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> Right now it is effectively impossible for a consumer to buy a TV that doesn't include a computer capable of this. Digital Signage Displays come to the rescu

> Right now it is effectively impossible for a consumer to buy a TV that doesn't include a computer capable of this. Digital Signage Displays come to the rescue, although they cost more and some are starting to put Android inside, which however can be kept offline as the device would work merely as a display. The upside is that they're designed to work 18/7 to 24/7 and won't easily break like cheaper Smart TVs; setting up a wall of screens in a mall can be a real pain in the ass if every month some guy needs to climb up there and swap the one that died because of bad capacitors etc. That stuff must last or it becomes a huge waste of money. Then the necessary tuner can be either bought stand alone (and kept unconnected), or enclosed in a Linux/Kodi mini-PC in the form of a cheap USB dongle. https://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T2_USB_Devices https://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/DVB-T2_USB_Devices The result can be bulky and probably Grandpa wouldn't welcome it, but for technical inclined users, the level of freedom and security that can be achieved is worth the effort.

dtgriscom 5y ago
And, even beyond the improved quality, they'll cost a lot more than a "smart" TV, because the "smart" TV is (likely?) subsidized by whomever gains access to your media stream.
- squarefoot 5y ago
  This is possible, although economies of scale also play a role here; they probably sell like a thousand Smart TVs for each signage display. I like to think however that for that higher price I'm actually buying a better durable product that will pay in the long run: 4K will last for a while, and by keeping things separated, other potential weak points (incompatibility with new formats or standards) are left to the tuner/mini PC, which would cost a lot less than the screen to change, or possibly nothing in case of software update.

dtgriscom 5y ago

And, even beyond the improved quality, they'll cost a lot more than a "smart" TV, because the "smart" TV is (likely?) subsidized by whomever gains access to your media stream.

squarefoot 5y ago
This is possible, although economies of scale also play a role here; they probably sell like a thousand Smart TVs for each signage display. I like to think however that for that higher price I'm actually buying a better durable product that will pay in the long run: 4K will last for a while, and by keeping things separated, other potential weak points (incompatibility with new formats or standards) are left to the tuner/mini PC, which would cost a lot less than the screen to change, or possibly nothing in case of software update.