Any modern TV that does not do this spying crap?

How does this work if the TV is never connected to the Internet?

If the TV's features are restricted or don't work because it requires an internet connection, then it's going back to the store. And I don't care if Best Buy has a $45 restocking fee. I'll charge that back claiming they sold the TV without disclosing that it requires network access to function fully. That's fraud.

Not connecting it to the internet and using HDMI like we've been doing for the last 20 years...

I recently bought a new TV and did some research to find the "least worst" TV with regard to internet connectivity and reliance on its "smart OS" navigation to just use an external HDMI port. I can report pretty good news for the Sony Bravia line of Android TVs.

• there was no requirement to connect it to the internet
• during setup there is a choice for "basic" which adds only a few default apps (which are uninstallable/disablable by the user)
• there is a setting called "Power on and remember last input port". What this means is you last used HDMI1 port when you powered off the TV, when you power it back up again it automatically goes right back to that HDMI input port without any extra button presses or user interaction. In practice this means you see the Sony logo on the screen and just a fraction of a second the graphic circles of part of the AndroidTV interface before it switches to the HDMI1 input where we left off before powering off the tv prior.

Bonus feature we like:

• there is a setting you can enable/disable that if the TV is already powered on, when you power on a device on another HDMI port than the one you're on, the TV will automatically switch to that HDMI input without prompting. So if we're watching the AppleTV on HDMI1 and then want to watch a Blu-ray, simply powering on the Blu-ray player will also have the TV switch to that HDMI2 input.

I wish there was no AndroidTV OS on it at all, but the only time I've ever seen it was the one time when we went through the initial setup. We haven't seen or interacted with it since.

My dream is for my kid to learn enough about electronics to be able to open up his TV, identify any microphones, and be able to disable them. Then he might have a chance of privacy when he’s an adult.

I recently purchased an old plasma TV I will be tinkering with. No internet connectivity of any kind. It is hard to get excited about new TVs that are basically google and Bezos boxes and I do not wish to send them a single dime just to be spied on when I just want to watch my movies on bluray.

I am aware I can just disconnect my TV from the internet, but I don't want to support the stupid platforms that are built into the TV. Why is it any of Googles, amazon or any other platforms business what I use my TV for?

I love this writing style

Just buy a monitor ,connect a SBC to it ,ad software ,install IPTV player, tvgarden , and visit FMHY.net for ideas

...by not buying one. /thread

But what stops LG from convincing the Ubuntu maintainers to make an LG variant of their supposed driver to magically appear in your snap or apt package repository? You hope to God they don't, but the danger is always there.

What a convoluted way of saying Linux is better. And using Ubuntu as reference...

Ha! I knew there had to be an EDID blocker out there!

Are there TVs that require an internet connection to simply use without "smart" features?

I installed a VPN on mine.

As a former IT professional, it blows my mind that people actually hook their TVs up to an Internet connection. Why would you ever want your TV installing updates? Or for that matter, give it the chance to install malware? Not to mention, the potential for it to turn on a microphone (!?) and listen to you in your home! Why does a TV have a microphone built in?! A TV should never be able to record you!

I bought a mini PC and hooked it up to my TV. It's not that powerful, but it can stream 4K video through a web browser. I use a wireless mouse and keyboard on my couch to access it

Because it's a PC, I can install ad blockers and other security features to keep junk from popping up while I'm using it. Then I just stream all my shows and whatnot, fullscreen through the browser. No interruptions, total control over what is installed/playing, and the TV itself doesn't connect to the Internet. It's just a dumb device, acting like a monitor.

You can just remove the wifi module. Lay the TV on its face on a piece of cardboard on the bed. Remove the back, locate the wifi module, remove it, and Bob's your uncle or something.

Seriously, it can't access the internet if it doesn't have an access point.

As for the computer connected to your television and it's access point, it's simple not to connect a Windows computer to a TV. Most any windows compatible computer you'd do that with can run Linux and if windows is going to allow this kind of nonsense they don't deserve your business or your data.

I absolutely know my take is the view of someone who's tech savvy enough to do both things.

I get that for the last 30 or so years I have been the tech support for basically my entire family and some of their friends.

But if it's going to be basically impossible to buy a dumb TV and expensive as all get out to do it, it's time to find that tech savvy person you know and ask for help because otherwise this will keep happening.

Just. Don't. Buy. These. Things.