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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?

#291

Post by lodovic »

8note wrote: post #107
jjoonathan wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why does (consumer) monitor tech always seem to lag TV tech by a few years? It looks like the situation is still that in the 4k OLED space there are a few ~$4000+ monitors and dozens of ~$1000 TVs. Per the pcpartpicker link, maybe the Gigabyte FO48U will change that, but it's still out of stock. Besides, I feel like this has happened before with HDR and 4k and IPS. First it shows up in TVs, a year later it is cheap i…

Monitors are built for being an arm's length away. TVs are built for being several yards away. The pixel density changes accordingly

There are monitors built specifically for digital signage, these have the same specs as large TVs but no tuner or adware.

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

#292

Post by [deleted] »

bmitc wrote: post #140
haunter wrote: post #32

4K monitors. You need a soundbar though or some kind of audio setup + remote. Also no built-in tuner or such but I assume you get a set top box from your service provider or use a streaming device (Apple TV, Fire stick etc.) 4K OLED https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P=7 4K IPS https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P=2 4K VA https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P…

4K OLED monitors are insanely expensive. You can get an LG 65" OLED TV for $1,800. The OLED computer monitors I have seen start at $4,000.

[deleted]

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

#294

Post by femto113 »

haunter wrote: post #32

4K monitors. You need a soundbar though or some kind of audio setup + remote. Also no built-in tuner or such but I assume you get a set top box from your service provider or use a streaming device (Apple TV, Fire stick etc.) 4K OLED https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P=7 4K IPS https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P=2 4K VA https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#r=384002160&P…

Another approach is to look not for things advertised as "monitors" but instead look for "digital signage"[1]. Nowadays most of these contain some networking features but they'll be oriented at local control (i.e. by you via something on your LAN), not some third-party control center accessed via the internet.

Anecdotally this is the approach I took ~20 years ago when buying a (then slightly exotic) plasma flatscreen from Panasonic. It is still working flawlessly today, though I keep hoping it will die so I can guiltlessly replace it with something newer/bigger/higher-resolution.

[1] A random example https://www.usa.philips.com/p-p/86BDL3050Q_00/signage-soluti...

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

#295

Post by scoopertrooper »

beagle3 wrote: post #256
jzymbaluk wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would the TV phone home if it's not connected to the internet?

Amazon had (perhaps still has) whispernet - a global coverage of cellular networks. It was used to download books to your kindle, essentially anywhere in the world, without having to have a local plan or WiFi. It was 2G iirc, enough for book download. Uploading a perceptive hash of what you are watching - e.g. a frame every few seconds - also fits on 2G speeds.

Whispernet is dead from what I understand. As countries began shutting down 3G networks, Amazon was no long able to get connectivity at a price point where it was economically feasible.

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

#296

Post by pwdisswordfish9 »

yholio wrote: post #275
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…

To second this advice, I have a 4 year old 75" Sony Bravia that I did not connect to the internet in any way, despite being an Android device. I have updated the firmware using the instructions on the Sony website, downloaded a package, extracted on a USB stick and let the TV boot on that. Figured it's best to have an up to date operating system for bug fixes, security updates, file format support etc. Never intend t…

What do you need security updates for if you don’t connect it to the Internet?

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

#297

Post by thayne »

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…

If nothing else, it's one more thing in the TV that can break down, and probably add a little bit to the energy consumption of the TV. And if the trend continues, how long until your TV doesn't work at all unless it is connected to the internet?

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

#298

Post by WaitWaitWha »

Try Sceptre 65" 4K UHD LED TV, or Samsung QB65R.

I have started to see first industrial then consumer devices with embedded SIM cards towards the end of 2000. They were soldered in, now mostly socketed. To access them, the device had to be disassembled, and connect SPI header.

No average consumer will think to or able to disable or avoid using that.

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

#299

Post by m00x »

snerbles wrote: post #265
goatcode wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this is an argument that all TVs are smart TVs, then all TVs with an IR control input device are smart TVs (because universal remotes).

IR is line-of-sight, and the receiver can be blocked with a small piece of electrical tape.

Same for bluetooth, just build a faraday cage around your TV and you're good!

/s

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

#300

Post by rodgerd »

FearlessNebula wrote: post #232
Benjammer wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have seen stories of smart TVs doing active scans for any unsecured wifi network in range, then connecting and phoning home without ever informing the user or showing anything in the menus. Is that a real thing?

Not only this, but how long until they start including a cheap modem and paying for their own cellular connectivity?

That's part of the push for 5G - the idea that it becomes much easier to have many more devices, hence you can drop a modem anywhere.
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