IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Distrust of Paxton's Motives

Despite agreeing on TV privacy issues, many view the lawsuit as political theater, shakedown, or electioneering rather than genuine protection.
"This is either a misdirection, shakedown or revenge" (bsder).
"This is about being in the news as much as possible. He is in a close 3 way race" (1659447091).
"Vizio is the absolute worst... so now it's clear Texas is really just trying to bully Walmart's competition" (babypuncher).

2. Smart TVs as Invasive Surveillance Devices

Broad consensus on ACR spying, ads, and telemetry, even on HDMI inputs; Vizio's exclusion highlights hypocrisy.
"These 'smart' TVs still capture screenshots from HDMI inputs" (smileybarry).
"The TVs 'are effectively Chinese-sponsored surveillance devices'" (c420, quoting lawsuit).
"All of the big TV makers except Vizio which is owned by Walmart, of course, who happens to do ACR" (smileybarry).

3. Demand for Dumb TVs and Workarounds

Users prefer non-smart displays, external streamers (e.g., Apple TV), or offline HDMI; market fails without regulation.
"Just don’t connect your TV to the internet" (raw_anon_1111).
"I just want a somewhat trustworthy organization to develop a 'DUMB' certification" (ortusdux).
"The solution is a separate, internet connected device... connected to a non-connected tv" (chasing0entropy).

🚀 Project Ideas

TV Privacy Firewall

Summary

  • A plug-and-play network appliance or software (Raspberry Pi image) that auto-detects smart TVs, fingerprints their spying traffic (e.g., Roku scribe.logs.roku.com, Samsung ACR endpoints), and blocks it with dynamic rulesets, outperforming Pi-hole's whack-a-mole.
  • Core value: Dead-simple IoT/TV privacy for non-tech users; "DougN7: ...a box you attach to your network to filter outgoing info, and incoming ads."

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Home users frustrated with TV spying and Pi-hole limitations (e.g., Roku whitelisting issues).
Core Feature Auto-TV detection via DHCP sniffing, TV-specific blocklists updated via crowd-sourced telemetry, DoH/DoT proxy blocking.
Tech Stack Rust/Go for core, nftables/WireGuard, community-updated blocklists (like OISD), Raspberry Pi 5 deployment.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: $49 hardware or $5/mo SaaS for updates.

Notes

  • HN users hate re-enabling settings and partial blocks: "jimt1234: I tried using a Pi-hole... had to whitelist so many roku-related domains."
  • High utility for apartments (neighbor WiFi risks); potential viral discussion on privacy forums.

DUMB TV Certifier

Summary

  • Open-source scanner app/service that tests TVs/monitors for ACR/spying (network probes, HDMI fingerprinting via test patterns), assigns "DUMB" scores/labels, and maintains a public database for buyers.
  • Core value: Trustworthy certification users crave; "ortusdux: ...a "DUMB" certification. I would pay extra for a DUMB TV."

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Privacy-conscious buyers avoiding "enterprise-priced" commercial displays or monitors lacking TV features.
Core Feature USB/HDMI dongle or Android app runs tests (fake ACR screenshots, traffic capture), blockchain-signed certs for verification.
Tech Stack Python (pHash for ACR sim), Wireshark/tshark, Flutter app, Supabase/Postgres DB, Vercel hosting.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium scans, $20 premium cert badges/labels for retailers.

Notes

  • Directly quotes demand: "platevoltage: Look at "Commercial" TVs..."; users want consumer-grade dumb high-end TVs with audio.
  • Sparks HN debates on testing rigor; practical for "buellerbueller: Dumb TVs are hard to find."

HDMI ACR Spoofer

Summary

  • Low-cost HDMI inline device/software (Rpi HDMI capturer/modifier) that sits between streamer (Apple TV/PC) and TV, subtly alters video frames (noise injection, frame shuffling) to break perceptual hashes without visible quality loss.
  • Core value: Bypasses TV ACR even on HDMI passthrough, no network needed; solves "smileybarry: These "smart" TVs still capture screenshots from HDMI inputs."

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Users of separate streamers (HTPC, Apple TV) tired of TV spying despite offline TVs.
Core Feature Real-time perceptual hash evasion (per pHash algos), toggle via app, 4K/60Hz passthrough.
Tech Stack FPGA (Lattice iCE40) or RPi Zero 2W with HDMI2USB, OpenCV/FFmpeg for frame mods, ESP32 companion app.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: $29 dongle kit.

Notes

  • Addresses core frustration: "duxup: I wish my Apple TV could take multiple pass through inputs..."; "drnick1: Use a Linux HTPC."
  • HN would geek out on tech (quotes perceptual hashing discussions); utility for gamers/streamers fearing future cellular bypass.

Read Later