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Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

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Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#191
post #144

This is why large monitors are so expensive, because they aren't subsidized by the ads large TVs force upon their users for the most basic usage. But if you can afford it, there are 40+" 4k and 8k monitors to which you can plug AppleTV/Chromecast/a small PC with a budget discrete graphics card. Or you can get a conference projector if no monitor on the market meets your size needs.

> because they aren't subsidized by the ads That's a myth, even if subsidies do exist. Monitors were always more expensive than similar size TVs because they have better specs, more features, and longer warranty. Linus Tech Tips on the subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWH1zXmFgl8 1997 Baltimore Sun article about this: https://archive.ph/mhxET

The technical advantages of monitors are valid reasons for higher cost (refresh rate, response time, color accuracy, gsync/freesync), but as mentioned in the video itself, TVs do have enough tech that monitors don't to offset those differences (size+resolution, brightness uniformity, OLED/curved/thinness options), so it should be a wash.

However, the video you linked doesn't really address the advertisement subsidy point at all (I searched the transcript for any references to make sure), so it isn't really an argument that the ad-subsidy is a myth. Plenty of reporting and discussion and evidence that traditional TV advertising industry (untargeted cable/broadcast ads) is declining in revenue, but the overall TV ad industry revenue is growing (share taken up by smart TV and streaming service ads) is going up. Streaming services absolutely use platform data where they can access it (ie smart TVs). A 1997 article sounds like it would have no context whatsoever about the 2020 smart TV advertising landscape (very very different from traditional TV advertising).

Ad revshare is just so lucrative, especially for ~$0 cost/unit for the manufacturer that it pays for every smart feature and onboard computer and then some. The difference in cost for net-comparable features is still apparent — the cheapest monitor at size-resolution combo X with worst refresh rate/response time/color accuracy is still more expensive than the cheapest smart TV at X (roughly comparable features).

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#192
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sadly, Samsung is leapfrogging LG with QD OLED :-( Which is going to be better technology (brighter colors with OLED blacks) Owner of 2 LG OLEDs

> brighter colors How bright do you want them to be? Do you watch Netflix in a sun-lit room?

I think they mean more saturated colours? Though I suppose the current OLED TVs already support DCI-P3 and there is no bigger colourspace available for video content.

Edit: Actually, one thing that LG do is that they have a white pixel (RGBW layout) for the really high brightnesses required for HDR. This means colours get paler when the white pixel is used. This could be what they meant.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#193
post #7

Sceptre sells dumb TVs. Often these are available for order through Wal-Mart's web site.

Second this. I bought a 65" Sceptre TV a year or two ago for this exact reason, it works great, picture quality is awesome, and it was less than $600-700 IIRC. I plug in a chromecast for netflix etc but it's nice to know I can unplug it any time and just use HDMI if I want to.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#195
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> (I recommend LG over Samsung - Samsung TV has native undismissable ads from 2019 still) Wow you get ads even when you never connected it to the internet? That's really user hostile design. If I get a tv it'll be LG anyway because they do real OLED, not that Qled stuff that Samsung does.

Sadly, Samsung is leapfrogging LG with QD OLED :-( Which is going to be better technology (brighter colors with OLED blacks) Owner of 2 LG OLEDs

Really? I thought LG was pretty good. I'd have bought one already but I'm thinking about moving house and I don't want to have to deal with a fragile 55 or 65" TV. Also, I need the money for a downpayment.

I currently have a 32" LG LCD which I'm also pretty happy about. It's obviously no OLED and it's not 4K but for a cheap LCD it's pretty decent. I also love the serial control options (over USB) and I'm working to integrate it with Home assistant (so my screen will dim also when I dim the lights in the room).

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#197
I've just started shopping for a dumb TV/monitor that's 4K, HDR, maybe 35-55 inches, built-in good-enough speakers (like my 2009 Sony Bravia TV), power switch on&off based on HDMI from PS4/PS5 (for simplicity).

It'd be nice to find genuine, well-informed reviews of dumb-TVs, and an up-to-date holistic look at the current options. (Most of what I've found so far are sketchy SEO sites, farming random Amazon Affiliate kickbacks with low-cost content.)

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know them as 'digital signage' or 'hospitality tvs' and they do work for their intended use. But they're usually a lot more expensive than their consumer counterparts? My guess is they are either heavily subsidized and/or built to be powered ON 24/7?

The MFG make more money on selling ads to you than you pay for the TV.

This seems high to me. I'd love to see actual numbers on revenue from this type of TV ads.

Re: Ask HN: Is there a TV on the market without “Smart TV” features?

#200
post #114
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These products are designed not to rely upon DNS to serve the ad content, though.

If true, this is an excellent chance for white hat flooding. Knock, and keep that ip offline. With no way to change locationation(DNS), their little ad sceme won't work. Even better if it makes companies shy about using such methods.

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