this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2025
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[–] [email protected] 61 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Expensive large screen displays are better.

Smart TVs are privacy invasive billboards that let you watch some TV on their terms.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 days ago (4 children)

They’re a little bit better if you just never connect them to the internet.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 5 days ago (1 children)

I opened my smart TV and removed the Bluetooth/WiFi PCI card that was inside it.

Good fucking luck connecting to something you privacy invading piece of shit.

[–] Reverendender 14 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

This just doesn’t seem to click for a lot of people for some reason that I cannot explain whatsoever. I don’t even have mine connected to electricity when I’m not using it.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

To be honest, I recently got a TCL Roku TV and I almost gave up on trying to use it as a dumb TV. I'm not a beginner at this, but setting up a network connection was so embedded in the initial setup, from the moment you turn the TV on. I did a couple factory resets and I could not figure out how to bypass it. Turns out I had to set it to "store display mode" at a certain point and then connect my other streaming device.

[–] Reverendender 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Yeah, the Roku OS is REALLY baked in there and REALLY wants your data, and they recently updated it to make it even harder to circumvent. The trick is to just block its connection at the router level.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh my god that didn't even occur to me. Maybe I am a beginner!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

I have a Fire TV which I rarely use and when I do I stream from the Apple TV box. I noticed that the TV was consuming 50-100mb data per day even when it was turned off. I have blocked WiFi access using my router so I can tell you that it works.

[–] prettybunnys 2 points 3 days ago

My gf has one of these and I tried to plug and Apple TV into it to bypass all of that and it won’t take the signal …. It works everywhere else but that Roku TV is like “nah fam, no signal sooorrrrryyyyty”

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Mine gets put in the garage when its not being used. Microphones to record you can work on battery power inside the tv

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 days ago

I keep mine chained up in the basement when not in use.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

I'm picturing a big screen on the old school TV carts.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago

Exactly what I did. I'd get a 65" monitor if there was any. But an always offline smart TV will do.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Even then you still have a bunch of cheap hardware crammed into an insufficiently ventilated box that will lead to problems down the line.

My TV is 15 years old, not very smart, thick as oatmeal, but works like a charm.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago (2 children)

you don't have to use the smart bulllshit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I’m not worried about me using the smart bullshit. I’m worried about it using me. Beyond the ones that literally spy on you through camera or microphone …

A few years back I started to see descriptions of media recognition, so a tv could know what you’re watching even if it’s not through one of its apps. While I have no idea how widely that’s deployed, it’s awfully dystopian. There’s a specific reason to keep your smart tv off the network, even if you never use the apps.

I’ve also read articles (not sure if legit) about smart TV’s piggybacking on other networks, such as using WiFi even when you disable it, or picking up your streaming devices network over hdmi

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

you can opt out of all that stuff. They bury the options deep in the settings but you can do it and it works.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

While there are usually options to opt out, past behavior has shown that manufacturers can’t be trusted. It starts with opting you in by default, and trying to trap you into one sided terms of service that you can’t even see until you’ve “agreed” by opening the box. However most manufacturers have been caught ignoring these options in the past, so we have no reason to trust they won’t again. Especially here in the US where what little consumer protection we used to have is being shut down

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's still there, though.

And since it's usually one integrated board, a failure in the "bullshit" will likely affect the not-shit.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

that's just pure speculation. if they design the boards to cool properly during the warranty period there's no reason to think they'll have major issues after that.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Read that statement again and ask yourself, if it really makes sense .

[–] [email protected] -5 points 5 days ago (1 children)

unnecessary disrespectful bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's the maximum amount of respect you can't expect for posting nonsense.

Why on earth do you think something keeps working just because it survived the warranty period? That doesn't make any sense.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

fuck all the way off asshole.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Does that attitude work for you? In general, I mean. Doesn't seem very effective.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

disengaging from assholes, absolutely it does. enjoy your imaginary internet points from other assholes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

You're disengaging a lot then.

See, maybe if everyone you meet is an asshole, that could say something about you as well.