This is absolutely one of the worst ideas I’ve heard in a long time. And that’s saying something in an era where technology has been dominated by nonsense talk about NFTs and AI.
This is absolutely one of the worst ideas I’ve heard in a long time. And that’s saying something in an era where technology has been dominated by nonsense talk about NFTs and AI.
I despise this for so many reasons, and I hope it fails horribly. As an aside, what prevents someone from buy one and just disconnecting or covering up the ad bar?
I despise this for so many reasons, and I hope it fails horribly.
As an aside, what prevents someone from buy one and just disconnecting or covering up the ad bar?
Presumably it will require a connection to the internet every so often or it will stop working. That’s what a lot of consoles do. I’m sure someone will figure out a way to jailbreak it or find a...
Presumably it will require a connection to the internet every so often or it will stop working. That’s what a lot of consoles do.
I’m sure someone will figure out a way to jailbreak it or find a way around it eventually though.
Jailbreaking it is not a good idea, they have your credit card and will charge it if you do anything. https://www.freetelly.com/terms-of-service I think the most you could get away with is taping...
Jailbreaking it is not a good idea, they have your credit card and will charge it if you do anything.
The Product requires an Internet and Wi-Fi connections from third-party providers in order to be functional. Your Internet connection or data plan is subject to the fees, restrictions, terms and limitations imposed by your provider. In order to use the Product and Services, You will:
(a) Use the Product as the primary television in Your household;
(b) Keep the Product connected to WiFi and internet; and
(c) Not use any software on Your WiFi network that with advertising blocking capability.
(d) Not make physical modifications to the Product or attach peripheral devices to the Product not expressly approved by Telly. Any attempt to open the Product’s enclosure will be deemed an unauthorized modification.
If we discover that You are not abiding by the requirements above or have disconnected the Product from an internet connection or WiFi for more than short periods each month, You will no longer be able to use the Service and You must return any Products in your possession to Telly. Failure to return Products to Telly will result in Telly charging the credit card on file. If you do abide by the Terms of Service, your credit card will not be charged.
I think the most you could get away with is taping a piece of cardboard over the ad spot, but then you're still letting it film you and sell your precise watching habits to anyone who wants the data.
Fairly unethical pro tip: Give credit card, then report card lost and get new one issued. They'd have to take you to small claims court to get the TV back.
they have your credit card and will charge it if you do anything.
Fairly unethical pro tip: Give credit card, then report card lost and get new one issued. They'd have to take you to small claims court to get the TV back.
Yeah, I'm not seeing this being successful long term and my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to remember lots of get-thing-free-because-ads over the years and they've all failed. This will likely be...
I’m sure someone will figure out a way to jailbreak it or find a way around it eventually though.
Yeah, I'm not seeing this being successful long term and my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to remember lots of get-thing-free-because-ads over the years and they've all failed. This will likely be the same, I'm just going to enjoy the jailbreaking free TV info that'll come about and people saying it's the reason the whole thing failed despite the fact that it'll be an insignificant minority of people that ever do so.
I'm also curious if my local ad blocking will just make it not work in the first place.
Yeah good TVs are expensive to make and bringing custom hardware to market has increasing returns to scale (which means you gotta produce a lot to be price competitive with other producers). Ads...
but I seem to remember lots of get-thing-free-because-ads over the years and they've all failed.
Yeah good TVs are expensive to make and bringing custom hardware to market has increasing returns to scale (which means you gotta produce a lot to be price competitive with other producers). Ads don’t pay very much individually. There is no way you’re making it up in volume with a niche product like this.
Even the Kindle “with special offers” only gives you, like, a $50 discount to let it spam you with ads.
Covering they probably can't do much about, but I'm curious if the ads will eventually play sound, perhaps between episodes of whatever you're watching on whichever service you're watching them...
Covering they probably can't do much about, but I'm curious if the ads will eventually play sound, perhaps between episodes of whatever you're watching on whichever service you're watching them on.
Disconnecting is easily detected and will prompt a "tech support" call to get it fixed or charging your credit card the $500 for the TV.
