Smart TV owners are increasingly using AI tools to strip away unwanted software, advertisements, and tracking features. Projects like dumbtv and cleanyourtv aim to restore basic functionality, allowing users to bypass pre-installed bloatware and intrusive interfaces on their devices.
The cleanyourtv project utilizes the Anthropic Claude Code agent to modify TV interfaces via Wi-Fi. Thousands of users have already applied these methods to devices from brands including Xiaomi, TCL, Sony, LG, and Amazon Fire TV, without requiring root access.
The dumbtv project, which supports Android TV and Google TV platforms, was developed using Deepseek V4.1 Flash, Anthropic Claude Opus 5.5, and Claude Sonnet 5.5 models. It targets devices from manufacturers such as Philips, Hisense, and Nvidia.
While some users successfully generate custom instructions via AI to remove ads and speed up system performance, the process carries risks. AI agents may inadvertently disable critical system components, potentially rendering the television unusable.
