How to de-Google my Sony TV?

xuid0

If you want a bit more privacy and security why not drop a pi-hole on a raspberry pi into your LAN via Ethernet to your internet connection. And configure your router to use the pi-hole for DNS lookups.

You don't even need a raspberry pi either: https://docs.pi-hole.net/main/prerequisites

Have a read. This will help alot.

missing-root

xuid0

DNS or IP blocking only helps if they dont track you through the same URL that they use e.g. to deliver software updates.

Wadder

@GraphyTaffy you're probably best just setting up a pfsense router c/w vpn such as the ones Michael Bazzell provides to his clients and recommends within his books. He even suggests that you leave a "free" port for streaming. the following link is to his website for the Extreme Privacy book; https://inteltechniques.com/book7.html

You'll find most people in the forum will voucher for Michael Bazzell's expertise.

TrustExecutor

Wadder
He has a pretty bad reputation on this forum from what I know.

JoeBlogs

TV's are a nightmare these days. I put all my AV gear on a VLAN to segregate it all from the rest of the network.

wrtfrk

GraphyTaffy

TVs are just spyware devices by themselves. The only way to protect yourself is to disconnect them from the internet altogether.

If you want a similar android TV experience you could get an android TV box like an nvidia shield or similar and flash a clean AOSP OS on it. LineageOS supports a couple of these devices. It's not very secure but at least you don't have any software you don't control spy on you. Would be nice if pixel devices could also get an android TV mode so you can permanently connect a pixel tablet to your TV or something (paired with a remote).

JoeBlogs

wrtfrk TVs are just spyware devices by themselves.

It's shocking that commercial businesses have been allowed to get to this level. I compare it to the likes of stories of communist radios installed in the home or the Stasi collecting files on everyone. We are way ahead of anything 1984. One should ask themselves if your really need a TV or a simple Monitor. What makes a TV is the tuner for radio and TV transmission broadcasts but now everything is pretty much digital and if your using a third party device, Firestick and computer etc or whatever with an internet connection and a browser then why have a TV when a Monitor will do the job.

Personally I have a Panasonic TV because it's a non Google OS (Google / Android are the biggest problem IMO) and Panasonic do have good controls for disabling any advertisements, data collection and I don't have to deal with a home screen being forced upon me. There's no reason to opt in to any of these or should I say we can opt out. That's if we can trust these advertising / marketing / telemetry switches do anything. I also like the more advanced picture calibration controls I get with the TV. I mostly watch a lot of locally stored content on Bluray or NAS along with the option of DLNA which I also prefer. It also simpler to integrate with a home cinema than a Monitor. I do also run a Pi-Hole on my router side of things.

I was lucky as I managed to buy one of the last TV's without a built in webcam. My remote is also an IR remote with an option to enable Bluetooth which I don't want due to it's networking capabilities and dislike the move towards Bluetooth remotes and app control. I also have no voice activation controls.

I find it mind numbing that people have accepted devices like Alexa or Siri in the homes. It's unbelievable the levels of naivety and stupidity unless your severely disabled in which case I can see the benefits. These devices are a life saver for the blind or even non tech savvy elderly folk. There's even beds these days that can monitor your sleeping patterns. What's next poop monitoring in toilets so online fridges can adjust the shopping list accordingly LOL

pebcak

GraphyTaffy

Read books and listen to music instead

angela

Hammer?

If you have a Smart TV, it's designed to collect as much telemetry as possible, can probably connect to open wifi networks and not tell you, has AI built in, and could even have things like microphones in the TV, although it's hard to know about that one.

If you want privacy, don't get a smart TV.

It's like you asking the best way to pull the stripes off a zebra. It could be possible somehow, but I don't know if it will be functional anymore after.

BuffaloStance

Fyi: Sceptre (aka Komodo) is a brand that still have dumb TVs. No apps, no wireless...just A/V ports. The 4K, 50" model is ~$200 and features the largest display in the lineup. Picture quality is adequate so long as you ignore silly things like noise reduction.

-- 3840x2160
-- 60Hz (+ the industry standard, fake "120Hz" via motion estimation trickery)

This may be the last non-smart TV available at all. The only others over 32" that I could find were the high-priced, commercial display monitors for things like Airport Flight listings and restaurant menus.

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