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Comment by tshaddox | Hacker News Reader

I let mine on the network so it will get updates, but I just don't use any of the smart features. I understand that some TVs (Samsung?) apparently track your activity and show you unsolicited ads, but as far as my LG TV doesn't track me and all the apps and smart features don't do anything unless I choose to open them.

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Genuine question: what kind of updates would a dumb TV possibly need?

Antivirus updates of course. Why? Because you connected it to the internet to receive updates!

They are mostly app updates and security issues that only relate to networking and the smart features. But there are occasional updates to support new media features, new color management options, power management changes, etc.

My LG OLED has received updates to support TrueHD audio, add new color settings like Technicolor modes, UI functions like the ability to apply your customized picture settings to all inputs, and changes to the motion smoothing for certain video formats.

Makes sense to me. I just find it hard to believe that TV manufacturers will release software updates for older TVs, but then again I haven’t gone shopping for a TV in nearly a decade.

In my case my smart TV is getting HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support in the next few months with an update. A dumb tv probably wouldn’t need anything.

True, that makes sense. I guess my personal preference would be to keep my TV as just a display and hook up an Apple TV/Chromecast/etc. to it for those features.

Any digital TV could have a software bug that bricks it.

On that note, Samsumg bricked a bunch of their BluRay players (remotely), a few months ago via software update.

"Here's why your Samsung Blu-ray player bricked itself: It downloaded an XML config file that broke the firmware":

https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/18/samsung_bluray_mass_d...

I think the chance of this happening is much higher if new updates are being pushed all the time...

That is true although if the product is new (or the assembly line never ups the installed firmware version) day-one patches due to rushed software could be a thing.

But you're right, I was just saying everything with software has a reason for updates, though not a good one sometimes.

Any piece of equipment can have a malfunction that bricks it. That doesn't mean I want it connected to the mothership.

I don’t know on LG or your tv, but I believe part of the tracking that could be done is tracking what’s being shown on the screen and relaying that.

No idea what they do or yours in particular. But something to consider

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