I refuse to connect this TV to the internet because if it does get connected it will force an update that says unless you agree with forced arbitration your TV will be unusable. I just want to change the HDMI slot 2 spaces over 🤦. Gargle my nutsack Roku.
After they announced that they would snoop on the HDMI port and then push targetted ads during paused media, I decided I will never own a Roku device again. Before they had TVs I’d recommend to anyone to get their smart boxes. Then Roku, like everyone else, enshitified.
Most smart TVs do this by default, unfortunately. They use a technology called ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) to determine what you’re watching, essentially like Shazam but for TV shows and movies. This gets sent to the manufacturer who can then build an advertising profile about you.
At least they don’t show ads, yet.
Never connect a smart TV to the internet. Put it on a separate VLAN that doesn’t have internet access. For streaming, use something like an Nvidia Shield (or if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, an Apple TV).