this post was submitted on 09 Nov 2023
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Am I the only one who sticks to old school solutions like a dedicated HTPC running Linux and Kodi instead of ad-infested Android TV sticks/boxes?
Most people are not that technically savvy.
Even a Windows computer, like a laptop. An HDMI cable isn't hard to plug in.
Even learning to broadcast programming from your laptop to your TV has a learning curve. Meanwhile, you can just push a button on the TV and get to Netflix. The problem is that now half the space is going to be taken up with ads, and not even relevant ones.
Exactly. It seems people often completely miss the human behaviour element of this whole issue. Just saying 'LeARn to TEcH N00b' isn't helpful or realistic in the real world for most people. I have family that still won't touch a computer, or only use one for the most basic of browsing and email, but they can use a TV remote without issue.
If thats the price of freedom then I think one should definitely become tech savvy.
Besides, isn't saying that you're not tech savvy in today's tech world kind of admitting that you're willfully ignorant and only buy tech stuff for show?
You think people only buy TVs for show? That's a very strange thing to suggest. People buy TVs so they can watch shows. For over 70 years, all they've had to do is turn it on and maybe turn a knob or push a couple of buttons and that's it. Expecting people to learn more than that is too much for many people. And saying you aren't tech savvy isn't some shameful thing except to people who are tech savvy. Even if it does mean someone is ignorant, that doesn't mean they deserve to be taken advantage of.
One way to look at this is that if you buy a bike, you should have at least basic understanding of its work and repair process. If you run a car, you should know the traffic rules. Similar in internet world, but only not explicitly implied.
Ignorant people should not be taken advantage of. But this is more like a principle than application. Currently, the internet is like a wild wild west. The more techy you are, more you can save your mental health. It is just the lack of awareness in people that make companies take advantage of them. IMO, Tech-literacy is a necessity, just like traffic rules or basic life support.
Tech literacy is beyond many people. They are very confused by it. Not everyone has the capacity to be able to learn things on that subject. There is no subject everyone can be well-versed in, especially not a complicated one.
And, again, TVs have just worked for over 70 years. Why should people who have watched TV all of their lives expect to suddenly have to do some complicated new thing just to avoid Amazon fucking them over?
Certainly in my country, people who don't know how to setup a computer still choose to buy one.
Maybe the boomer generation. I am a millenial running a pihole and subscribing to OTT. This is true of others in my generation and younger.
Well it's not shameful in that it requires ridicule. I just think it's a bit embarrassing for me personally that a lot of people don't bother learning tech stuff. It's similar to people declaring that they don't read books. In this day and age, being tech savvy is kind of required to navigate a lot of society.
I know that, you know that, the companies exploiting the ignorant and elderly know that. So there's no better cure than for the ignorant to learn.
Still sounds like you're blaming the people being taken advantage of because they don't know things you do.
Leaving aside the silly thing about buying stuff for show (which may be true of a fraction, but not the vast majority), I disagree.
While becoming 'tech-savvy' might allow people to navigate around the pervasive ads in techn like the Fire Stick, it's unrealistic to expect this level of expertise from the average person. People have a myriad of responsibilities and interests competing for their attention; not everyone has the luxury of dedicating time to become a tech expert just to avoid advertisements. This expectation completely ignores the complexity of our lives and the sheer volume of knowledge required to custom-build solutions like a media PC, or build your own media library. It’s not about being willfully ignorant; it’s about the practical realities of everyday life.
Also, the implication that not being tech-savvy is a form of willful ignorance is unrealistically dismissive of the different talents and intelligence people possess. Being proficient in the many and various technology's is just one skill set among many, and people value privacy and simplicity without having to jump through hoops to achieve it. Technology should serve to enhance our lives, not add another layer of complexity. The burden should not fall solely on consumers to fend off invasive advertising; it is also the responsibility of companies to respect their users’ desire for a straightforward and unobtrusive experience. (Though I suspect we both agree this bit is more dream than reality...)
I am not holding my breath, at least until such time as companies actually change away from focusing purely on growth, money left on the table and towards sustainable business.
It doesn't take enormous effort to be at least aware of the shenanigans of the devices we interact with daily. Some people don't even bother with that.
If one knows how to setup wifi in their house... The next logical thing is how to configure their TVs, then on to a wifi extender, etc.
I find a dedicated HTPC is just overkill in terms of hardware these days. I just use Kodi sideloaded onto a Fire stick and point it to my file server for all my media. There are methods to get Kodi to launch on startup or to remap one of the stupid service-related buttons on the newer remotes to launch it instead.
Ads on the home screen? I don't give a shit, I'm just there for a second to launch an app. Ads while searching? Cool, I don't think I've ever used the device's built in search.
I have a NanoPC-T4 that I use as a server, the thing would in principle make a good set top box -- it's what Rockchip designed the RK3399 for, after all, it can decode 4k h.264 and h.265, and it's from 2016 (I got it for its pcie lanes, a rarity with arm boards).
None of those SmartTVs run expensive hardware, any reasonably fresh potato can do what they do.
If you bought a Vizio TV 4 years ago it now has a "feature" where it switches inputs to the ad-ridden integrated android system if it detects that whatever input you are on doesn't have a signal for more than 5 seconds. Even if you pull it from the network it still tries to load it anyway. It's becoming unavoidable even for those of us who roll our own solutions.
vizio also moved the tv tuner bits over to it's 'smart' bullshit, too.
"Smart" in regards to modern technology means ad-infested spyware
Why would you even connect your TV to the network in the first place? I use an LG Smart TV but I never connect it to the internet.
To use the android-based remote (which was actually pretty cool at the time tbh)
I almost never need the remote of the TV. I just use my HTPC running Kodi which I can connect to a remote app on my phone if I want to.
I connect my LG because jellyfin works great on the built on web browser. I can also run it on a firestick or chromecast but I like the interface provided by the browser.
I did that, but at the end of the day, I find the experience of the Shield TV better.
The Shield TV is one of the better TV boxes. In fact, the Apple TV and the Shield TV are the only TV boxes I would ever use, if I had to use one. I'm very happy with my custom HTPC though.
Fair enough, although I might add that there is not a better way to run Kodi but HTPC, even when the Shield is more than a capable client, it sucks from time to time, I blame the limited RAM of the device.
The HTPC solution is not for everyone, but I'm really enthusiastic about my setup, so it's my preferred way of consuming media on a TV. The Shield TV is totally fine though.
Yup. Small Intel NUC, Linux, and one of those Air mouse remotes are all I need.
It's hard not to be that guy and mention how neat such a setup is every time I have to watch someone else fumbling around with the horribly designed and ad-ridden UI of their "smart" TV.
I'm really shocked that this is the Technology community and it's full of people complaining about ads. We're supposed to be the geeks who are laughing at the normies for watching those ads while we watch content on our techy solution which is immune to such garbage.
Many of us are, but some aren't. We can teach them about it.
We are talking for the normies here. And it is becoming more and more difficult to block ads and trackers even for moderately savvy person.
I have a Nokia android TV with no ads as far as I can tell 🤷