News Custom Linux-powered Smart TV breaks free from ads and tracking, enables ultimate customizability — EarlGreyTV straps a laptop to the back to unloc...

[Admin]

Software engineer Carl Riis has announced his first hardware project, dubbed EarlGreyTV. This is a Smart TV project that differentiates itself from the usual ‘idiot box’ dominating your living room by leveraging the wonders of Linux and Firefox, plus an old laptop.

Custom Linux-powered Smart TV breaks free from ads and tracking, enables ultimate customizability — EarlGreyTV straps a laptop to the back to unloc... : Read more

 

[pixelpusher220]

Definitely a good step. I think though that at least modern TVs are now 'scanning' what's being displayed so they'd still be able to track via that method

WTF is automatic content recognition?

A growing amount of TV viewership data is being accumulated via called automatic content recognition, used by companies including LG, Roku, Samsung and Vizio.

digiday.com

 

[Math Geek]

that would be true if the tv's built in wifi is being used. but i am assuming the laptop's wifi card is what is being used here. this would not give the tv any way to upload the data it may be gathering that way. the only outgoing data is through the laptop and that's not going to let the tv connect

 

[mac_angel]

out of curiosity, can't pfsense do the same thing?

 

[Math Geek]

if you have your network running through it before leaving the house, then sure you can block anything you wish.

pi hole is another popular method to block a lot of unwanted traffic. i have my phone connecting to a vpn i set up at my house which then goes through a pi hole before heading out to the open web. i block all that google/amazon/facebook/etc/etc/etc spying on the phone that way. pc's also enjoy a lot more privacy from MS windows spyware edition they're forcing on people now.

you do of course have to spend the time to create the black list or gather some pre made lists off the web., mine is set to auto-block everything until i allow it. i prefer it that way, easier to keep tabs on things when it has to ask permission.

 

[USAFRet]

I do similar with a small Beelink Win 10 system.
The TV is just a display panel. None of its "smart" features are used.

 

[Math Geek]

my pc is connected by hdmi, so same for me. the tv itself is not connected to the network. everything comes through the pc

 

[LabRat 891]

HTPC w/ even more steps.
Amazing, how 'SmartTVs' were supposed to be so convenient.

 

[Math Geek]

smart tv's are convenient overall. they do suffer from some common long term problems but to just connect to the network, log in the various services you use and then watch in one place is rather easy to do.

over time though the OS stops getting updates and the apps stop working due to not being updated either. so over a couple years, your smart features stop being so smart.

so a laptop connected or a roku/firestick/apple tv type thing plugged in can bring it back up to date and working again.

and of course the data collection is excessive, but then it's excessive everywhere which makes something like a pi-hole almost needed if you care at all about your privacy.

 

[ThomasKinsley]

A laptop plugged into a dumb TV is far smarter and more enjoyable to use while relatively preserving privacy. Especially if it's an older laptop with W7 or Linux on it.

 

[ezst036]

Riis is keen to dispel concerns that a Linux-based SmartTV is a particularly complicated device or a challenging project

This wouldn't be necessary if but for some users who spread F.U.D. from days long since passed in regard to using Linux.

But I do wish him well. He is up against a massive army on this that do not want the truth known that Linux is one of the easiest things out there you can use. Far easier to use than just about all things, except for maybe a Macintosh.

I like this project, and I hope the second revision is a lot more buttoned up than a laptop hanging from the back of a TV. There are way too many devices and too much software spying on people these days. Linux is the answer for putting an end to the spying. Linux does not solve all problems - but it definitely solves this one.

 

[jackt]

I think it (the tv) still spy you.

 

[GoofyOne]

I do curse my 'Smart' TV quite a bit. I would like to be able to do more with it, but most of the apps written for Android TV all seem to be quite horrible.

I tried to find Firefox, so I could at least have a decent browser, but the message says 'this app does not work on your device'. You get a similar message if you try and install pretty much anything useful that you are used to.

There are various videos about 'root'-ing it and hacking it so you can install this, that, or the other ... but gahhh.

Easy and open source ehhh .... never believe company hype.

You and I (and everyone else on the planet) would have much better apps and much more control if we just used a old Laptop, Mini Pc, or SBC like the Raspberry Pi as a htpc plugged into the TV.


