"Automatic Content Recognition" is scary, and seems to work regardless of the source of the image.

https://www.bannertag.com/guide-to-automatic-content-recogni...

I'm sure it's mentioned somewhere in the tome of text you agree to when you startup or unpack the tv. So clearly, everyone is okay with it. /s

>"So clearly, everyone is okay with it. /s"

Cue the responses confidently dismissing the issue because there is some convoluted setup involving additional hardware and network configuration that any consumer can surely set up if they don't like what these products are doing.

Yes, but the moment you plug in an Android dongle, Apple TV or similar, you can just disconnect the TV from the internet, which should solve this.

You're going to have to put it in a faraday cage when they start including modems into the TV. lol

Two can play this game if they provide free SIM card they should expect people hacking and freeloading this built in SIM card.

I'm sure 1% of their users will do that. I'm also sure they'll still make money from ads.

I'd tend to think this 1% group overlaps a lot with HN readers skilled to do it.

If the plan is to get a TV (irrespective of it including "smart" features) and then use your own external dongle, then you'd have to be crazy to connect the TV to the internet. I think that must have been an implied instruction in the comment you replied to.

I got a very nice "smart" TV, plugged in my own inputs, and entirely ignored that the TV had its own apps. It works just as well as a "dumb" panel would have.