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Ask Slashdot: Best Non-Smart TV Sets? (slashdot.org) 320

Posted by BeauHD from the needle-in-the-haystack dept.
williamyf writes: I have always been of the idea that my TV shall be non-smart, leaving the smarts to connected equipment (in my case my Synology NAS running Plex and a combination of Chromecasts and laptops do the trick). I think that most of my Slashdot brethren are of a similar persuasion. But, over the years finding decent non-smart TVs is becoming harder and harder, unless your are prepared to pay much higher prices for industrial/signage equipment, or are prepared to deal with slightly inferior specs and quality, or get an old (possibly second hand) set, or are prepared to do long, hard internet searches for that needle in the haystack (all slashdot readers can google, but here at least we can hear firsthand experiences from technically-minded people, and not fake-ish reviews).

In view of the recent story about Samsung TVs being bricked by a firmware update, I ask the Slashdot crowd to amass our collective knowledge and see: What TV makers make decent non-smart TV sets? Which are these sets?

Requirements: non-smart, no apps on the TV, no app on the smartphone, no nothing -- the dumber the better. OTA tuner optional. 1080p50/60 or higher (1333x768 was barely adequate in 2008, but KRAP in 2017). 16:9 or 21:9. From 35 inches (for the master bedroom) to 70 inches (for the middle class living room in an apartment complex). Real remote (not app in a phone) with at least volume up/down, input change and sleep function, plus all needed to configure the set. Lots of HDMI 2.0 (or higher) ports. A decent assortment of legacy ports (including component, composite, S-Video). HDR capable. Good build quality. Good price (Ideally slightly lower than similar smart TVs, since we are forgoing the hardware needed for the smart part, as well as the ongoing support cost for firmware updates). Good image quality. Decent warranties. Reputable manufacturers. Reputable sellers.
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Ask Slashdot: Best Non-Smart TV Sets? More

Ask Slashdot: Best Non-Smart TV Sets?

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  • bundle (Score:5, Funny)

    by mwfischer ( 1919758 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:05AM (#55082017) Journal

    let me know if there is a bundle with one of those with a unicorn. I would be interested as well.

    • I'd prefer one that comes with a barely-flying pegasus. Yellow with pink mane preferred. Shy if possible.

    • don't connect, don't enable, don't use. easy-peasy (Score:4, Informative)

      by swschrad ( 312009 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @01:21PM (#55084141) Homepage Journal

      do not enable wifi, do not connect cat-5, do not collect internet. it's that simple. if it worked out of the box, and can't get to the bad things, it should not become corrupted.

  • Stop looking for a TV (Score:5, Informative)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:08AM (#55082037)

    Look for a monitor instead. You won't get a handy remote, but if it's any better than 'crap' it'll go into standby after a minute or two without an input signal, and whatever you're using to drive the image will have its own remote anyway.

    • Re:Stop looking for a TV (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:33AM (#55082203)

      Yeah why didn't he just go buy a 70" monitor? What a dummy...

    • A product I would like to see is super thin TV panel with essentially the LCD only in the display module, with a thin ribbon cable to connect to a driver module/box which has the tuner, power supply, etc, sitting in my AV shelf next to my AVR. That would allow a flat wall mount directly against the wall with a very thin profile. Keeping speakers and other 'tronics' in the display housing just makes it thicker and requires more cooling space and ventilation, plus the extra standoff distance due to the standa

      • No matter what you do, you're running at least one cable (ideally in your wall for a nice clean look).

        It would be nice if that was omnibus cable that did everything, but there's also something to be said for using multiple standard cables... you can put up standard wall plates and connect to a new screen if you replace the existing one, for instance.

        I'd like to see a standard for recessed wall plates that can handle all the likely connectors and the required cable slack so you can have a truly flush-mounted

        • No matter what you do, you're running at least one cable (ideally in your wall for a nice clean look).

          It would be nice if that was omnibus cable that did everything, but there's also something to be said for using multiple standard cables... you can put up standard wall plates and connect to a new screen if you replace the existing one, for instance.

