LG TV's doing some backdoor spying? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: JVR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 09:28:46 am
content: http://doctorbeet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lg-smart-tvs-logging-usb-filenames-and.htmlQuite scary that it gets sent in plain text...

author: AlfBaz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 09:45:01 am
content: LOLChange between two channels, copy the packets, knock up a dev board to repeat these packets add-infinitum. You'll start getting Ritalin adds for your inability to stay focused

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 01:14:16 pm
content: What's next, TVs with cameras that watch and record you? How Orwellian...Yet another reason to not trust devices with "smart" in their name.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 01:22:46 pm
content: And people seriously wonder why I chose to use a TV from the 1970's. It just works, I don't need high def, and if a tube fails, I still have sources for all of the tubes it uses.

author: KedasProbe
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 01:25:21 pm
content: If you have a TV decoder box from your provider they monitor your every move.General rule: if it has a network connection then you can be sure you are not the only one using it.

author: G7PSK
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 01:30:19 pm
content: That's not that new, Sky boxes have done something similar for some time, The first thing I was asked by the sky installer was where is the telephone socket, the first thing I did when he left was unplug the box from the phone, at the time my reason was it interfered with the internet but I soon realised that it was sending data back to sky if it was plugged in again which it was once or twice as sky phoned me to ask why it was not connected in the end I told sky imitate an ouzelum bird. I then cancelled all payments to them, still have the box but don't use it.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 02:03:49 pm
content: Quote from: KedasProbe on November 21, 2013, 01:25:21 pmI use a VCR to tune the analog channels.I doubt that thing is spying on me.And when they ditch the analog cable channels, I'll just go ahead and hook up my digital OTA converter. That has no transmission power and has no connectivity to the internet.

author: Six_Shooter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 03:58:05 pm
content: http://instructables.com/id/Aluminum-Foil-Hat/There have always been ways for people to keep tabs on others, it's just getting easier...

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 04:54:00 pm
content: Quote from: amyk on November 21, 2013, 01:14:16 pmThat device went on sale recently. It's called XBox One.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 05:07:36 pm
content: Quote from: Six_Shooter on November 21, 2013, 03:58:05 pmHey my aluminum foil hat is in the other room.But, doesn't it have to be grounded to really work? lol

author: strangelovemd12
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 05:42:00 pm
content: Quote from: lnx64 on November 21, 2013, 01:22:46 pmI find that a lot of text is too small to read on many SD TVs, especially the increasingly complex info bar on sport games and the super crunched credits they use to make way for adverts. Not that I can read at the 730 words a minute that credits seem to roll at anyway.

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 06:05:40 pm
content: Quote from: strangelovemd12 on November 21, 2013, 05:42:00 pmSports are still readable on this set, though sometimes it gets a little caught in the bezel from overscan.. Luckily I can actually fix it with my converter. As for fine print stuff, I never watch TV ads to care.https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1403449_10200908995231215_575314846_o.jpghttps://scontent-b-mia.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1385339_10200922181920874_864071141_n.jpgAnd yes, for those who remember them, this is a delta gun CRTThose it's in dot triad for the phosphors, not slot mask.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 06:20:24 pm
content: If you open it up, you can probably find some adjustments to stop the overscan or at least reduce it. Also gives you (slightly) more resolution.Every IP TV service (including the well known web services like YouTube) reports back to the server since that's required for it to work. Even with broadcast, getting additional info (metadata) is a legitimate reason to report to the server.As for concerns over "spying", what about send loads of junk data to obscure the real data?

