LG stuffs ads everywhere it can on its TVs

This afternoon I was updating the streaming apps on my 2020 LG CX OLED TV, something I do every now and then, but today was different. Out of nowhere, I saw (and heard) an advertisement for Ace Hardware start playing in the lower left corner. It played automatically with sound without any action on my part.

Now, I’m fully aware that it’s not unusual to see advertisements placed around a TV’s home screen or main menu. LG, Samsung, Roku, Vizio, and others are all part of this game. We live in an age where smart TVs can automatically recognize what you’re watching, and TV makers are creating beautiful advertising businesses for themselves with all of them. the data that is channeled.

But it seemed pretty blatant, even by today’s standards. Random and complete advertising has just appeared in the LG App Store? Is there no escape from this stuff? We’re just gonna pile ads in every corner of a TV’s software, huh? Imagine if an autoplay ad started while you were updating the apps on your smartphone.

The Ace spot wasn’t particularly boring – it was over in 15 seconds – nor did it feel focused or scary to me. It really is the placement that feels like a step too far.

This stuff might seem overbearing, but it’s also part of what has regularly driven the prices of high-end TVs down. I had this 55-inch CX on sale for around $ 1,400, and it’s pretty much the best TV on the market for next-gen gaming. But even if this beautiful panel was cheaper than it could have without ads plastered in random places, the level of ad infiltration displayed here is always daunting to see. LG recently announced that it will license webOS to other brands of TVs, so maybe the company is trying to see how far it can push things.

I guess I can still cut the internet connection from the TV and stick to a streaming stick or my Xbox Series X if the autoplay ads keep popping up everywhere. Or maybe I can pull back from a setting somewhere to end the barrage. Some people don’t mind this stuff, but if you are, check out this great Reddit thread, which can help you fight back and block some of the areas these TVs are calling for their ads. A lot of people on Twitter have also pointed out Pi-hole as a solution to me.