Hey do anybody know where you get a tv that supports 4k and does not have that locked up smarttv shit?
If there are none, does anybody know a tv that boots fast(less than 30 seconds) and displays an hdmi input by default without the need to choose the input from a menu.
Thanks in advance.
And sorry if I am in the wrong place.
Supposedly, the Spectre 55 inch is 4k and dumb as a rock: https://www.sceptre.com/TV/4K-UHD-TV/U550CV-UMR-55-4K-UHD-TV-product959category1category73.html
I have an older model of this Spectre. Can confirm it looks fantastic for the price and no smart features .
I paid $200 for mine. Do not buy the Walmart version. Also this seems overpriced for this unit
I’ve got a slightly older Sceptre 43 inch 4K, and tbh I’ve been trying to find a replacement for a while. The form factor of the TV itself is great, but the picture is pretty crappy. There’s a ton of light bleed around the edges, the HDR functionality is insanely frustrating and looks terrible, and the upscaling is crap. I got it on a ridiculous sale towards the beginning of the pandemic when local shops were clearing their inventories, so I can’t really complain. But I would not buy it again.
I also have two of their PC monitors, and they have the same problems as the TV. No more Sceptre for me in the future.
Got a Sony Bravia OLED and it’s set up as a dumb TV, turns on instantly + I never see the Smart TV UI, not even a logo.
What I did was decline everything at setup, hook up to the Internet via Ethernet once to update, unplug Ethernet and set it to turn on to last input.
That’s just a smart tv acting dumb. Or a smart TV that was taught wrong, as a joke.
“I must apologize for Wimp Lo. He is an idiot. We have purposely trained him wrong, as a joke.”
“Hah ! [Tittering ] If you’ve got an ass, I’ll kick it.”
-Kung Pow
Yep, the new Bravias with Android TV or whatever give you a choice as a part of the first time setup that essentially disables all the smart features. I had the same experience.
I researched this recently - here’s what I found:
Vizio P65-F1
TCL 65R617
Sony x900e
Hisense H65M7000
Sony KDL-65W855C and Samsung UE65H6400
Sceptre U650CV-U
Sceptre, Supersonic, SunbriteTv, outdoor TV’s, and Caixun have non-smart Tv’s
https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-buy-a-dumb-tv-and-why-youd-want-to
If it’s not been mentioned, you want Commercial Displays, or Large Format Displays. Much more expensive generally for less features, but many are explicitly non-smart.
https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/products/computer-monitors-displays/large-format.html
Look into commercial displays.
This is the answer every time this question comes up. You pay more because it doesn’t generate revenue by spying on you, but it doesn’t have all the bullshit cause it’s meant to be on during all biz hours showing store promos and the like.
I’m rocking a 4k ViewSonic display. Nothing smart about it.
If you connect your device to a compatible hdmi port and turn on the device first, it should turn on your tv to that input straight away. Boot times should be nearly instant unless you do a full restart of the smart tv.
Almost every TV doesn’t have smart functions if you don’t connect them to your network.
They usually still have their dumb OS bloated with pre-installed apps.
They don’t matter though.
I have a cheap Vizio TV and I can’t remember the last time I saw the smart functions. The only time I even need the original remote is for volume but I’ve already got it set where I like it.
I hate “smart” TVs too, unfortunately I have one but I just never connected it to the internet. I only use the HDMI input to connect it to my HTPC running Linux and Kodi, it’s an awesome setup.
I got a Vizio 4K and refused to give it my wifi access. it boots in maybe 5 seconds and the only issue is the time displayed on screen is way off. otherwise fully functional with no smartness. and it restarts using the same input as when it was last used.
I did the same thing with Vizio and it eventually would randomly turn off, or sound wouldn’t work or something, you’d call support and they’d tell you that you have to update it. It doesn’t make any sense, but I did it and it would work find for awhile again. Thr tinfoil hat in me says they do that to get whatever info they have stored on you.
My 6 yr old Visio is starting that general fuckery too. I have to unplug for a minute to get it going.
Track the DNS requests and if anything calls for telemetry.brand.com block it.
