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What is the best dumb TV?

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Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#461

Post by 3guk »

daodedickinson wrote: post #17

I got a dumb external monitor for my laptop and then learned it doesn't have the right DRM for me to watch Blu-rays on it. Literally, I can view the Blu-rays on my laptop screen, but if I drag the window to the other screen, it won't display the video.

There are plenty of ways around HDCP - some cheap HDMI splitters completely bypass it and will allow you to use your other screen.

Typically the review section of a given HDMI splitter on Amazon is a dead give away as to wether they bypass HDCP. Failing that you can buy a HDFury device - which I've used plenty of times in large AV installs to avoid HDMI/HDCP problems...

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#462

Post by blowfish721 »

b112 wrote: post #289
derwiki wrote: post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wonder if the TV would detect it as nonfunctional and still search for open networks that work.

If you can think if it, they can too. As Samsung is essentially hostile beyond belief, and has thrown away all pretense of 'helping', I'd say yes.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they did but isn’t it illegal to connect to an open wifi if you haven’t got the explicit permission to do so?

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#463

Post by jon-wood »

ascar wrote: post #455
moksly wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My microwave has a wheel to turn the timer, a wheel to set the WATT, a stop button and a start button. If you press the start button it’ll automatically run for 30 seconds, if you press it again it’ll add another 30 seconds to the current run. It took me maybe 4 years of owning it before I learned of the start button feature. Not sure what the hell people are doing with microwaves that connect to the internet, but I…

I want a smart TV so I can access Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ etc. right from the TV and don't need a separate device for it. Many people suggest buying a dumb tv and then an apple tv. The problem is, now I have two devices and instead of trusting [TV manufacturer] I have to trust Apple. I don't see a big gain in it and also don't consider Apple to be especially trustworthy. [TV manufacturer] should just sell me a…

With a standalone smart box connected via HDMI if it becomes obsolete, or you want to use different software it’s just that which needs replacing. With a smart TV the entire display has to be replaced, to no real benefit.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#464

Post by gjm11 »

mongol wrote: post #372
lloeki wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In France the difference is that you pay a broadcast tax every year for owning a TV. Even if the tuner is unplugged. Even if the TV is covered with dust in a basement. Even if you rip the tuner apart and use it as a screen only (this specific case has been lawyered to death right up to the last court of Cassation). Because computers and smartphones, the law has since been extended to also include the case where you o…

Sweden used to have it like this. You had to pay a license for owning a TV receiver. But then the public broadcaster also started offering streaming over the internet. Then they declared "also a computer is a TV receiver" and required everyone with a computer to pay TV license. If you refused, you were taken to court. The court agreed with the broadcaster. Only in the highest court was it thrown out. Had it not, ther…

There's something odd about the logic here.

"Once upon a time, the government tried to impose a tax you had to pay if you had a TV or a computer, which was bad because even people who never watched TV would have had to pay it. But it's better now, because instead there's a tax that literally everyone pays, even if they don't watch TV and even if they don't have a computer."

I'm struggling to see what principles would make the first situation bad without also making the second one bad.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#466

Post by girvo »

vermilingua wrote: post #132
solarkraft wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks interesting, but the lack of pricing information suggests it to be unreasonably high (plus unnecessary hassle: truly "business"). What did you pay?

I recently ordered a bunch of LG Commercial TVs for a job, at 55” they came out to about AUD$1600, which I think is pretty reasonable. As to the hassle, yes you’d probably find it difficult to buy one for personal use. L

I grabbed the Kogan 55” 4K HDR (lol that feature is badly implemented though) TV for $550, it’s been excellent.

Dumb TV, decent picture, has worked great so far!

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#467

Post by 3guk »

I've mentioned it on a few of the other recent threads about this topic but, for those who use piHole or other network wide ad blocking, I've compiled a list of servers to block: https://factory-reset.com/wiki/Samsung_Telemetry_Servers

For sure it's a game of cat and mouse, I guess the added revenue stream of direct to consumer advertising is too hard to ignore for most manufacturers and the demand from consumers for a decent dumb TV isn't high enough to justify a production run.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#468

Post by girvo »

867-5309 wrote: post #432
lostlogin wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some devices bypass the Pihole, and while you can catch them at the firewall, it’s a tedious game.

how is it possible to bypass? if it is the only thing available then it is impossible to use an alternative

They use their own DNS rather than PiHole’s.

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#469

Post by gjm11 »

3np wrote: post #425
zxcb1 wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One needs to mentally prepare for the coming 5G era; ubiquitous tracking and data harvesting combined with artificial intelligence and social credit. Where is the opt out from this hellish corporate revolution?

This is the only reason why I'm concerned about an overly optimistic 5G rollout. It's frustrating that all the nutso conspiratists have made it practically impossible to problematize this without coming off as either uneducated or a lunatic.

Meta-conspiracy-theory: the 5G conspiracy theories were spread deliberately with the precise intention of making the truth look like just another crazy conspiracy theory.

(I don't think that's very likely in this case, but I bet there are actual examples out there of conspiracy theories being deliberately seeded as a way to discredit potential real criticisms.)

Re: What is the best dumb TV?

#470

Post by 05 »

Moru wrote: post #434
kingosticks wrote: post #415

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You and me both. I was fed up of following the cooking instructions only to have some things explode. I was particularly tired of cleaning up porridge which will quickly turn concrete-like. Instead, drop it down to medium, add on a minute or two and it's perfect. Why is it that all microwave cooking instructions say to use high power. I recently bought a soup that included the cook time for a 1000W microwave, I can't…

A microwave only work with an on/off cycle. It runs on MAX for x seconds and off for y seconds. If you want 50% effect, it runs 5 seconds, then wait 5 seconds. Cooking it on low is just letting the food distribute the heat naturally for a while, instead of building up an energy bubble that will expload in steam. So low effect is good. It's still max effect but on half the time. When cooking oatmeal porridge I usually…

Cheap ones, anyway. Expensive models sometimes have an inverter.
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