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Is there a reason I’m not aware of that not connecting a smart to to a network isn’t enough? Do they auto-connect to open Wi-Fi for example?
by jahnu 5y ago
Is there a reason I’m not aware of that not connecting a smart to to a network isn’t enough?
Do they auto-connect to open Wi-Fi for example?
- elxr 5y agoIt's enough for me. I have a 2022 4K TV that I just never connected to a network and everything works just fine.
- _moof 5y agoApparently some(? many? most?) of them refuse to work at all until they've been "set up" over the internet. Don't know for sure though; I'm clinging to my old dumb TV like a life raft.
- DoingIsLearning 5y agoAll the sony tvs that I have owned, I just connect HDMI inputs. The TV works as intended. If I use sony's remote and go to the home menu it is still waiting for a connection but it works just fine as a tv panel.
- qwertox 5y agoI don't understand it either, but it's also because I don't know how modern TVs (2015+) behave when not connected. But I wouldn't be surprised if Samsung and others would already be working on a solution where the TVs use your phone as a bridge to the internet. Or neighboring IoT devices (similar to Amazon Sidewalk).
- mtsr 5y agoJust a built in sim card with very cheap data rates works. Apparently this viewing data is worth quite a bit of money on the data markets.
- nmstoker 5y agoI guess it's not easily done but if people were to send blatantly messed up data back to the servers that were listening to the creepy TVs it would undermine that value and maybe the manufacturers would reconsider.
- cookie_monsta 5y agoFTA: > I’m usually told something akin to: “well, just don’t connect the TV to the Internet!” But that route locks you out of firmware updates, and some TV makers remove functionality if you refuse to participate in their online ecosystem. Many smart TV GUIs also need to load before you’re even allowed to switch laggy HDMI inputs. (although this is exactly what I did with the Samsung smart TV I picked up on a bargain, and I have zero complaints so far)
- littlecranky67 5y agoI think most of them could be updates through USB or by attaching a cable. you might need to dig a little through the interwebs to find a Howto for your model, but firmware updating over usb/cable is very common.
- IYasha 5y ago> But that route locks you out of firmware updates Actually some people disconnect their TVs BECAUSE of malicious firmware updates. Last update for my TV was not fixing any bugs, no patching any vulnerabilities, not adding any functionality, not improving content, not providing connectivity... it was JUST adding encryption to the firmware image and closing every way to root it!
- bojangleslover 5y agoWho needs firmware updates on a TV?
- pbhjpbhj 5y agoBBC iPlayer stopped supporting don't older TVs. I think it was a codec issue, they only now support more modern codecs? In which case a firmware update might have provided a fix. I know several older people who changed TV because of it.
- buro9 5y agoBut BBC iPlayer needs the internet to work. If the premise is "do not connect it to a network to make it a dumb TV" then the apps that need the internet won't work anyway. If the only thing is connected to is HDMI (and that device providers any apps you need)... Then surely firmware and software updates are not needed. If course the key is to never ever give it any network or Bluetooth credentials.
- lozenge 5y agoI think some of them don't have an offline version of the "Programme Guide" (using data in the broadcast signal) any more.
- _dain_ 5y ago>Do they auto-connect to open Wi-Fi for example? Yes, they do.
- Gigachad 5y agoThere is no proof of this ever happening or being a feature though.