141–150 of 316 posts
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HDMI cables can double as Ethernet cables. In the future "just unplug it from the network" will mean "just unplug all HDMI devices".
Doesn't that depend on the cable? I thought you had to pay extra for Ethernet support.
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When i got my samsung smart tv 4 years ago i actually read the EULA and was so disgusted i refused to agree. It lives its life as a computer monitor, and a buggy one at that. I doubt there is a way to update the firmware without agreeing. Moral of the story: dont buy smart TVs.
If you want a TV, is there any alternative? We got a new TV last year and I (joe shmoe average user) didn't see any that weren't smart.
I have many Smart TVs, all working great as dumb monitors for my AppleTVs. I wouldn’t change a thing.
This seems fairly easy to me. Just don't configure the WiFi. Add a TV box (FireTV, Apple TV, whatever) that you trust.
That FireTV you have plugged in gives the TV an Ethernet connection. So it's more like turn off the WiFi and plug in Ethernet.
I had a very nice Sharp Aquos TV for a long time. One of the first reasonably priced 1080p 65" TVs. It had absolutely no "smart" features, which was perfectly fine with me. I have my TV hooked up to a home theatre system and have my devices (PS4/AppleTV/XB1/Nvidia Shield) hooked up to that. I recently upgraded to a LG 4K OLED TV. It's an absolutely gorgeous TV, but, I absolutely lament the "smart" features of this TV…
I think we've reached the point where the only safe way of buying a TV is to buy a business conference room display or large screen monitor instead. Seems to be the only way to get something without all the dystopian crap.
I got my current TV off the side of the road. It’s a 42” LCD Samsung, and that’s good enough for me.
Why not use a computer display as a dumb TV?
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I think we've reached the point where the only safe way of buying a TV is to buy a business conference room display or large screen monitor instead. Seems to be the only way to get something without all the dystopian crap.
But then you're losing all of the goodies for movies and games, such as proper color space or contrast. Usually the business TVs are anything but good for movies.
It has zero smart stuff, and comes with an RS232 input for which documentation exists to control _everything_ remotely. I think the latter is due to it's brother being a 24/7 rated digital signage device, which typically implies remote management.
I'm passively looking for a newer model for a potential secondary setup on a different desk/location, but haven't stumbled on anything I'd prefer.
It also is extremely hard to fix a smart TV once it gets infected with a virus. Just don't buy smart TVs. Buy a dumb TV, attach a RaspberryPi or an Intel NUC, install Kodi and enjoy.
Would love to. Who is currently making these dumb TVs? I’m in the market and can’t find anything.
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If you want a TV, is there any alternative? We got a new TV last year and I (joe shmoe average user) didn't see any that weren't smart.
Buy the best TV that fits your needs. Do not configure the Smart TV features at all. If it requires Internet access for initial configuration, setup your phone as a hotspot with a temporary password. Once configured, change your phone hotspot password and disable it. I have many Smart TVs, all working great as dumb monitors for my AppleTVs. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Immediately thought "works for me".
I wonder if any other manufacturer offers that choice.
Edit: commercial signage panels are about as close as you get to dumb TVs these days. Rarely include any smart features, can get in quite large sizes. Not OLED or anything but if you just want a decent display...