Hisense TVs force owners to watch intrusive ads when switching inputs, visiting the home screen, or even changing channels

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/big-tech/hisense-tvs-force-owners-to-watch-intrusive-ads-when-switching-inputs-visiting-the-home-screen-or-even-changing-channels-practice-infuriates-consumers-brand-denies-wrongdoing

46 Comments

  1. Ok_Bedroom_5622 on

    Ads when you change the input on your own TV is wild. At that point you’re basically paying to watch ads.

  2. MrWonderfulPoop on

    Never hook your TV up to the network. If you need to update the firmware, do it with a USB stick.

    Instead use a third party device that has no ads: Apple TV, ~~Firestick~~, Chromecast, etc.

  3. ElderberryPrevious19 on

    Another one that should be named and shamed is xiaomi. Forcing you to watch ads when you use many system apps on their phones.

  4. At this point, the TV i want has only:

    – screen

    – speakers

    – a bunch of HDMI and DisplayPort inputs

    – remote

  5. Total-Elephant8731 on

    TV would be going right back to were I got it the moment an ad came up. Jesus these people.

  6. HeidenShadows on

    My Hisense Roku TV is blocked on the network. So it thinks it has an internet connection, but it’s blocked at the router.

  7. Correct me if I’m wrong/dumb, but can’t you just bypass this by turning the wifi off of your TV? That’s what we do on our Hisense because we use Roku instead since it’s faster and more reliable 

  8. I am looking at buying a new TV at the moment and every review I read on Hisense TV’s mentioned this and how infuriating it is… Guess which brand of TV I’m not considering.

  9. EscapeFacebook on

    I’m about to disconnect the damn thing from the internet completely. Between that and the fact that I can’t turn off motion smoothing I’m really fucking mad I spent all this money on this shitty TV.

  10. ManOnTheHorse on

    I have a Hisense TV and it’s just bloody ridiculous at this point. Every time you update the software, they show more ads. I’ve stopped updating and now it nags me while I’m watching a show. I’ll never buy any Hisense products ever again. What makes them think consumers will endure this.

  11. An immediate return as faulty, IMO.

    Better option is to buy a computer monitor as – currently – these don’t show ads of their own, just the ads forced by your OS maker.

  12. The Hisense sub blew up a few months ago when this updated was pushed out “accidentally”.

    You had to call into customer service and get your TV manually added to an ad blacklist.

  13. Expensive_Finger_973 on

    “Hardware and software laden with ads have, unfortunately, become part and parcel of modern life, but there are occasions when the hunt for revenue goes too far. ”

    The day it went to far was the first time it was introduced.

  14. At this rate, we’ll have smart door lock that’s touch screen keypad where you’ll have to watch ads just to unlock your door 🫩

    You didn’t pay for our subscription? Gotta watch ads to unlock.

  15. In this world where so much capital is being spent buying and selling ads, I just don’t believe it’s actually generating real revenue for anyone. I’ll be playing a “free” game on my phone and they’re basically advertising for the same 5-6 games, which all use the same ads to generate revenue. It’s like a snake eating its own tail. Either something is wrong or this is some sort of financial scheme.

  16. If I pay for the TV, I shouldn’t have to watch ads to use it. At that point it’s not a smart TV — it’s a billboard with a screen.

  17. I have a Hisense tv and haven’t had this issue. I’m watching it right now. Is this a regional thing maybe?

  18. External media box

    Don’t connect tv to the Internet

    Don’t buy another Hisense product for the rest of my life.

    Problem solved.

  19. Just bought a Hisense tv and none of this happens to me. I don’t have any ads when switching inputs?

  20. My new, freshly calibrated, Samsung OLED, has never seen the internet. No updates to destroy the perfect settings, no Samsung registration, no commercials. I have a simple $100 Certified Android TV box that is absolute TV Bliss! We have to defend ourselves against this enshitification! Best TV ever; even better than the Panasonic Plasma I had years ago.

  21. North-Flower-5963 on

    There must be a way to stop them. Ie don’t connect your tv to the internet. Or better yet destroy the wifi receptor on the TV.

  22. Never let your tv connect to the wifi. always get external boxs for the netflix or whatever apps you need. Once you connect, is hard to get it off.

  23. I will only buy TVs that allow me to set them up without internet connection as “dumb” TVs, then plug my streaming box of choice into them so our corporate overlords can never brick my screens for not paying my RokuSamsungTraderJoesHaliburton+ subscription or not watching the required 5 minutes of ads on startup. If your TVs can’t do that, I will never be your customer.

  24. Thoraxekicksazz on

    I have said this from the beginning: I don’t need a TV to be anything more than a dumb display with ports. TVs don’t need an operating system or apps.

  25. suna-fingeriassen on

    This is why I never, ever have connected my TV to the internet.

    Use a streaming device you trust via HDMI.

  26. WeAreAllGoofs on

    The TV better be free if it’s going to make me watch ads for switching sources

  27. Stinkinhippy on

    This is why I don’t actually connect my smart tvs to an internet connection. They’re simply computer screens anyway. 

  28. Thanks to the comments here, I’ve decided to go and disable the network to my Hisense TV. I don’t use Prime and YouTube TV is an absolute nightmare to use and I have a YouTube addiction. I just use my Macbook on Brave, and sail the seven seas for new, upcoming movies.

    I recently watched Fallout, without the intrusive Prime ads! LETS GOOOO

  29. reverendsteveii on

    maaan the six people who own everything have been doing whatever and getting away with it for way too long

  30. YankeeGoHome2025 on

    I made my Smart TV dumb.

    It’s a LG C5 4K and I plugged it into an Apple TV 4K and then disabled its network access.

    It’s a great panel and that’s all I’m interested in, my TV shouldn’t have to update or do anything else, it’s one job is to take and display inputs, nothing should happen on device.

    Interested if people have taken similar approaches?