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 06:26:20 pm
content: A fun way to subvert this might be to flood their data collection system with bogus information...

author: lnx64
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 06:34:32 pm
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on November 21, 2013, 06:20:24 pmSadly it only has a vertical size potentiometer, nothing for horizontal. The service manual states that if the horizontal size is wrong, I need to tweak a capacitor in the chassis with a different value.. Also states that some different brands of tubes used in the horizontal circuit, may result in a different size horizontally too.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 10:09:43 pm
content: I love my dumb plasma TV. I hope they never stop making them, but I fear the money made from selling this info may make them standard.

author: rexxar
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 04:27:32 am
content: So, let me get this straight, LG is shoving ads onto a TV that you own outright, using your bandwidth, AND reports back to the mothership what you're watching and when?In plaintext no less!Excuse me while I find LG headquarters so I can go punch each and every one of them in the throat.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 05:09:31 am
content: Quote from: NiHaoMike on November 21, 2013, 06:20:24 pmI've blocked s.youtube.com (their stats/etc thing that I tracked down as the cause of lag for some reason) and the videos still work fine. But if I read the original article correctly, the issue here is that the TV is sending more information on what you're watching than necessary, evencontent that isn't coming from the signal inputs.

author: mariush
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 07:24:16 am
content: Well apparently they're starting to get some organizations interested in this:http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131121/09145425322/facing-backlash-uk-govt-inquiry-lg-now-claims-to-be-looking-into-its-smart-tvs-data-slurping-habits.shtml

author: Strada916
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 09:24:09 am
content: its simple. Disconnect the data cable.

author: ovnr
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 10:13:36 am
content: Appalling, but not entirely surprising. The whole "smart TV" idea is ridiculous if you ask me; hell, I thought we were finally moving toward TVs being dumb monitors (like a PC monitor), but noooo.If I end up having to buy one at some point, it's not going to get any network connectivity whatsoever. I've got a dedicated PC set up with all custom software to handle my needs.

author: TMM
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 10:28:00 am
content: Quote from: ovnr on November 22, 2013, 10:13:36 amDitto. My 'Smart' TV has sees nothing more than power and a HDMI cable.Quote from: mojo-chan on November 22, 2013, 09:43:12 amNo ads = no revenue for the content creator. Your TV would be seen as a 'mobile' device. Content creators have the option block their videos from being viewed on mobile devices because of this.As for 'ad blockers' which bypass the ads on PCs, i'm not sure if it still 'counts' or not.

author: Six_Shooter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 01:25:33 am
content: Quote from: ovnr on November 22, 2013, 10:13:36 amThat's how I've used my TVs for a long time. I don't even use the built in speakers...ever.If I could find a 47" or so computer monitor with HDMI, DVI and RGB, I would buy that as my next TV, err... monitor.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 05:57:54 am
content: HDMI 2.0 does have an embedded ethernet link in it though. Built into the spec and connected in the cable.

author: andtfoot
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 23, 2013, 07:02:47 am
content: Quote from: SeanB on November 23, 2013, 05:57:54 amThat's been available since 1.4.I can't say I've ever seen it used though. Closest I've seen is part of HDBaseT (which combines HDMI, Ethernet, power, etc over UTP).

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2013, 05:46:09 pm
content: Was looking at the TV sets today on a display. Quad core processor in a TV set? Most complex I want is an 8051 running the set, doing the things like OSD, power management and user settings via an I2c bus or a SM or Intermetall bus. Anything more detracts from it being what it really is as an output device like a printer.

author: strangelovemd12
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 24, 2013, 06:23:00 pm
content: Quote from: SeanB on November 24, 2013, 05:46:09 pmI concur. Next thing you know my car will be tuning radio stations, my 'fridge will be dispensing water, my phone will be depositing checks, and my dishwasher will wait till off peak hours.In all seriousness though, we all draw the line in different places. I for one am freaked out about xbox and/or PlayStation tracking me (one) around the living room, but there is a lot of cool shit that goes along with that. The problem is that f"(technologicalawesomeness) is positive, and we can't keep up. Remember that TVs aren't turning into some strange foreign device, they are just converging with other forms of computer. Anyone who watches Netfix, Youtube, or frequents EEVBlog is being tracked down like Cool Hand Luke, and no amount of pepper will stop it. Trust me on that, I'm from the land of the free* and the home of the NSA.*Some restrictions may apply. Please see blacks for more details.