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Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

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Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#81

Post by mattnewton »

cmckn wrote: post #69

Look, I think it’s a legitimate question, and I’m not thrilled about most “smart” TV operating systems. But why pigeonhole your search like this? You will almost certainly end up with a worse actual display, which is what you’re spending the money on in the first place. Just buy a nice panel and disable as much of the smarts as you can—-it’ll be fine. Android TV is the best option out there, in my opinion; and it’s w…

I put a premium on my time to find and disable all the features I don't want, (especially with reports of things like the Samsung TVs connecting to any open wifi without being configured to do so), so I don't mind spending extra to avoid this.

If I don't vote with my wallet how can I hope to be able to buy what I want in the future?

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#83

Post by ARandumGuy »

SamuelAdams wrote: post #24
jimjams wrote: post #2

Just don't connect it to the network or agree to any of the license clickthroughs, it can't do things behind your back then. HDMI and the RF tuner can still work fine.

HDMI cables now come with 10/100 Ethernet built in. So it could connect via your devices connection. So pay attention to the hdmi cable you use.

Are there any examples of TVs doing this, or is this just a hypothetical?

There are some TVs that will try to connect to the internet via non-obvious means (Samsung TVs were mentioned elsewhere in this thread). TV manufacturers aren't spy agencies though. They're not going to put in that much effort to sneak an internet connection, when most users willingly connect their TVs to WiFi anyway. If I can't find an article about a given TV sneaking in an internet connection, I would be pretty confident that it doesn't.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#84

Post by ff317 »

Sceptre has been my favorite. They're not the most-premium brand, but I've been buying them for years for home TVs and they're decent. They do make Android TV models, but they also continue to make non-smart models with 4K and other basic AV bells and whistles: https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV-category1category73.htm...

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#86

Post by jeffbee »

sam_lowry_ wrote: post #46

As many people said already in the comments, search for digital signage instead of TV. E.g. https://www.lg.com/us/business/digital-signage

These do not necessarily have the same video processors as actual TVs from the same manufacturers, so you might end up being disappointed in the picture quality, depending on your application.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#87

Post by dsr_ »

cmckn wrote: post #69

Look, I think it’s a legitimate question, and I’m not thrilled about most “smart” TV operating systems. But why pigeonhole your search like this? You will almost certainly end up with a worse actual display, which is what you’re spending the money on in the first place. Just buy a nice panel and disable as much of the smarts as you can—-it’ll be fine. Android TV is the best option out there, in my opinion; and it’s w…

If you would spend $20 more on a dumb device, spend that on a wifi router just for the TV - plug an ethernet cable into the TV's port, feed the credentials of a new network to the TV, whatever -- and don't connect that to the Internet. Put a label on it.

Now you have a smart TV which can whine all it wants, but can't phone home.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#88

Post by luluganeta »

cmckn wrote: post #69

Look, I think it’s a legitimate question, and I’m not thrilled about most “smart” TV operating systems. But why pigeonhole your search like this? You will almost certainly end up with a worse actual display, which is what you’re spending the money on in the first place. Just buy a nice panel and disable as much of the smarts as you can—-it’ll be fine. Android TV is the best option out there, in my opinion; and it’s w…

It's not even an issue of "picking your battles" or "voting with your wallet".

Whatever your position, OP is justified in not wanting (and looking for an alternative to) a potential surveillance device in their home.

Re: Ask HN: Are there any 4K “dumb” televisions?

#89

Post by jjoonathan »

khedoros1 wrote: post #53
squiffsquiff wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know that some devices essentially "require" network connectivity for initial setup? E.g. https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/tv/smart-tv-set-up-witho...

Yeah...mine shows a nag about not accepting the online agreements, connecting the TV to the network, etc. Hasn't stopped me from using it as a display for the inputs I was using on my previous non-smart TV.

Ew.
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