If they arent as evil as youtube and use separate subdomains for thr respective service you should be able to allow the update domain but block all others.A few months ago, I connected my Vizio to my network to do firmware updates to see if it could be any better since it was 3 years old and I was sure there were improvements. Then and only then did I start seeing random crashes and the TV speakers turning on and up to max volume (I have a sound bar + subwoofer). The TV shut off without warning in the middle of a Rocket League tournament and wouldn’t turn back on until I unplugged it and plugged it back in. That was the last straw. Disabled the Wi-Fi connection and it’s been running fine ever since.
interesting. i didnt have those issues. i havent updated.
Almost every smart TV I have played with you can set them up to just go to an HDMI input and turn off any “home” menus screens. You also can usually skip any Network setup.
I have played with LG, Vizio, Samsung and Sony TVs all have had options to do this. (But this has been over the last 1-7 years).
I have a TCL Roku TV and I just set it to boot straight to the HTPC on startup
My vizio also starts on the last input. So it only goes to the smart TV stuff when I want it too. It’s older (E50x or something like that) but it’s been getting updates so I’m assuming it’s the same on newer ones still.
My newer Vizio will not default to hdmi. It always brings up the menu, where you have to scroll through a bunch of ads to get to your apps and input options. The apps randomly change order. Sometimes you even get a pop-up ad when you first turn it on. I wish I had never bought the damned TV.
Isn’t that basically just a monitor?
While I get what you’re saying, there are some differences between TVs and monitors that may be relevant to OP.
TVs have tuners built into them, if they need to receive overt the air or cable signals.
TVs have remote controls where monitors typically don’t.
Large TVs are hella cheap compared to monitors of the same size.
Can you actually get TV-sized monitors?
All day. Above 24" they all get pretty gaming focused, and i will say the fast response time and framerates are incredible if you game. These tv sized ones are a bit rediculous though
deleted by creator
I use then for occasional graphic design projects. The contrast and color accuracy takes MS paint to a whole different level.
Is there actually any practical use for having a tuner built in still? I haven’t plugged a coax into one of those in like 15 years, it’s always to a set-top box first and then hdmi from that to the tv, and the only reason we have cable at all is because of my dad.
Antennae’s still work great. Picture is better with no or little compression compared to cable. Great for live sports.
Digital OTA is useful if you don’t want to pay for cable but you want to watch local sports or the news something. If you are in a large metro area, you can get a great picture and a surprising variety of channels.
The set-top box can do OTA too.
If you don’t have a set top box, i.e. no cable, no sattelite, then you would plug OTA directly into the TV and use the tuner there. I haven’t used a set-top box in like 15 years. It’s always been an HTPC, or an Intel Nuc or something like that.
Well yes, but finding a monitor that is as large as a TV, doesn’t have smart functionality and isn’t prohibitively expensive is hard enough.
I’d just buy a smart TV, don’t give it internet access and connect an HTPC.This is what I did
With an IR remote and built in speakers.
So basically no.
I have found some. The key is to look for either outdoor televisions or ones designed for commercial use, such as those used for restaurant menus at the counter.
Outdoor televisions usually aren’t very good besides being bright and weather resistant.
Don’t judge my living room design! I need those features!
Wouldn’t those outdoor ones be super expensive?
My Samsung boots fast, goes straight to whatever input I left it on, and doesn’t have smart functions because I don’t have it on the network and never accepted the license for them. I update the software occasionally and then disconnect it again.
It’s older though. I’d try and see if you can play with one somewhere and if they’ll let you reset it to factory.
Why even update the software? If it works don’t fix it
It does device recognition and updates have improved that, but really there’s no need.
I have a Samsung and a Vizio and the Samsung hands down is the best for ignoring the smart features.
Samsung bought in 2022 and Vizio in 2021
I need to get non-smart TVs for work and usually end up buying Sceptre TVs. They do everything you’re asking, but I don’t live with them day-to-day so I’m not sure what they’re like in that regard.
I’m going to assume because you said your shopping for a 4k telly and havent set a set amount that you got the money to afford something decent in that case look at getting a used commercial or large format display I found this for £380 which may interst you or prehaps just buying a smart telly and not connecting it to the Internet
