Which Linux distro is running in Thomson TVs. What are the capabilties.
Unless you have the ability to root it, does it matter? It’s likely a completely custom, stripped down distro anyway.
Just want to stay away from Android TV crapps and ads. ( Also, dont need root as of now - Based on forum posts, root access is not allowed )
Dumb TV+(mini)PC is the way
Is it even possible to buy a dumb TV any more?
Keep the smart TV off the network and the difference is usually minimal.
Still takes a while to boot compared to a dumb panel.
From standby isn’t that noticeable. Definitely a bit of a difference in cold-boot times though.
Can’t speak for others but mine puts up big intrusive banners if you don’t connect it to the internet.
Maybe you can trick it by using a private DNS server. Maybe someone already cracked their API and has a manual how to run your own server telling the tv „bro, everything easy“ Just google jailbreak (insert tv name) this should be a good start for digging.
Look at commercial monitors. They’re the screen without the bloat.
I think there’s a few models that are not really advertised, don’t know them though.
Seems unattractive for manufacturers since apparently 50% of income on TVs is user data.
But if you don’t connect your smart tv to anything how is it smart.
No.
No, but you can likely remove the Wi-Fi and any other Wireless chips that you don’t need (other than the IR). That, and use it as a display for a computer through HDMI
Yes, as long as you never connect your TV to the internet, then it is for all intents and purposes a “dumb tv.”
Thats what I’m currently doing but is it even possible to buy a new dumb TV nowadays?
Android TVs are also Linux TVs, in fact I have a good degree of certainty that most smart TVs are Linux, developing a whole OS from scratch is hard, much easier to use one that already exists.
Samsung uses tizen, based on linux, maemo, bada: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tizen
LG uses webos, based on linux,
palmos: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebOSWebOS isn’t based on PalmOS. PalmOS was it’s own completely unique OS for PDAs and phones, WebOS was Palm’s Linux-based successor to PalmOS for the Pre. Eventually LG ended up with it and turned it into a TV and watch OS.
That article made me realize how old my TV is, and certainly made me appreciate WebOS compared to the previous OS I could have had if I had gotten my TV two years prior.
Even webOS is Linux-based. It just doesn’t make sense to use any other kernel for such an application.
IMO LG TVs with WebOS are the best user experience right now.
But you don’t have smarttubenext
This is true and something to consider. There’s also no app for Crunchyroll which is personally a huge downside.
It’s still the best user experience and I seriously dread having to use other people’s TVs now. Even major players like Samsung are seriously lacking in comparison.
I rooted mine before the patch, and the homebrew store has an ad-free sponsor blocking yt app
stonks
“Honey! Our TV isn’t showing up channels!”
“Gee, fine. Hold on.”
ssh gnu.linux@1.2.3.69 cd /sys/devices/tv/channels cat channels_list [none]Ah, *beep.
“Honey the remote stopped working”
God damn it the last update installed libir 2.1.5 which pymote 4.7.0 isn’t yet compatible with.
babe hold on i need to flash nix-os on this thing*
*and figure out how the fuck to use nix-os
“Smart” TVs are such a waste when they lock all the hardware and firmware into a device that’ll either be unsupported in a few years or too slow to work with new apps.
I’d much rather a dumb TV and stick a Roku/Raspberry Pi. via HDMI. You get all the same control but none of the bullshit
More importantly, can we get root access.
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I’m against Android but I admit it’s getting harder and harder to get “connected” (not to say “smart”) device without it on. Anyway I did give up on my 55" Samsung TV for a video projector from Nebula. It’s so compact it sits under the former TV stand. I installed VLC on it and connect to my RPi4 with a DNLA server on it and watch content I downloaded before. Not a perfect setup but quite happy with it. Until then I was using LibreElec on the RPi to drive the TV.
That’s a nice idea… ( even though, I want to avoid Android )
Ps: I guess your samsung is Android TV and not Tizen
Whenever I’ll hit a limit with Nebula I might tinker to see if I could replace Android with Linux proper. It might be all supported hardware but I truly don’t know.
PS: iirc the Samsung TV was Tizen, it was a relatively old model but now it’s gathering dust so I don’t know.
Using LibreElec, were you able to get any streaming services running like Netflix or YouTube?
I would like a UI I could use with a remote but the wife still needs Netflix so Kodi wouldn’t cut it.
Try Flex Launcher: https://complexlogic.github.io/flex-launcher/
This looks really intriguing. Have you installed it on a raspberry pi? I’m having some difficulties and wondering if there are other packages I need to install first.
I haven’t, just something I came across when I was researching the same thing. Part of my plans soonish, tho
I specifically do not use streaming services. I don’t have the discipline to avoid binge watching and I trust dark patterns to be too good to keep me hooked. I only rely on files I download. I believe, maybe naively, that the extra step keeps me in check.
IMHO VLC as a UI is sufficient and it works well with the remote of the Nebula video projector. I don’t need Kodi anymore. Sure sometimes you don’t have nice covers but if your filesystem hierarchy is clear, directories are sufficient. It does look less “sexy” but again in my context of being mindful of screen time that’s a feature.
That’s a terrible device and a bad deal. Don’t buy it
https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/m5/ buy a banana pi or whatever and install lineageOS
I basically don’t use TV. I have a simple, old wide screen 16:9 monitor that was gifted to me. Good enough.
I’m doing it the other way round. I’m using a 50" TV as a monitor for 4 years now.
probably stripped down embedded thing compiled in buildroot