          I'd like to see a standard for recessed wall plates that can handle all the likely connectors and the required cable slack so you can have a truly flush-mounted screen. And a matching standard for the screens to have the most common connectors in the same position every time.

          If you only have the LCD portion in the display, there is nor reason or benefit to having multiple cables between it the the driver module. The driver module can have all the standard I/O connections you desire, and much more easily accessible. The ribbon cable (and there maybe be some signal/noise challenges with that I admit), with a flat connector would allow flush wall mounting (obviously you'd needs a hole in the wall behind it for cable to come through)

      • Re:Stop looking for a TV (Score:5, Informative)

        by Darryl Dale ( 2883167 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:59AM (#55082387)
        LG makes exactly what you're looking for: https://www.theverge.com/ces/2... [theverge.com]

        • LG makes exactly what you're looking for: https://www.theverge.com/ces/2... [theverge.com]

          Yes, that's pretty much it! I guess they must have heard my occasional mention of desire for this type of product for the last 5 years. Now they can just not do the soundbar thing and instead put that stuff in a no speaker shelf module, and they've hit the target.

          Thanks for the link.

    • Projector? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by pr0t0 ( 216378 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:57AM (#55082373)

      Some have suggested monitors, but if size is an issue and you having the lighting conditions for it, may I suggest a projector? Head over to Projector Central [projectorcentral.com] to check out what may work for you. With 30k hour lamp life, I like the LG PF1000U [projectorcentral.com] or PF1500 [projectorcentral.com].

      You could also drop Robert Heron [heronfidelity.com] a line and ask him. He's probably forgotten more about TVs than most of us could ever hope to know.

    • Look for a monitor instead.

      That's fine if you're willing to pay a 200-300% markup for fewer non-smart, but useful, features (such as remote control and receiving a TV signal).

      For those of us on Slashdot, smart or non-smart should not be an issue. If you don't want the smart features of the TV, block its MAC address at your firewall. Problem solved.

      • If you don't want the smart features of the TV, block its MAC address at your firewall. Problem solved.

        Or just never connect it to the Internet in the first place. If you're not using any of its features, you won't need any firmware updates anyway.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by tepples ( 727027 )

          Or just never connect it to the Internet in the first place.

          Enjoy staring at the activation screen instead of the picture coming in through the RF, composite, or HDMI source.

      • Why go through connecting it to your network, and then actively blocking it?

        Just don't set up any wireless / plug in any ethernet. Hey look, updates are disabled!

        And, if they included some ridiculous cellular connection just for updating, you're fucked anyway - don't buy it.

      • Unfortunately the "smart" software requires frequent updates. Not merely for security patches which are potentially moot with MAC blocking -- but for bugs which cause crashes or poor performance. I've had a Samsung for a few years, and they've stopped patching it; the final patch left me rebooting the TV daily, otherwise the video starts to stutter. I'd love a truly non-smart TV without the increased possibility of bugs.
    • That's what I did, gave my Sony TV away and bought a big monitor instead. It actually came with a remote, but the monitor is too stupid to send the remote signals to the rPi via HDMI, one thing I miss about the Sony, but it's something I can live with since about the only time I actually use the remote is to turn the monitor on. Volume etc. can all be controlled from the app on my phone / tablet.

  • Any TV you want (Score:5, Insightful)

    by FictionPimp ( 712802 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:09AM (#55082047) Homepage

    Buy any TV, do not connect it to your network and do not use any of the smart functionality. Boom instant regular old tv!

    • I wouldn't trust a smart TV to not connect to an open wifi. And while your wifi may not be open, doesn't mean your neighbor's aren't.

      • Re:Any TV you want (Score:5, Funny)

        by Waffle Iron ( 339739 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @10:02AM (#55082403)

        You can solve that problem with these simple steps:

        Get a large roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil, a roll of metalized HVAC duct-sealing tape, and the box that the TV came in.

        Cut the box cardboard to form a large pyramid over the screen to form a visor, and tape it to the TV. Now wrap the entire TV and the visor with the aluminum foil, and carefully seal all seams with the duct tape. For added security, you can also tape a piece of wire mesh over the opening of the visor.

