“The TV business isn’t just about selling TVs anymore. Companies are increasingly seeing viewers, not TV sets, as their most lucrative asset…”
Pfft, speak for yourself 😏I’m too poor to afford a TV.
In all seriousness, I can’t afford a TV but wouldn’t buy one if I could because the dual monitor setup I have + a mini projector > modern TV nonsense. My projector isn’t anything fancy-- just a 720p bulb projector but I’m convinced that 4K, maybe/probably 8K laser projectors will be the endgame for many people, simply because at that point the resolution to screen size ratio for most people will be where the law of diminishing returns really starts to kick in.
In 2024, nearly 60% of Steam users are still using 1080p monitors-- myself included. The shift for the average person from 1080p to 4K is taking considerably longer than the shift from 720p to 1080p. 1080p came out in 2007, 4K came out in 2012. Only a 5 year difference but 1080p remains king for the time being specifically because 4K is too expensive for the average person and harder to justify, particularly for computer monitors.
For TVs, I think there’s always going to be the core chunk of people who just mindlessly buy smart TVs without putting any thought into privacy but I really do think that long term, we’re going to see a shift towards laser projectors that just accept video inputs from whatever source a person’s using, i.e. a Kodi box, PC, etc. Part of why I think this is because laser projection even during daytime is amazing.
I’m rambling away but yeah, I think at a certain point between the ads and the fact that most people don’t care that much about 4K over 1080p (especially considering the enormous price difference), people are going to tap out soon.
This isn’t a new concept and it’s really stupid that Ars is presenting it that way.
If companies didn’t know this, then they are already out of business. If the viewers didn’t know this… well… I can’t help you.
You can help them by telling them? Like the most obvious thing? But if that is to big of a leap for you… well… I can’t help you.
“Your TV has become a digital billboard.”
It’s been a digital billboard for at least 40 years of my life. Radio was no different, so be sure to drink your Ovaltine.
Have you never seen a commercial before? Cheap subsidized hardware? Bloatware loaded on phones? Bloatware on TVs? Games that require 5 mins of ad time? Google’s crippling of Chrome to break ad blockers? Unskippable ads on YouTube? Sponsored ad spots in YouTube videos? All the 3rd party logos on Smart TV boxes? Product placements in movies? Ad placements before the movie starts? The list goes on.
The entire entertainment industry is based around advertising. Every delivery platform is designed to show you ads first and entertainment second.
People have problems figuring that out?
Na, I’m still using a TV from 2009.
sounds of the fan for a raspberry pi running pihole begin to filter through the background noise ya’ll allow ads on your network?
A TV? I don’t have that.
