Spoiler Alert: Your TV Will Be Hacked

snydeq writes "With rising popularity of Internet-enabled TVs, the usual array of attacks and exploits will soon be coming to a screen near you. 'Will Internet TVs will be hacked as successfully as previous generations of digital devices? Of course they will. Nothing in a computer built into a TV makes it less attackable than a PC. ... Can we make Internet TVs more secure than regular computers? Yes. Will we? Probably not. We never do the right things proactively. Instead, we as a global society appear inclined to accept half-baked security solutions that are more like Band-Aids than real protection.'"

Non-functional requirements

[thsths]

These are often forgotten by engineers. Usually they are formulated as thing you do not want your TV to do:

- not damage your furniture
- not start a fire
- not weight a ton
- not hack your network

You would think these are simple and logical expectations. The problem is, they are hardly good marketing, so they may not receive the necessary priority. But they can be very bad marketing if a story hits...

Dumb displays

[mehrotra.akash]

I prefer my TV's to be dumb displays
They should be limited to take video in, modify resolution/contrast/etc as per settings and display it on the screen, and provide a control interface
IF I want to play media on it, I will use a device for that
Modularity is better

More concerned by the TV companies than hackers

[travellerjohn]

An internet enabled TV is going to be irresistible to TV companies. Perfectly legally they will get together with the manufacturers to personalise you TV experience. Given half a chance they will monitor your viewing, suggest programs, personalise adverts, maybe even personalise the news. Not so bad you might think: I never have to see Sarah Palin on the TV again. More likely, if they think you are an independent voter in a swing state, it is back to back political adverts for you for the next six months. Don't be surprised if your remote dont seem to work half way through a PAC spot. Remember If You're Not Paying for It; You're the Product

Re:Non-functional requirements

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Why blame the engineers for that? The engineers that I know are trying to make things the best they can be, but they're prevented by short-sighted penny pinchers that make constricting demands.

Re:Dumb displays

[cbope]

The more functionality that becomes "built-in", the quicker that "display device" will become obsolete. Is it any wonder why the manufacturers are pushing smart TV's so hard?

First, there was TV!
Then widescreen!
Then HD Ready!
Then Full HD!
Then LED!
Then 3D!
Now Smart TV!

The rate of obsolescence has really increased in the past 15 years or so with TV's. That's why I waited for Full HD to drop into my price range, and I bought a good, high-end LCD of a decent size with HDMI inputs. I can plug anything into it. I do not miss LED, 3D or smart TV. I can play back blu-ray at full quality, which is enough. I have an HTPC connected to it for browsing and media playback.

I prefer to keep my displays dumb and put the smarts elsewhere. That is unless you want to buy a new TV every few years... (I certainly have better things to spend my money on)