"Dangerous" Kodi boxes - do I smell burning or bullshit ?

[mikeselectricstuff]

Strangely coinciding with reports of threats against developers, Copyright group FACT commissioned tests that show that Kodi boxes can be dangerous"

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/4913595/kodi-box-warning-after-bad-batch-that-could-put-brit-families-at-risk-discovered-on-black-market/

Show us the reports then, and name the exact models.

[Koen]

I didn't understand your introduction at first, this might clear it up for others too :

Anti-piracy group funds electrical safety tests on Kodi boxes and warns that illicit streaming isn't worth a potential fire hazard in your home

[Brumby]

Hardly an independent report, is it?

Is it catering to a vested interest ... or are we meant to believe it is truly objective?

[imidis]

Well, I believe that the cheap ones you get from china are likely to be sketchy, but I don't believe at all that the group gives a rats about anyones safety. Proof would be good.  But all they want to do is scare people away from it.

[hermit]

I'd think the real danger is downloading pirated material.  Might want to turn on you Kaspersky?  Oh wait, their excuse for the hacked NAS contractor box was malware it didn't catch? 

[Mr. Scram]

The Sun isn't really known for its quality reporting.

[bd139]

The Sun isn't really known for its quality reporting.

It’s not even actually reporting. It’s just crudely assembled words.

The sun is flammable too. Put it too close to the daily mail and it’ll catch fire from the chain reaction of hate.

[Assafl]

https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/electrical-items/iptv-boxes/

"Are IPTV boxes safe?
From our investigations, some IPTV boxes are potentially dangerous. They pose a risk of electrocution or fire as they haven’t been subjected to standard safety checks. It’s impossible to tell from the outside whether a modified IPTV box is electrically safe."

Does it matter if it runs Linux or Windows?

[mikeselectricstuff]

The Sun isn't really known for its quality reporting.

It's also in the Independent and several others

[tszaboo]

"The only way to guarantee that a product is safe is to buy a known brand product direct from a reputable manufacturer."
  It is absolutely unheard of that known brands like HP or Microsoft or Toshiba to use power supplies that catches fire. There were never recalls or anything like that.
"Check that there is a CE mark "
Because CE marks are known for good fire extinguishing properties.
"In June, the European Union issued a recall notice for the OTT TV Box 4K, a Chinse-made Android TV box, or Kodi-box due to a "serious risk of electric shock"."
I know I'm not a British, buy even I notice that they have problems writing down a name of a country. Even my browser addon noticed it.

BTW:

[CJay]

Strangely coinciding with reports of threats against developers, Copyright group FACT commissioned tests that show that Kodi boxes can be dangerous"

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/4913595/kodi-box-warning-after-bad-batch-that-could-put-brit-families-at-risk-discovered-on-black-market/

Show us the reports then, and name the exact models.

Exactly, if it was a public safety risk then they should be naming the boxes so people can disconnect them and negate the fire risk, as it stands  it's all just so much Circumstantial Rumour And Poppycock, never mind the legal uses of Kodi.

But FACT, BSA and all the other copyright protection organisations are industry funded with nice cushy salaries so it's not in their interest to promote public safety or present the truth when there's a well paid crusade to be embarked on.

The Sun is also complicit, a suspicious person might posit the theory that they also have a vested interest in printing such FUD because old Rupe (thanks 'stralia, you can have him back now) makes a metric shit tonne of money out of Sky TV which I believe (don't watch it, don't have a Kodi 'box') is one of the services that's regularly pirated over streams?

[wraper]

I'd think the real danger is downloading pirated material.  Might want to turn on you Kaspersky?  Oh wait, their excuse for the hacked NAS contractor box was malware it didn't catch? 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/26/kaspersky-russia-nsa-contractor-leaked-us-hacking-tools-by-mistake-pirating-microsoft-office
According to Kaspersky’s report, the contractor was using the company’s home antivirus software when it detected a piece of malware attributed to the “Equation Group” (the security firm’s internal codename for what is believed to be the NSA’s hacking team) on 11 September 2014.

Some time after that, the contractor apparently disabled the Kaspersky antivirus software, the company says, but is unable to pinpoint the exact date as that information is not logged. On 4 October 2014, it appears that the contractor turned the antivirus software back on – because he had downloaded and installed some malware while trying to pirate Microsoft Office.

