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Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

nytimes.com

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Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#321

Post by aidenn0 »

> “Any TV worth buying is very likely going to ask to connect to your Wi-Fi, and that’s been the case for many years now,” he says. “If you can find one manufactured recently that isn’t smart, I don’t know that I would trust it to be worth what you’re paying for it, because it’ll likely be missing several other salient features that you may actually want, like Bluetooth compatibility, HDR functionality, built-in channel scanning, or the ability to auto-label and optimize devices by HDMI input.”

I literally need zero of these things:

1: BT, auto-labeling HDMI inputs: My receiver does these

2: built-in channel scanning: I live in a valley and can reliably pull in 0 channels

3: HDR functionality: This would be nice for future-proofing, but I don't own any HDR content.

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#322

Post by riceart »

kjsthree wrote: post #161
pupdogg wrote: post #133

I've designed and built many such TVs for the commercial/industrial vertical. I am currently working on developing such a TV for the consumer market and launching it under the name DUMBO.TV Let me know your thoughts. Reference pix of 70" industrial display using Samsung LCD panel and in-house LCD controller with physical OSD menu buttons along with IR/RS232 control capability: https://imgur.com/a/k6zrH3s

Keep us updated. I'd likely pay 2x what I payed for my LG C2 for a "dumb" version. Even if just to support such a project.

But would you pay 2x for an industrial panel? These panels might last longer at brighter drive outdoors and in well lit areas but they won’t look anywhere near as good as a consumer OLED for viewing movies and gaming because of both panel and processor. Seems like a different (and wrong for this use case) set of priorities. My OLED LG CX is not on the network - the UI is - it’s fine, I haven’t found the LG UI to be too laggy which is a pet peeve - certainly not annoying enough to throw the amazing panel out.

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#323

Post by dymk »

xattt wrote: post #112
ed25519FUUU wrote: post #2

The approach I’ve taken is to just keep my TV off the internet (never join a WiFi network) and make it smart via an Apple TV, which I personally believe to have the strongest privacy protection of any smart TV device. Another bonus is my TV UI hasn’t changed despite changing and upgrading TV brands.

If this is the way that new TVs will be used, Ethernet-over-HDMI will see a comeback from the dead like nobody’s business!

I doubt Apple would be allowing unfettered ethernet access through the apple TV, privacy is kind of their shtick

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#325

Post by cortesoft »

NoraCodes wrote: post #278

This article misses the point. I desperately want a non-smart TV because I don't want to deal with the absolute mess that is smart TV software. I want to have a TV with a nice panel, a basic OSD that lets me switch inputs and set up color/HDR profiles, and that's it .

My main issue with smart TVs is how long they take to turn on. I just want it to turn on and off in under a second.

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#327

Post by joshchaney »

Amazing that their budget recommendation is the Roku TV. I can tell you from experience if you don't connect them to Wi-Fi there is an LED that will constantly blink on the bottom front of the TV, with no way to disable in software. So unless you like your TV with an electrical tape aesthetic, I would avoid Roku TV's.

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#328

Post by dllthomas »

lagrange77 wrote: post #256
pupdogg wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, going to take care of that. Thanks for the heads up. I really looked that one over...didn't think too much of it as the domain was available. It's hard to do anything the easy way nowadays!

How about IDIOT? Edit: Damn, there is 'IOT' in it.

The IDIOT TV IDs the viewers with IOT technology :D

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#329

Post by muyuu »

pupdogg wrote: post #220
schappim wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're going to want to change that name... Disney... They have the class 9 Trade Mark for Dumbo, and call out: "television sets;"[1][2]. [1] https://search.ipaustralia.gov.au/trademarks/search/view/115... [2] https://files.littlebird.com.au/Shared-Image-2023-04-08-06-5...

Yes, going to take care of that. Thanks for the heads up. I really looked that one over...didn't think too much of it as the domain was available. It's hard to do anything the easy way nowadays!

maybe something like dumb.box ? I think the .box suffix might be very appropriate, something like brainless.box or whatever, I know it's unconventional though, perhaps .tv is better

Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?

#330

Post by fghsqwads »

shrike wrote: post #105
AlexAltea wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This already happens with Nespresso coffee machines (they have an SIM that connects to the Internet, whether you want it or not). That day is already yesterday.

Wow, they sure do. Page 29 of the user guide for the Nespresso Zenius says - This coffee machine is equipped with M2M (Machine to Machine) techology which may be activated in due time with your agreement. Thanks to a SIM card already integrated in the machine, such network connections will offer new services (subject to further terms and conditions) to its customers and improve the after sales process by automaticall…

Now I want a used one just to rip open and find the SIM card.

I wonder if I can use it for mobile data.

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