i guess it's impossible to buy a non-smart tv today?

[hownos]

maybe refurbished

[FilmBuff]

Have you thought about buying a smart TV and just not connecting it to the internet?

[hownos]

Have you thought about buying a smart TV and just not connecting it to the internet?

my tv service is by internet. i just wanted a small tv for a firestick

[skizzerflake]

What would BE a non-smart TV and why would you want it. The smart chips on every TV sold today cost a few bucks and, production lines being what they are, you'd have to custom make the thing....or you can just use it as a monitor and ignore all that smart-ness. That's what I do. Every damn other piece of electronics in the house, including my kitchen blender and the weed wacker, is smart, so why fight it.

[skizzerflake]

I do know of an antiques shop where you can buy an old, glass-tube TV, complete with a non-remote, clunky channel selector and rabbit ears.

[Citizen Rules]

What would BE a non-smart TV and why would you want it. The smart chips on every TV sold today cost a few bucks and, production lines being what they are, you'd have to custom make the thing....or you can just use it as a monitor and ignore all that smart-ness. That's what I do. Every damn other piece of electronics in the house, including my kitchen blender and the weed wacker, is smart, so why fight it.I can't speak for hownos, but I also don't want a SmartTV. It's been documented that many of our smart devices 'spy' on us. I go to lengths not to let my computer or phone or car spy on me. I don't need the manufacturers of a SmartTV knowing what I watch or that my movie came from that web site in Russia:shifty:

[nyctc7]

I resisted a smart tv for a long time (I used a Roku device instead), but I finally succumbed a couple years ago because, as you say, they pretty much are all smart tvs these days. However if you go to a big electronics retailer website and search by lowest price you should find something - https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/category/televisions/21344?sort=priceLowToHigh

[skizzerflake]

I can't speak for hownos, but I also don't want a SmartTV. It's been documented that many of our smart devices 'spy' on us. I go to lengths not to let my computer or phone or car spy on me. I don't need the manufacturers of a SmartTV knowing what I watch or that my movie came from that web site in Russia:shifty:

You're going to have to cut yourself off from all digital gadgets if you want the illusion of privacy. Every credit card, debit card, supermarket discount card, as well as your ISP, cable provider and cell phone provider can spy on you any time they want because there's no way to send web pages, movies or whatever to you without knowing your IP address and that's you.

The good thing is that there is SO much digital info on all of us that it's just too much to be a danger. Privacy is extinct and your TV is the least of your worries.

[gbgoodies]

If you really want to buy a non-smart TV, try looking in thrift shops, at flea markets, moving sales, tag sales, and garage sales. Just make sure you test it so you know that it works before you buy it.

[Citizen Rules]

You're going to have to cut yourself off from all digital gadgets if you want the illusion of privacy. Every credit card, debit card, supermarket discount card, as well as your ISP, cable provider and cell phone provider can spy on you any time they want because there's no way to send web pages, movies or whatever to you without knowing your IP address and that's you.

The good thing is that there is SO much digital info on all of us that it's just too much to be a danger. Privacy is extinct and your TV is the least of your worries.There are a lot of steps one can take to fight back and maintain digital privacy. There are organizations dedicated to that cause. The best known is Electronic Frontier Foundation (https://www.eff.org/). Among other things the EFF were on the vanguard when Apple wanted to introduce onboard scanning on Iphones when images were being uploaded to Apple's cloud storage. That was a huge violation of personal rights and was ripe for governments to abuse the backdoor scanning, especially in places like China. But enough people stood up and fought back and Apple backed off on their onboard scanning https://www.wired.com/story/apple-photo-scanning-csam-communication-safety-messages/

VPNs like Private Internet Access which doesn't keep connection records stops one's ISP from knowing what you're doing. Phones, I rooted a Google Pixel phone and installed the GrapheneOS (https://grapheneos.org/) operating system on it, I'm not tracked on my phone. This is why I won't buy a new vehicle,Your Car is Spying on You: How Automakers Secretly Sell Your (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/your-car-is-spying-on-you-how-automakers-secretly-sell-your-driving-data/ar-AA1pctrr) and I can't afford one:p

Nothing is 100 percent, but I'm not rolling over and letting corporations and organizations have easy access to everything I do electronically. When it comes to SmartTVs even the FBI recommends steps to protect yourself: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-stop-smart-tvs-from-snooping-on-you (and no I don't think people should throw away their SmartTVs). It's like the civil rights movement of the 1960s one can be complacence or fight it tooth and nail. I'm not ready for 1984 yet.

