back to article Samsung adds non fungible token trading app to its tellies

Samsung has given its 2022 smart television range the ability to trade in non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the blockchain-dependent certificates of authenticity for digital assets. The Korean giant says the updated Smart Hub in its 2022 range includes an app that “features an intuitive, integrated platform for discovering, …

  1. all ears

    Make it easy for the average consumer to buy NFTs -- what could possibly go wrong?

    1. ThatOne Silver badge

      > Make it easy for the average consumer

      I don't think "average" consumers can afford a > $1000 TV... This is definitely for those who don't know how to spend their considerable wealth.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        I don't know why, but my brain, on first reading, was imagining fleets of Samsung TVs co-operating on crypto-currency mining while in stand-by mode.

  2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

    Well that'll make buying my next TV easier, now I don't even have to bother with Samsung.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Facepalm

      Isn't that about the same as refusing to buy a car because it comes with a DAB receiver by default?

      1. Andy The Hat Silver badge

        have you seen the bloat on a Sammy tv lately? It's not just like having a DAB radio but towing an entire Currys store complete with their advertising hordings ...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          To be honest though, I really don't care. As long as it doesn't slow down my movies it's just crap that I'll never use. My TV never has an internet connection, and I never use any of the apps. It's just a screen and speakers as far as I'm concerned.

          1. KBeee
            Happy

            Yeah, until your new replacement TV starts popping up undefeatable nag boxes complaing that it's *not connected*, and can't push ads at you every time you change channels. Dunno if this happens yet, but I'm pretty sure it will come (still hanging on to my old non-smart TV as long as I can).

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

      3. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

        In no way is it the same

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Why not? If you never listen to the radio, you wouldn't refuse to buy a car that comes with a radio as standard simply because of that. It's exactly the same.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I have to agree:

    it makes sense that a TV designed to be always on is a perfect match for energy-wasting NFTs.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    NFTs and energy usage

    Before everyone starts banging on about NFT energy usage, they are very swiftly moving to less energy-intensive chains. However I am still unclear as to their utility.

    1. Citizen of Nowhere

      Re: NFTs and energy usage

      Given a lack of utility, any energy usage is too much ;-)

    2. Yes Me Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: NFTs and energy usage

      "I am still unclear as to their utility."

      I can help with that. They are a massive con trick and anybody who gives money for one might as well have thrown the money out of the car window instead. Of course, they are great for the con artists who manage to sell them.

      If you would like an absolutely unique copy of the bits making up this posting, I will be delighted to accept your money and I might even throw in a cryptographic token with it.

  5. Duncan Macdonald
    WTF?

    How about a NOT Smart TV

    My own preference is for a TV that just acts as a TV - not with a load of badly coded flaky apps (and ads) messing up the viewing.

    I have a Samsung TV and to overcome its "smart" features I have used the firewall feature of my Virgin router to deny it access to the internet after the initial setup. (It can connect to the router so it does not complain about no network but the router discards all of its internet traffic.)

    If a TV has to be a "Smart TV" then I wish it would come with a "dumb" mode option that disables all "smart" features until re-enabled by the user.

    Icon for the rubbish "Smart" features of "Smart TVs" ==========>

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

      Very much agree. I wouldn't mind so much if the Samsung interface wasn't incredibly sluggish. Now I can just cast from the phone...

      Also interface adverts, on a telly!

      1. ThatOne Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

        Guys, guys, you just paid for the right to be monetized. Get over it, the quaint old days where you were an "owner" and in sole command of your kit are unfortunately gone.

        1. ThatOne Silver badge

          Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

          Now I'd really love to hear what my masked downvoter had to complain about... I gather you love to be pushed around, potentially beaten, potentially by somebody clad in tight leather?...

          As for me, I do consider that when I buy something, it has to belong to me, which means (only) work in my own interest, and definitely not be just a means to squeeze additional money out of me. I'm old-fashioned that way.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

      I just want a large screen with a couple of speakers built in and a remote control.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

        "I just want a large screen"

        FTFY :-)

        Built-n speakers are invariably shit. A remote control for input switching is useful though But it only needs two or three buttons. One for On/Off, and one or two to cycle through the available inputs.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

          The thing about the speakers is my amp is old (but good) and doesn't have a remote, so I only use it occasionally for watching movies/shows etc. I could fix that, of course, but apathy continues to win this one.

          And the remote also needs to be able to control the settings as well as selecting inputs. (And the volume for me.)

    3. Arthur the cat Silver badge

      Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

      My own preference is for a TV that just acts as a TV - not with a load of badly coded flaky apps (and ads) messing up the viewing.

      Ditto, but can one actually buy such an innovative device(*) these days? If so, please point me at it/them because it's getting near time to replace the current one.

      (*) A modicum of sarcasm may have been used in this post.

    4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: How about a NOT Smart TV

      "My own preference is for a TV that just acts as a TV - not with a load of badly coded flaky apps (and ads) messing up the viewing."

      Same here. While reading that, I just realised that the current TV has NEVER been used as a traditional TV. We've had cable for a long time, and Kodi running on a RasPi. The TV aerial got blown down when we had the last telly so the tuner has never actually been tuned in to anything. I'm not even sure if it's capable of picking up digital OTA TV or if it's an analogue tuner.

      (Just checked, it is a DTV tuner. Maybe I'll get the aerial sorted out one day)

  6. Scott Pedigo
    Thumb Down

    Surpise Credit Card Bills Likely

    Sound like there is a class action lawsuit in Samsung's future, after many cases where children inadvertently manage to spend thousands on in-game tokens in the TV apps, where parents have given Samsung or Google a credit card number when prompted during the TV setup, or linked the TV to some existing account, and failed to subsequently find the TV or app configuration for preventing access or limiting the charges.

    We went through this with phone apps already, with parents being dinged by telcos with surprise monthly bills running into the thousands making the news and causing a public outcry.

  7. Eclectic Man Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    Whaat??

    OK, so, from the InterPleb I find that an NFT is:

    "Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are pieces of digital content linked to the blockchain, the digital database underpinning cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ethereum. Unlike NFTs, those assets are fungible, meaning they can be replaced or exchanged with another identical one of the same value, much like a dollar bill."

    But were I too buy one (and even I can think of lots of other things to do with my money), what would I actually own?

    Paris Hilton icon, because I suspect she understands this better than I do.

    1. NightFox
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Whaat??

      Bragging rights.

      Paris Hilton icon, because, well, bragging rights.

    2. theOtherJT

      Re: Whaat??

      Remember that con fad back in the 80s where you could "Buy a star" and they'd send you a little certificate with a picture of the night sky and "your" star highlighted in it?

      This is that.

      1. Eclectic Man Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: Whaat??

        I missed the buy a star opportunity, but at least I own some of the Moon. (https://lunarregistry.com)

        Ohh, hang on, umm.

        Realisation dawns.

        Oh shit.

        <Cries.>

    3. doublelayer Silver badge

      Re: Whaat??

      You would own a cryptographic signature and a key that you can use to change who owns it. The cryptographic signature was in turn signed by the original creator who sold it, who is probably the person who created the file the signature is from, but who knows. Or, you can have as many signatures as you want by finding files and running existing hashing algorithms on them. It is your job as an NFT owner to eventually convince someone else that your number is better than all the free numbers.

  8. Persona Silver badge

    No it is bonkers.

    It seems they have forgotten that just because one person holds the NFT issued by some random "issuer" it does not stop anyone else displaying an indistinguishably identical version of the picture on their TV.

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