The approach I use is, boringly, to use a computer monitor and connect that to a hub that I control. Its not elegant but its easy to control.
Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
621–630 of 1001 posts
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#622"just don't connect it to the internet" is such a typical HN response that completely misses the point. A smart TV with no internet connection is still a smart TV. It still has an entire operating system that needs to load wifi, ethernet, Bluetooth, usb driver stacks. It still has an awful, flashy interface that adds unnecessary steps between changing inputs. It still tries to load god knows what apps every time you…
so, a monitor
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#623"just don't connect it to the internet" is such a typical HN response that completely misses the point. A smart TV with no internet connection is still a smart TV. It still has an entire operating system that needs to load wifi, ethernet, Bluetooth, usb driver stacks. It still has an awful, flashy interface that adds unnecessary steps between changing inputs. It still tries to load god knows what apps every time you…
This, so much this... Smart TVs are slow sluggish trash.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#624"just don't connect it to the internet" is such a typical HN response that completely misses the point. A smart TV with no internet connection is still a smart TV. It still has an entire operating system that needs to load wifi, ethernet, Bluetooth, usb driver stacks. It still has an awful, flashy interface that adds unnecessary steps between changing inputs. It still tries to load god knows what apps every time you…
I prefer to purchase my own smarts for tv too.
There are fewer and fewer non smart tvs that have a baseline of quality.
It’s reasonably easy to not turn on the smart features at all, and leave it possible for software updates for the photo, or other operational tweaks.
As for difficult input changes I haven’t about those in a very long time since a harmony hub or something similar can handle that and anything else needed pretty trivially. Smart TVs also come with apps that make input changes one click.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#625TCP/IP over HDMI exists and is in use. You cannot just "not connect your TV" because if you connect to ROKU which is connected to the Internet, your TV can access the internet. Source: I bought a TV a few years ago, and it somehow popped up an ad even though I didn't connect it to my WiFi. Did some research, and that's how I found out.
Isn't Roku itself full of telemetry, content tracking, and ads? Used to have some housemates with a Roku and it was painful.
As far as HDMI over TCP/IP, I actually tried to get a TV online once via a Roku and Ethernet over HDMI but it didn't work. Where you able to confirm this? My issue might been my TV's fault though. Seems like something Roku would want to disable anyway since they have no incentive to get your Smart TV online and would probably prefer if it wasn't.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#626I'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
Do yours have speakers? Because the problem with "industrial" displays I looked at was they were just that: displays. Not everything you might expect from a TV, like speakers.
You’re correct, unfortunately our displays don’t have speakers.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#627"just don't connect it to the internet" is such a typical HN response that completely misses the point. A smart TV with no internet connection is still a smart TV. It still has an entire operating system that needs to load wifi, ethernet, Bluetooth, usb driver stacks. It still has an awful, flashy interface that adds unnecessary steps between changing inputs. It still tries to load god knows what apps every time you…
so, a monitor
TVs have decent built-in speakers, a remote, probably more inputs, antenna/cable tuners, and a focus on large sizes, while not being so optimized for low-latency input.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#628Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#629"just don't connect it to the internet" is such a typical HN response that completely misses the point. A smart TV with no internet connection is still a smart TV. It still has an entire operating system that needs to load wifi, ethernet, Bluetooth, usb driver stacks. It still has an awful, flashy interface that adds unnecessary steps between changing inputs. It still tries to load god knows what apps every time you…
My smart TV (not connected to the internet) is just a monitor - it switches on, detects the HDTV signal, and shows it. I'm not aware of any awful flashy interface (I think there is an advert for the manufacturer before it syncs to the HDMI connection - 4 big red letters). That's it. Personally I can live with that. In fact I was considering getting an 8K version of the same to replace the 3 4k monitors I have.
Which brand, and is it a cheap one? Cause I know some expensive ones aren't sluggish, but I'm not paying for that.
Re: Ask Wirecutter: Can you recommend a not-smart TV for me?
#630Earlier quoted context omitted.
What TV takes minutes to turn on?
My smart tv is set to turn on and switch to the Apple TV when the Apple TV wakes from sleep. The tv turns on in about a second, waits for a few seconds, and then waits five seconds to switch to the Apple TV.
Same except mine goes black a few times trying to negotiate with the HDMI source. Whole process from turning on my TV to watching something on it takes 1-2 minutes.