Televisions that can stream platforms like Hulu or Max usually come loaded with technology that collects information on what viewers are watching, and buyers consent to have their viewing tracked when they open their new TV and click through terms of service agreements. Sometimes, data firms can connect those viewing habits to a voter’s phone or laptop via their IP address, promising a trove of information about an individual and the ability to track them across screens.
Other times, firms focus on dividing households into groups based on what they’re watching, how they use their TVs and how many campaign ads they’re seeing, which is a boon to political campaigns eager to target specific groups of voters. Connecting this data to voter files is increasingly a focus — a move that adds individual voting habits into the mix.
I have my own Emby server and I would love to have a dumb TV instead of my current one. Problem is its 4K screen has absolutely SPOILED me and I don’t wanna go back. And I’ve heard it’s difficult to find a 4K dumb TV.
Also, and most importantly, I’m the kind of person who uses something until it won’t work anymore. The way I see it is “My TV is currently 6 years old and yet still working fine so why would I buy another when I don’t need one.” (Why generate unnecessary waste?) So, I’m waiting until it dies to get another.
Our Smart TV is offline 99% of the time, so I rarely see the smart features. We’ll sometimes have company stay over and they’ll connect the Ethernet to use the built-in streaming apps with their own credentials, so it’s a nice option to have and it doesn’t impact us otherwise.