[John-Connor]

Buy a monitor..

[John McClane]

i don’t see myself buying a new TV anytime soon. the 60” i fixed for cheap thankfully has HDR so i shouldn’t need an upgrade for a long while.

but i got the 50” plasma waiting in the wings

but…if i did get a new TV it ain’t getting connected to the internet

[hownos]

Buy a monitor..

i guess i could get a 32 inch monitor. as long as it has hdmi, firestick should work

[Citizen Rules]

[quote=hownos;2489602]i guess i could get a 32 inch monitor. as long as it has hdmi, firestick should work I know why I don't what a SmartTV but why do you both not want a SmartTV?

[hownos]

I know why I don't what a SmartTV but why do you both not want a SmartTV?

for me it's just easier with the firesticks and roku i use.

[John McClane]

I know why I don't what a SmartTV but why do you both not want a SmartTV?
it’s an unnecessary complexity. i don’t understand the need to put a network card and ARM processor in everything. it’s no wonder code has gotten so bad that damn near every update breaks something new. you just end up chasing rabbits.

take my speaker bar for instance…it needs to connect to the wifi for updates but i don’t think it even gets updates anymore but if you don’t connect it to wifi it’ll do some really weird stuff. that is the type of bugs i’m trying to avoid

[Dead2009]

Have you thought about buying a smart TV and just not connecting it to the internet?

Unless you're only using it to watch blu-rays or using it for gaming consoles, the only way to use anything on a smart tv is by the internet unless you have cable

[FilmBuff]

Unless you're only using it to watch blu-rays or using it for gaming consoles, the only way to use anything on a smart tv is by the internet unless you have cable

That's not quite accurate.

My smart TV is not connected to the Internet, yet I can use my AppleTV set, my disc players, and the over-the-air antenna for local channels ;)

[Takoma11]

Unless you're only using it to watch blu-rays or using it for gaming consoles, the only way to use anything on a smart tv is by the internet unless you have cable

I think they are talking about connecting an internet-connected device to the smart TV.

So you get a smart TV, buy a Roku (or whatever), and then the Roku is what you connect to the internet. That way you're just treating the smart TV as a glorified monitor.

[FilmBuff]

A "glorified monitor" that doesn't spy on me and has 3D capability

[Citizen Rules]

it’s an unnecessary complexity. i don’t understand the need to put a network card and ARM processor in everything. it’s no wonder code has gotten so bad that damn near every update breaks something new. you just end up chasing rabbits.

take my speaker bar for instance…it needs to connect to the wifi for updates but i don’t think it even gets updates anymore but if you don’t connect it to wifi it’ll do some really weird stuff. that is the type of bugs i’m trying to avoidI hadn't thought of that aspect of it, but yeah that's another reason I don't want a SmartTV.


Dig on this, that console TV and the clock is the bomb, the lamp is cool too.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fd3%2F13%2Fb3%2Fd313b3de84d163d250133691f3f6b7a0.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=994cc574814f70ff42341640df61bd67ccdd38150a698549201f72b0f3acee3e&ipo=images

[FilmBuff]

I hadn't thought of that aspect of it, but yeah that's another reason I don't want a SmartTV.


Dig on this, that console TV and the clock is the bomb, the lamp is cool too.
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F736x%2Fd3%2F13%2Fb3%2Fd313b3de84d163d250133691f3f6b7a0.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=994cc574814f70ff42341640df61bd67ccdd38150a698549201f72b0f3acee3e&ipo=images

https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExbWd2YjFtajZydGxpaHh1aDA4MTliNDRwYm1iNzdiNHJ1ejZ5NDZ2diZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfY nlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/11JbaLzOXsg6Fq/giphy.gif

;):p

[ActionRocks]

i like smart tvs (:

[Takoma11]

it’s an unnecessary complexity. i don’t understand the need to put a network card and ARM processor in everything.

