11 December 2023 ================ Why has everything to be so complicated in modern consumer electronics? My parents got themselves an IP TV box lately because where we live cable is not available and satelite TV is problematic due to a massive amount of trees in the surroundings which sometimes blocks the signal. So... my parents are in their 80s, both are normally very sharp people, but when confronted with modern user interfaces they are utterly lost. The calls i got over the last weeks with one of them bordering on a panic attac because the menu has AGAIN changed after an update... or why there is now AGAIN an screen filling textbox highlighting the recent changes in the "Terms and Services"... with no indication how to accept or decline (you have to scroll down to the end to make the buttons appear). That the TV itself has its own caveats doesn't make it any better... Now i am looking through the net if there is somewehre an "dumb" streaming system, just something that can be used like a TV in the 50s - 00s: Switch it on, select channels, adjust volume. I am looking for a system that - even if it has more computing power in it than my laptop - at least behaves like it would be more akin to a toaster.