I am not aware of a TV that requires internet access to show a picture, but I haven't looked in a long time. I don't think a TV will try to hack nearby networks

I am not aware of a TV that requires internet access to show a picture, but I haven't looked in a long time. I don't think a TV will try to hack nearby networks, but it is possible that it strongly suggests you to connect to the internet, for example by showing nag screens, locking out essential features, or fixing breaking bugs that should never have been allowed to ship. What I meant that you can buy a smart TV and take advantage of the lower prices but you should make sure that you can actually use the TV without a network connection (and yes, that it doesn't try to hack your wifi).