sony Remote App (both iOS and Android) or "Quick Remote: TV SideView" (Android) to control their TVs as well, but it requires either a phone or tablet to be the hosting device.

Visio has a thumb keyboard on the back of the ir remote and Panasonic has a smart phone app that talks over ip similar to the Sony I'd guess.

 

[Howell]

Merc nailed it. I would however connect it to the network exactly once, just to download and install the latest update, then forget about it altogether. The thought is here that since they have the ability to push updates, they may go through even less QA before shipping.

This.

 

[Chewy509]

Do they all spy through HDMI or only the Ethernet/wireless?

I'm not sure I understand the question regarding HDMI? Unless you mean Ethernet via HDMI?

They all report activity to their servers (I'm reluctant to use the word spy, as that denotes a covert action, whilst these devices phoning home is more overt, as it's described in the products documentation) via TCP/IP, so however that's provided doesn't really matter...

 

[LunarMist]

I'm not sure I understand the question regarding HDMI? Unless you mean Ethernet via HDMI?

They all report activity to their servers (I'm reluctant to use the word spy, as that denotes a covert action, whilst these devices phoning home is more overt, as it's described in the products documentation) via TCP/IP, so however that's provided doesn't really matter...

I mean, do they spy if the TV is connected to the box through HDMI only? I'm not familiar with HDMI network protocol.

 

[jtr1962]

I read somewhere that these smart TVs are reporting back on what you watching. And, some of these TVs have a camera built in, so it can watch you. I'll see if I can find the article.
Don't plug it into the internet.

This is kind of funny because for years one of my sister's coworkers insisted that the government can spy on you through your TV (but according to her only when it's off). Now this was back in the days of analog NTSC TV, making her entire fear tin foil hat material. It's a bit ironic how this is actually coming to pass. Quick solution is to put opaque tape over the camera whenever you're not using it. Second solution is to only connect to the Internet when you need to, only for as long as you need to.

 

[Chewy509]

I mean, do they spy if the TV is connected to the box through HDMI only? I'm not familiar with HDMI network protocol.

What/which box?

 

[ddrueding]

HDMI can carry ethernet. I'm assuming you mean the cable or satellite box? Those do occasionally have internet access. So, sure, theoretically.