What is the best dumb TV? • Hacker News Board

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#351

Post by vaccinator » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:43 AM UTC

crazygringo wrote: post #102

Some people are suggesting just don't connect your smart TV to the internet, others are suggesting it might still connect to open (unsecured) Wi-Fi networks. Is there any major brand of smart TV's that will attempt to connect to open networks, in order to download updates, ads, send back data, without your consent? I've never in my life had a Wi-Fi-enabled device that would connect to a network I didn't tell it to, a…

One day, they might start using the cellphone networks... (If they havent already)

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#352

Post by Treblemaker » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:45 AM UTC

ponker wrote: post #258

kebman wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps I was imprecise. It has a stepped dial, with pre-set wattages. Caveat for not being an electrician. ^^

But the “wattages” just pulse the thing on and off right? I’ve never heard of a home microwave that can apply true variable power. If you have one I’ll buy it.

It's marketed as "Inverter Technology"

Most of the major brands in the US have them, now, and the reliability is improving. As I understand it the drive transistors in early models were prone to failure.

More info available here: https://media3.bosch-home.com/Documents/MCDOC03402966_BOSCH_...

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#353

Post by ornornor » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:46 AM UTC

tolbish wrote: post #333

ornornor wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If all you’ve read in this thread doesn’t put you off Samsung... then nothing will.

Brand loyalty is in fact a thing.

Well, you do you.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#354

Post by aj7 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:47 AM UTC

An old plasma you buy for 20 cents on the dollar. It’s not close.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#355

Post by franga2000 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:47 AM UTC

I love the idea of smart TVs, but every single implementation I've seen in the last few years has been utter garbage. Everything they do is one step forward and like 3-30 steps back.

For example, I recently bought a low-end Samsung TV running Tizen, which meant I could return my set-top-box (ISP has a Tizen app), get rid of my barely-functioning miracast stick, bluetooth transmitter (native features) and media PC (apps for YouTube, Netflix and Spotify).

But then, the thing has so many dumb design choices that it constantly makes me want to go back my horrible old setup. - Turning on the sleep timer takes 21 clicks and avg. 47 seconds if you know exactly how to do it (instead of having it in the quick menu). - I have to manually switch between the speakers and my surround system, which takes 6 or so clicks and 30 seconds (instead of just always outputting to toslink). - The TV can only boot to an input, not an app, so I have to manually open the TV app every time I turn it on. - Even though the remote has like a billion buttons, only 30% of them actually do things in any given context. - WHYYY is there a dedicated RokutenTV button on the remote that I can't remap?? - I can't use my phone to type text into text inputs (LGs can do this, badly) and why does it make me use arrow keys on an on-screen keyboard when I have a full number pad on the remote to do multi-tap/T9??

It looks like the entire industry seems to be entirely incompetent at creating software and is too stubborn to admit it and give us the tools to fix it for them.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#356

Post by CamperBob2 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:48 AM UTC

shajznnckfke wrote: post #307

nitrogen wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see why people aren't rioting in the streets about this, apart from the fact that there are currently bigger issues already occupying rioters. It's seriously beyond the pale.

To play the part of the average consumer here... why should I care exactly? I know about the concept of TV ratings so some families are allowing a computer to keep track of what they watch. How does this hurt me? Maybe if I was using my TV as an output for my home surveillance system I would care. Otherwise it’s just displaying content featuring paid actors or other people who are already being watched by millions on…

Nielsen families get paid, for one thing.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#357

Post by em-bee » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:48 AM UTC

bloody-crow wrote: post #221

jjoonathan wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Hold up. What if you don't have internet? Are they legitimately prepared to say "well, in this case your TV is not gonna work"?

soon, not having internet will be like not having a phone, and wanting a tv that works without internet will be like using a computer without internet.

in any case, i'd get any claim that the tv works without internet in writing. then it becomes a warranty issue if the tv stops working

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#358

Post by Normal_gaussian » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:50 AM UTC

kebman wrote: post #342

Hamuko wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s still weird to me that people design their living rooms around sitting facing a screen rather than other humans. I spent the vast majority of my time facing a screen rather than other humans.

A friend of mine's father is an architect. He designed his living room spesifically for having guests. So instead of the living room being in front of a telly, there are two big sofas facing each other accross a lounge table. Behind the seating arrangement is a Bang & Olufsen stereo with a turntable and a shelf containing records. But that's not all. To top it off, the ceiling skews down towards elongated windows pla…

Practically anyone with a large enough house ends up with a sitting room and a TV room seperate to their living room.

Its just the majority cannot afford said house, so the TV room joins the sitting room in the multi-function space that is the living room.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#359

Post by aj7 » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:51 AM UTC

kebman wrote: post #342

Hamuko wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s still weird to me that people design their living rooms around sitting facing a screen rather than other humans. I spent the vast majority of my time facing a screen rather than other humans.

A friend of mine's father is an architect. He designed his living room spesifically for having guests. So instead of the living room being in front of a telly, there are two big sofas facing each other accross a lounge table. Behind the seating arrangement is a Bang & Olufsen stereo with a turntable and a shelf containing records. But that's not all. To top it off, the ceiling skews down towards elongated windows pla…

My mom did this, too. The sofas facing. It’s horrific. Absolutely horrible. Even GUESTS hate facing each other, like on the subway. Lots of little nooks and crannies for subgroups to congregate.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#360

Post by Normal_gaussian » Sat, Oct 03, 2020, 7:53 AM UTC

bananamerica wrote: post #331

mtalantikite wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“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.

What’s the difference between a TV and a monitor anyway? My TV is only used for Netflix and videogames. Just like I’d do with a monitor.

My reading of it was that they meant dumb tv. However the general differences between a monitor and a TV as marketed are response time, viewing angle, and viewing distance with tye TV having the larger of all three.