        Now you can watch the TV by peering into the visor the same way Mr. Spock looked at his sensors. With absolutely no WiFi.

        • Re:Any TV you want (Score:5, Interesting)

          by Anonymous Brave Guy ( 457657 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @10:49AM (#55082769)

          You jest, but the idea that modern devices will start connecting to some sort of mesh network or using their own independent access to mobile/cell networks in order to phone home when you don't want them to and haven't given them access to your own network is disturbingly plausible.

          I saw a TV programme a while back about someone building their own home who was concerned about some of this, and so tried to build in what was basically a Faraday cage to prevent unwanted signals getting in or out. It did cut the signal by quite a bit, but not enough to stop the message getting through...

      • And if this generation of smart TVs doesn't do that, the next generation will. Your TV knows what's good for you, even if you are a bit confused.

    • Re:Any TV you want (Score:5, Interesting)

      by RavenLrD20k ( 311488 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @10:19AM (#55082489) Journal

      Smart TVs are getting to where they will leech onto any open WiFi signal they can attach to to pull down updates, even if you disable WiFi in the TV's settings. Not so bad when you're out in the middle of nowhere and tech savvy enough that you can just outright perform a block at your router against the TV's MAC address. On the other hand, if live in a neighborhood, apartment, or town-home community where everyone else is a grandmother with an open default network on the other hand and your TV will attach itself to the best signal that allows it to pull an IP.

      It's not even recent that TVs that have started doing this. I have an older Samsung directly wired into my network behind a pfsense firewall and have its WiFi disabled I also used to have an Open WiFi guest network available that logged all connections and also behind its own firewall rules. Guess what the TV would do? At about 2am every day it'd silently enable its WiFi and connect to that guest network in the hopes of pulling an update. IT's stopped since I found the buried setting that allows me to explicitly opt-out of automatic updates... but if I weren't as technically able and diligent, the TV would have been able to successfully connect to the update server nightly. Take your average user ability and blocking the TV from connecting is an exercise in futility.

      Welcome to the future.

  • I use a computer monitor with speakers, connected to a PVR.

    Speakers are a pair of USB powered 3.5mm jack cheapo jobbies. Volume is controlled through the PVR,

    The only "Smarts" are in the PVR, which the manufacturer has stopped shipping updates for, cos thier next all singing all dancing model was android based, and they seem to have moved the entire team across to develop craplets for that.

  • I think I once read something about searching for "display screens", i.e. for showrooms, airports, etc. Can't remember the specific name but I'm pretty sure won't put any "smart" crap in those.

    Be prepared to pay the price, though.

  • I have a Vizio "Smart" TV. I didn't plug-in an ethernet cable and didn't configure a WiFi router. It is set to HDMI1 and the remote control is used for nothing other than a power switch. So long as they don't make them "require" a network they can be used as a TV. It's a shame that you can't buy one without the smart features in exchange for lower price or more reliability.

    • I'd bet that the "smart" features come with a lower price because they're able to sell that information gathered by the "smart" or the advertising space available through the "smart" to other people besides you. Taking that away deprives the company who made the thing of another revenue stream, therefore you will need to pay more up front.

  • You need SmartTVs (Score:3)

    by 110010001000 ( 697113 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:15AM (#55082071) Homepage Journal
    I don't understand the hate for SmartTVs. You are worried about "snooping" and you use a Google Chromecast and Plex and Synology??? Give me a break. What is the difference between having a Smart TV or having closed source/hardware "smart" devices hooked up to them? If you don't want the "smart" features then don't hook them up or use them. Google is spying on you.

    • Re:You need SmartTVs (Score:5, Insightful)

      by PhYrE2k2 ( 806396 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:23AM (#55082141)

      The need is simple:

      1. The display panel and its HDMI ports will be the de-facto standard for the next 10+ years, much the same way televisions still have composite/component/s-video inputs despite no component built in the last 15 years using them

      2. The 'smart' feature will quickly become outdated and will lack long term support. A smart component based on the AndroidOS, for example, is unlikely to have security support or functionality many years down the road on the useful life of the television

      3. While once can replace/upgrade a $50 component connected to a HDMI port, few will seek to upgrade their television.

      4. Once such security support is gone, this network-connected television will see the real possibility of what's been going on (enabling cameras and microphones, privacy issues, etc)

      5. Not connecting the television to the network often sees the 'smart' feature interfere with normal operation including messages about not being able to check for updates, it being in the list of inputs, etc.

