I didn't realise there were any smart radiator valve systems, in the UK or elsewhere, which needed to be plumbed in - do you know of any? I'm pretty sure all of

I didn't realise there were any smart radiator valve systems, in the UK or elsewhere, which needed to be plumbed in - do you know of any? I'm pretty sure all of them work, in your terminology, as electrically actuated 'knobs' on top of existing valves. De/re-pressurising your central heating system and physically replacing all the valves is a task that's going to require specialist tools and probably a plumber. It's also pointless, as there's basically only one standard, so you'd have nothing to replace them with. Replacing the knobs on top is a case of watching a youtube video and spending two minutes with a screwdriver - which is the intent of the design. What you're saying is broadly comparable to "why would you buy smart lightbulbs when you can just replace the entire light fitting and all the switches in your home?" - except I'd argue that's actually easier for the layman than messing with radiators.