Only a matter of time before they ship with cell modems so you can’t disconnect them from the internet.

My LG tv post-update is never allowed on a network and it will never be updated again. Hopefully it never breaks…

satvikpendem 18 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Other TVs like Samsung are using a peer to peer mesh network with nearby devices instead. LG might do the same.

	▲	palmotea 16 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> Other TVs like Samsung are using a peer to peer mesh network with nearby devices instead. Details?

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BLKNSLVR 17 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I wonder whether it's better to connect it to a network that is then firewalled off from the internet. That may prevent it from looking for alternatives.

> Only a matter of time before they ship with cell modems

I do wonder about the hackability of this. Will it be a purely telemetry connection or will it be able to stream video via that connection as well? (not that data costs as much these days as it used to). Can we piggy back the rest of our internet data on this connection? LG TV as modem/router?

Will they include GPS, so they can also connect your home address to the profile they're creating on you? Location-specific advertising value would make that answer: yes!

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iamnothere 17 hours ago | parent | next [-]

They would probably use a low cost IoT plan, which (without volume discount) is something like $1/mo and a few cents per MB. So they may be able to send content ID info or conversation transcripts, but video would be too expensive unless the user pays.

GPS is probably unnecessary since mobile phones are constantly mapping out WLANs. You can get a decent approximation of GPS with just a wireless scan in most places.

I saw a previous conversation here where someone said they were able to “repurpose” a similar IoT modem to get some free data, but the modern chips are soldered on and tightly integrated, so it would be harder to reuse unless you get root on the device. I think they use eSIMs stored in a secure element in the CPU.

	▲	kotaKat 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I've thought for a while on this and with 5G RedCap I really see a day where they include a fully ad-supported 720p streaming TV service over the 5G link and some kind of "premium" offering to pay more for higher streaming quality (but still be screwed over by ad city to cover the 5G link). Consumers will buy it if they're told they "never have to worry about an over the air TV antenna again" because it has a magic 5G antenna in it!

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Scoundreller 16 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Hard to get a gps fix indoors. My guess is to infer it from OTA tv channel IDs and relative signal strengths. Wouldn’t need a big database and the transmitters don’t move much.

See “datacasting” for data side. Would be 1-way so hard to know how many eye/ear balls get the noise; I mean; ad.

	▲	dns_snek 14 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Couldn't you still get a reliable GPS fix by observing over longer time periods? But it requires a relatively expensive hardware component so geolocating via nearby wifi APs would definitely be cheaper. Google offers a convenient API for that and there's a semi-public database over at WiGLE. https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/geolocation... https://wigle.net/

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anon7000 14 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Seriously. My fucking CPAP machine ships with a 5g modem so my info can be easily available to my physician. Can’t turn it off, no clue if I’m even paying for it given how obtuse the billing situation is with how the company charges health insurance

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Quibblingeek 18 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I do the same thing. My concern is that if somebody makes the decision to spin up an open wireless network it’ll just try to connect to that and upload all of the telemetry it’s been holding onto.

I’m considering opening mine and taking a desoldering braid to both the RJ45 and wireless antenna solder joints. This might break the TV, but at this point if it does I’m ready to just throw it in the trash and find a commercial display.

I bought a television. I didn’t buy an invitation to be watched in the name of surveillance capitalism and until America gets its shit together with data privacy and consumer protection laws this is just going to continue happening.

I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet, but I did watch the preview and all of Steve’s latest work has been great so I’m sure it’ll be great.

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CommanderData 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

So how do we stop this? Laws? Who do we write to?