      6. As features evolve, you will now have two 'smart' devices (one in the TV and one that does what you want, such as adding H.264 decoders, etc) and this is unnecessary for (a) power consumption, (b) security, (c) user confusion, (d) user experience.

      In general, the 'smart' feature should always have been a module that, while it comes with the television and could be proprietary, should be upgradable and replaceable.

      • What you guys should worry about is closed hardware/software rather than any of those things.

      • In general, the 'smart' feature should always have been a module that, while it comes with the television and could be proprietary, should be upgradable and replaceable.

        I agree completely. A friend of mine has a "smart" TV. Comes to find out, it is really basically only a TV with a built-in chromecast. Although this is a step in the right direction, it would be much better if they just had a small compartment in the back and it came with an *actual* chromecast. That way, if it breaks or needs to be upgraded, it can be a quick swap.

      • 5. Not connecting the television to the network often sees the 'smart' feature interfere with normal operation including messages about not being able to check for updates, it being in the list of inputs, etc.

        Citation required. I've never seen a smart TV complain about being unable to get updates when not on a network. The only thing I've ever seen is a smart TV complain that the network went down while downloading an update.

      • 5. Not connecting the television to the network often sees the 'smart' feature interfere with normal operation including messages about not being able to check for updates, it being in the list of inputs, etc.

        If this is the crux of the issue, then get a recent LG 4K TV with HDR support, like the UH7700 series. Mine isn't connected to a network, and it doesn't complain. I think their OS is webOS, which uses the Linux kernel and a bunch of other open source. The open source is listed in the license attribution screen. All non-portable things in my house connected to a network are never connected over wifi so that I can more easily control the attack surface with a firewall. If it needs a network, it has to be an

  • Uh (Score:3)

    by mknewman ( 557587 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:16AM (#55082091)
    Buy a monitor. HDMI.

    • You say "Uh" as if it's obvious and easy, and a simple name means you get what you want.

      A "monitor" is often very different than a "TV". In terms of input, in terms of picture settings, in terms of panels and technology.

      Your simple recommendation is very limiting, especially if you want to, for example, watch TV.

  • Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick Any Two (Score:5, Informative)

    by Wolfstar ( 131012 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:21AM (#55082117)

    You're asking for everything in the world and asking for it cheap, and that's just not going to happen. Non-smart TVs yes have less hardware, but because they're made in much smaller quantities, they demand a premium.

    That said, look at the Vizio E-Series. the only "Smarts" it has is app controls and a built-in ChromeCast. The E-series comes with a regular remote with volume and input options (don't know about sleep, never bothered with sleeping a TV manually). 4k 60Hz refresh, HDR-capable. That's probably as close as you're going to get to what you want in 2017.

    • After what Vizio pulled recently with spying on their customers and collecting data on them without telling anyone [cnet.com] (me included), and then paying a paltry $2.2M fine, I'm going to have a hard time coming around to buying something they make again. And that's after putting up with the shoddy Vizio quality (horrible remote responsiveness, apps didn't work right, etc.)...

      • And Accuweather and others. You're the product!

        Legislation on consumer devices and software needs to be enacted to prevent this stuff from happening. Until then, intelligent firewalls, leaving devices "unplugged" and rigorous use of privacy settings are the only defense.

  • I just did and there's plenty of non smart TVs out there with the specs you're interested in. But as many have already stated, it doesn't matter. Just don't hook up your smart TV to the internet and you're golden.

