Smart TV owners are increasingly bombarded with advertising and tracking, a problem made worse by streaming providers’ penchant for forcing subscriptions on customers with commercials, but it’s understandable: Some people would rather use the broken laptop that hangs from their TV than expose themselves to the surveillance of their TV’s native operating system.
Earlier this month, blogger Carl Riis, who describes himself as a software engineer, shared a DIY project he calls a Linux-based “smart TV,” as spotted by Tom’s Hardware. Riis’ project stands out not because it’s the most unique, clever, or neatest. In fact, if you’re the type of person who would shell out big bucks for a TV that looks like a work of art, is transparent, or has some other aesthetic appeal, you’ll be smitten with EarlGreyTV. The system involves connecting an old Lenovo laptop with a broken keyboard to the TV with a string. Riis writes, “This might seem a little insane, but it’s a great way to keep things neat while still having access to your laptop.”
The laptop was destroyed because Reese spilled tea on the keyboard years ago. The keyboard stopped working and the laptop became hard to power on and off. Reese wrote, “I needed to short out the two pins where the keyboard connects to the motherboard, so I removed the back. Supposedly this will also help the laptop run less hot.”
Riis went the extra mile to ensure this project was more than just using a smart TV laptop for streaming and the TV as a monitor. His computer recognizes the HDMI connection as an app, and he uses Debian Linux with Sway as his desktop environment for its simplicity. Riis configured Sway to open the Firefox browser full screen upon logging in. He created a Firefox home page with shortcuts to streaming services and anything else Riis wanted in a custom HTML file. He also customized Firefox with a userChrome.css file to give the browser a more traditional TV-like look, including hiding the address bar and displaying a popup on the screen when the volume is adjusted.
Riis said he knows his TV setup isn’t simple and has its drawbacks, but “it works for my needs.” EarlGreyTV is far from the prettiest solution to smart TV shortcomings, but it remains a compelling alternative to the ads and tracking that have become so prominent in smart TV software.
Reese says that for this project he’s not only using a broken laptop, but also a 55-inch Samsung smart TV that he bought at a discount on Black Friday. Even the display isn’t ideal for the project, according to Reese’s blog.
Ideally, I’d want a more low-powered TV screen, one that simply shows the display output. But this TV was on sale, so I bought it. I’ve seen people do really cool things like triggering the TV’s hidden service menu to completely low-power the screen. Maybe one day I’ll do that, but for now I’ll get the normal setup and get the Tizen OS out of the way.
Riis also got a USB-powered CEC adapter so he could use the air mouse to turn his TV and laptop on and off at the same time, and the HDMI port on his five-year-old computer didn’t support that optional feature on its own. Riis also shared how he got iPhone casting done with his design.
The package also includes an air mouse that functions as a remote control, but Rees said it takes some time to learn how to use it and feels a bit “unreliable.”
Smart TV Alternative
Rees would rather use his tea-soaked laptop, which relies on cords and adapters for entertainment, than the smart TV OS already on name-brand TVs. “I don’t mean to criticize other smart TV interfaces, but the short answer is tracking, ads, and a lack of control,” Rees wrote.
TV OS operators like Roku, Vizio, Amazon, and LG have a strong interest in building their advertising business and ad tracking capabilities. Combined with the constant pressure from streaming providers to get viewers to watch ads, it’s nearly impossible to get to your desired show or movie from the TV home screen without having to endure an ad first. For example, Roku recently started showing video ads on the Roku OS home screen, and Amazon is also creating more types of Fire TV ads, including ads linked to the upcoming generative AI version of Alexa.
That someone like Riis decided to spend hours creating this imperfect alternative is emblematic of the ad fatigue smart TV users are facing. Of course, Riis isn’t the only one showing how to watch TV online without a smart TV OS, or looking for smart TV alternatives due to privacy concerns.
Ad fatigue aside, Rees is also pleased with the ability to fine-tune his web-based TV and movie viewing experience using the browser extension “ad/sponsor blocker and site blocking schedule settings.”
Riis’ project is on GitHub and he’s shared videos of his work on YouTube, check them out below.
Introducing my custom smart TV – EarlGreyTV