How much do you want to bet that the camera on the soundbar is there for more than just motion tracking for fitness apps and video conferencing? I would put even money that it's also eventually...
you might notice a camera that’s planted smack-dab in the middle of the soundbar. That enables “free advanced motion-tracking fitness programs” that come with the TV, along with the Zoom integration that Telly’s launching with as well.
How much do you want to bet that the camera on the soundbar is there for more than just motion tracking for fitness apps and video conferencing? I would put even money that it's also eventually going to be used to detect whether the second "smart" advertisement screen below the soundbar is obstructed or disabled in any way, and if that happens they will threaten to repossess the TV, or perhaps even charge you for the cost of "damaging" it if you somehow disabled it.
Article says there's a sliding camera cover pre-installed and it arrives closed. So requiring it to be open wouldn't work and I doubt they have some method to detect the amount of light bleed...
Article says there's a sliding camera cover pre-installed and it arrives closed. So requiring it to be open wouldn't work and I doubt they have some method to detect the amount of light bleed hitting the camera to determine if the ad screen is blocked. They won't go through the costs associated with repossessing the TV, they'll just charge the credit card you gave them as part of the registration process if you violate the rules.
It is what it is. Adding more options isn’t bad, and it provides downmarket pressure on budget TV makers. The bigger issue is that there’s no way they’re making enough on ad impressions to cover...
It is what it is. Adding more options isn’t bad, and it provides downmarket pressure on budget TV makers.
The bigger issue is that there’s no way they’re making enough on ad impressions to cover the bill of materials, let alone make a profit. It’ll die sooner later.
This is not a dig at you but... No it isn't and I loathe this laissez faire approach to tech development that's obviously not contributing to anything other than dubious surveillance, adds and...
It is what it is. Adding more options isn’t bad
This is not a dig at you but...
No it isn't and I loathe this laissez faire approach to tech development that's obviously not contributing to anything other than dubious surveillance, adds and stress to name a few things.
More options that compete on new features is a very different thing than one that competes by trying the "eliminate cost barrier than try to make up with obtrusive ads" model again, but this time...
More options that compete on new features is a very different thing than one that competes by trying the "eliminate cost barrier than try to make up with obtrusive ads" model again, but this time with MORE spyware. "It'll work for sure if we can just stop those pesky adblockers."
We need stronger consumer protection laws which make this kind of 'free but with catch' untenable to all but the largest players. Ones that can also abide with rules that allow owners to freely modify without risk of punishment.
In this case the reaction to the TV seems extremely out of proportion to its actual magnitude. It's not innovating ad-tech in any particular way, there's no particular indication it's any more...
In this case the reaction to the TV seems extremely out of proportion to its actual magnitude. It's not innovating ad-tech in any particular way, there's no particular indication it's any more intrusive than other smart TVs, and the only real story I can see is that it seems like it's a product of the 2012s, where ads were thought of as a infinite money glitch from the producer side of things. In reality, ad impression revenue has dropped like a rock, and it's absolutely a numbers game - having to make up, what, $50 at least from each buyer is not realistic to break even.
If it did somehow work, then, it does contribute; it provides greater price discrimination options in the TV market, which is both non-essential and hyper-competitive. Some people would prefer watching ads over paying the $200 for a TCL TV, and those people will have TVs.
This TV will not even be a footnote in the niche history of TVs or ads. It'll be unprofitable and pluto will move on.
True, but we're already in a situation where buying a non-smart TV is difficult and expensive; I don't really want to see the prices of non-spyware TVs go up, which I'm pretty sure we will if this...
True, but we're already in a situation where buying a non-smart TV is difficult and expensive; I don't really want to see the prices of non-spyware TVs go up, which I'm pretty sure we will if this is at all successful.
Budget TV makers are already about as downmarket as they can get. Margins on those are razor thin, they make most of their money from “whale hunting” with the upmarket QHD OLED OMG WTF units with...
Budget TV makers are already about as downmarket as they can get. Margins on those are razor thin, they make most of their money from “whale hunting” with the upmarket QHD OLED OMG WTF units with 70” screens.