When I got an electric toothbrush it wanted to connect to my wi-fi and my phone. Just . . . no. You are a toothbrush.

The only device that I'm tempted to connect to the internet is my new(ish) washer/dryer, because it lets you download and program custom cycles.

[FilmBuff]

https://i.gifer.com/8nqv.gif

[Yoda]

I do the same thing, I end up using the Chromecast instead of the built-in Smart TV stuff. Which is usually fine but gets worse over time anyway.

Same idea with the Roku, Fire stick, whatever. Streamlines the experience across TVs, too.

So yeah, hard to avoid buying a smart TV, but not hard to basically ignore all of the "smart" features if you want.

[hownos]

That's not quite accurate.

My smart TV is not connected to the Internet, yet I can use my AppleTV set, my disc players, and the over-the-air antenna for local channels ;)

So you have no streaming services?

[FilmBuff]

So you have no streaming services?

Yes, I just said I use an AppleTV set. 🙂

[Yoda]

It was a reasonable question; I keep up with this stuff pretty carefully and I don't have any idea what an "Apple TV set" is. Since Apple TV is a streaming service, that sounds like someone saying "I have a Netflix TV." Which I would guess means a TV integrated tightly with the related service, or something (specifically given Apple's coherent ecosystem stuff), but it's not obvious from the term itself.

[Allaby]

I don’t have a smart tv. I bought my tv about 10 years ago though. I have an Apple TV connected to my tv so it functions as if it’s a smart tv.

[hownos]

I don’t have a smart tv. I bought my tv about 10 years ago though. I have an Apple TV connected to my tv so it functions as if it’s a smart tv.

So Apple TV is a device not an actual television?

[hownos]

It was a reasonable question; I keep up with this stuff pretty carefully and I don't have any idea what an "Apple TV set" is. Since Apple TV is a streaming service, that sounds like someone saying "I have a Netflix TV." Which I would guess means a TV integrated tightly with the related service, or something (specifically given Apple's coherent ecosystem stuff), but it's not obvious from the term itself.

i was confused with the word set. sounds like a device.

[Yoda]

So Apple TV is a device not an actual television?
I believe it's a streaming "box." Similar to a Chromecast or a streaming stick but a little more elaborate, too big to just hang out in an HDMI or USB slot or whatever.

[FilmBuff]

There's two terms that are similar but actually very different:

AppleTV set - it's a device that hooks up to the TV and lets you connect with streaming services, which have apps in the device. For example, my AppleTV currently has apps for things like Netflix, MUBI, Criterion Channel, YouTube, and a few others.

AppleTV+ is Apple's own streaming service, with their own movies and series.

You do not automatically get a subscription to AppleTV+ when you buy an AppleTV set; they are both separate transactions.

Right now I'm still using the AppleTV set but have paused the AppleTV+ service temporarily, because I have more stuff than I have time to watch right now. I'll pay for another month or two towards the end of the year, which is usually when some of the best stuff comes out.

[hownos]

I believe it's a streaming "box." Similar to a Chromecast or a streaming stick but a little more elaborate, too big to just hang out in an HDMI or USB slot or whatever.

much like the roku and firestick devices i have. i do love those devices.

[FilmBuff]

much like the roku and firestick devices i have. i do love those devices.

Oh, I have a firestick and a Roku, also - I just rarely use them. The AppleTV set is much superior in almost every imaginable way.

[Allaby]

So Apple TV is a device not an actual television?

It is a device: a small box that plugs into the tv set and plugs into power and has an operating system on it. It basically turns a regular tv into a smart tv. You can use it to download apps and stream movies and shows and play games.

https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/

[FilmBuff]

Oh yeah, I forgot you can also use it for gaming.

I'm not into gaming anymore, tho, so I wouldn't know if it's any good as a gaming system.

