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back to article Now Samsung's spying smart TVs insert ADS in YOUR OWN movies

Samsung Electronics says it is not deliberately inserting ads into peoples' privately owned films following complaints from Australians. Sammy said the adverts appeared due to an "error", and has announced an investigation. It emerged that embedded ads were appearing in the company's video streaming app, after users took to …

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  1. Electron Shepherd

    Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

    What they said:

    "This seems to be caused by an error, and we are currently conducting a full and thorough investigation into the cause as our top priority."

    "This situation has so far been reported only in Australia."

    What they meant

    "This was actually caused by our marketing department conducting a subtle survey to gauge reaction to making it mandatory for all content viewed on a Samsung device to include adverts."

    "We're still negotiating our fees with Pepsi in other regions."

    73 1 Reply
    1. ravenviz Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      WTF?

      Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

      Why don't they have a telly where you can opt out of all adverts.

      The End.

      14 0 Reply
      1. Electron Shepherd
        Reply Icon

        Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

        I know one couple who record all programs they want to watch on ITV, Channel 4 and so on, and then play them back later. The reason? So they can simply fast-forward through all the commercials.

        22 0 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

          Doesn't everyone do that? I rarely watch anything live on channels with adverts now.

          25 0 Reply
          1. Anonymous Coward
            Reply Icon
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Doesn't everyone do that?

            Good lord no old chap! If you restrict your viewing to that provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation there are no in-show ads, what what! Wouldn't sully my eyes with those dreadful commercial channels!!

            12 3 Reply
            1. getHandle
              Reply Icon

              Re: Doesn't everyone do that?

              Except that the BBC's own adverts seem to take up just as much time as commercial ad breaks!

              13 3 Reply
            2. MJI Silver badge
              Reply Icon

              Re: Doesn't everyone do that?

              BBC

              Ermmm 80% of my viewing is BBC, the rest C4 Film 4 and the like.

              ITV is the Downton Abbey, Doc Martin & Benidorm channel, yes really my entire ITV viewing is those 3.

              0 0 Reply
        2. DiViDeD
          Reply Icon

          Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

          The old brain thing might be playing tricks here - I've had it for quite a number of years now, but I seem to remember owning a video recorder which could detect the ad break markers inserted into networked programmes to warn local tv station operators that there was a break coming up and they needed to get their local ads ready to run. It had the option to pause recording when the 10 second marker came on and restart when the 'ok, break over, back tothe programme in 10..' signal came on (for those old enough to remember, these signals were accompanied by a hatched symbol in the top right corner of the screen). I also heard that, in the early days, C4's Prestel(Ceefax? Oracle?) service for setting up a recording did a similar trick with commercial breaks, but that they were 'encouraged' to discontinue the practice.

          Not sure whether that was true though.

          6 0 Reply
          1. fruitoftheloon
            Reply Icon
            Thumb Up

            @Divided: Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

            Divided,

            Yup I spotted that too...

            Cheers,

            J

            0 0 Reply
        3. ravenviz Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Mushroom

          Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

          You think you have it bad in UK, adverts in US are distracting as Hell, ever wondered why TV shows seem to start for a few minutes and then the opening credits come up? In US that's the gap for an ad break. And wonder what all those fade-to-blacks are? More ad breaks. And more often than not, the ads they do show are repeated in each break, annoying as Hell. IMO it makes US TV more or less unwatchable, how are you supposed to 'get into' a show with all the stops and restarts?!!!!11

          Regards,

          Annoyed of Surrey (now only watching HBO when in America)

          0 0 Reply
    2. Howard Hanek
      Reply Icon

      Re: Don't think it's a mistake, myself...

      I don't think so either

      \\insert self serving PSA\\

      I think some money changed hands first

      \\insert application cover letter and duplicate copies of personal resume\\

      If you'd like to subscribe to my newsletter and make a fortune with my exciting new.............

      2 0 Reply
  2. Oh Matron!

    Is it me….

    Or does it appear than Samsung are conducting a self imploding exercise of Microsoft proportions?

    45 3 Reply
    1. fruitoftheloon
      Reply Icon
      Thumb Up

      @Oh Matron: Re: Is it me….

      OM,

      I was thinking that as well funnily enough. I was considering replacing our Sharp Aquos with a nice Samsung thingy...

      Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

      As own goals go it is pretty spectacular.

      J.

