I don't want my TV to function as anything more than a large computer monitor. I may end up having to get a projector if they keep pushing all this smart TV and AI garbage. At least the business type projectors are still free of it for now.
this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
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I bought a TV running VIDAA. You can use it without wifi and disable everything and let it just start on an input.
I don't know of it's EU only.
I also have a hisense vidaa oled and it works great. It’s never been connected to the internet and it never asks to be.
They pushed nonsense for more than a decade, I doubt it will change suddenly. Oh and the picture still looks SO terrible, how can anyone watch something like that?
I don't know that TVs you've looked at but high end TVs look great with local content.
What is local content?
Not steamed content, usually Netflix and such don't stream at a high enough bitrate
Not online
I have a LG "smart" TV, have never connected it to WiFi.
I'm wondering if some of these companies will start including a chip or capability to "phone home" to a satellite or wireless network that will make their smart TVs "smart" whether you like it or not. I'm sure there would be ways for vigilant people to combat it, but it would seem like something that would go largely un-protested by the majority of people if the past is any indication. I'm sure there are laws around all that, but nowadays laws seem more like suggestions that may be subject to change for the right price...
Good point, but this would probably cost them more money than they'd make selling my data. Mobile data plans aren't that cheap.
They aren't expensive at all when it's at scale. Industrial control uses similar setups all over the place. Even if it wasn't specifically cellular, they could easily use one of the many mesh technologies to connect to another TV within a mile or so that does have an internet connection.
OK, now that's freaky!
You know those displays at gas stations sitting on top of the nicotine displays? Those all have sim cards and data. The gas stations don't handle advertising, the nicotine companies do.