Buying a 65-inch 4K television has never been cheaper. The reason isn’t just better manufacturing; it’s a fundamental shift in the business model of television manufacturers.
The razor and blade model
Companies like Vizio, Roku, and Samsung no longer make their primary margins on the physical hardware. They sell the screen at near-cost to get their proprietary operating system into your living room.
The data harvest
Modern Smart TVs use Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to track every frame of video you watch, whether it is streaming, cable, or a DVD. They package this data and sell it to advertisers.
The interface clutter
User interfaces have transformed from simple menus into aggressive advertising dashboards. Unwanted autoplaying videos and sponsored app placements are baked directly into the home screen, and they cannot be disabled.