this post was submitted on 09 Apr 2024
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A Boring Dystopia

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Edit: I guess this post is free advertising for these shitters, so I will describe what I previously linked.

There is this TV you can get for free but it has a ads on screen constantly and it has a camera pointed at you to record your reactions to ads and to ensure you don't cover up the ad portion of the screen.

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[–] De_Narm@lemmy.world 82 points 7 months ago (3 children)

"The smartest TV [..]"

I'm already out. Give me your dumbest.

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 25 points 7 months ago (14 children)

Exactly, what's the use of a smart TV when I have a game console capable of streaming everything a "Smart TV" can AND playing games/browsing the Web?
9/10 times people use a fire stick or cable box to watch TV anyway, all I need is volume, input selection, and power.

[–] Meron35@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The use of a smart TV is to make manufacturers money by selling your personal data to advertisers as part of their post purchase monetisation strategy. Literally admitted by Vizio's CEO (who are really following other brands).

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2024/04/06/how-a-texas-oil-billionaire-hit-a-gusher-in-hotels/?sh=5e162c95c610

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I meant they used to me, I understand their use for it.

[–] Meron35@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

You get a cheaper TV. Just disable all their smart features.

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[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago

Look into a hospitality tv. Just dummy tv monitor.

[–] padge@lemmy.zip 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

What's stopping me from buying a smart TV and never taking it online?

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

Been doing it with mine for 3 years mostly. Jack-in just long enough to update firmware and software then disconnect

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 53 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (3 children)

Isn't it time to stop being polite and start relentlessly mocking anyone who voluntarily buys this shit?

[–] elshandra@lemmy.world 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)

For free? Surely there's some way to get that shit out.. Or at least, the panel.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 19 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I'm sure there's some gotcha in the contract that says you don't actually own the hardware and modifying it is a breach.

[–] RvTV95XBeo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 7 months ago

Of course you don't own it, you didn't even pay for it

[–] InfiniteStruggle@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 months ago

I lost the second monitor in a boating accident.

[–] elshandra@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago
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[–] Ogeon@programming.dev 32 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Ah, taking inspiration from late 1940's literature, I see. Smart!

[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 20 points 7 months ago (2 children)

You can mute, but the ad will pause until you unmute.

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 12 points 7 months ago

Which makes the button almost completely useless.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

That would mean the "unintrusive ad screen" isn't unintrusive, if the ads shown in it also play sound.

[–] Endmaker@lemmy.world 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I wouldn't have known about it if not for this post.

Now this post feels like an ad.

[–] Ultragigagigantic@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Sorry, I didn't mean to advertise, I'll edit the link and the product name from my post.

[–] Endmaker@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Nah I think it's ok since it provides context

But thanks for editing anyway

[–] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Same but I signed up for it

[–] Endmaker@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago
[–] Muscar@discuss.online 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

In their reservation terms of service:

"Telly takes the privacy of its users very seriously. For the current Telly Product Privacy Policy please visit [INSERT LINK TO UPDATED TELLY PRODUCT PRIVACY POLICY]."

I laughed so much at that, it's just perfect.

[–] vrek@programming.dev 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

There were several isps that did this years ago... A banner at bottom is of your screen showing ads, free internet. They all went bankrupt I think.

[–] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 4 points 7 months ago

Considering you can buy a decent TV for a few hundred dollars these days, I don't see it going much differently for this company either.

[–] GoTeamBoobies@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Oh man the memories! My parents used NetZero

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

You can still get 10 free hours a month on their dialup. Over 10 hours and you have to pay for their super ultra extreme dialup.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)
[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 10 points 7 months ago

Drink the confirmation can now.

[–] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I understood this reference

[–] JCreazy@midwest.social 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I am more interested in the technology used inside the TV.

[–] JustZ@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but if you can get the same or even better tech in a dumb tv, why wouldn't you get that?

[–] JCreazy@midwest.social 1 points 7 months ago

I would, I just want to know how the tech. I don't want to use it.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

It's "free" which means you're paying for it a different way than money. If you don't want the ads then don't get the "free" TV.

[–] r00ty@kbin.life 17 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Yeah. I'm completely behind the complaints people have with a lot of modern world problems in this regard.

  • Ads on TVs you paid for
  • Ads on streaming services you paid for
  • Actually, ads on cable/satellite TV with a subscription in general. What a ridiculous concept of paying twice!
  • Subscriptions for hardware features already installed (although I am fine with a one-off payment to activate them. I can see the argument for a single SKU with all features installed and deactivated for making the production line simpler)

But in this case, they're very clear. They are making hardware available at no monetary cost. Therefore, you MUST know they're monetizing you somehow, and this is the somehow.

Having said that, yes, the description does seem like the dystopian tellyscreens in nineteen-eighty-four. But they were mandatory for everyone, which is the main difference.

[–] r00ty@kbin.life 5 points 7 months ago

Actually looking through the site. I don't really see how they're going to make enough money on this.

I cannot see anywhere on their site that suggests the camera will be watching you (and there's probably laws against that, even in the USA!) and the FAQ specifically says the camera has a cover and only an app using the camera will make that open, and you have to accept the permission.

Also, it seems they play the ads on a separate screen. Which suggests there won't be sound either. So they don't even expect you to be paying attention to the ads, because it seems they won't block content for them.

I expect there might be an initial interest in advertisers. But if they don't see a decent conversion rate, I cannot imagine they will keep paying enough to cover the TV for ads.

Also, what happens when one of these breaks, they replace it for free? I'd imagine they would need to because otherwise the hardware they paid for is no longer generating revenue.

This sounds like a late April fool. :P

[–] aleph@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Having said that, yes, the description does seem like the dystopian tellyscreens in nineteen-eighty-four. But they were mandatory for everyone, which is the main difference.

This is actually closer to Brave New World than Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the former, citizens voluntarily buy huge TVs to adorn their living room walls because their whole society is built around pleasure-seeking and entertainment. These displays are then used by the powers that be to distract and pacify the population, prevent critical thinking and reduce political unrest.

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (5 children)

I signed up for one.

Fuck it. Free TV. I can probably disable the ad screen somehow (even just covering it but leave the camera uncovered) Certainly would be fun to see if it can be hacked.

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