Google TV channels forced on the homescreen | Hacker News Reader

Google TV channels forced on the homescreen

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27 pointsworanl20 comments

Best solution is to install another launcher, set that one as default and remove/disable default launcher. I installed projectivity launcher and effectively disabled default launcher using one of these adb commands.

> If you are using Android TV Launcher,

> $ adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher

> If you are using GoogleTV Launcher,

> $ adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.app.tv.launcherx

Source : https://www.tvusage.app/use-as-launcher

Anyone knows of a list of hackable Smart TVs, ie those that can be safely reflashed with less intrusive or possibly open firmware in order to deactivate or better remove the load of advertising/spyware rubbish they're filled with? So far I've only found the Samygo project which however is restricted to TVs by Samsung.

https://forum.samygo.tv/

I’m no expert on all TVs, but I would question the desirability of this approach in the general case, because most TVs have a bargain basement SOC. I have a Sony TV with Google TV, and a ~$50ish (I paid even less) Chromecast With Google TV dongle (the new kind with a remote, not the strange old Chromecast that are captive to a phone for control). They have the same UI. The dongle can play SNES games on an emulator, even that is too CPU intensive for the TV. Not to mention the TV itself is frequently whining about low storage space too. I think smart TVs may be better off rendered inert, offline displays for better equipment you plug into them.

Not sure what I'm supposed to be seeing in that screenshot but that's exactly how my android tv home screen has looked forever.

Does this only affect people who login to a Google account on an Android TV?

I think you are forced to login with a Google account on Android TV, I remember when setting up an emulator on Android Studio it wouldn't let me get past the setup without an account.

Ah, I see — it isn’t required on Sony’s variant of Android TV, but I guess it is on other variants?

Sony's pushing of random streaming services isn't much better, IMO.

Haven’t seen it; apparently with my TV logged out and not networked, it’s placid and boring. I set it to go straight to the HDMI inputs rather than the home screen which helped immensely.

Mine had the option to not use an account, which turns it into a dumb TV.

I turn off automatic updates, set DNS to my adblocker, and delete app data for the TV system apps. My shield doesn't pull down the BS updates and has been on the old interface for about a year now.

How do you make sure to still receive security and other updates?

You don't. That's the trade off to make. You gotta pay a premium for the dumb TV's if you can even find them. If you can't find or pay, you either don't connect to the internet, connect but block every update, or you accept that you can never have actual control of the physical device you paid hundreds of dollars for.

I got given a "smart" tv a couple months ago. If blocking samsung's planned obselence, ever slowing, ad parasite updates mean my tv is slowly more out of date on security patches then whatever. All my sensitive traffic is over https anyway these days. All sensitive data is airgapped.

I manually update the few apps that I use but yeah, I don't let any of the TV system apps update. I only use Plex, PBS, and NewPipe

Security updates for your tv? Exactly what do you think is at risk?

Everything else on the network my TV is connected to

Why have the tv connected to internet or your network?

The parent mentioned an Nvidia Shield, I also use the Shield for all streaming needs.

The tv is simply a dumb monitor. The only attack surface would be the single hdmi cable between receiver and tv.

And my shield now displays ads.

Not just ads for TV shows, but the top banner was showing jewelry adverts over Christmas.

If it had been like this at first, I would never have bought it.

An nvidia shield is a networked computer just like any other, with cybersecurity risks and dangers.

I don’t know if it’s exactly the same, but the ads and BS that get pushed onto my TCL / Google TV are infuriating. I’m convinced it’ll become unusable with a few years of updates because they can’t help themselves and will keep shoveling crap onto the Home Screen.

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