  • PC Monitor (Score:4, Insightful)

    by DrYak ( 748999 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:21AM (#55082127) Homepage

    At that point, specially for the smaller TV screen sizes, you should also consider getting a huge PC Monitor.
    Which can give you a very high quality display at a decent size (but might be a bit over priced).
    But only llimited connectivity (usually 2 or 3 out of the list of usual suspects : Display Port, HDMI, DVI either pure digital or with combined analog and eventually legacy analog VGA)

    Then you can separately tack on everything you need.
    - multiple HDMI can be obtained by connecting a separate HDMI switch box. Some even have remote controls
    - OTA receiver (DVB-T or whatever it is called elsewhere out of europe) can be found as separate stand alone boxes.
    - tiny flat speakers built in the monitor (available usually as an extra option on most PC -monitors) will never beat the quality of a mid-to-high range PC multispeaker set, specially those which feature a decoding box (analog + SPDIF + Optical inputs)

    Then you can use either an IR-blaster on your favorite box (NAS, Chromecast, whatever) or even if your smartphone (or some old repurposed PDA) happens to have one with an appropriate app. Or get a complex programmable universal remote. So you can centralize the control of all these dozen of gadgets. Thus :
    - the remote is the only complex device.
    - if the remote is fried, you can still use all the other non-firmware-brickable devices by pushing their buttons (or trying to find where you put the dozen of specific remotes and find corresponding battery cells).
    - absolutely non of the above relies on any cloud stupidity. (nobody is going to hack you "over the air").

    The only drawback is the absolutely huge mess of cables of connecting all this disparate devices, and trying to fit everything nicely in cabinet.

    For bigger surfaces than largest PC monitors, consider projectors in your choice, with a similar "dump display + separate accessories" approach (so avoid the "professional" projectors geared toward meeting rooms, which tend to have wifi support and even an embed android able to display presentation directly from an USB stick. Just go for the dumb consumer projectors that only have DVI/HDMI).

    But the draw back is that projector currently don't support resolutions as high as monitors.

    The best long term advantage :
    when some function breaks or you want to upgrade, you only have 1 single accessory to upgrade (e.g.: by a new HDMI switch with even more ports) rather than changing the whole smarttv

    • - multiple HDMI can be obtained by connecting a separate HDMI switch box. Some even have remote controls

      No. God no. You lost me at the first point. The last thing I need is another box and another remote.

      Better suggestion. Buy a small smart TV and don't connect it to a network. That lone removes 3 boxes you suggest (several of which need their own power, have their own standby, and own remotes).

      • - multiple HDMI can be obtained by connecting a separate HDMI switch box. Some even have remote controls

        No. God no. You lost me at the first point. The last thing I need is another box and another remote.

        I got cheap (< 10USD) HDMI switch box for my TV that doesn't require power and automatically detects signals and switches based on port priority. No remote, although you can get one if you want - there are also buttons on the box to force it to a specific input. I currently have my XBox360 and Steam Link plugged in, and maybe the rPi.

  • I settled on a Hitachi Roku TV (Score:3)

    by hey! ( 33014 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:31AM (#55082185) Homepage Journal

    Where the "Smart TV" functionality was on a Roku "stick". I can just pull the stick out of the HDMI port and presto! Dumb TV.

    The Roku stick sucks, by the way. Although I find the Roku UI much better than Samsung's horrible smart TV system (which pops up alerts in the middle of stuff you're watching!) the problem is that stick is crashy, playback isn't as smooth as on an external box, and there's no Ethernet. I prefer not to clutter up my wi-fi networks with streaming media.

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by IhateMonkeys ( 874193 )
      Just bought a TCL Roku TV. 55" of 4k goodness for $399 on sale at Target. Its got plenty of inputs (3xHDMI 2.0, USB, Ethernet, and more), just no component video. The OS is quick smooth and easy to navigate. OTA setup is a breeze, it will even scan a cable connection for channels if you have "basic cable" that doesnt require a set top box. Removng undesirable channels is a simple as clicking a check box on the channel listing and boom they are gone. The remote is very simplistic. There are no numbered but

    • The Roku UI is great, but stick hardware is terrible. Get yourself a full-size Roku and you can have Ethernet support (get the right model) and a smooth experience. I've been using their hardware for at least 5 years now and I've never wanted anything else.

