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Re:Samsung's smart TVs are inserting unwanted ads into users... by Evolved on Wednesday February 11, 2015 @12:44PM (#9034244)
Hardware combinations are mostly a terrible idea unlike software combinations that can be patched with updates. If your music player on your phone malfunctioned it shouldn't be a difficult remedy to push out an OTA update. Try that when your printer won't align thus relegating it to a bulky and expensive scanner (if that part still works).

There isn't a solution to devices becoming obsolete because manufacturers would sell less of a new product if the old one worked fine in perpetuity. Not only this but old iPhones, for example, run worse with new iOS versions because new versions are coded for new hardware. Hence the need to upgrade periodically. How many of us have a 486 that will run Dragon Age?

Re:Samsung's smart TVs are inserting unwanted ads into users... by comex on Wednesday February 11, 2015 @02:08PM (#9034878)
That's why I suggested making the brains of the smart TV separable - in other words, somewhat similar to the current situation, but with tighter integration between the TV display, speakers, and ports and the box. Samsung seems to be doing something like that:

http://www.samsung.com/us/2013-smart-evolution/

It being Samsung, the hardware upgrade was apparently offered after a single year and completely redid the UI, but there's no reason the same principle can't be executed competently.

Re:Samsung's smart TVs are inserting unwanted ads into users... by Evolved on Wednesday February 11, 2015 @02:42PM (#9035182)
If you're the real Comex of iOS JB lore then I very much appreciate your work and you have my utmost respect.

So from what I understand about the Evolution Kit, it attaches to TVs 2012 and later and provides them with a boost to put them almost on par with 2013/2014+ TVs? Doesn't this cannibalize sales of new Smart TVs?

Re:Samsung's smart TVs are inserting unwanted ads into users... by Vendan on Wednesday February 11, 2015 @10:31PM (#9037217)
They already did that kind of thing, but it seems to have died off. My TV has an MHL port, and I've got an MHL roku plugged into it. One remote controls both the TV and the roku. Specific buttons get passed through to the roku. It's actually really nice.