In general I am adverse to 'free' things in exchange for advertising, especially if data is being collected as well. The only time I've see "free for the price of ads" done right is that company...
In general I am adverse to 'free' things in exchange for advertising, especially if data is being collected as well. The only time I've see "free for the price of ads" done right is that company that gives out free water cans with ads on the label.
Gets users more accustomed to increased advertising and surveillance. I see something like this as a plague on society, just like ads and surveillance are. Furthers the anti-right-to-repair and...
Gets users more accustomed to increased advertising and surveillance. I see something like this as a plague on society, just like ads and surveillance are.
Furthers the anti-right-to-repair and anti-modification agendas that these companies love.
This adds no benefit to society and should not exist, and possibly should not even be allowed to exist. It is a net negative and ethically bankrupt
My TV is off so I can read quietly in my chair, know what sounds fun? A 55" ad blasting light into my face while I'm trying to escape from the capitalistic hellscape in which we all live... Fun!
My TV is off so I can read quietly in my chair, know what sounds fun? A 55" ad blasting light into my face while I'm trying to escape from the capitalistic hellscape in which we all live...
Decent 55 inch TVs can be found for under $450. I'm not going to subject myself to constant advertisements and 24/7 surveillance over a couple hundred dollars in savings. I'm aware modern smart...
Decent 55 inch TVs can be found for under $450. I'm not going to subject myself to constant advertisements and 24/7 surveillance over a couple hundred dollars in savings. I'm aware modern smart TVs are dirt cheap because they're subsidized through the sale of user data but this is several steps beyond that and frankly, it's taking things too far. No thanks.
I could see this being popular with a hotel or something like that. They get free TVs for each room and maybe a cut of the advertising. I'm sure lots of local businesses would pay good money to...
I could see this being popular with a hotel or something like that. They get free TVs for each room and maybe a cut of the advertising. I'm sure lots of local businesses would pay good money to advertise on something like that.
Definitely not something I'd want to happen, but I could see that happening at cheaper hotels.
This is absolutely one of the worst ideas I’ve heard in a long time. And that’s saying something in an era where technology has been dominated by nonsense talk about NFTs and AI.
I despise this for so many reasons, and I hope it fails horribly.
As an aside, what prevents someone from buy one and just disconnecting or covering up the ad bar?
Presumably it will require a connection to the internet every so often or it will stop working. That’s what a lot of consoles do.
I’m sure someone will figure out a way to jailbreak it or find a way around it eventually though.
Jailbreaking it is not a good idea, they have your credit card and will charge it if you do anything.
I think the most you could get away with is taping a piece of cardboard over the ad spot, but then you're still letting it film you and sell your precise watching habits to anyone who wants the data.
Privacy.com to the rescue.
Fairly unethical pro tip: Give credit card, then report card lost and get new one issued. They'd have to take you to small claims court to get the TV back.
Yeah, I'm not seeing this being successful long term and my memory is fuzzy, but I seem to remember lots of get-thing-free-because-ads over the years and they've all failed. This will likely be the same, I'm just going to enjoy the jailbreaking free TV info that'll come about and people saying it's the reason the whole thing failed despite the fact that it'll be an insignificant minority of people that ever do so.
I'm also curious if my local ad blocking will just make it not work in the first place.
Yeah good TVs are expensive to make and bringing custom hardware to market has increasing returns to scale (which means you gotta produce a lot to be price competitive with other producers). Ads don’t pay very much individually. There is no way you’re making it up in volume with a niche product like this.
Even the Kindle “with special offers” only gives you, like, a $50 discount to let it spam you with ads.
Covering they probably can't do much about, but I'm curious if the ads will eventually play sound, perhaps between episodes of whatever you're watching on whichever service you're watching them on.
Disconnecting is easily detected and will prompt a "tech support" call to get it fixed or charging your credit card the $500 for the TV.
How much do you want to bet that the camera on the soundbar is there for more than just motion tracking for fitness apps and video conferencing? I would put even money that it's also eventually going to be used to detect whether the second "smart" advertisement screen below the soundbar is obstructed or disabled in any way, and if that happens they will threaten to repossess the TV, or perhaps even charge you for the cost of "damaging" it if you somehow disabled it.
