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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?

#191

Post by cgriswald »

bo1024 wrote: post #137

Summing up the main options and linking to some comments that mentioned them: * extra-large gaming monitors, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29383077 * Sceptre brand TVs (they can be purchased from Walmart) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29383298 * Projectors maybe, but 4k projectors are very expensive. (On the other hand, 1080p projectors look great in my opinion.) * Most big brands such as LG, Samsung, e…

Projectors require dark rooms; the less dark it is, the less contrast you'll see. I've got a 1080p projector on a wall at 100" and it looks fantastic. But it's in my bedroom and I use it only at night. I imagine for most people's living rooms, especially for daytime viewing, a projector won't work.

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

#192

Post by justinlloyd »

Look in to the hospitality line of NEC, LG & Samsung which costs a little more but are universally dumb. Lots of input options, but none of the smart features or network connectivity unless you actively plug an ethernet cable in to the ethernet port that some of the models have which permit you to control the TV or send video over TCP.

I have a 4K Dell 55" which is really a Samsung panel.

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

#193

Post by jjoonathan »

uyt wrote: post #162
14 wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Any worries of “burn in”? I read the risk of using one as a monitor is that with a computer there is often static images like your task bar. Those can burn into the screen permanently where as if it is just tv the image often changes. Shows like news often have a bar at the bottom and was warned those too can cause burn in. Curious what your experience has been? Thanks

I used to have the Acer B326HK (32 inch 4k) which is marketed as a monitor and it still had really bad burn in

Isn't that IPS though?

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

#194

Post by squarefoot »

squiffsquiff wrote: post #17
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.

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...

Not just that. Broadband connection for things will become so cheap in the future that it could become essentially free one day so it can be subsidized by the businesses depending on it. 5G aside, It is believable that in a few years most home broadband routers, even tightly closed ones, could open a channel anyway using a fraction of the bandwidth for exclusive use by devices so that only closed source drivers will be able to instruct WiFi chips to see and use it. The catch being that there won't be any means of preventing the TV or other devices from going online, short of opening them and removing physically the network hardware. I believe we badly need alternative (Open Source, auditable, trustworthy) operating systems for smart TVs too. Next will be cars, fridges, etc. Pretty much everything.

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

#195

Post by jjoonathan »

Hamuko wrote: post #190
jjoonathan wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That wouldn't explain the delay, and do they really expect to sell $3000 of ads per customer? I have doubts.

They get money from the ads, they get money from selling your usage data, they get money by selling space on the remote for streaming apps, and probably through some other means as well.

Sure, but my intuition says they might get a few hundred dollars that way, tops. Is my intuition off by an entire order of magnitude?

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

#196

Post by criddell »

TulliusCicero wrote: post #157
8note wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't expect that to stop tracking or inserting ads. Those are the key features for Google products

How would they do these things if you never give the device wifi access?

Built-in cell modem that can only call home?

Also, Amazon and other companies are building out networks of their wifi devices. I assume at some point they will start selling access to other companies. So, even if you decline to set up wifi, the appliance might be able to get online through your neighbor's doorbell.

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

#197

Post by alx__ »

cronix wrote: post #173

All TV's are dumb tv's if you only use them as an external display/monitor and don't connect them to the net. I have a dedicated computer for a media center and just use HDMI1 input on the TV. Never enter menus. Never update the OS. Never agree to anything. Never let the TV "phone home." Never set up wifi. Never connect a CAT5 to it. Set the input using the remote and forget it. Treat it as a dumb monitor. Computer i…

Yes, the key being never let it connect to the internet

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

#198

Post by jancsika »

How about the shitty Sceptre specials from Walmart?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-50-Class-4K-UHD-LED-TV-U5...

> Let's you view your pictures as a slideshow or listen to your favorite music via the USB port. Just insert your flash drive into the USB port for the ultimate entertainment.

I'm pretty sure this is the one I have. But even if it's not, the fact they're advertising playing music via USB flash as the "ultimate entertainment" tells me this is not a smart tv.

Enjoy.

Edit: Oops, looks like it's out of stock. But you can probably find others if you just look for the shittiest 4k you can find. (You'll probably need to wait a bit as black friday probably annihilated the stock in this class of dumb tv.)

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

#199

Post by dragonwriter »

jjoonathan wrote: post #108
brtkdotse wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TV manufacturers can offset the lower price by selling ads to show you on your “smart” tv

That wouldn't explain the delay, and do they really expect to sell $3000 of ads per customer? I have doubts.

> That wouldn’t explain the delay

That and expected maximum market size (or, more precisely, expected shape of the demand curve) do, I thimk, explain the delay, and higher price even before considering subsidy from advertising/data revenue, because there are fewer units to amortize fixed per-design production line costs across.

4K OLED laptops are more available and at a much smaller premium, perhaps because people buy a lot more laptops than desktop and larger monitors.

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

#200

Post by ansible »

jjoonathan wrote: post #159
iypx wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe in the high-end only? Speaking of low to mid end tvs, the ones I saw on display in local shops, they were just overpriced junk.. Even though it's smaller, I installed my 7? year old 24" benq fhd e-ips monitor as a tv for my parents. $120 + $20 for the cheapest 2.1 sound (I think 2x10W + sub), cranked the bass much higher than advised, put the speakers behind the monitor and the sub on the floor + ISP tv box wit…

The panels have the advertised resolution, but yes, for "smart" TVs you always have to figure out how to turn off the gross sharpening/compression filters that they use to win the Great Best Buy Screensaver Battle. It can be done, though, and certainly if the manufacturer wanted to omit them in a monitor offering it could.

Two of the most important settings:

Game mode. This turns off most/all the image processing, which greatly increases the lag.

Overscan. Also turn it off. This zooms in the picture a little to crop out artifacts around the edge.

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