Using a smart TV to block ads

Advertisements shown on your smart TV may not be appropriate for all viewers, especially children.

Smart TVs are designed for families, so it is important to keep them kid-friendly and filter content you cannot control, such as advertisements.

How Do you Block Ads on a Smart TV?

You can block ads on your smart TV in a variety of ways.

Here are a few things you need to know about blocking ads on your smart TV, depending on the platform you are using and your ability to understand your Internet connection and your smart TV's back end.

YouTube Premium:

The best way to block ads on your smart TV if you are a YouTube user would be to subscribe to YouTube Premium.

Watching YouTube videos on the platform is ad-free with YouTube Premium.

YouTube Premium also offers plans for different users.

Your subscription covers content creators' ad revenue and there is no need to mess with any settings.

YouTube Premium starts 11.99 dollars a month, and an extra six (6) dollars a month lets you add up to five (5) family members to your plan.

Ad Blockers:

Adblockers can also be installed on your smart TV.

You can filter ads on your smart TV with some apps.

These adblockers can, however, be risky because they may contain malware or code that can damage your smart TV.

This is an option if you are confident in the adblocker you choose.

Blocking Ads Using your Internet Router:

If you want to block ads using your router, then continue reading.

The following method will allow you to blacklist specific ad URLs so that they will not appear on your TV.

Additionally, you don't need to use your smart TV for this, and you can use your laptop or desktop computer.

With a physical keyboard and pointing device, it is easier to do this on a computer.

What You Need to Do:

Navigate to the router's configuration page in your web browser.

The router's configuration URL varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The most common is 192.168.1.1.

Usernames and passwords depend on the manufacturer and service provider.

There may be a need to call them for credentials if they are not listed in the manual.

Look for the Firewall or the corresponding setting in the router control panel and then go to the Content Filter settings.

Type the relevant URLs here.

If your goal is to block ads from appearing, you will need to check the ad URLs on your smart TV and paste them into the content filter.

Samsung Smart TVs: How to Block Ads:

If you are using a Samsung smart TV, you can block ads by using the router method described above.

You can block the following URLs from the control panel by going to the content filter:

1. config.samsungads.com
2. gpm.samsungqbe.com
3. log-config.samsungacr.com
4. samsung.com
5. samsungacr.com
6. samsungads.com
7. samsungotn.net
8. www.samsung.net/ads
9. ads.samsung.com

Blocking these URLs will allow you to filter ads on your Samsung TV.

For LG smart TVs, click here.

For Samsung smart TVs, click here.

You can block the following URLs in your router's content filter:

1. ngfts.lge.com
2. us.ad.lgsmartad.com
3. lgad.cjpowercast.com
4. edgesuite.net
5. us.info.lgsmartad.com

On the My Content tab of your TV, you can filter ads.

VIZIO Smart TV Ad Blocking

You need to turn off Smart Interactivity if you own a Vizio smart TV.

Here's how:

Look for "Settings" by pressing the Menu button on your remote control.

To turn off Smart Interactivity, go to Settings and select "Off".

Alternatively, you can do this through Vizio Plus TV's "Menu" or the "HDTV Settings" app.

Go to "System" and select "Reset and Admin". Select "Smart Interactivity" by pressing the right arrow. Click "Off".

SONY uses a different method to block ads on their smart TVs.

Go to your "Settings" and locate the "Android TV Core Services".

Revert all updates. Roll back to the original version if a warning appears.

Click "-" on the left side of the "Home" screen to remove the sponsored channel.

Look for "Android TV Core" in the "Apps" section of the settings. Force it to stop and then disable it.

Alternatively, since Sony uses Android, you can install the BlockAda App, but this requires you to enable the installation of third-party apps on your TV.

Are all ads going to be removed from your Smart TV?

Some may still appear.

Take the case of YouTube.

You can blacklist ads through the router, but YouTube is not covered. It's possible you'll need an ad blocker plugin that can be unstable.

YouTube Premium accounts are ad-free, so if you want to block ads, get one.

How well do these ad-blocking techniques work on cable or free TV?

You can only block ads on your smart TV if it has internet access.

For those who want to skip TV ads, you might want to consider TiVo.

Setting up Parental Control on Smart TVs:

Samsung:

Here's what you need to do if you own a Samsung smart TV.

• Click on "Settings" and select "Broadcasting.".
• Enter your PIN code (the default is 0000) under "Program Rating Lock Settings".
• Select "TV Rating" or "Move Rating" in the "Program Rating Lock".

A PIN code is required for any movie or show rated this or higher.

LG:

Go to "Safety" and select "TV Program Locks" on LG smart TVs.

Specify a rating and select the lock. The content will then be filtered for your kids.

On digital TV, you can also download ratings that allow you to block shows based on their ratings.

In the Safety menu, you can also disable other TV features for better parental control.

Sony:

Select "Settings" from the "Home" button on Sony smart TVs.

Then, select "Parental Lock.".

A PIN code is now required for all programs with the selected rating and above.