Is it possible to install my own OS on a "smart" TV? Is that a thing?
Is it possible to install my own OS on a "smart" TV? Is that a thing?
How do I free my television?
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Nvidia shields with an alternate home screen have been a good solution for me? TV isn't connected to the network directly, just to the shield.
I've got RetroArch, Plex, Spotify on each of them - that sort of stuff.
bingo. never put the tv on the network, just budget for adding something else. tvs have been known to update after a year and start injecting ads outside return policy LOL. fucking scam's man. my shield fucks up, it gets flashed. or traded out.
Do people actually use their TV without a console or computer of some sorts connected? That's absolutely feral behavior. Like boomers avoiding self checkout cause it's too complicated.
I just bought a new tv and don't have a shield or anything yet. Came from a 15 year old insignia dumb tv. New one is a tcl qm751g, it's pretty great so far. The ui is alright but literally all I've used is Netflix. Will probably build a small pc for it in the future so I can play in 4k 120/144. In the meantime I have a crappy laptop I can HDMI to the tv in 1080p and use remote play on steam to stream games from my pc downstairs. I'm still trying to figure out which options here cost the least and get the most. As far as hardware and ad free etc goes. Ps5? Stick with old laptop? Build a new pc? Lug gaming pc upstairs? Idk lol but for now the tv's built in ui and Netflix is working.
HD audio pass through ended up being reason I went with the shield pro. But it's not "cheap" at ~$200 per unit. I still think that's cheaper than a dedicated mini PC or something though (was really the only other option I saw for TrueHD).
If you want Dolby Vision you'll need a device like the Shield, Roku, Google Streamer.. the codecs are locked to those devices for reasons
(as a millennial, I avoid self checkout because massive corporations are eliminating jobs without reducing prices and I think that's bullshit)
You are missing out on some greeeaat discount opportunities.
Your smart TV is a computer of some sorts. You can do shit like watching Netflix with it. If that is all you want to do, why should you use another device with it, that brings no benefits but uses more power?
i already said why. there are stories where an update now injects ads into the tv, more than were there when you bought it. so after you can't return it, well, now it's "updated" and can't take the piece of shit back.
using a 3rd party device still leaves you in some sort of control. i use an nvidia shield, which definitely does add better functionality, but if it starts acting stupid, i flash it back to defaults/roll back any updates or i replace it, tv unchanged.
and power usage is negligible at best.
here is one story - https://choice.community/t/samsung-now-injecting-ads-into-your-smart-tv/26124
spying - https://money.cnn.com/2015/02/09/technology/security/samsung-smart-tv-privacy/index.html
phone updates can do the same - https://old.reddit.com/r/ShittyDesign/comments/1fqy9rh/samsung_wants_to_turn_my_charging_screen_into_ads/
bottom line, if you don't control the device, you have no say in what gets update/installed/"upgraded" to support more ads. on an external device, i know how to wipe it/block updates. on the tv, best i could do is factory reset it, im IT, not TV.
I mean, that sucks but I run pihole on my network and don't have any injected ads on my Samsung displays, and all base functionality I need works without issue.
I have pihole setup too. I'd still never need to connect my tv. but you're free to do as you want
Because Xbox and PlayStation exist? Also, the ergonomics of the TV remote vs a controller are night and day different.
Yes, the differences are night and day. Every time I want to watch one of the few movies I own on Blu-ray, I turn my old PS4 on and remember how shitty a controller is for media playback and I download the movie and watch it on my Raspberry Pi with Kodi and a proper media remote.
So again: if I just want to watch Netflix, why should I add a console that has no advantages, but uses more power and forces me to use a controller that is nice for many games but shit for watching movies?
if it's such a problem, then don't use anything, let your tv be open to the Internet and browser hacks. that's your prerogative. but we're telling why it's a bad idea, that's all.
Yes, the differences are night and day. Every time I want to watch one of the few movies I own on Blu-ray, I turn my old PS4 on and remember how shitty a controller is for media playback and I download the movie and watch it on my Raspberry Pi with Kodi and a proper media remote.
- lol no you don't.
So again: if I just want to watch Netflix, why should I add a console that has no advantages, but uses more power and forces me to use a controller that is nice for many games but shit for watching movies?
-You aren't raw dogging your TV apps....youre using a console of sorts to run your media vs letting the TV do it. Which was what I was asking in the root comment in this thread.
So what I originally said....and what I'm replying to now are the same sentiment. You're being a contrarian.
Yeah I use a GoogleTV and don't let the set itself connect to the internet. I held onto an HTPC as long as I could but it just got too troublesome to coax high quality streams out of it after a while.
Yes, something like that would work. The stock OS would still be on the TV but as long as you don't connect the TV to WiFi it should be fine.