Also, you can't use it to surf the web (there is no internet browser, at least not without getting into some stuff that they don't want you to do).

[Citizen Rules]

I leave my Roku device unplugged unless I need it, which is almost never. Other than the Roku I never have my TV set connected to anything other than the Blu-Ray player.

[FilmBuff]

I don't unplug my AppleTV set, but I have all the updates set to manual, I never let it update anything automatically.

Just bein' careful, you know!

[hownos]

I leave my Roku device unplugged unless I need it, which is almost never. Other than the Roku I never have my TV set connected to anything other than the Blu-Ray player.

i never unplug mine unless it needs rebooting

[cricket]

Get one off Craigslist or Marketplace for cheap

[ActionRocks]

When I got an electric toothbrush it wanted to connect to my wi-fi and my phone. Just . . . no. You are a toothbrush.

The only device that I'm tempted to connect to the internet is my new(ish) washer/dryer, because it lets you download and program custom cycles.




The toothbrush story is just.. :rolleyes: and a mix of :confused:


But the washer/dryer thing, personally I'd say NO. Walking is a form of exercise, and walking to and from the machine counts.

[Takoma11]

But the washer/dryer thing, personally I'd say NO. Walking is a form of exercise, and walking to and from the machine counts.

It wouldn't reduce the amount of time I spend actually walking to the machine. It's that you can download to the machine a custom cycle. Mostly I want something with extra spin because I line dry my clothes and that extra spin would be very helpful.

[ActionRocks]

It wouldn't reduce the amount of time I spend actually walking to the machine. It's that you can download to the machine a custom cycle. Mostly I want something with extra spin because I line dry my clothes and that extra spin would be very helpful.


Ohhhh, so you just turn it on, put your clothes in, press start and it goes the way you want just like that..

[Takoma11]

Ohhhh, so you just turn it on, put your clothes in, press start and it goes the way you want just like that..

Yes, it's a washer/dryer all-in-one, though to save electricity I often just use the wash cycle. I'd like to be able to program it a little more to my liking. Like I said, being able to program 5 minutes of extra spin would be great.

[ActionRocks]

Yes, it's a washer/dryer all-in-one, though to save electricity I often just use the wash cycle. I'd like to be able to program it a little more to my liking. Like I said, being able to program 5 minutes of extra spin would be great.


I still do it the old-fashioned way haha

[FilmBuff]

You go down to the river to wash everything?

[ActionRocks]

You go down to the river to wash everything?


You watch all those noir films. Don't act like you don't as well..

[skizzerflake]

A "glorified monitor" that doesn't spy on me and has 3D capability

Everything you do that comes from a network is subject to spying. All of it. Without program, it's just a blank screen. If you get it from a network of any kind, that network needs to know your device's "address", which means that they know what they are sending, to YOU. It's just the way these things work.

You can disconnect your devices and just watch disks that you steal or find in junk (nobody knows that you have it that way), but really....why bother. Almost everything we do is tracked, but, unless the CIA is after you, "they" are mainly not looking. This is the cost of living with all of these digital devices. Your phone knows where you are, what you do, cable providers know what you watch and networks can see every one and zero that comes into your house.

Just stop worrying and go on with life.

[FilmBuff]

Just stop worrying and go on with life.

You have missed the point so completely and spectacularly that I just don't have the strength to pick up my jaw off the floor.

[skizzerflake]

You have missed the point so completely and spectacularly that I just don't have the strength to pick up my jaw off the floor.

The point is to not worry about all this digital spying and just assume that it happens. The next time you have to discuss a "job" with a mafia confidant, do it in the woods, communicating with paper cups and string while you hide behind a bush.

Anything that is smart is spying. Good luck trying to find a "dumb" TV. Even if you do, you need to get content from somebody and then you're back in spy territory. There's not enough market for a completely dumb TV to make them.

[FilmBuff]

The point is to not worry about all this digital spying and just assume that it happens.