      12 0 Reply
      1. AbelSoul
        Reply Icon
        Facepalm

        Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

        Samsung intrusiveness is pushing you towards..... Sony?

        Sweet sufferin' badgerbaws.

        19 0 Reply
        1. Voland's right hand Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

          Samsung intrusiveness is pushing you towards..... Sony?

          Funnily enough this is not as paradoxical as it seems. They got burned early and badly so on the overall they have been pretty well behaved on both the home entertainment and mobile front as of late.

          4 1 Reply
          1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
            Reply Icon
            Black Helicopters

            Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

            They got burned early and badly so on the overall they have been pretty well behaved on both the home entertainment and mobile front as of late.

            .. or they found people that were better at hiding what they are doing ..

            5 0 Reply
            1. Mark 65
              Reply Icon

              Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

              It's a piece of piss to filter what internet interactions your TV can have from a whitelist to none-for-you-sonny.

              0 1 Reply
              1. fruitoftheloon
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                Thumb Down

                @Mark65: Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

                Mark65,

                It may be a piece of piss for you and a fair amount of our fellow commentards, I guarantee that 99.999% of 'smart tv' users wouldn't have a bloody clue what a whitelist is, nor how to implement one in the first place (me included out of interest!)...

                I spy an opportunity eh?

                J.

                1 0 Reply
                1. Mark 65
                  Reply Icon

                  Re: @Mark65: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

                  @fruitoftheloon: Well the general trick is that if you don't understand what it is up to or you know it is up to something but not how to prevent it you either:

                  1. Let it be and suffer the consequences

                  2. Don't connect it to the internet.

                  There's definite potential for something like an inline device that filters out certain connections rather than needing to make adjustments at the router (although that's the place if you want to fill your house with the Internet of Tat).

                  1 0 Reply
                  1. fruitoftheloon
                    Reply Icon
                    Happy

                    Mark65: Re: @Mark65: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

                    Mark,

                    Quite, as I mentioned, the (potentially) new tv will only be plumbed into the av amp.

                    On a personal note, I have less than zero interest in the whole IoT puffery business, others' mileage will no doubt vary.

                    We will be changing over to enormo-speedy BT fibre broadband shortly, then I will checkout options for whitelisting, all helpful and constructive suggestions from fellow commantards will be much appreciated...

                    Cheers,

                    J.

                    1 0 Reply
        2. fruitoftheloon
          Reply Icon

          @Abelsoul: Re: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

          Abelsoul,

          Indeed it is!!

          I must also add that the potentially new googlebox will be connected to a nice Onkyo av amp, which in turn is plugged into both a PS3 (running PlayTV) and a Mint 15 based PC for interwebs and xbmc duties.

          Hence there is no f'ing way any tv I own will be connected to the interwebs...

          Cheers,

          J.

          1 0 Reply
          1. Slions
            Reply Icon

            Re: @Abelsoul: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

            You actually have five boxes under your TV?

            0 2 Reply
            1. fruitoftheloon
              Reply Icon

              @Silons: Re: @Abelsoul: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

              Silons,

              Err no:

              - av amp

              - ps3

              - xbox

              - media pc

              - sacd

              Yes I know that is five, but they are all hidden some distance from the gogglebox itself.

              Cheers,

              J

              0 0 Reply
              1. ravenviz Silver badge
                Reply Icon
                Coat

                Re: @Silons: @Abelsoul: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

                I have a new invention: Cupboard 1.0

                Although admittedly some of the proposed features have been shelved.

                7 0 Reply
            2. Tom 35
              Reply Icon

              Re: @Abelsoul: Sony : 1 - Samsung : 0

              I have 7, including a Laser Disc player. So what.

              0 0 Reply
    2. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Re: Is it me….

      Unlike Microsoft, you can't accuse them of not listening to their customers.

      50 1 Reply
  3. Valeyard

    more advertising

    it seems that every piece of technology or service is being developed as a new way to show adverts lately

    38 0 Reply
    1. IglooDude
      Reply Icon

      Re: more advertising

      Going back to... the first television show? The first AM radio broadcast?

      They're just getting more clever and insidious (and one might add, annoying) about how they do that, but sending out interesting content in order to advertise stuff has been around for quite a while.

      4 2 Reply
      1. GregC
        Reply Icon

        Re: more advertising

        sending out interesting content in order to advertise stuff has been around for quite a while.

