@pluralistic points out that
"a manufacturer can sell you a device and then mandatorily update it at a later date to take away its functionality, and then sell that functionality back to you as a “subscription”
And then gives example after example after example, etc of how this keeps happening.
@elasticsoul @pluralistic this is why my devices lose internet privileges. I have a Brother printer that I don't allow to connect to wifi (it can connect by Ethernet cable directly to a laptop) so it doesn't pick up the update to reject third party ink. And that was only possible because the offending update, which was a sleeper type that only took effect later, came out while my printer was inaccessible.
This was the exact plot of a recent Black Mirror episode. A woman gets a life-saving brain implant and the implant company keeps degrading her service and charging higher fees just to put back functionality they take away. It doesn't end well.
@Phosphenes @elasticsoul Charlie cited my work in an interview about that ep!
@elasticsoul @pluralistic
My in-laws ended up having to buy a new TV in part because all the streaming apps on their older model were gradually withdrawn. Granted, they used a Firestick for a while, but that still meant buying extra equipment.
Our 2013 dumb TV with a wee separate box attached to it has no such problems.
It's planned obsolescence, but on demand.
@thecasualcritic @elasticsoul @pluralistic
Someone gave me a perfectly good 48" Samsung TV because "It was too old to get software updates." I noted they could just add a device and use it as a display but they didn't want to be bothered. 🤷
It's now my primary "tv". 🙂
@allpoints @thecasualcritic @elasticsoul @pluralistic We recently got a 40" Samsung TV (2017 production year) from my parents for similar reasons. It's SOOOOOO big compared to our old 28" TV (2007 production year). And we just plugged the HDMI cable from the Roku into the new TV and it worked perfectly.
We'll probably use this TV for the next decade at least. And if it breaks, we have our old TV in its original box in the basement. It still works fine other than being power hungry and a bit smaller.
