The "smart"TV dilema

Hello folks,
I need to upgrade my main screen where I watch all the content from my HTPC, running EOS.
I have a 24"Dell monitor hooked to it, and this is all the “TV” I have in the house. Now, that I finished all the house renovation and invited friends over, the 24"screen is small for us all watch whatever.
Now, the dilema I have is the whole smart TV thing. Why I need to buy a so called smart device, when that device is built to spy on users and struggles to do all the smart thingy.
The ideea that a device has to do everything is ridiculous. Badly implemented apps and features,lagging and spying.

Seriously, this so frustrating, finding a TV, as a display, without the smart features.
So now, what options one has?
Buy a larger monitor? Prices for displays rocketed, as the whole hardware price market.

Buy a “dumb” TV - digital signaling TV is what they are called, but this is industrial, enterprise level price range.

Buy a smart TV and not connecting it to the internet, and deal with lagging menus and crappy OS?

What are your opinions?

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Buy a smart tv and just never connect it to the internet. It remains an app-less “dumb” device.

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Dont connect he TV to the internet. That is how I do it.

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There is a brand, Sceptre I think it’s called. But no avalaibility in EU.
And yes, the quickest, cheapest option is to buy a smart TV and dumb it down. I’ll go even further, take it apart and remove the microphone and camera.
I am amazed how we came to accept all this as the norm.

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Yes, that is the most disturbing thing of all disturbing things ever. How acceptant people are of their abusers.

I think people would even accept being exterminated, as long as it is done comfortably. “Oh there are snacks and beer? Sure, turn on the gas, I don’t mind… By the way, do you have any nacho dip for those pretzels? Thanks!”

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So smart!!!111 :astonished:
i can’t stand it.

You may still benefit from some “smart” features of the TV. Streaming video from your computer over home LAN is nice, also a connection to NAS is nice (for example through KODI on android TV if it cannot do it directly). You just have to block the TV so it doesn’t access WAN.

You won’t have much luck finding a TV without all those internets bloatware. A way back I was looking for a TV screen (like 60" display) without TV tunner (you have to pay for a sort of broadcast receiving licence fee in the Czech Republic if you have a device capable receiving it no matter if you actually receive anything) and only thing I was able to find was categorised as PC display with 10-times price range.
Just a quick search on our largest retailer showed that “NEC MultiSync E657Q” may be sort of OK. It costs twice as much as common TV and there is no mention of any “smart” technology or any TV tunner in the specification - just a plain display.

Why all the complications if you can connect it directly to computer with DisplayPort / HDMI without ever compromising anything?

Because your computer/NAS may be in a different room and you don’t have 50m HDMI cable. Just one example.
I am not saying it’s the one and only way to do it. Just hinting if the function is already there you can benefit from it.

edit: Some people also don’t like cables everywhere so you can use some of that wifi magic.

To add more clarity to the thread.
The display, TV or whatever it will be connected to the HTPC who, by means of Jellyfin, and other software can do all the smart TV stuff.
Also, the streaming services are present by using a browser, a real tweaked desktop browser.
So, the screen will just display the information sent by the HTPC. I just don’t want the Android TV BS in my TV/room.

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If you cannot find a monitor perhaps it is worth considering a projector instead. Large picture and no smart features. Most should let you connect a htpc.

It’s a horror, every crap must necessarily have an internet connection built in.

A few days ago a friend showed me his new electronic soap dispenser that has alexa built in. So he says “alexa, soap please” so something comes out of it. When I asked him what that was about and that I didn’t have to talk to my electronic soap dispenser to get soap but just put my hand under it, he just looked at me in amazement.

Back to topic…
I am using a SmartTV that is also connected to the internet. But he must first ask my pihole if he wants to connect somewhere and the pihole does not allow him much.

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Why is that a horror? The internet connection is always optional. If you do not want your TV or your coffee machine to be smart you should connect it to your WLAN. It is as simple as that. Sorry, but I guess I do not get the point of this whole thread.

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IMO, this is the only real option if you want a quality TV.

I am not aware of any decently performing TV made in the last few years that doesn’t include smart features at some level.

That being said, they don’t all have laggy menus. The only TVs I have with slow menus are the ones that ship AndroidTV with an underpowered SoC.

As a side note since you are looking for a TV, be aware that not all TVs have tuners in them. If you are planning to get OTA broadcasts from something other than your HTPC it is something to watch for.

This perhaps seems reasonable if it were true but far too often your entire device stops or refuses to function if you do not permit it to access the internet. A lot of them will not even pass the initial setup without an internet connection.

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I have to say that I can’t say I have tried every TV brand in the world but I have certainly tried all the major brands in my country and I have never seen a TV that wouldn’t initialize without an internet connection. I have seen some complain about it, but never refuse to start.

Which TV have you seen that refuses to function without an internet connection?

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I was not specifically talking about televisions but commenting on

As for TVs I have not yet come across one which required a connection (but I have certainly seen ones which will prompt you to connect every time you turn it on if you have not).

As for devices requiring an internet connection the most recent acquisition I made was an Nvidia Shield which required an internet connection (and a Google account) to be able to pass the initialization process and use the device.

Last year I purchased some led strips and light bulbs which required a constant internet connection to function (despite being controlled over local network). Block their outside access and they stop working. Why do these devices need to phone home?

Another example is my Samsung printer which will not print without being able to phone home. Absolute privacy invasion and zero reason it should require this.

My last example is a bit iffy because it’s been years and I’m not sure if there was a way around it but I believe my past two Xiaomi phones (Mix 2 and Mix 3) both required me to log in to a Xiaomi account to use the phone. The alternative is of course to replace the rom but to unlock the device you 100% need a Xiaomi account and an internet connection.

Gaming consoles should receive an honorable mention here. I’m quite confident I had to log in to a Microsoft account to use the Xbox (been a few years). I’m also quite confident a lot of titles require an internet connection despite being single player games. Absolutely ridiculous that I need to connect to the internet to play a SP video game on a console in my own home.

As I said I have not yet encountered a TV which required an internet connection but I would be surprised if TVs do not follow the route of the smart phone.

Edit: I know I come across as a bit of a negative person here. I am not against devices having the option to connect and offer cool features but I wish it was up to me whether I wanted them or not rather than being a requirement. Smart lightning for example can be quite a nice feature but not if it leaves the local network and If I spend £70 on a video game I should be able to play it anytime I want.

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BTW: My personal solution is to simply not connect the TV to the Internet. I stream everything I wanna watch from my phone using a Chromecast.

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A kinda lesser popular opinion - Look through some brick and mortar stores and see if they have old stock from the companies that are less popular nowdays (they aren’t popular probably because they didn’t follow the “smart tv” suit early on). Over here, during 2018-2019, you could go to a local electronics store and they often had a piece or two from brands like Sansui or Onida. Not sure if the case still holds. I haven’t gone out much since Covid came.

There’s this “non smart” tv. But as someone said on this thread, you aren’t going to get much display quality on non smart tv now. The TV at our home is similar to this in specs and price and thankfully its a recent buy so we are safe from the “smart” drama for some years. But I’m sure we won’t find a non smart TV when we decide to upgrade

PS. Sansui and Onida both have caught on to the smart tv bandwagon now.

I couldn’t find a ‘non-smart’ TV either - so I bought a Sony (Android TV). At least you can choose which apps to run on it, and most of the settings you would care about are accessible…

Oh - and the router setup blocks a lot of potential contacts!

I don’t know what they would learn from hockey and baseball games either :grin: