LG TVs’ unremovable Copilot shortcut is the least of smart TVs’ AI problems

This post deserves to be a Technology Connections video

CEC has little to do with this; it’s an app that’s installed not a button on the remote. The search button referenced can use copilot but it’s not necessary (ie you can use the default webOS search) nor is the button copilot branded.

CEC is awesome, it just doesn’t address the issue raised by putting copilot/other AI apps on the smart TV itself. For that you just disable the internet connection.

Yup. It's awesome.

When I turn on my Switch 2 with its remote, the TV starts with the Switch HDMI input. When I turn the TV off with the remote, the Switch 2 turns off. The Switch 1 did the same thing. Stuff like this is awesome.

My last TV's remote could even control playback on my Chromecast.

LG magic remote can't though for some reason. Disappointing.

That’s what I do. I have an LG OLED from 6-7 years ago and I have no idea what the UI looks like. But to be fair this is only because I don’t watch traditional TV at all. It’s just an Apple TV for most streaming services and a Mac Mini for some other things like adblocked youtube (with one of those cheap gyro mouse and keyboard bluetooth remotes). I guess I wouldn’t have to use the satellite TV though, I could get iptv via my fibre isp too, but that’d cost money.

The Mac is not good at supporting CEC other than switching source when it wakes up, but even that’s not an issue because I can still use the Apple TV remote to control volume even when something else is the active source. Speaking of volume, my setup also includes a Samsung sound bar which also has a remote that I never actually have to use. Everything mostly just works.

Nope, CEC sucks. It makes lots of simple stuff complicated and it often does things on its own.

Just don’t connect TV to the internet or purchase a dumb PC monitor.

They've got a USB interface and most run some flavor of Linux. Maybe someone smarter than me can explain what the difficulty is, because it seems simple enough to my stupid ass.

I Dont trust these TVs not to make peer to peer connections with others until it hops onto one with a active connection.

If I get a new TV, its getting opened and the wifi antennas and microphones are getting desoldered.

Get a Raspberry Pi? Or maybe a SBC with a display port option.

if you could purchase a basic/dump TV with no features at all and buy raspberry pi separately, you could install Android on raspberry pi and connect the two together

I'm in the same boat, need 2 new TVs in May of 2026. Seriously considering Sceptre TVs for that.

I have an LG. They have a jellyfin app. Just block the access to other stuff and it's fine, if not actually good.

I don't use or need a seperste streaming box. I don't get data mining or ads.

The thing with smart TVs is that you don’t need to connect them to your network to use them.

LG, unfortunately, still make the best OLED displays at the moment, and Samsung are arguably even worse when it comes to not respecting their customers.

Our C2 65in is hooked up to an Apple TV for all of our media streaming needs.

How exactly?

They don't make no Wifi TVs. You can choose to not give it your Wifi Password.

And please don't say digital signage. That costs 10x what a TV does and the picture is significantly worse.

Just don't connect the TV to wifi?

if you're using a dedicated media box anyway, a smart TV not connected to your network is basically the same as a dumb monitor.

I routed my LGCX by simply going to a website kind of like how you could do that back in the day for iPhones but I don't think that's applicable anymore but people are definitely looking into hacking the fuck out of this television so there might be some jailbreak in the future for you

Can you DNS block the webos update site?

Is pihole blocking LG dns to that client a good solution here? (prepping for plugging mine back in ha)

Buy an apple TV and unplug that shit from the internet.

On Roku branded TVs, it sounds like that just means you can't use it for anything

If it doesn't connect, it won't let you switch inputs or anything until you connect your account

I feel that. I got a 50" 4k Sceptre from walmart maybe 4 or 5 years ago that has absolutely no smart features. They'll have to pry that out of my cold, dead hands before I consider 'upgrading' to a so-called smart tv.

Unfortunately it's getting hard to find dumb TVs. The only real options are pro-AV or digital signage displays but even a lot of those are now moving to being smart. Our 15 year old bedroom TV finally died last month and we ended up having to replace it, and we ultimately went with an LG. I've disabled it's wifi though. It's a frustrating situation. I wish one of the manufacturers with good displays would just offer a dumb line of TVs. I imagine they would still have a market even if they were higher cost to make up for the lack of ad revenue, but maybe I'm underestimating that revenue. Either way, avoiding smart TVs is getting extremely difficult these days.

They used to be good. My last TV was 10 years old when I finally got a new one. New one is now 8 years old. It seems like LG and Samsung just both make super shitty appliances. In any case, I agree they can certainly both fuck off now that we know everything they make is spyware.

I'm on a lg c1 and the magic mouse is disabled. Without narration.

Or did MS pay them to include it, knowing they could hoover up a lot of data, perhaps even with a clause in the contract to also share that data with LG?

They do it because those TVs are selling.

What many people seem to misunderstand today dramatically is that no sane major manufacturer will push a genuinely risky feature. On the contrary, if something like this makes it into a product, it's because there is an expectation of immediate or medium-term profit, backed by extensive market research. Companies aren't stupid; they are highly optimised for this kind of decision-making. And I would honestly be glad to be proven wrong.

In other words, if the feature is there, it means that people either like it or simply don't care enough to make it into a problem.

And here's the hot take: don't blame the manufacturer, blame the people. Collectively consumers have shown almost no resistance to the ongoing enshitification of the last decade.

I'm glad you're opposed to it, and many people here are too, but in the bigger picture it is just a drop in the ocean, unfortunately.

Probably one of those pre-announcements. Or they had AI determine the announcement date.

As far as I know, none. "Smart" in smart TVs means ads, data collection and profit, they aren't about to leave money on the table.

The only way to get "dumb" TVs is to purchase digital signage TVs meant for in-store displays and other business use. In fact, they're better than ordinary TVs with improved cooling and rated lifespans, specially designed to run 24 hours a day in a cafe or smth.

Unfortunately, companies don't sell it to individuals, you have to buy it as a company. You either have to buy used or set up your own shell company. I'm this close to setting up a fake company to buy a TV, but I'm not sure if it'll work. Hopefully there's no secret legally binding TOS or smth.

Monitors and projectors also work.

I have a Hisense that I've never connected to the internet. It has an input button on the remote, and I just use that to go between inputs. I'm only reminded it's a smart TV when the power goes out and I see the Google TV boot screen.

They added chromecast to mine this year which has been useful.

Apparently you missed the part where LG says they plan to weave Copilot throughout WebOs and use it "proactively" to assist users and offer content.

Ignoring the app doesn't keep the AI from spying on you and your household.

I really don't understand the hate for the magic mouse cursor lol. I freakin love it!

It's in a quote because I'm quoting the author.

the irony