[footlose_3815]

As a rule of thumb, I never connect my smart TVs to the internet. I go chromecast or PC connection.

Some may say there may be improvements, but the streamed ads, and surveillance and phoning home of my behavior, the benefits of privacy certainly outweigh the downsides.

[ssgodderidge]

I did the same thing with my old Samsung. Disconnected it from wifi and immediately had way faster boot-up times. The ads were really bogging it down.

Somehow, 3 years later, it still recommends the movie "Hancock" every time I turn it on. Perhaps it was the last ad it ever fetched? And it has an eternal cache? Who knows.

Turn off wifi, get a chromecast, an Apple TV, or a gaming console.

[avgDev]

Consoles are getting ads now too.

[footlose_3815]

Yes. Ever since Microsoft started serving ads with "Tiles" on the new Xbox 360 interface, back in Windows 8 era, the enshittification began the creep.

Xbox one, it's bundles of ads. When it first released, the UX was so horrible, I remember getting lost trying to find the menu to launch a game from disc. I had to page through ads just to find it.

Playstation, there's popups, and non-disable-able promotions for games and subsriptions. (There's also these "Stories" I think they're called, that tell you about the progress in a game, that are heavy with spoilers").

Both interfaces are masterclasses in optimizing noise/signal and adding as much noise as possible before the user stops using it.

[theryan]

I used to love my Chromecast but I feel like it's gone downhill significantly. The amount of bloat and ads when you fire it up is annoying. Thankfully there is an 'Apps only' mode now but you are still plastered with ads before you can select an app.