Article says there's a sliding camera cover pre-installed and it arrives closed. So requiring it to be open wouldn't work and I doubt they have some method to detect the amount of light bleed hitting the camera to determine if the ad screen is blocked. They won't go through the costs associated with repossessing the TV, they'll just charge the credit card you gave them as part of the registration process if you violate the rules.
It is what it is. Adding more options isn’t bad, and it provides downmarket pressure on budget TV makers.
The bigger issue is that there’s no way they’re making enough on ad impressions to cover the bill of materials, let alone make a profit. It’ll die sooner later.
This is not a dig at you but...
No it isn't and I loathe this laissez faire approach to tech development that's obviously not contributing to anything other than dubious surveillance, adds and stress to name a few things.
More options that compete on new features is a very different thing than one that competes by trying the "eliminate cost barrier than try to make up with obtrusive ads" model again, but this time with MORE spyware. "It'll work for sure if we can just stop those pesky adblockers."
We need stronger consumer protection laws which make this kind of 'free but with catch' untenable to all but the largest players. Ones that can also abide with rules that allow owners to freely modify without risk of punishment.
In this case the reaction to the TV seems extremely out of proportion to its actual magnitude. It's not innovating ad-tech in any particular way, there's no particular indication it's any more intrusive than other smart TVs, and the only real story I can see is that it seems like it's a product of the 2012s, where ads were thought of as a infinite money glitch from the producer side of things. In reality, ad impression revenue has dropped like a rock, and it's absolutely a numbers game - having to make up, what, $50 at least from each buyer is not realistic to break even.
If it did somehow work, then, it does contribute; it provides greater price discrimination options in the TV market, which is both non-essential and hyper-competitive. Some people would prefer watching ads over paying the $200 for a TCL TV, and those people will have TVs.
This TV will not even be a footnote in the niche history of TVs or ads. It'll be unprofitable and pluto will move on.
True, but we're already in a situation where buying a non-smart TV is difficult and expensive; I don't really want to see the prices of non-spyware TVs go up, which I'm pretty sure we will if this is at all successful.
Budget TV makers are already about as downmarket as they can get. Margins on those are razor thin, they make most of their money from “whale hunting” with the upmarket QHD OLED OMG WTF units with 70” screens.
In general I am adverse to 'free' things in exchange for advertising, especially if data is being collected as well. The only time I've see "free for the price of ads" done right is that company that gives out free water cans with ads on the label.
Gets users more accustomed to increased advertising and surveillance. I see something like this as a plague on society, just like ads and surveillance are.
Furthers the anti-right-to-repair and anti-modification agendas that these companies love.
This adds no benefit to society and should not exist, and possibly should not even be allowed to exist. It is a net negative and ethically bankrupt
I mean, I would pay $500 for a dual-screen TV if the top panel is any good, so...
I have done some dumb stuff for free, and presumably there are many college grads and moving folks who could use a free tv.
I'd just cover the bottom display with tape.
It wouldn't be enough, since
Fun!
My TV is off so I can read quietly in my chair, know what sounds fun? A 55" ad blasting light into my face while I'm trying to escape from the capitalistic hellscape in which we all live...
Fun!
I'm immediately reminded of the second episode of Black Mirror called "Fifteen Million Merits."
I'd take the free TV and then just physically disable the bottom screen, camera, and microphone. Thanks for the free TV. :3
I'm sure they've thought of that and have some sort of mechanism to stop it.
Decent 55 inch TVs can be found for under $450. I'm not going to subject myself to constant advertisements and 24/7 surveillance over a couple hundred dollars in savings. I'm aware modern smart TVs are dirt cheap because they're subsidized through the sale of user data but this is several steps beyond that and frankly, it's taking things too far. No thanks.
I could see this being popular with a hotel or something like that. They get free TVs for each room and maybe a cut of the advertising. I'm sure lots of local businesses would pay good money to advertise on something like that.
Definitely not something I'd want to happen, but I could see that happening at cheaper hotels.