What is the best dumb TV? • Hacker News Board

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#261

Post by theshrike79 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:41 AM UTC

neilv wrote: post #249

If I can add an additional requirement to the question, what are good dumb-TVs/monitors that have acceptable integrated speakers (driven from HDMI) ? (To avoid "smart TVs", I got a nice Sony Bravia TV, from circa 2009, and even that has more "smart" than I'd like (e.g., linked to online services that were discontinued), but it doesn't try to get onto the Internet, it has a great 1080p picture, the remote worked easil…

It's next to impossible to have good or even decent speakers in a flat TV and keep the price at a sane price point.

My advice is just to ignore the speakers and get any soundbar, literally anything will be better than the built-in ones.

I went all-in on Sonos because it's wireless and the sound quality/UX are excellent. Just got their soundbar (the Beam) first and went up from there to a full 5.1 setup.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#262

Post by theshrike79 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:43 AM UTC

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.

Even if you're not getting a dumb one, I think LG has the best "smart" TVs around.

Just don't give them access to the internet and they'll do the job of displaying anything you give them via a HDMI port. Integrates nicely with home automation with an API too.

Oh, and they don't have ads in the menus like Samsung does.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#263

Post by toast0 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:49 AM UTC

neilv wrote: post #249

If I can add an additional requirement to the question, what are good dumb-TVs/monitors that have acceptable integrated speakers (driven from HDMI) ? (To avoid "smart TVs", I got a nice Sony Bravia TV, from circa 2009, and even that has more "smart" than I'd like (e.g., linked to online services that were discontinued), but it doesn't try to get onto the Internet, it has a great 1080p picture, the remote worked easil…

The tvs are just too thin, there's no really no room for speakers that sound better than laptop speakers. I think you really need a receiver/soundbar. I'm optimistic and think one day HDMI-CEC will actually work and you won't need a crazy remote control to make that work (but my newest tv is circa 2013, so maybe things are better already?)

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#264

Post by sfaruque » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:50 AM UTC

kebman wrote: post #207

I don't have a TV, only a few monitors (it's very liberating, actually). So instead I'll talk about my microwave. Yes, unironically! :D It has two dials. OMG how do I survive with only two dials? How do I program it? Well, the answer is, unsurprisingly, that I don't program it. Instead I crank it to watever wattage I need (usually the top one), and the time I think it'll take until the food I becomes hot. Aaaand that…

I find the microwaves with dials just last longer, and they are usually cheaper. In my experience, the touch pads on the digital ones breakdown faster.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#265

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:51 AM UTC

I was looking for dumb TV for privacy, security reasons and wasn't able to find one [1] and ended up using computer monitor for most of my needs. Good to know that there are others who would like to have a dumb TV for the same reasons.

[1]https://needgap.com/problems/64-make-tv-dumb-again-privacy-c...

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#266

Post by petepete » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:55 AM UTC

null_object wrote: post #257

At a reasonable price Loewe make the best TVs that have the ‘good’ parts of smart, and none of the intrusive and privacy-invading parts. The interface is minimal, the sound and picture are amazing, and the units themselves look beautiful[1] Bang&Olufsen do all the above, at an unreasonable price[2] [1] https://www.loewe.tv/int [2] https://www.bang-olufsen.com/en/televisions

B&O use LG panels. That's a big premium for privacy and a nice finish.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#267

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:56 AM UTC

barrkel wrote: post #259

phonon wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> wattage (energy output) Nope, power output.

energy output per unit time

[deleted]

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#268

Post by kioleanu » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 5:59 AM UTC

I bought a Phillips dumb TV about 2 years ago after spending way too much time searching for a TV. The caveat is that it’s in the low cost range, otherwise my alternatives were extremely limited.

In the TVs manual they mention multiple times and in a fatalistic tone that I must register my purchase with them and always install the latest updates. The register form needed my full address and phone number. And that’s not I want. I want to purchase a device and my relationship with the seller ends there, unless it needs repairs.

My kitchen appliances are 10 years old and they are starting to give up the ghost. I had to replace the dishwasher last week and was looking for a very specific feature (that the door pops open itself after it finishes washing). Incidentally this feature is a premium feature which mostly limited my options to the upper end of the price spectrum where, you guessed it, most dishwashers connect to the internet. And it’s marketed with some type of Cory Doctorow type of bullshit like “we’ll just order cleaning supplies when you’re done”. I had to eventually cross research based on keywords and read the .pdf manuals of about 20 dishwashers to make sure they 1) have what I want and 2) they don’t connect to WiFi

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#269

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 6:01 AM UTC

mtalantikite wrote: post #235

kebman wrote: post #207

I don't have a TV, only a few monitors (it's very liberating, actually). So instead I'll talk about my microwave. Yes, unironically! :D It has two dials. OMG how do I survive with only two dials? How do I program it? Well, the answer is, unsurprisingly, that I don't program it. Instead I crank it to watever wattage I need (usually the top one), and the time I think it'll take until the food I becomes hot. Aaaand that…

“I don't have a TV, only a few monitors.” I also highly recommend this. It’s been 18 years since I’ve lived in a house with a tv. It’s still weird to me that people design their living rooms around sitting facing a screen rather than other humans.

[deleted]

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#270

Post by drevil-v2 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 6:01 AM UTC

mtalantikite wrote: post #235

kebman wrote: post #207

I don't have a TV, only a few monitors (it's very liberating, actually). So instead I'll talk about my microwave. Yes, unironically! :D It has two dials. OMG how do I survive with only two dials? How do I program it? Well, the answer is, unsurprisingly, that I don't program it. Instead I crank it to watever wattage I need (usually the top one), and the time I think it'll take until the food I becomes hot. Aaaand that…

“I don't have a TV, only a few monitors.” I also highly recommend this. It’s been 18 years since I’ve lived in a house with a tv. It’s still weird to me that people design their living rooms around sitting facing a screen rather than other humans.

Watching live sports on 75inch TV is an amazing experience. Especially if it is broadcast in 4k