Adam, thank you for the linked article, without which there would not be the comments.
Thank you for that advice on installing an update (which I have never done, because the television is not and was not ever connected to anything networked). But someday, I might get a new television that requires a connection to be set up, as @mschmitt and @bb1 have reported.
Thank you for reporting this. It’s definitely worth a try.
As implied above, I watch over-the-air television, often that has been recorded. (I have a wonderful Magnavox DVR that apparently has not been manufactured for several years, and I dread the day it dies.) Can someone confirm that a DVR with a tuner that predates ATSC 3 could record an ATSC 3 broadcast (because of backwards compatibility) without being affected by DRM or the watermark? (I understand that I would be giving up both video and audio quality compared to ATSC 3.)
My understanding is no since there is no backwards compatibility between the two systems except that 3.0 tuners can receive 1.0 broadcasts. Even if converter boxes are made, the output would probably not be HD and if so DRM would probably take over. But it appears that the current standard is going to be around for some time as many major cities have no ATSC 3.0 transmissions so your current DVR will still be usable for some time.
Ah, I must have read the Wikipedia article too quickly and interpreted it as I hoped rather than as it is. Now I’ll hope that stations will broadcast the old standard in parallel, when they start broadcasting the new standard. Or maybe my DVR will die before the switchover.
From what I’ve read, the stations that are broadcasting in ATSC 3.0 still have their 1.0 counterparts working as well but since there has to be some sharing regarding the towers, the 1.0 signals could change (ie could be weaker or stronger) if they’re on another tower or vice versa. I think it’s going to take some time and the 1.0 signals are not going away anytime soon since many tv’s don’t have the newer tuner and some manufacturers like LG are not putting them in their sets, in LG’s case it’s a patent issue as I recall.
My Sony Smart TV is constantly asking to add my Google account info (which I haven’t done.) Recently, it began pestering me to upgrade.
So glad you mentioned this, perhaps I’ve avoided the nonsense that you encountered.
I need internet access on this TV (for Netflix, Apple TV etc.) - so disabling LAN/Wi-fi is not an option.
Unless you use an external streambox. Of course, then you need to decide how much you can trust the manufacturer of your streambox.
For my household, we’re using Apple TVs. I trust Apple’s position on privacy far more than I trust Google or Samsung. (Apple has made mistakes, but I don’t think they’ve ever knowingly lied to the public - unlike Google and Samsung, which definitely have).
This is what I do. Keep the TV itself OFF the internet by not connecting it, and use the Apple TV box for streaming content. It works well - the interface is far better than other streaming interfaces, and I also trust Apple is not violating our privacy.
I just don’t like that d!#% remote they have, but if it ever breaks, I’ll get the new one.
I’m not even sure where our Apple Remote(s) are! We now only use an iPhone or iPad “Remote” functions from the upper-right-hand swipe down screen (Control Center). Even the iPhone version gives you about three times the surface are of that ridiculous little remote!