  • If you really want non-smart... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by GuB-42 ( 2483988 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:33AM (#55082197)

    It is a bit different than what you are asking but...
    A few years ago you could find cheap IPS 2560x1440 27" monitors from Korea. The Yamakasi Catleap was one of them. I don't know if you can find them anymore but they are certainly available used.
    These monitors were as dumb as a display can be. Single video input (DVI-D dual), a connector for the PSU, and 3 buttons : brightness up, down and power. That's all. No OSD, no scaler nor any kind of image processing, the graphics card has to take care of everything (which it does very well). A good thing is that because of the lack of complex processing on the monitor side, latency is very low.

  • Do they even make TVs configurable without the remote, no matter how frustrating 4 buttons makes the menu navigation?

    I have a Pioneer AV receiver and its remote quit. The remote has a zillion buttons and a bunch of functions can't be configured on the unit itself. A replacement identical remote has proved elusive, and the Harmony I bought seems only capable of controlling a subset of the features.

    It's made me think that a preferred feature of many AV devices would be configuration on the unit itself or mi

    • My secret has been to only use the OEM remotes for programming my cheap learning remote and put it in a closet. They're probably never going to wear out at this rate. I only get out the OEM remote for my A/V receiver occasionally (like first-time setup) and don't program most of the functions into the univeral.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • I don't get it (Score:3)

    by jon3k ( 691256 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:38AM (#55082251)

    In view of the recent story about Samsung TVs being bricked by a firmware update

    I don't get it. Don't connect your TV to WiFi and ignore all the SmartTV features. Put the TV on the input from your A/V receiver and never touch it again. What's the problem?

  • Consumer Reports (Score:3)

    by redmid17 ( 1217076 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:50AM (#55082333)
    Real fucking easy. Go to Consumer reports and look for the highest rated non-smart TV. Failing that go to Google

    Why do these submissions get greenlit?

  • Sceptre (Score:4, Informative)

    by cb88 ( 1410145 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:53AM (#55082351)
    I have a 55in Sceptre 4k TV I got for $430 about 2 years ago shipped to my local walmart.. it has like 4 HDMI 2.0 ports... at least 1 more than other TVs probably as it isn't abusing an input for smart functionality.

    I do have motion compensation and whatever else they do I play PS4 games on it so the response time isn't horrible with that off.... and it's cheap. Thier 39in is about 225 and 55in is 309 (same model I have). they even have a 75in for $120 now which is just crazy.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by millert ( 10803 )

      I think you mean $1,200 for the 75" set which is still pretty amazing for such a large screen. A 55" Sceptre can be had for $310. Either way, Sceptre is probably the only brand right now still making non-smart TVs.

  • Smart TVs will never go away (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Pentomino ( 129125 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @09:55AM (#55082363) Homepage Journal

    Making TVs smarter has other drawbacks, that won't be alleviated by simply unplugging from the network.

    For one, when you turn them on, they have to "boot up", and this takes longer than whatever warm-up period is required. And once they've started, they're in a multitasking OS, so they have better things to do than respond immediately to your remote control presses. This is especially frustrating when you switch inputs; you can't just tap "input" three times. You have to tap "input", and wait for the box to move before pressing "input" again. If it takes too long to move, you might try pressing "input" an extra time, but this time it gets buffered and you end up going too far.

    Unfortunately, I expect smart TVs are here to stay, because the presence of those "Netflix" and "Amazon Prime" buttons on your remote are subsidizing the low cost of the TV. And there aren't enough of us nerds that would pay more for a TV that does less.

    • Well, the same thing happened with computers, and I don't hear people complaining about it every day. My Apple II would immediately start booting from disk upon powerup. Now, we have to wait through an exhaustive memory check, look for boot devices, etc. every time you power on your PC. I wouldn't be surprised if self-driving cars needed a couple of minutes to warm up from power-off as well.

      • I wouldn't be surprised if self-driving cars needed a couple of minutes to warm up from power-off as well.