        If the majority of advertising content was actually interesting then perhaps fewer people would object to it so much. The vast majority of ads seem to me to be inane pap designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

        11 0 Reply
      2. Kubla Cant
        Reply Icon
        Headmaster

        Re: more advertising

        Going back to... the first television show?

        The first television show was a pre-war BBC broadcast from Ally Pally, so the answer is 'No'. It wouldn't have included advertising.

        13 0 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: more advertising

          I believe the US had the first TV station, in 1928.

          The BBC was the first 'hi-definition' service, in 1936.

          1 1 Reply
          1. Little Mouse
            Reply Icon

            Re: more advertising

            A repeat of Top Gear was the first EVER TV show - "in the World" </Clarkson voice>.

            12 0 Reply
      3. Neoc
        Reply Icon

        Re: more advertising

        Except in those cases you were receiving the product (the TV show) for free in return for having to watch those ads. If I paid for my TV set, there is no moral or financial requirements (on my part) for me to have to suffer through ads because it makes more profits for the TV maker.

        6 0 Reply
        1. solo
          Reply Icon

          Re: If I paid for my TV set

          +100 if I could...

          1 0 Reply
    2. James Micallef Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: more advertising

      "it seems that every piece of technology or service is being developed as a new way to show adverts lately"

      Very true, however I wonder how much of that is a function of 'evil capitalist marketeers' and how much of that is simply economic/market pressure caused by people being less and less willing to pay for stuff in the age of internet.

      The number of users of 'free' services of Google, FB etc seem to indicate that a vast majority* of modern consumers are happy enough with getting services/products that are fully or partially subsidised by ads

      *El Reg readers and especially commentards** are absolutely atypical in this regard

      ** lovingly, of course :)

      6 2 Reply
      1. KroSha
        Reply Icon
        Coffee/keyboard

        Re: 'evil capitalist marketeers'

        First read this as "evil capitalist meerkats" and all the subsequent lines were read with a Russian accent.

        8 0 Reply
    3. Voland's right hand Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Devil

      Re: more advertising

      Indeed. IMHO this is giving the right answer to the question: "Why do we need voice recognition on the server side". At least I do not have any questions any more

      5 1 Reply
    4. Mer Ner
      Reply Icon
      Mushroom

      Re: more advertising

      Before you know it there will be advertising companies advertising the methods they use to advertise to consumers... Adception. How deep will it go?

      1 0 Reply
      1. Anomalous Cowturd
        Reply Icon
        Joke

        Re: How deep will it go?

        It's turtles all the way down.

        :o)

        5 0 Reply
    5. Alistair
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      @ Valeyard Re: more advertising

      I'm sorry, I couldn't read your post - there was an ad there for this marketing firm on Madison avenue.....

      5 0 Reply
  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Come back SONY all is forgiven.

    miss your portable tellies:(

    1 3 Reply
    1. MJI Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Come back SONY all is forgiven.

      What do you mean come back?

      1 1 Reply
    2. Dabooka
      Reply Icon

      Re: Come back SONY all is forgiven.

      Eh?

      Care to expand on this, it appears to lack a point?

      0 1 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Come back SONY all is forgiven.

        Speak for yourself. I definitely haven't forgiven Sony. Samsung have now added themselves to my shitlist as well.

        I have a smart-ish TV - it's never seen the internet and never will.

        7 0 Reply
      2. MJI Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Come back SONY all is forgiven.

        If me - where did Sony TVs go?

        They never stopped selling them. hence my question.

        1 0 Reply
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    How long before Smart TVs

    report back to home what illegal downloads you've been watching.

    In othe news, House of Cards series 3 is released 27th Feb

    6 0 Reply
    1. FunkyEric
      Reply Icon

      Re: How long before Smart TVs

      Or they refuse to work unless they are connected to the internet.....

      22 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Thumb Up

        Re: How long before Smart TVs

        Glad I didn't buy one.

        A dumb one with a small computer connected to it does me just fine. I choose what it runs, and it doesn't use the Internet except when I say it can.

        22 0 Reply
        1. Anonymous Coward
          Reply Icon
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: How long before Smart TVs

          Or just set up your own DNS server. Redirect anything you don't want your TV to get to to 127.0.0.1.

          6 0 Reply
    2. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: How long before Smart TVs

      I believe LG was caught reporting filenames from USB sticks and from shared directories on the LAN back to the mothership so they already do.

      6 0 Reply

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