FTC urges smart device makers to disclose software update lifecycles Makers of software-enabled products have been put on notice by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for failing to disclose how long their products will receive software updates. A paper [PDF] published on Tuesday from the trade watchdog observes that while non-connected devices generally last until they fail, so-called smart …
Within a couple of months of buying a couple of Samsung smart TVs half the apps stopped working, then simply disappeared, never to return. Spotify, web browser, netflix, all UK TV players, except i think BBC iplayer. All dead.
The TVs still connect and picture sound is great, but their smart stuff is crap...
Alas the answer is a Fire TV stick from Amazon.
Acquire one during this Black Friday- pref a more recent one by like a current Generation Fire TV Stick 4K - currently half price. Amazon seem a bit better - even Gen 1/2 Fire TV are still current for support/updates until end this November. That’s 10 years since launch. Officially they say 4 years past last sold.
Personally I just use a TinyMiniMicro 1L PC - full internet access, can use any of the streaming sites, plus local access to legally-backed-up DVD collection via the network & my server, or if preferred via USB DVD drive.
These days you can get hold of a W11-capable one for about £60, or a Linux/Win10 capable one for about £40.
If the Samsung SmartTV stuff has ceased, it will be a bin end Model several years old already or second hand … as Samsung committed to 7 years of updates (2023 models onwards sadly).
https://uk.pcmag.com/tvs/154094/samsung-smart-tvs-to-get-7-years-of-os-updates
We have a second hand Samsung TV and it's still working just fine. Though I note from my server logs that it's really insistent on trying to change it's IP address regularly even though my DHCP server is configured to only let it have the one fixed address I've allocated - I think this is behind the intermittent "no network" messages when opening an app.
On the other hand, the JVC one we bought new is "poor". It runs Android TV and we find the UI is just a pile of manure. Apart from being slow and laggy (too little processing capacity for the workload I guess), it's really not very intuitive, it's been needing reboots every so often when things stop working correctly, and it's clear the UI was designed by someone with a massive display sat next to them on the desk as it's not readable on a 43" model across the living room. Trouble is, these are rather nebulous "faults" which didn't appear for a bit and I just c.b.a. arguing with the retailer over a return outside of their no questions asked period. I won't ever be considering either a JVC or Android TV ever again.
Mind you, given the option I wouldn't buy ANY "smart" TV if I could avoid it - as other have said, easier to plug in a "smart" something (we have a FireTV in another room) that's cheaper to bin and replace if it goes out of support and stops working. And a non-smart TV is so much easier to use for everything but the "smart" stuff we don't use all that much.
The whole point is that under US law, the manufacturer is required to say how long you get updates for, and how long any required services (e.g. "the phone home or it doesn't work" servers) will be kept running. That way, the buyer knows how long (or short) the devices life might be and can choose accordingly. If this were made readily available, then hopefully people might think along the lines of "I can spend $200 for something guaranteed to work for 10 years, or £150 for something that could crap out next week - perhaps it's worth spending the extra". That will put pressure on manufacturers to provide meaningful support guarantees.
Yes, we know a lot of buyers won't even look at such things, but I think enough will start doing once bitten by "sorry, you're expensive [something] doesn't work now" problem.
The choice shouldn't be the manufacturers', it should be the consumers'. So long as a significant percentile of the devices are still in service then software maintenance should be legally mandated. The minimum level would be patching of critical vulns and no end user features removed/broken in the process. Products may end up costing more but they'll be useful for longer so you'll be getting a better deal.
That would be really hard to mandate - would it really be reasonable to mandate (say) 6 years of updates to something intended as a cheap disposable item ? Similarly, would only (say) 6 years be sufficient for an expensive home automation system ?
Better to make the manufacturer state the support length, then the buyer can decide if that suits their needs. If I want something cheap that I know I'll only use for a short while, I'd have that option; but if it's something I need to work for a long time (e.g. I'd not buy any home automation stuff which wasn't guaranteed to work for at least a decade) then I can weed out the cheap c**p.
Of course it needs to be enforced, and really it needs to be a strict liability - i.e. just failing to meet the stated time should be enough for the buyer to win, not have the buyer have to show that the manufacturer's excuses are not reasonable. In the UK it would also need changes to other rules if we were to have one like this - otherwise, get to 6 years in England and Wales, 5 years in Scotland (dunno about NI), and the buyer is time barred from any claim against the supplier under out statute of limitations laws.
I see a further issue. How many devices these days do not include software from a third party ? For example, I recall reading of a security flaw in some DVR software - and it affected dozens of brands who all built commodity hardware and bought in the software from one (Chinese ?) source. The manufacturer could have a back-back contractual arrangement with their upstream supplier(s) - but what if an upstream supplier fails to uphold it ? Leaves the manufacturer legally required to support a product, but they can't effectively enforce that on their suppliers.
And of course, there's an XKCD that seems appropriate here.
A thousand time this!
Why does my washing machine need to be "smart"? I did try the app, it's shite.
Why the feck would I want to start the cycle remotely?
Why does[did] it phone home constantly?
And I know when it fails it'll be some stupid controller, and it will no longer be available to replace.
KNOBS! Temp, Fabric, Spin speed
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