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I didn't realize my LG TV was spying on me until I turned off this setting
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this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2025
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Privacy
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A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.
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Why are people connecting their tvs to the internet at all vs using a dedicated streaming box? Are tvs now forcing you to do so on initial setup?
I haven’t bought a tv in 10+ years - want to get another but honestly feel sketched out at the prospect of doing so.
I don't get why people reflexively suggest streaming boxes. A standalone Roku, Onn or FireTV is gonna spy on you just as much as any of these things. Apple TV is probably the best of a bad bunch (esp. since Nvidia enshittified the Shield TV). There's options like running the Shield with an alternate launcher or putting a ROM on the Fire stick or running A Linux STB but none of those are particularly accessible to the non-tech set.
I guess I wasn’t meaning to recommend one over the other, I was curious what the value proposition of connecting your tv to the internet is. (The tv I have is at least ten years old and is incredibly sluggish even changing channels - I can’t imagine using the built in apps is any better. Same with our ancient Blu-ray player, just awful to use.) Or if there is no value prop and you’re forced (or nagged) to do so in order to use your tv.
I assume that any sort of streaming is offering up a surveillance buffet. I just want to limit the data as best I can.
Thank you. "I refuse to send my data to my tv company! Here, Apple, you take it instead."
hypothetically the box doesn't see everything else you do with the TV, but that's a minimal reduction in footprint.
The usability of "smart" TVs is garbage. They arne't very powerful computers so if you are going to sacrifice privacy by using streaming, you should do it with a better streaming device. There is no reason a TV needs to connect to the internet. There is nothing that needs to be updated.
Look for "digital signage". It's a screen designed to be used for, like, menus in fast food restaurants. But watch out, though, because the Samsung one I bought recently still had an Internet connection. I've simply chosen to not connect it, but it still pesters me about it.
My Epson projector doesn't have a smart OS. A lot of modern cheap projectors are unfortunately broken that way.
I don't understand why people don't just buy a monitor or projector if they're privacy focused. I have never owned a "smart" tv amd never will.
Getting a 4k monitor the size of a large-screen TV (65in+) is hard and expensive. A projector is great only in very ideal conditions (proper white and smooth backdrop, dark room with no light interference). Dumb TVs used in digital signage are usually not on par with regular TVs in terms of display quality, and they are also expensive. The best budget-friendly option is a disconnected 4k TV and a streaming box.
Intended roles and respective optimizations. Couch vs. 1 meter away in dpi and size.