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Android TV Update Puts Home-Screen Ads On Multi-Thousand-Dollar Sony Smart TVs (arstechnica.com)
Google is testing a new "Pilot Program" that puts a row of advertisements on the Android TV home screen. XDA Developers, which was the first to report the program, says: "We're currently seeing reports that it has shown up in Sony smart TVs, the Mi Box 3 from Xiaomi, NVIDIA Shield TV, and others." Ars Technica reports: The advertising is a "Sponsored Channel" part of the "Android TV Core Services" app that ships with all Android TV devices. A "Channel" in Android TV parlance means an entire row of thumbnails in the UI will be dedicated to "sponsored" content. Google provided XDA Developers with a statement saying that yes, this is on purpose, but for now it's a "pilot program."
Sony has tersely worded a support page detailing the "Sponsored channel," too. There's no mention here of it being a pilot program. Sony's page, titled "A sponsored channel has suddenly appeared on my TV Home menu," says, "This change is included in the latest Android TV Launcher app (Home app) update. The purpose is to help you discover new apps and contents for your TV." Sony goes on to say, "This channel is managed by Google" and "the Sponsored channel cannot be customized." Sony basically could replace the entire page with a "Deal with it" sunglasses gif, and it would send the same message.
Sony has tersely worded a support page detailing the "Sponsored channel," too. There's no mention here of it being a pilot program. Sony's page, titled "A sponsored channel has suddenly appeared on my TV Home menu," says, "This change is included in the latest Android TV Launcher app (Home app) update. The purpose is to help you discover new apps and contents for your TV." Sony goes on to say, "This channel is managed by Google" and "the Sponsored channel cannot be customized." Sony basically could replace the entire page with a "Deal with it" sunglasses gif, and it would send the same message.
I'm AC... but honestly I haven't purchased Sony shit since their rootkit crap in the mid 2000s. I may have inadvertently bought media they control (movies) but I guess that's less than $100 since that event. Sony is a garbage ethics corporation.
I'm with you. I have a "dumb" monitor and feed it with a sub-$100 Rasberry Pi setup (since I only need 1080p because I'm old and feeble of sight). I can run Kodi (with illegal plug-ins) and thus access a raft of great stuff (including YouTube) and I have a Chromecast that lets me access Netflix.
For the money, I bet a *much* better quality "dumb" screen than I'd get if I went the "Smart TV" way and if I don't like the smart side of things I can always change software at the flip of a micro-SD card. Who the hell would buy a smart TV????
Yes! I had tons of Sony home theater/stereo/high end CRT (artisan pro-printshop/photographer monitors) and other Sony stuff. Not one thing since, and it every time the competing brand has turned out to be a better choice. 80s/90s innovative Sony is long gone...