This is what you sound like right now:
https://media1.tenor.com/images/303c7c7ad2ed26b7d415a186130ab357/tenor.gif?itemid=7984004

[skizzerflake]

This is what you sound like right now:
https://media1.tenor.com/images/303c7c7ad2ed26b7d415a186130ab357/tenor.gif?itemid=7984004

So, what IS the point? Yeah, you can go to an antique shop and buy a TV, but why would you? Who cares?

[FilmBuff]

So, what IS the point?

The point is, I have my own personal preferences, and also, I am not asking for any suggestions or advice in the matter.


Yeah, you can go to an antique shop and buy a TV, but why would you?


I wouldn't. Everything in my home theater is state-of-the-art.


Who cares?


You're acting like someone who absolutely cares A LOT. Not sure why, but here we are... :rolleyes:

[Citizen Rules]

I'm not trying to change people's opinion about SmartTV spying. I'm replying to the OP topic. So some additional info for those who care:

howtogeek.com How to Stop Any Smart TV From Spying on You (https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-stop-any-smart-tv-from-spying-on-you-lg-samsung-sony-vizio/)
From the howtogeek article.
"There’s no way to tell exactly what smart TV manufacturers know about you. Data is collected about your usage, which includes basic things like which apps you use, the channels you watch, and what time you’re usually slumped in front of the TV.

But there are more insidious tracking habits you should be aware of. “Automated content recognition” (ACR) goes a step further and can analyze and report exactly what’s happening on your TV, regardless of source. Your TV knows when you’re playing video games on a console, watching a film on a separate Blu-ray player, or casting home movies to your TV from your phone.

Voice capture is another concern since most smart TVs come with assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant. The microphones that these features depend on may capture any sound or conversation in the same room as your TV."Here's what I recommend: Besides disabling 'spying' features on your SmartTV you can ultimately use a VPN, either on the TV if it allows it or better yet on a home router (you might have to upgrade your router as the cheap routers ISPs provide often don't have many features and aren't all that secure either, so another good reason to replace them.)
https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/how-to-stop-your-smart-tv-from-spying-on-you/

[FilmBuff]

I'm not trying to change people's opinion about SmartTV spying. I'm replying to the OP topic. So some additional info for those who care:

howtogeek.com How to Stop Any Smart TV From Spying on You (https://www.howtogeek.com/how-to-stop-any-smart-tv-from-spying-on-you-lg-samsung-sony-vizio/)


That's a good article. Here's another one I had read recently:

Watch Out: How to Stop Your Smart TV From Spying on You (https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-stop-smart-tvs-from-snooping-on-you)

The worst-case scenario here is, well, not a pretty picture:
A bad actor can take control of your television by changing channels, adjusting volume levels, and even showing inappropriate content to children. At worst, they can turn on your TV's camera and microphone to spy on you and listen to your conversations. They could even use that access to find a backdoor into your router and hack your connected smart home.

[skizzerflake]

That's a good article. Here's another one I had read recently:

Watch Out: How to Stop Your Smart TV From Spying on You (https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-stop-smart-tvs-from-snooping-on-you)

The worst-case scenario here is, well, not a pretty picture:

That's pretty much true for any connected digital device. I have some job experience with the whole ones-and-zeros thing about digital devices and security, and, long ago, when the web was first conceived, "everybody" knew that anybody who had a computer back then was smart, virtuous and good, so security was not hard-wired into anything.

The whole protocol that allows you to request a movie, web page or whatever is built on the assumption that the sender knows "who" you are (in the sense of your device address) and knows what you are asking for and can save that information for "further use", whatever that use might be. That's pretty much IT in a nutshell. The only question after that is just what they want to know about you unless you protect yourself or everything is encrypted.

What mainly saves us is that there is SOOOOO much unencrypted information that it's hard to figure out what to do with it all.

[FilmBuff]

You didn't even look at the article, did you? :rolleyes:

[skizzerflake]

You didn't even look at the article, did you? :rolleyes:

No, but I have spent a big part of my professional life embedded in this digital jungle.

[hownos]

I bought this Samsung 32 inch monitor today. Just stick the firestick or roku in and it serves it's purpose.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81rcnsbOb4L._AC_SX679_.jpg