BTW:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/10/cia_kaspersky_fake_certs_ploy/

CIA forged digital certs imitating Kaspersky Lab

[CJay]

The sun is flammable too. Put it too close to the daily mail and it’ll catch fire from the chain reaction of hate.

They're incendiary, whenever they print a story about benefit scrounging immigrants buying houses next door to hard working upper middle class bankers in the home counties and listen for the explosions.

[tszaboo]

Exactly, if it was a public safety risk then they should be naming the boxes so people can disconnect them and negate the fire risk, as it stands  it's all just so much Circumstantial Rumour And Poppycock, never mind the legal uses of Kodi.

The name of the TV box is in fact in the article. Also, scroll up.

[CJay]

Exactly, if it was a public safety risk then they should be naming the boxes so people can disconnect them and negate the fire risk, as it stands  it's all just so much Circumstantial Rumour And Poppycock, never mind the legal uses of Kodi.

The name of the TV box is in fact in the article. Also, scroll up.

Mhmm, I posted a few seconds after the RAPEX report was posted. I refuse to read the Sun though, disgusting rag.

I think it's actually the power adapter that's the problem, not the box itself and I'm pretty sure that's not explained properly in the article?

[mikeselectricstuff]

The Sun is also complicit, a suspicious person might posit the theory that they also have a vested interest in printing such FUD because old Rupe (thanks 'stralia, you can have him back now) makes a metric shit tonne of money out of Sky TV which I believe (don't watch it, don't have a Kodi 'box') is one of the services that's regularly pirated over streams?

Not to mention that they have form for illegal activity in this area, like facilitating the hacking of competitors' services to  to put them out of business ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murdochs-Pirates-hacking-Ruperts-skullduggery-ebook/dp/B009VA1NVU ), though this is just a case of them parroting the bullshit they are fed

[Mjolinor]

"The only way to guarantee that a product is safe is to buy a known brand product direct from a reputable manufacturer."

^^^ is untrue.


The only way to guarantee that a product is safe is to make it yourself.

[janekm]

Well... despite the intentions of that group, I would say a reminder that there power supplies coming with unbranded equipment should not be assumed to be safe may actually do the public some good...

[Mjolinor]

These Chinese USB / 5v power bricks are often collared by customs and refused entry. There are quite a lot of prosecutions about them. Generally the Chinese are learning that it is better to just specify the supply needed or just supply a USB cable so the LV directive (56005?) doesn't apply at all.

[wraper]

The only way to guarantee that a product is safe is to make it yourself.

Actually no, especially if you are not an expert in the area who have access to necessary safety tests. You can easily miss safety related things and there won't be any QA to catch that.

[bd139]

If you make it yourself, you just limit the risk of your skill to (a) yourself, (b) anyone in the same building as you and (c) the guy who comes along and tries to pull you off your bench and (d) the guy with the broom handle who tries to get that guy off you on your bench 

[Mjolinor]

OK, With the caveat that if you can't cook then get out of the kitchen.

[gnif]

As a Kodi Developer, I find it funny that my code could be classified dangerous! LOL

[CJay]

The Sun is also complicit, a suspicious person might posit the theory that they also have a vested interest in printing such FUD because old Rupe (thanks 'stralia, you can have him back now) makes a metric shit tonne of money out of Sky TV which I believe (don't watch it, don't have a Kodi 'box') is one of the services that's regularly pirated over streams?

Not to mention that they have form for illegal activity in this area, like facilitating the hacking of competitors' services to  to put them out of business ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murdochs-Pirates-hacking-Ruperts-skullduggery-ebook/dp/B009VA1NVU ), though this is just a case of them parroting the bullshit they are fed

Mhmm, I remember those days well, they ran/run a significant 'counter espionage' operation too, infiltrating several hacker groups who were involved in the hacking of Sky's Videocrypt encryption, they also controlled one of the most popular PayTV hacking boards as well as making available exploits which helped (if not directly) put the competition out of business (OnDigital).

I'd be very surprised, actually amazed, if they weren't still running similar operations.

[bd139]

I'd completely forgotten about that. Total asshats.