        My non-self-driving car will not let me control my radio volume until it finishes booting. And Android Auto audio is much quieter than radio, so when I first turn on the car after listening to podcasts the previous time the radio is blasting way too loud and I can't do anything but wait until the UI becomes responsive.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

        PCs tend to boot much faster now than a decade ago.
        Game consoles on the other hand... A friend of mine actually sold his PS3 for that reason, he is a casual gamer and didn't want to wait through endless loading screens and updates just for a quick play. In a sense, it is worse than just complaining every day.

  • ...have you ever heard of house guests?

    I have a Smart TV that I had not hooked up to the Internet. We had house guests with kids stay in that room. As they stayed for a while, they got the house WiFi password (for the guest network). Guess what happened next?

    I didn't notice for a while, so there was plenty of potential for forced updates, CIA intrusions, or other tomfoolery (not that I think anything happened). I also discovered that the only way to turn WiFi off for this TV (an LG model) was a factory reset.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

      Don't these TV have some kind of a parental lock feature designed to prevent the exact scenario you described? (kids messing with the settings)

  • The problem is when you put that arbitrary requirement in you will end up with a far inferior product at doing the basics. Recommendations floating around suggest buy a monitor or a commercial panel.

    These are especially daft recommendations as by forgoing the smart functions of the TV I assume you will be using some other smart device.

    Well then you're stuck with:
    - Will a monitor have the connection options you need.
    - Will a commercial panel pass through CDC commands from your remote over HDMI.
    - Will you be

    • Most people don't care about HDMI-CDC any more, because they have bluetooth remotes. This is superior anyway.

  • You mean slightly more expensive. (Score:3)

    by Holi ( 250190 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @10:18AM (#55082477)
    "Ideally slightly lower than similar smart TVs, since we are forgoing the hardware needed for the smart part, as well as the ongoing support cost for firmware updates"

    It would cause it to cost more as they lose revenue from ads and tracking your tv habits.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • You might want to hesitate buying a new TV right now. Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, is pushing for a new ATSC 3.0, Over-The-Air (OTA) TV standard that will require new tuners. It could have a major impact even for cable and dish users. As this new standard becomes ubiquitous, TVs not compatible with the new format may go the way of the analog TV.

    ATSC 3.0 is an IP based system - an internet protocol that not only delivers a HD 4K picture, and allows directly broadcasting to mobile devices; it lets stations

    • Or since they want a non-smart TV, they could just be prepared to buy a new external tuner later. 4K signalling over HDMI has already been fairly well standardized.

  • where to get a dumb tv (Score:3)

    by Frederic54 ( 3788 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @11:11AM (#55082945) Journal

    I posted this
    https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c... [bhphotovideo.com]
    to the where do get a dumb tv post
    https://slashdot.org/comments.... [slashdot.org]

  • Just don't connect the TV itself to your LAN.

  • Smart TV, labotomized (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Jaegs ( 645749 ) on Friday August 25, 2017 @11:27AM (#55083083) Homepage Journal

    As others have stated, either get a monitor, or get a Smart TV and just don't use the smart parts. In other words, don't connect it to your network.

    Personally, the TCL 55P607 ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y... [amazon.com] ) will likely be my next TV:

    - it is 4K
    - it has HDR (both HDR10 and Dolby Vision
    - it has local dimming for better contrast
    - it has built-in Roku (which you can just not use)

    All for $650. It has pretty favorable reviews as well:

    http://www.rtings.com/tv/revie... [rtings.com]
    https://www.cnet.com/products/... [cnet.com]
    https://www.theverge.com/2017/... [theverge.com]

    While I'd love to get an OLED from LG, they are just too expensive at the moment. Save for OLED, this TV checks off all of the boxes on my wishlist, and has a nice price to boot.

  • Aren't you more or less looking for what would have previously been called a monitor (vs a TV)?

    https://www.amazon.com/Vizio-S... [amazon.com]

    I don't know if that is one, it's frightfully short of details, but essentially you want a screen that displays a video signal, period. At least in the pre-flatscreen days, that was the distinction between a MONITOR (what you're looking for) and a TV.

    Curiously (or not, depending on your cynicism) just skimming around for this post, I see stuff like 55" 4k TVs for crazy low prices

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