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Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

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251–260 of 413 posts

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But a manual is fun to operate. If all you care about is transportation, take the bus. You have confused personal preference with universal truth. And aside from that, the difference is complexity and reliability is still a fact. "Like it or not"

Manual is fun to operate hen the roads are clear, well designed and maintained. If you're in heavy traffic in crazy third world roads like I usually am, not so much.

Excuse me, but I think I and I alone am the principle and indeed sole authority on what I enjoy.

I drive my manuals daily in all kinds of traffic and weather. I live in NJ where neither the weather nor the traffic nor the roads are ideal. On the worst day, on the worst road, in the worst traffic, I still prefer to operate my vehicle rather than be carried by it. It's primarily a feeling of being involved and engaged in the activity.

I don't try to tell you that you must therefor also prefer that.

Are we understaning my point yet?

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#252
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1, this is great advice. I've been doing the same; get an AppleTV or GoogleTV dongle and never, ever attach the LG or Samshung TV to the network. Benefits of this strategy: * So simple, even non-savvy folks can follow the rule * Protects your privacy * Eliminates an unnecessary, highly invasive, and parasitic advertising vector (ads directly from LG or Samsung) * Protects your TV performance and functionality from s…

> "...GoogleTV..." > "* Protects your privacy" these two things are at complete odds. appletv is only marginally better, but it is better. anything google is going to spy on you for its own benefit and those of its advertisers.

It's about having some control, rather than attaching the entire TV to the network and letting it run completely wild until it eventually "updates" to degraded functionality.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#253
post #205

You want to buy a “monitor”, not a TV. For instance there is this from LG [0] or this from Dell [1]. Just do a search for “large 4K monitor” and you’ll find more. [0] - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-43-ultrafine-4k-uhd-monitor-... [1] - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there a proper term or category for a monitor meant for high end installations that has no branding on it (e.g., as one would put into a display at a museum)? I refuse to buy something with a logo on the front of it.

I would imagine you could carefully remove the label with the right tools, or if the TV will be far away enough from people, some thin black tape over it.

Believe me though, I agree it's completely stupid you have to do that to avoid branding. But I doubt most companies would do that. Particularly for installations that have a ton more eyeballs on it than a family + their friends.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#254
post #205

You want to buy a “monitor”, not a TV. For instance there is this from LG [0] or this from Dell [1]. Just do a search for “large 4K monitor” and you’ll find more. [0] - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-43-ultrafine-4k-uhd-monitor-... [1] - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there a proper term or category for a monitor meant for high end installations that has no branding on it (e.g., as one would put into a display at a museum)? I refuse to buy something with a logo on the front of it.

No post body was provided.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#255
post #4

I’ve kept my Samsung offline since I purchased it in 2019. I’ve kept my LG offline since I purchased it in 2016. As long as you have an AppleTV or similar connected to service your need for “smarts” it won’t be hard to leave the TV offline. (I recommend LG over Samsung - Samsung TV has native undismissable ads from 2019 still)

I’m thinking of buying a TV, haven’t had one for a very long time (was using projectors).

When researching, what blew my mind is that the HDMI spec now includes Ethernet-over-HDMI (called HEC - HDMI Ethernet Channel). The end devices just need to support it. That got me thinking that perhaps we might see popular set top boxes like AppleTV transparently start giving internet to the connected smart TVs, perhaps against our wishes and with no way to turn it off.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just don't ever give it the wifi password This works for now but Amazon is already working on a way to share messages from devices through echo dots etc in the area. Even your neighbors'. It's intended precisely for this purpose :( To capture days from those trying to stay under the radar. It's called sidewalk.

It's going to come to hardware hacks and Faraday caging our houses to maintain personal control over the devices we purchase. Houses will have to behave like firewalls and you whitelist the device types you want to communicate with by explicitly piping them in, rather than the poor attempt at managing networks in software we have at the moment.

Honestly, a Faraday caged house doesn't sound like a bad idea. Sure, you'll have to install a solution for mobile phone coverage (assuming you want it), but it would help solve a lot of issues like congestion and unwanted parties attacking to your wifi. Even if it's not a perfect cage, if it damped the majority of wireless signals it would probably be enough.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#257
post #67
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1, this is great advice. I've been doing the same; get an AppleTV or GoogleTV dongle and never, ever attach the LG or Samshung TV to the network. Benefits of this strategy: * So simple, even non-savvy folks can follow the rule * Protects your privacy * Eliminates an unnecessary, highly invasive, and parasitic advertising vector (ads directly from LG or Samsung) * Protects your TV performance and functionality from s…

> It's unfortunate the manufacturers are in a position where such perverse anti-customer incentives exist. Why can't we have a consumer organization that protects us from having to buy stuff that we don't want. Wouldn't it be great if any product sold in mass quantities would have to pass a consumer/environment protection committee first?

No, please no committees of incompetent government stuffed shirts that raise the barrier to entry so high that only the established megacorps and their armies of lawyers can hope to compete. Instead, mandate that people must be allowed to opt-out of ads/tracking antifeatures, with private right of action so consumers don't have to rely on government agencies to enforce the standards.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#258
post #205

You want to buy a “monitor”, not a TV. For instance there is this from LG [0] or this from Dell [1]. Just do a search for “large 4K monitor” and you’ll find more. [0] - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-43-ultrafine-4k-uhd-monitor-... [1] - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there a proper term or category for a monitor meant for high end installations that has no branding on it (e.g., as one would put into a display at a museum)? I refuse to buy something with a logo on the front of it.

I suppose something like "digital signage panels".

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#259
post #205

You want to buy a “monitor”, not a TV. For instance there is this from LG [0] or this from Dell [1]. Just do a search for “large 4K monitor” and you’ll find more. [0] - https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lg-43-ultrafine-4k-uhd-monitor-... [1] - https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-55-4k-conference-r...

Is there a proper term or category for a monitor meant for high end installations that has no branding on it (e.g., as one would put into a display at a museum)? I refuse to buy something with a logo on the front of it.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#260
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sadly, Samsung is leapfrogging LG with QD OLED :-( Which is going to be better technology (brighter colors with OLED blacks) Owner of 2 LG OLEDs

Really? I thought LG was pretty good. I'd have bought one already but I'm thinking about moving house and I don't want to have to deal with a fragile 55 or 65" TV. Also, I need the money for a downpayment. I currently have a 32" LG LCD which I'm also pretty happy about. It's obviously no OLED and it's not 4K but for a cheap LCD it's pretty decent. I also love the serial control options (over USB) and I'm working to i…

LG were the best since they had a monopoly on OLED TVs but now that Samsung is competing this year they are behind in most metrics.
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