Originally Posted by
docbert
I don't understand the distinction - how is a Smart TV running Roku different than a dumb TV with a Ruko box/stick attached? (I get the lifespan part of it, but lets presuming that hasn't become an issue yet)
Control. With a Smart TV, all those processes are running all the time whether you want them to or not. With a normal TV, if you don't want a device to monitor anything, you can definitively disconnect the device and it won't be able to do squat. With a Smart TV, you don't really have full control of what is running when the TV is on or not. Youtube (or any other app) could be running in the background and you don't know about it and you don't know what processes it is running. Also the voice controls (if the model support them) is always listening for it's key words if nothing else.
Is it paranoia? Maybe. Is it wrong to be a bit more cautious? Most definitely not.