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Is this a TV with some kind of Roku software built in? I thought Roku was a physical device that you could just unplug. This is why I will only buy "dumb" TVs

by nkrisc 7y ago

Is this a TV with some kind of Roku software built in? I thought Roku was a physical device that you could just unplug. This is why I will only buy "dumb" TVs that can only display input from external sources.

metalliqaz 7y ago
yes. as far as smart TVs go, a Roku one is usually the best option because all the other platforms absolutely suck. I agree with only buying "dumb" TVs
- jandrese 7y ago
  The problem is that "Dumb" TVs are quickly going extinct. They already tend to be more expensive than otherwise equivalent "Smart" TVs, which should give you an idea of how much value is actually added to the TV by these "Smart" features. It's probably about time for someone to figure out the firmware update process and come with a DD-WRT style open source firmware that doesn't have all of this nonsense.
  - TremendousJudge 7y ago
    The closest thing is to never let it connect to the internet, plug in a raspi with Kodi on it, and just use that. It's almost perfect
  - d1zzy 7y ago
    As long as "smart" TVs still provide for a way to not connect it to any network (this is true for Roku TVs too) it's all good and we can use them as dumb TVs. Yes, most people may not realize that's an option. But also, yes, the TV price already factors in the financial benefits of getting people's personal information. I remember reading an article on this, oh yes: https://www.businessinsider.com/smart-tv-data-collection-advertising-2019-1 https://www.businessinsider.com/smart-tv-data-collection-adv... """ It's not just about data collection. It's about post-purchase monetization of the TV. """
shantly 7y ago
Yeah, there are TVs with Roku built-in. It's the TV's "OS". I thought it was incredibly dumb too until every TV started having an OS, most of them awful, and all of them spying on you unless you stop them. Now, at least the OS is Roku so the performance is pretty good and it's not too weird or crashy. Faster boot-up (ugh) than a lot of others.
e1ven 7y ago
I agree that buying "dumb" TVs is preferable, but they're often hard to find if you're looking for high-end features. To quickly include the comments which often come up in similar threads - There are some TVs you can find at BestBuy without smart features, but they're usually not 4K. In many cases you can use a "smart" tv, and avoid putting it on your local wifi. Some TVs reportedly require internet access to work at all. In other cases people have said that the device jumped on a neighbors open wifi without prompting. People often say that including these "smart" features makes a TV cheaper for a manufacturer, since they can then sell your viewing data.
- nkrisc 7y ago
  It's true, the last TV I bought was a dumb 55" that I got for maybe $480. It was hard to find though, and it was a model a few years old at the time. Incidentally I got it from Best Buy. But absolutely, try to find a new TV with top end display tech without smart features? Nigh impossible, unless you pony up for a commercial display.
pwinnski 7y ago
Just last week I bought a TCL Roku TV. The price was right! During setup, I declined to connect to WiFi and then set the TV to automatically switch to HDMI 1 when it turns on, and to honor CEC over HDMI so that my external AppleTV box can power it on and off. Taught the AppleTV remote how to handle the volume on the TV, and that's it. The Roku remote is in a drawer, and the TV behaves as a dumb monitor. I'm not even sure whether it's possible to buy a large TV without software loaded on it, but you don't have to let that software run!
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  >The price was right! In my opinion, a "right" price would not encourage the kind of behavior that puts bullshit software on a device in the first place. Also, your TV could be connected to mobile networks and you would not know, although I'm not sure what information they can divine from the TV being on or off, other than the times someone is home or not.
  - pwinnski 7y ago
    If the TV demanded a network connection to operate, I would have returned it the next day. My TV could have a secret mobile chip, it's true. So could literally anything brought into my house larger than a chip+antenna. I don't think that a TV would be the first thing I'd suspect.
- MrMember 7y ago
  I wonder how long not connecting it to wifi will be a viable option. I wouldn't be surprised if many devices today still attempt to connect to open networks even if you decline to connect it to your home network. Once cell modems are embedded in everything the only option to prevent it from phoning home will be to physically disable the modem or put it in a Faraday cage.
  - pwinnski 7y ago
    Fortunately, not connecting to wifi also means that my TV's software/firmware won't be updated, so for this particular device, I think it will be a viable option as long as it keeps operating. Whether TCL will someday close that loophole for future models remains to be seen.

