5 ms·

1. Don't buy a smart TV 2. Done

by edhelas 6y ago

riku_iki 6y ago
Nowdays it means "don't buy TV"..
- TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
  You're not going to get 65" or 70" monitors at anywhere near the cost of a 65" or 70" TV.
ptx 6y ago
What do you buy instead? I don't imagine it's easy to find a recent, high-quality TV without "smart" features. A few years ago, I looked into getting a digital signage display instead, but they were pretty expensive.
- qchris 6y ago
  I can't speak for people using actual modems, but my household cut the cord a while back and just uses a really big computer monitor attached directly to a dedicated cheap computer for pulling up Netflix, Hulu, etc. or watching local movies. There's a tiny portable keyboard/touchpad combo for it as the "remote".
- bo1024 6y ago
  You can also look at 1080p projectors, although they are expensive.
  - barrkel 6y ago
    They are not that expensive, particularly when you consider you can have a 100" screen without needing to dedicate a whole lot of space - a pull-down screen can be rolled up when not in use.
- cure 6y ago
  We just use a 43" LG 4k monitor. It has built-in speakers and no smarts at all. In combination with a Chromecast or similar, it works great as a "TV". I think the current model is 43UN700-B, which retails for ~$650. This screen also makes for a killer computer monitor, by the way :)
- TacticalCoder 6y ago
  No TV allowed in our house (it's unrelated to ads: they didn't exist on TVs back when we decided to outlaw TVs at home). I'm using something which is arguably both cheaper, bigger and gives more of a "cinema" feeling: a 1080p projector. 4K projector can be pricey, but there are a huge lot of very reasonably priced 1080p projectors. Just make sure to find one which is compatible with the size of your room (mine is in a big living room, so the smaller models weren't fit). It's hooked to the system ceiling. If you don't like that look you can put them in a trap that comes down or use one of the newer, fancier, "short throw" ones. The diagonal I have (for a few hundred bucks: 400 EUR IIRC) is something silly like about 350cm/138inches. Movies, sports, video streaming (Youtube or similar), ... In my case it's the best solution: I love the theater feeling a projector gives and I definitely and positively hate the sharp and crisp pictures all these new TVs do give. Every time I see one at a friend I simply cannot stand the experience. And inversely: when friends come at home they're always impressed by how good the picture is from my cheap 1080p projector. I didn't even bother with the wall: I just project the picture on a regular blank wall. I didn't even make the wall perfectly flat: I just painted it white myself (and not even with a projector-specific paint: I had no idea these existed when I painted the wall). It's getting used everyday since two years (had a 720p before that) and lamp use ain't even a concern. As a bonus it's still trivial to find projectors without microphone listening to you 24/7 and which aren't sniffing on the HDMI ports. Now I don't doubt that in the future we'll be graced with no other choice but "smart AI projectors", but that day hasn't arrived yet.
  - viraptor 6y ago
    I did something similar and it works great. If you're worried about wanting to watch something during the day, get one of the laser projectors like Epson's. They're relatively cheap and work perfectly even without closing the curtains.
- jccooper 6y ago
  The Best Buy house brand Insignia still has good TVs that aren't "smart". Not a lot else.
ScoobleDoodle 6y ago
Sceptre has some non-smart TVs now. Not the newest TV tech but gets the job done.

1. Don't buy a smart TV 2. Done

riku_iki 6y ago

Nowdays it means "don't buy TV"..

TedDoesntTalk 6y ago
You're not going to get 65" or 70" monitors at anywhere near the cost of a 65" or 70" TV.

ptx 6y ago

What do you buy instead? I don't imagine it's easy to find a recent, high-quality TV without "smart" features. A few years ago, I looked into getting a digital signage display instead, but they were pretty expensive.

qchris 6y ago
I can't speak for people using actual modems, but my household cut the cord a while back and just uses a really big computer monitor attached directly to a dedicated cheap computer for pulling up Netflix, Hulu, etc. or watching local movies. There's a tiny portable keyboard/touchpad combo for it as the "remote".
bo1024 6y ago
You can also look at 1080p projectors, although they are expensive.
- barrkel 6y ago
  They are not that expensive, particularly when you consider you can have a 100" screen without needing to dedicate a whole lot of space - a pull-down screen can be rolled up when not in use.
cure 6y ago
We just use a 43" LG 4k monitor. It has built-in speakers and no smarts at all. In combination with a Chromecast or similar, it works great as a "TV". I think the current model is 43UN700-B, which retails for ~$650. This screen also makes for a killer computer monitor, by the way :)
TacticalCoder 6y ago
No TV allowed in our house (it's unrelated to ads: they didn't exist on TVs back when we decided to outlaw TVs at home). I'm using something which is arguably both cheaper, bigger and gives more of a "cinema" feeling: a 1080p projector. 4K projector can be pricey, but there are a huge lot of very reasonably priced 1080p projectors. Just make sure to find one which is compatible with the size of your room (mine is in a big living room, so the smaller models weren't fit). It's hooked to the system ceiling. If you don't like that look you can put them in a trap that comes down or use one of the newer, fancier, "short throw" ones. The diagonal I have (for a few hundred bucks: 400 EUR IIRC) is something silly like about 350cm/138inches. Movies, sports, video streaming (Youtube or similar), ... In my case it's the best solution: I love the theater feeling a projector gives and I definitely and positively hate the sharp and crisp pictures all these new TVs do give. Every time I see one at a friend I simply cannot stand the experience. And inversely: when friends come at home they're always impressed by how good the picture is from my cheap 1080p projector. I didn't even bother with the wall: I just project the picture on a regular blank wall. I didn't even make the wall perfectly flat: I just painted it white myself (and not even with a projector-specific paint: I had no idea these existed when I painted the wall). It's getting used everyday since two years (had a 720p before that) and lamp use ain't even a concern. As a bonus it's still trivial to find projectors without microphone listening to you 24/7 and which aren't sniffing on the HDMI ports. Now I don't doubt that in the future we'll be graced with no other choice but "smart AI projectors", but that day hasn't arrived yet.
- viraptor 6y ago
  I did something similar and it works great. If you're worried about wanting to watch something during the day, get one of the laser projectors like Epson's. They're relatively cheap and work perfectly even without closing the curtains.
jccooper 6y ago
The Best Buy house brand Insignia still has good TVs that aren't "smart". Not a lot else.

ScoobleDoodle 6y ago

Sceptre has some non-smart TVs now. Not the newest TV tech but gets the job done.