Technology @beehaw.org misk @sopuli.xyz 3d ago

Cheap TVs’ incessant advertising reaches troubling new lows

arstechnica.com Cheap TVs’ incessant advertising reaches troubling new lows

Op-ed: TV screensavers shouldn’t show immigration ads from the Trump administration.

Smart TVs and streaming devices running Amazon’s Fire OS have screensaver ads, too. Even LG, which is considered a more premium brand, launched screensaver adsin September, but users can disable them.

Startup Telly is a standout example of a company trying to monetize idle TV time. Announced in 2023, Telly TVs have a secondary screen that can show ads when the TV is not in use. Telly TVs are free to purchase in exchange for providing the company with user data, including disclosing your favorite news outlets, film and TV genres, foods, and services, your gender and race, and other information before you’re able to order the TV.

6 comments

TV tech is nudging ever further into Torment Nexus territory.
I will buy a Telly TV as long as I don't have to give my ID and can desolder the WiFi chip.

I know what day it is but commenting on a hypothetical precedent
- There's always the option of using computer monitors or projectors.
  
  Or Sceptre if you want a non-smart TV.
  
  True. I use a cheap computer monitor for myself, and since I live like a hermit it isn't really a problem for me. Aren't projectors more expensive than cheap 1080p TVs?

6 comments