LG's recent software update has forcibly installed Microsoft Copilot, an AI assistant, on smart TVs without removal options, sparking widespread user backlash over privacy, bloatware, and loss of control. This highlights growing tensions in smart devices, where monetization often overrides user preferences.
Who’s going to step up and start creating a “dumb” version of absolutely everything? One brand dedicated to just making the thing do the thing it absolutely must do and nothing else.
Would be great but the manufacturer would be at a disadvantage because that bundled bullshit effectively subsidizes the device. So you’d have to either raise prices or accept a lower profit margin.
Due to the high barrier of entry (e.g. because of patents) it’s unlikely that a privately owned company can make a big market entry, especially across countries. And a public company will be forced by the shareholders to maximize profit so either you bundle crapware or they fire you as CEO.
Of course if you look outside the TV market such devices already exist. High-quality digital signage devices can easily be had – for about three times the price of an equivalently-sized TV.
Some premium brands like Bang & Olufsen sell TVs without adware, I think Panasonic TVs are mostly ad-free for now. Outside of that, most big brands will have “professional” or “commercial” product lines that also don’t have ads. But in all cases you’ll have to pay extra over the TVs subsidized by ads.
Let’s be very clear, they are not and never were “subsidised by ads”. Ads just became a new way to extract more money from customers.
YET!
What we need to be pushing is someone like Framework to build fixable TV’s. Plenty of companies now make PI compute style boards so give me a screen I can put my own PI compute style board in and flash my own software.
Then if JelllyFin added in the tuner side, considering it already has the basics, you’d likely get a ton of business selling custom TV’s that are more useable then the crap we have now. Look how popular the fire sticks got!
Makes me wish I had a few million to get a TV designed, make a batch but I think demand would be an issue… which begs the question, how is no-one doing it yet? 🤦♂️🙄
People that buy commercial displays won’t tolerate adware on their monitors. Can you imagine having a screen in a store and it suddenly displaying ads that are not for what the store sells itself? This ensures there will always be an healthy demand for ad free displays.