{GoofyOne's 2c worth, which may or may not be actually worth 2c}

 

[cyberoptiq]

Definitely a good step. I think though that at least modern TVs are now 'scanning' what's being displayed so they'd still be able to track via that method

WTF is automatic content recognition?

A growing amount of TV viewership data is being accumulated via called automatic content recognition, used by companies including LG, Roku, Samsung and Vizio.

digiday.com

That can be turned off via the TV's settings menu options....

 

[cyberoptiq]

I think it (the tv) still spy you.

all tracking can be turned off via the "Settings" menu....

 

[Math Geek]

that's cute that you think that.

but if it gets you to sleep at night, then go with it i guess.

 

[franktarz]

The problem with Smart-TVs is not slow processor speed or limited amount of RAM or lack of fast static storage or poorly designed GUI that can't be updated or that content suppliers all require their own app, credentials and 2 factor authentication.

The problem with Smart-TVs is that your parents can't navigate to find want they want to watch and you can't help them remotely. Can you remote desktop to a remote TV?

 

[pixelpusher220]

That can be turned off via the TV's settings menu options....

fair, but do you trust Vizio et al to honor that when profits are on the line? i.e. their hardware, their code is still in play.

Almost wonder if the full tin foil hat side of this is using computer monitors. Do those, or hey, projectors, have the same ACR type stuff?

 

[USAFRet]

Can you remote desktop to a remote TV?

No. The TV lacks software for that.

 

[franktarz]

No. The TV lacks software for that.

Precisely.

HTPCs are fine people who grew-up with PCs and those who can build and maintain.

I don't want to start a flame war but:

They don't work for a good part of the (mostly older) population when remote help is needed. In this case something where the screen can be shared and navigated remotely is needed.

Spend some time helping someone looking for the search tool when they don't understand that the "lolly-pop" icon (magnifying glass) means search.

 

[cyberoptiq]

fair, but do you trust Vizio et al to honor that when profits are on the line? i.e. their hardware, their code is still in play.

Almost wonder if the full tin foil hat side of this is using computer monitors. Do those, or hey, projectors, have the same ACR type stuff?

It's in the "Settings" menu of every TV sold today....if you're that "Tin Foil Hat" about it don't use a modern TV and seek out an antique from the 90's and earlier that way you don't have to worry about it....can't control everything in our lives but we can minimize some things....

 

[cyberoptiq]

They don't work for a good part of the (mostly older) population when remote help is needed. In this case something where the screen can be shared and navigated remotely is needed.

Spend some time helping someone looking for the search tool when they don't understand that the "lolly-pop" icon (magnifying glass) means search.

if the TV can be run via a laptop then I don't think it would be too hard to connect to it via Teamviewer or some other remote desktop software....all you would need is the IP of the laptop to gain access and then access the TV from there....

 

[USAFRet]

if the TV can be run via a laptop then I don't think it would be too hard to connect to it via Teamviewer or some other remote desktop software....all you would need is the IP of the laptop to gain access and then access the TV from there....

Generally, with an HTPC or laptop, the TV is simply a monitor.
You don't access the TV settings through the HTPC or laptop.

 

[jrhansen]

I really think 90% of the younger generations who is just a bit techy + their family are already just using their "Smart TV's" as a dumb screen. the actual media is played on various solutions as AppleTV, Chromecast or DYI HTPC solutions. Much more flexible and better privacy if you know how to eg use a Pi hole to filter out unwanted commercials and private data stealing. The SmartTV is already thechnical obsolete. They might as well scrap all the proprietary Smart TV functionality build into the Flatscreens and focus on the individual brands buildin Picture enhancing software. Personly I can't remember when I last used my TV remote. Everything is controlled via my Apple remote. Only few things like maintenance of the NAS/Plex Media server is done via mobile or one of the Desktop PC's in the houshold. The addition of the AppleTV also solved all the grief about how stupid most SmartTV's OS'es is made. My old Samsung was horrible slow to access media via it's Smart functions, and the LG's "Point and miss" remote made me wanna jump out of the window several times.

 

[cyberoptiq]

Generally, with an HTPC or laptop, the TV is simply a monitor.
You don't access the TV settings through the HTPC or laptop.

In 2024, there is nothing stopping anyone from actually accessing the TV functions....only takes a little ingenuity and patience....LifeLock, OnePass, and others said they couldn't be hacked yet they were....