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

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

#881

Post by nilespotter »

TheBozzCL wrote: post #313
tonymet wrote: post #207

This is a big concern for the elderly. They have major challenges dealing with "smart" TVs and smart phones – due to complicated interfaces that are difficult to operate, hard to read, hard to interact with , slow to respond do. I see a huge business opportunity selling simplified consumer devices to the elderly. I'm surprised CES hasn't yet created a specific category or certification for elderly-friendly devices.

I've never seen a smart TV with objectively simple and good UI. LG's annoying menus and motion-controlled pointer are a good example of bad UI.

At least let me disable the motion-controlled pointer, good grief.

I will say though, I've only ever owned LG TVs since flat screens came out, and I've never had a problem with the "just don't connect it to the internet" strategy.

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

#882

Post by nilespotter »

httpz wrote: post #385
suprjami wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even without wifi, these TVs are full of slow garbage operating system, and I wouldn't be surprised if some vendor is making a TV which you must connect to the internet to use.

Even if the TV requires internet connection and the OS is garbage, once I set the input source to Chromecast, I never have to interact with the TV's OS.

Well for one thing, many of them run content recognition software and report back what you're watching, regardless of whether it's through the "smart tv" software, apple tv, chromecast, etc.

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

#883

Post by rolenthedeep »

htag wrote: post #722
SamWhited wrote: post #615

Wow, others have said it but they really missed the point. Most of it is just kind of annoying because they're missing the point, but this sentence really stuck out to me (snipped to only show the important parts, there's a bunch of stuff in the middle that's also annoying): "By connecting to the internet [you get] security and features updates". Did they seriously argue that you need to connect to internet, otherwis…

There are other attack vectors of a TV. For example, most TVs have a usb. Imagine an attack in which an attacker gains physical access to your TV and loads malware onto your TV via USB. Now the infected TV is communicating with a nearby WIFI hotspot to upload the audio recordings from the TV's microphone (that exists for voice commands). I think the TV is malware out-of-the-book if connected to a network connection.…

1. There's no defense against an attacker with physical access

2. The malware you're describing is the main argument against smart TVs. It's installed by the manufacturer, at the factory, and receives regular updates. No third party attacker required.

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

#884

Post by pupdogg »

tmm wrote: post #613
pupdogg wrote: post #568

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very good and comprehensive list. Thank you! Our industrial displays already have most of your "must-haves," except for three: 1. Professional color calibration - this is doable, but it adds significant cost. When referring to color calibration, it is not the typical marketing gimmick used for consumer displays, but instead something equivalent to what you would get with Sony's BVM-HX310 reference monitor.…

Color calibration - I'm not entirely sure what would be involved here, TBH. "Professional" in this context would be what a pro home AV installer[1] would look for, not what a Hollywood color grader would need. TV Tuner - Yes. An ATSC tuner with a COAX antenna input that can auto-scan for receivable channels. If this isn't feasible anymore, then I guess the HDMI input doesn't need ARC. Connectors - looking at your pho…

FYI, this is our current OSD structure: https://imgur.com/xNnsjwT. If you look at the "User Color", it lets you set independent gain/offset for each color channel. You can also select one of the predefined "Color Balance" options between Warm, Normal, Cold, or sRGB. The sRGB option arranges the panel color to the sRGB gamut. Additionally, you can set the Gamma curve between 1.8 all the way up to 2.2. I hope this information helps.

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

#885

Post by eertami »

katbyte wrote: post #878
Koshkin wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But isn't a dumb TV + Apple TV pretty much the same as a smart TV? (I know, you avoid dealing with two "smarts," but still...)

Apple TV has no ads. Many (most?) smart tvs are full of them or tracking software

Why do you think Apple aren't tracking your usage of Apple TV, while assuming other smart devices are?

iPhones are still spying on you, even if you tick the box to disable sharing of device analytics[0][1].

[0]: https://gizmodo.com/apple-iphone-analytics-tracking-even-whe...

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JxvH80Rrcw

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

#886

Post by pupdogg »

elkos wrote: post #732
pupdogg wrote: post #667

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In that case, I would say that color calibration is very easy to accomplish and having the connectors facing down is something I was already planning to do. Our industrial displays are typically mounted 15-20ft in the air, so customers have an easier time accessing them from the side while on their lift. As for outdoor TVs, that's a whole other Pandora's box, but yes, we also make those displays, mainly for digital b…

That circular display is amazing

Thank you! What you see in there is a WebGL creative put together using ThreeJS running at 60FPS on a RaspberryPi with a custom/frameless Chromium build. This was back in 2017, and I can only imagine what someone can accomplish nowadays!

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

#888

Post by crazygringo »

snvzz wrote: post #602
crazygringo wrote: post #516

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is total unfounded speculation unless you have evidence for it. Do you? There's been an urban legend going around for years that smart TV's automatically connect to unsecured wifi but nobody's ever been able to demonstrate it a single time. (Probably their kid had connected it intentionally or something.) So you might be conflating that urban legend with Amazon's network of Ring devices. But that's extremely low…

>There's been an urban legend going around for years that smart TV's automatically connect to unsecured wifi but nobody's ever been able to demonstrate it a single time. (Probably their kid had connected it intentionally or something.) Your neighbours' smartTV might take on an AP role for yours. There's no escaping the ads and tracking with these devices.

But again, that's total speculation.

You say "there's no escaping" and yet there is. Just don't connect the wi-fi. And done. You've escaped.

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

#889

Post by yencabulator »

rolenthedeep wrote: post #376

"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 older-generation-smart TV remote now has booby trap buttons that when pressed lead to apps trying to start for 15-30 seconds before timing out, because the TV is not network connected. They are some of the most prominent buttons on the remote, and e.g. right next to the on/off button. I'd be happier without them.

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

#890

Post by Terretta »

voltagex_ wrote: post #595
Terretta wrote: post #396

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is when HD video standards evolve (DV, HDR10), or bugs are found, etc., as well as handling things like VRR or lip-sync. Unless you externalize smarts to e.g. HDFury VRRoom (strongly recommend), these panels need some smarts, regardless.

$549USD - more expensive than some people's TVs.

Sort of the point. This tech is necessary somewhere for a lot of uses of TV panels. Make a panel dumb enough, cheap enough, it loses capabilities of displaying Netflix's highest quality or supporting Xbox Series X and PS5 or less a gaming PC.
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