by nkrisc 7y ago

metalliqaz 7y ago

yes. as far as smart TVs go, a Roku one is usually the best option because all the other platforms absolutely suck. I agree with only buying "dumb" TVs

jandrese 7y ago
The problem is that "Dumb" TVs are quickly going extinct. They already tend to be more expensive than otherwise equivalent "Smart" TVs, which should give you an idea of how much value is actually added to the TV by these "Smart" features. It's probably about time for someone to figure out the firmware update process and come with a DD-WRT style open source firmware that doesn't have all of this nonsense.
- TremendousJudge 7y ago
  The closest thing is to never let it connect to the internet, plug in a raspi with Kodi on it, and just use that. It's almost perfect
- d1zzy 7y ago
  As long as "smart" TVs still provide for a way to not connect it to any network (this is true for Roku TVs too) it's all good and we can use them as dumb TVs. Yes, most people may not realize that's an option. But also, yes, the TV price already factors in the financial benefits of getting people's personal information. I remember reading an article on this, oh yes: https://www.businessinsider.com/smart-tv-data-collection-advertising-2019-1 https://www.businessinsider.com/smart-tv-data-collection-adv... """ It's not just about data collection. It's about post-purchase monetization of the TV. """

shantly 7y ago

Yeah, there are TVs with Roku built-in. It's the TV's "OS". I thought it was incredibly dumb too until every TV started having an OS, most of them awful, and all of them spying on you unless you stop them. Now, at least the OS is Roku so the performance is pretty good and it's not too weird or crashy. Faster boot-up (ugh) than a lot of others.

e1ven 7y ago

I agree that buying "dumb" TVs is preferable, but they're often hard to find if you're looking for high-end features. To quickly include the comments which often come up in similar threads - There are some TVs you can find at BestBuy without smart features, but they're usually not 4K. In many cases you can use a "smart" tv, and avoid putting it on your local wifi. Some TVs reportedly require internet access to work at all. In other cases people have said that the device jumped on a neighbors open wifi without prompting. People often say that including these "smart" features makes a TV cheaper for a manufacturer, since they can then sell your viewing data.

nkrisc 7y ago
It's true, the last TV I bought was a dumb 55" that I got for maybe $480. It was hard to find though, and it was a model a few years old at the time. Incidentally I got it from Best Buy. But absolutely, try to find a new TV with top end display tech without smart features? Nigh impossible, unless you pony up for a commercial display.

pwinnski 7y ago

Just last week I bought a TCL Roku TV. The price was right! During setup, I declined to connect to WiFi and then set the TV to automatically switch to HDMI 1 when it turns on, and to honor CEC over HDMI so that my external AppleTV box can power it on and off. Taught the AppleTV remote how to handle the volume on the TV, and that's it. The Roku remote is in a drawer, and the TV behaves as a dumb monitor. I'm not even sure whether it's possible to buy a large TV without software loaded on it, but you don't have to let that software run!

lotsofpulp 7y ago
>The price was right! In my opinion, a "right" price would not encourage the kind of behavior that puts bullshit software on a device in the first place. Also, your TV could be connected to mobile networks and you would not know, although I'm not sure what information they can divine from the TV being on or off, other than the times someone is home or not.
- pwinnski 7y ago
  If the TV demanded a network connection to operate, I would have returned it the next day. My TV could have a secret mobile chip, it's true. So could literally anything brought into my house larger than a chip+antenna. I don't think that a TV would be the first thing I'd suspect.
MrMember 7y ago
I wonder how long not connecting it to wifi will be a viable option. I wouldn't be surprised if many devices today still attempt to connect to open networks even if you decline to connect it to your home network. Once cell modems are embedded in everything the only option to prevent it from phoning home will be to physically disable the modem or put it in a Faraday cage.
- pwinnski 7y ago
  Fortunately, not connecting to wifi also means that my TV's software/firmware won't be updated, so for this particular device, I think it will be a viable option as long as it keeps operating. Whether TCL will someday close that loophole for future models remains to be seen.