Need a smart TV that I can make dumb

Post date: 2022-01-18 16:37:27

Do current Samsung models hassle you into engaging with their smart TV features? Are other options any better?

I use my TV like a giant computer monitor. I don't need any smart TV features, and actually would prefer not to have them, but it seems like dumb TVs aren't really a thing anymore. My ten year old Samsung flatscreen has never given me problems in this regard, but my impression is that TV OS's have gotten progressively more invasive, controlling, and untrustworthy since the last time I bought one.

Can I leave a new model Samsung TV unconnected from the internet and have it act like a completely passive HDMI display? Or is it going to force me into making an account, or nag me with annoying popups because it "can't update firmware", or some such bullshit? For that matter, are the new Google-infested Sony TVs any better? I've heard they have a "basic mode" that turns off smart TV features, but I don't have much faith in Google's commitment to my privacy and need for space.

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