What is the best dumb TV?

Post by martinmunk » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 1:51 AM UTC

tinus_hn wrote: post #6

Spivak wrote: post #3

I agree with the sentiment but you’re only hurting yourself by choosing a worse TV at a given price point compared to just never connecting your TV to the internet. If you want a competitive display market where the best options are still dumb then look at getting a projector. The price and quality are comparable and I really like being able to “put away” the TV by just rolling up the screen.

Some of these TVs automatically connect to any open wireless network in the area, so that isn’t always an option

Post by coryrc » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 1:53 AM UTC

m463 wrote: post #146

davidhyde wrote: post #73

My advice is to stop seeing a “smart tv” as a feature and see it as an expensive piece of equipment subsidised by extra advertising revenue. Don’t get upset about this, just understand it for what it is. Now, what can you do about it? Easy, don’t connect it to the internet. They will tell you that it needs updates but come on, what is a security vulnerability going to to to something that’s only output is a screen an…

no no no. this is bad advice. 1) "Some Samsung TVs already try and connect to open WiFi networks if you don't connect them yourself." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24629155 2) there is ethernet over hdmi - I would image this is another source of inadvertent connection. 3) samsung tvs require an ethernet cable to "update firmware" so HDMI works. 4) ACR - which will look at ALL the inputs. and wait for the next…

Post by jjoonathan » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 1:55 AM UTC

coryrc wrote: post #163

m463 wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no no no. this is bad advice. 1) "Some Samsung TVs already try and connect to open WiFi networks if you don't connect them yourself." https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24629155 2) there is ethernet over hdmi - I would image this is another source of inadvertent connection. 3) samsung tvs require an ethernet cable to "update firmware" so HDMI works. 4) ACR - which will look at ALL the inputs. and wait for the next…

Solder the wifi antenna to ground (so long as the remote is IR and not radio!)

Post by echelon » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 2:05 AM UTC

jjoonathan wrote: post #165

coryrc wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Solder the wifi antenna to ground (so long as the remote is IR and not radio!)

My TCL starts to bootloop if it goes more than a month without connecting to the internet so it can download screensaver ads. The warranty people force me into the support gauntlet. The support gauntlet's first demand: connect it to the internet.

Post by tomatotomato37 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 2:10 AM UTC

Wistar wrote: post #105

nfoz wrote: post #52

LG sells them as some of their "Business" tvs, intended e.g. for hotels. In Canada some of them are branded as "Commercial Lite". Here's an LG 65" 4k HDR dumb TV: https://www.lg.com/ca_en/business/commercial-tv/lg-65UV340H I have a similar model from a few years ago (purchased from Canada Computers fwiw), and I love it. Because I don't notice it exists. It just does its job, like a TV should.

Along those lines are the commercial display panels intended for digital signage and advertising use. They usually have a very bright picture, are very durable, and have typically been quite expensive but that seems to be changing. Here are some LG commercial displays ranging from 43" to 86" and priced from $745 to $3,850: https://www.displays2go.com/P-42023/86-Inch-4K-Ultra-HD-TV-A... Here is a brief article from 20…