Smart TVs

[jsburger]

You don't have to connect the TV to the network yourself. If the TV has Wifi, it can connect itself to any unsecured network in your area and "phone home" to the manufacturer and anybody else who wants to keep an eye on you.
Numerous manufacturers have already been caught monitoring users.

Just turn the WiFi off on the TV. You can do that right? Please explain how a "smart TV" just connects automatically to an "unsecured" network. My smart phone does not connect automatically to any network unless Ii tell it to. My smart lap top computer does not connect to any network unless I tell it to.

Please explain what I am missing here.

[jsburger]

Our TVs are smarter than we are. Living in the boonies, we must rely on our wifi connection for content. Our wifi provider is really poor. And, it's the only one available out here. Consequently, live TV is out of the question.

I live out in the country. There is no DSL and I don't have cable. I have DirecTV so no internet with them. We have a wireless service that uses a small dish on the roof. The company is Rise Broadband. It is rock solid and if I get an outage maybe 1 or 2 times a year they are fixed within a few hours. Besides I have a free 50GB hot spot with my phone from Sprint so if Rise goes down I can still connect.

Gene, have you looked into Hugh's Net satellite WiFi? It is available everywhere. I check their pricing from time to time and they are comparable to what I get from Rise Broadband. Probably more than you are paying now but reliability is worth something.

[garys]

Microsoft has had their operating systems automatically connect to any available internet connection since Windows 98. If Microsoft figured out how to do it 20 years ago, don't fool yourself into thinking that the people writing the firmware in your TV today can't do it too.

[jsburger]

Microsoft has had their operating systems automatically connect to any available internet connection since Windows 98. If Microsoft figured out how to do it 20 years ago, don't fool yourself into thinking that the people writing the firmware in your TV today can't do it too.

I can turn WiFi off in windows. If it is off it doesn't connect to anything. Sending data IF you are connected and automatically connecting to send data if you didn't specifically connect are two VERY different things.

An unsecured network in a hotel still needs a pass word. The Xfinity unsecured network still requires you to be an Xfinity subscriber and have an Xfinity user name to connect.

You still have not explained how a smart TV connects to any random network unless I tell it to.

[Gene Howe]

Thanks John. Yes, we've considered HUGHSNET. Folks around here who have tried it say it's terribly unreliable. Might be our location.

[RFGuy]

Hughes is pretty antiquated (slow) now for satellite based internet. Viasat has a constellation of newer satellites for internet to the home that are faster. They sell it under their "Exede" brand and it might be worth a look if you are interested. It is not cheap, but for those who have no better options (cable, DSL, fiber) it could be an option.

https://www.exede.com/

https://www.viasat.com/news/viasat-exed ... utive-year

[jsburger]

Thanks John. Yes, we've considered HUGHSNET. Folks around here who have tried it say it's terribly unreliable. Might be our location.

I am surprised a satellite service is unreliable. My terrestrial connection requires a clear site between antennas. I am not sure why your location would have anything to do with a satellite connection.

As I said I have DirecTV and there are times when we have severe thunder storms or heavy snow that block the signal. That is maybe once or twice a year.

[RFGuy]

I am surprised a satellite service is unreliable. My terrestrial connection requires a clear site between antennas. I am not sure why your location would have anything to do with a satellite connection.

As I said I have DirecTV and there are times when we have severe thunder storms or heavy snow that block the signal. That is maybe once or twice a year.

John,

Just having clear view of the sky doesn't necessarily mean you have access to a particular satellite network. As you can see in the coverage map for Hughes Net, there are lots of "holes" in their coverage map where service would be limited or impossible.

HughesNetCoverageMap.png (119.04 KiB) Viewed 6245 times

This is just the past 24 hours, but looks like more than a few complaints about Hughes Net being down today.

HughesNet.jpg (32.94 KiB) Viewed 6245 times

[ryanbp01]

Remember the old days when you would use foil on the antenna wire and slide it up and down to get the best picture? How about the ads in the Miles Kimball catalog with the plastic overlay that would turn your black and white screen into a "color" T.V.? I still remember my Dad either stomping on the floor or smacking the side of the T.V. to fine-tune the channels.
BPR

[jsburger]

Remember the old days when you would use foil on the antenna wire and slide it up and down to get the best picture? How about the ads in the Miles Kimball catalog with the plastic overlay that would turn your black and white screen into a "color" T.V.? I still remember my Dad either stomping on the floor or smacking the side of the T.V. to fine-tune the channels.
BPR

I remember back in the 50's we would go to my dads cousin's house for New Years to watch the college football bowl games. All 4 of them. They had the only color TV in the family. It was an RCA with the round picture tube. The first thing in the morning on New Years day was to turn on the TV so it would warm up and the colors would stabilize. About an hour and a half.