That's my moto. Apart from Firefox, my banking apps and Signal, I don't update anything, ever. Not the TV, not the media-box, nothing. Eventually it leads to tragedy and discomfort.
Sometimes I custom update my Win machines for Security patches, but anything that has to do with usability, UI, function, etc. I leave it as is. (I firewall all my apps in my machine anyway).
I wish that had been my motto earlier. I bought a resin 3d printer off craigslist in perfect working condition, tried to update the firmware (for no good reason), and ended up promptly bricking the thing. I got it fixed in the end, but it was a huge unnecessary waste of time and energy.
More recently, I updated my Vision Pro to the OS beta, which broke my ability to open files off my NAS. That, too, is fixed now…but again, I should’ve just left well enough alone.
I don't even give my TV the wifi password. I'm paranoid that it's going to update something without my consent. I fear the day they come with cellular modems and bypass the wifi entirely.
I used to worry about cellular modems, but now I think it will be just plain old wifi they use. There's Comcast Xfinity, Amazon Sidewalk, and probably other companies that turn their device into a communal wifi hotspot.
HDMI can be used to move tcp/ip packets [HEC], all it takes is one media device with connectivity, and a firmware that provides tunneling capability, and your TV will leak over the HDMI connector.
one pin [pin14] on the HDMI connector allows this to happen; disable it and that problem wont exist until specs & standards revision happens.
That is why you connect it to a source which does not have direct internet access. Use an adversarial mindset when dealing with commercial services, they are out to get you after all.
Given how scattershot support is for CEC, is that a real concern? Cannot even get the basics working, are they really going to try and nab external network connections?
That's my moto. Apart from Firefox, my banking apps and Signal, I don't update anything, ever. Not the TV, not the media-box, nothing. Eventually it leads to tragedy and discomfort.
Sometimes I custom update my Win machines for Security patches, but anything that has to do with usability, UI, function, etc. I leave it as is. (I firewall all my apps in my machine anyway).