Smart TVs bring a lot of features to your living room. But they also come with ads that pop up on the home screen or during use. These can feel intrusive. Many people look for ways to cut them down. This guide covers practical steps based on what works for common brands. It draws from reliable sources to keep things accurate.
Why Do Smart TVs Show Ads?
Ads help companies keep TV prices low. They gather data on what you watch and how you use the device. This info shapes better targeted promotions. Ads show up in menus, recommendations, and even screensavers. Brands like Samsung, LG, and Roku all do this. Data from viewers gets shared to measure ad success. Even high-end models have them. Turning off tracking can limit what they collect.
Change Settings on Your TV
Start with the built-in options. Each brand has menus to limit ads and data sharing. This reduces personalized promotions. Check after updates, as settings might reset.
Samsung TVs
Go to the home screen. Press the settings button. Find privacy choices in the sidebar. Select terms and conditions. Uncheck viewing information services. This stops data collection for ads. Also, head to support, then terms and policy. Turn off interest-based ads.
LG TVs
Press home on the remote. Open settings. Choose general, then system. Pick additional settings. Turn off live plus. For more, go to advertisement and turn on limit ad tracking. This cuts down on targeted content. Disable screen saver promotion to stop ads there.
Roku or TCL TVs
From the home menu, select settings. Go to privacy. Choose smart TV experience. Turn off use info from TV inputs. Then, in advertising, select limit ad tracking. Uncheck personalized ads. This blocks much of the tracking.
Sony TVs
Hit home. Go to settings, then initial setup. Find Samba interactive TV. Set it to disable. For ads, go to about, then ads. Turn off personalization. This handles their ACR system.
Other Brands
For Hisense, go to settings, system, privacy. Turn off smart TV experience. On Google TV, set to apps-only mode to hide ads.
Block Ads Through Your Router
Control ads at the network level. This affects all devices. Log into your router using its IP, like 192.168.1.1. Find security or firewall settings. Add domains to block.
- For Samsung: Block samsungads.com, config.samsungads.com, samsungotn.net.
- For LG: Block us.ad.lgsmartad.com, lgad.cjpowercast.com, smartclip.net.
- For Roku: Block p.ads.roku.com, scribe.logs.roku.com, cloudservices.roku.com.
Use OpenDNS for easier blocking. Sign up free. Add your network. Block the same domains. Or change DNS on the TV to AdGuard: 94.140.14.14. Test to ensure services still work.
Other Ways to Avoid Ads
If settings fall short, try these options.
- Install a custom launcher on Android or Google TV. Use Projectivity Launcher from the app store. It replaces the home screen without ads.
- Set up Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi. It filters ads network-wide.
- Disconnect the TV from Wi-Fi. Use it like a basic screen. Connect an antenna for live channels.
- Hook up an external box, like Apple TV. This bypasses the TV’s interface.
- Connect a computer via HDMI. Handle content there with your own ad blockers.
- Cast from your phone. Use AirPlay or mirroring to send shows without TV ads.
For Android TV, get the AdGuard app. It acts as a firewall.
Protect Your Privacy
Ads often tie to tracking like ACR. It snaps images of what you watch. Disable it to keep data private. This stops sharing with advertisers. Review user agreements in settings. Turn off any data options. Less tracking means fewer tailored ads.
With these steps, you can make your smart TV less about promotions and more about what you want to watch. Pick what fits your setup. Always verify changes don’t break needed features.
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