Samsung says it can remotely disable stolen TVs

[GURPS]

Samsung has revealed its TVs can be remotely disabled if the company finds out the units have been stolen. The feature is called the “Television Block Function” and Samsung says it was recently activated in South Africa after a number of Samsung TVs were taken from a company warehouse during a wave of protests and unrest last month.

Samsung says the technology is “already pre-loaded on all Samsung TV products” and “ensures that the television sets can only be used by the rightful owners with a valid proof of purchase.” It’s not clear, though, from Samsung’s description whether the feature is only intended to combat large-scale theft, or if it will ever be used to help individual consumers.

Samsung says it can remotely disable stolen TVs

When the TVs connect to the internet they’re remotely disabled

www.theverge.com

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Would expect you have to connect them to wifi for them to become disabled.

 

[GURPS]

One would hope so

 

[Sneakers]

Would expect you have to connect them to wifi for them to become disabled.

It would also be possible to have a one-way command set carried over the station carrier wave like Dish Network does, but that would require a collaboration between the tv stations and the tv manufacturer, which is very unlikely.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

It would also be possible to have a one-way command set carried over the station carrier wave like Dish Network does, but that would require a collaboration between the tv stations and the tv manufacturer, which is very unlikely.

ATSC 3.0 has possible two way communication built into it, it's a team up between OTA and internet, it will open the door for stuff like this, and charging for OTA content.