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LG Update Installs Unremovable Microsoft Copilot on Smart TVs, Ignites Backlash
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this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2025
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Who’s going to step up and start creating a “dumb” version of absolutely everything? One brand dedicated to just making the thing do the thing it absolutely must do and nothing else.
Would be great but the manufacturer would be at a disadvantage because that bundled bullshit effectively subsidizes the device. So you'd have to either raise prices or accept a lower profit margin.
Due to the high barrier of entry (e.g. because of patents) it's unlikely that a privately owned company can make a big market entry, especially across countries. And a public company will be forced by the shareholders to maximize profit so either you bundle crapware or they fire you as CEO.
Of course if you look outside the TV market such devices already exist. High-quality digital signage devices can easily be had – for about three times the price of an equivalently-sized TV.
Isn't that the point and the main benefit of competitive markets?
Agreed, regarding barriers to entry though. They need to be addressed.
Why do they need incoming profit after the purchase? We've had single purchases for 70 years and they've done fine. Set the price above the price of materials. Boom profit. Transaction over.
I don't know if they get a share or if they get a flat payment for every device that has crap preinstalled. Either way, not doing it would reduce profits and therefore go against the interest of the shareholders who would then have grounds to the CEO for failing to do their job.
I'm very much unhappy with how that works but it's a consequence of how publicly traded companies work. Companies that make it their legally binding goal to maximize shareholder gains attract more investors, have more money, and are thus more effective in increasing their market share. Over time they outcompete their rivals until the market is dominated by maximally profitable companies.
At that point, shit-free products are only available if there is a clear indication that they will generate more profit than shitty products. And the handful of major players will happily collude to make sure only shitty products enter the market, increasing profits for everyone. Welcome to cartelville, population: the three companies that make up 95% of the world market.
Some premium brands like Bang & Olufsen sell TVs without adware, I think Panasonic TVs are mostly ad-free for now. Outside of that, most big brands will have "professional" or "commercial" product lines that also don't have ads. But in all cases you'll have to pay extra over the TVs subsidized by ads.
Let's be very clear, they are not and never were "subsidised by ads". Ads just became a new way to extract more money from customers.
YET!
What we need to be pushing is someone like Framework to build fixable TV’s. Plenty of companies now make PI compute style boards so give me a screen I can put my own PI compute style board in and flash my own software.
Then if JelllyFin added in the tuner side, considering it already has the basics, you’d likely get a ton of business selling custom TV’s that are more useable then the crap we have now. Look how popular the fire sticks got!
Makes me wish I had a few million to get a TV designed, make a batch but I think demand would be an issue… which begs the question, how is no-one doing it yet? 🤦♂️🙄
People that buy commercial displays won't tolerate adware on their monitors. Can you imagine having a screen in a store and it suddenly displaying ads that are not for what the store sells itself? This ensures there will always be an healthy demand for ad free displays.
When KDE Plasma Bigscreen becomes bigger and usable, then you can plug any Linux device into it (or even get one of those 100€ NUCs) and have a privacy - friendly smart TV.
So who’s going to make the first TV devices? 😎
I mean, all you need is the TV with displayport and a compute module and we’re good to go. It’s been done in the past but the devices don’t seem to get traction but with the way things are now, the biggrst hurdle seems to be not getting bought out and shutdown!
https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV-category1category73.html
All their TVs are dumb. We're moving to a new house next year, and I decided all our TVs will be Sceptre.
Well, their TVs start around $9k and get up to about $30k. That'd be kinda crazy if they play ads like other brands do.
Mostly?
Is that already considered some kind of quality?
Alternatively... just get a CRT. Or hell, even an old plasma screen lol
I will if you start a go fund me to raise enough money to.
Yeah, me too. I've already been wanting to make refrigerators. How hard can it be? I assume shitty regulations are the biggest holdup.