They're not talking about putting the TV online. The TV is completely offline.

They're talking about plugging the TV into a PC or laptop via HDMI or Displayport (like if you're running an HTPC), which then triggers a companion app update on the PC via Windows Update. This was a news item a few weeks ago with their monitors. They then also discuss a hardware blocker for HDMI or DP to prevent this.

Again, this has nothing to do about the TV's smart apps.

You bought this TV and it might install malware on your computer, so to use it you also have to buy a blocker that might be a scam. Where is the joy in all of this?

My X.com was shadowbanned, I got tired trying to resolve it, so I made the ban permanent with a simple element `.click` against the Like button of one of my post done inside a very quick `window.setInterval`. One of the best decision I ever made during the past few years.

I'm also in the process of getting my Steam account deleted because my friend told me it has been flagged while all I did was just using it as I would normally, no hacking, no cheating etc, paying all with my own money instead of gift card.

Maybe I'm old, I got really tired on performing maintenance on other people's bad intent or mistakes. But you know what, sometimes, cutting things off from your life can be beneficial, it makes you focus on things that truly matter to you, or at least it triggers the review process while you making the decisions.

Do you really need a TV anyway? Just so you can then spend more on it to watch stuff that you'll probably forget within a week? Less stuff, less suffering.

There's nothing nefarious about EDIDs. EDIDs are just a way of the monitor to announce its capabilities to the device so that the device and the display can agree on things like resolution, refresh rate, etc. EDIDs are just blobs of data without capability to execute logic, as far as I'm aware.

It sounds like the author is claiming that Windows does some sort of driver update in response to EDID announcements, but OP doesn't explain it at all. If that's true, that would entirely be on the Windows end not on the EDID's end. It sounds like Windows is recognizing LG as the manufacturer declared in the EDID and then downloading a driver for LG. I don't think there's any way for the EDID to declare to the OS that it wants to perform a driver update.

The exact same logic applies to devices you buy. These companies have shown they do not have any integrity. So why would you want buy something from them that is "smart" and never sleeps?

That is just stupid to give internet access to a "smart" tv or a "smart" phone. You have zero control over it.

The 2nd story is crazy - I wonder if I hack LG and start downloading all their trade secrets, when caught, the government would just let me stop the download and face no punishment, if I say I just forgot to ask them for consent. Or maybe it's different if I do the hacking through a backdoored cable I sell them, like they hack us through backdoored TVs.

[1] https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/how-to-stop-google-from-...

[2] https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/smart-tvs-that-send-data-wit...

[Sceptre](https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV-category1category73.htm...)'s 4K series is sold at Wal-Mart, often for under half the web-listed prices. I’ve bought a few at the 42” scale for like $180 shipped. They’re fine and they’re incapable of all the spyware bullshit.

Amid the overall electronics boom thanks to A.I.

What is it talking about? What boom?

You know what? There's really nothing good to watch on TV anyways

In Australia TV is colloquially called “the idiot box”

A foreign friend asked, “is that because there are only idiots on there, or because you turn into one if you watch too much?”

Yes.

Oh, there's a driver update for the LG television. Makes sense, right? It's a fairly recent television, and the drivers will help us take advantage of all of the TV's features. Of course, I'd like Microsoft to download it.

At this point I assume the author was making intentionally bad choices out of morbid curiosity. I can't imagine anyone technical thinking drivers should be required to connect to a TV via HDMI. (or maybe I'm not technical enough)

https://www.s-config.com/microslop/

For that link only TFA is worth it.

You know what? There's really nothing good to watch on TV anyways. If Hollywood has to subsidize the television industry just to keep its base, it doesn't have any money to invest in anything new. Every channel just wants to brainwash you. So throwing the Flat Panel into the garbage might be a good idea anyways.

Definitely have to agree with the author on that. Only use for a TV for me is for playing on the Steam Machine.

Just disconnecting from Wifi often doesn't work because the TV will connect to insecure wifi to upload data and fingerprint what you're watching and who you are.

crackhead@blorb.localhost

Checks out, and I mean that in the kindest way possible

Them: "But then how will I get Netflix?"

Me: "Get an Apple TV and connect it to the internet. Then connect that to your TV with an HDMI cable."

Them: "I don't need an Apple TV. I just bought a TV!"

Me: "Apple TV is not a TV. It's a little box."

Them: "Then why does Apple call it a TV?"

Me (snarky): "I told Steve Jobs not to call it a TV but he did it anyway."

Them: "This is all too confusing. Just buy the things and hook it up. Here's my credit card."

Me: "OK"

Them (one month later): "Hey our new TV is working great!"

Me: "Good!"

Them: "Except it shows us an unskippable ad whenever we turn it on, and the ad seems to know a lot about us."

Me: "Um...that shouldn't be happening."

<investigation begins>

Me: "This TV knows your wifi password!"

Them: "Oh yeah! After you left last month the TV asked us if we wanted to 'finish the setup process'. So we did what it told us and now it's happy. Aren't you proud of us for figuring that out all on our own?"

Me (to myself): choose words carefully before speaking, self

Who the fuck invited them into the living room? They say it's optional and opt in but I really don't believe that.

Edit: it's called ACR and a much bigger problem then I originally thought. Wow.

The malware installed by LG on Microsoft PCs and the spying by smart TVs are both despicable. But I couldn’t get through this article.

Connect a mini-PC to provide any "smarts" required.

Smart TVs are to be plugged in to be updated, and that's it.

Their default state is to be permanently offline.

Hook up an Apple TV if you want apps.