4 ms·

Is it even possible to buy a non-smart tv these days? All I really need or want is something I can plug a few gaming consoles into... so HDMI, composite and pr

Is it even possible to buy a non-smart tv these days? All I really need or want is something I can plug a few gaming consoles into... so HDMI, composite and preferably s-video. No bells or whistles or Internet connection necessary.

j-bos 1y ago
Ironically advertising displays a pretty good.
- julianlam 1y ago
  I've read something like 5 or 6 HN threads about a dumb TV, and without fail _this_ is always one of the replies. Another benefit — advertising displays are also designed to be always-on and last much longer than consumer devices. The other side of the coin? Because of the first two points, they are also rather cost-prohibitive. Nevertheless, anyone know where I can pick up a good one?
  - olyjohn 1y ago
    I don't know how long they are supposed to last always on, but I have done a few always-on displays with cheap-ass consumer TVs. They have always been fine left on for a couple of years. I mean, some of them got turned off on weekends and stuff, but for the price of a commercial display, you can buy 4 cheap-ass displays, and just replace one if it dies. I've also seen lots of these commercial displays die as well... I just don't believe they are really worth spending the money on. Of course, this was back before every consumer TV was a smart TV. I dunno if you can find cheap-ass TVs that aren't smart anymore.
    - jopsen 1y ago
      There are probably many places where the cost of sending a technician to replace the display is rather expensive.
  - bigiain 1y ago
    > The other side of the coin? Because of the first two points, they are also rather cost-prohibitive. Not if you steal one! Which has 3 great benefits, you get a free screen, wherever you stole it from no longer bombards passersby with intrusive advertising, and whoever though doing that was a good idea is now out the cost of their expensive screen. > Nevertheless, anyone know where I can pick up a good one? Your local shopping mall late at night... <All jokes. Honest. Although as Hunter S. Thompson said “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me,”>
cosmicgadget 1y ago
Don't connect it to wifi?
- bigiain 1y ago
  Wasn't there a minor scandal a while back where I think Samsung TVs were discovered to be connecting to nearby unsecured wifi to send their telemetry back to HQ? I feel to be safe you'd want to consider opening them up and removing the wifi radio or antenna.

j-bos 1y ago

Ironically advertising displays a pretty good.

julianlam 1y ago
I've read something like 5 or 6 HN threads about a dumb TV, and without fail _this_ is always one of the replies. Another benefit — advertising displays are also designed to be always-on and last much longer than consumer devices. The other side of the coin? Because of the first two points, they are also rather cost-prohibitive. Nevertheless, anyone know where I can pick up a good one?
- olyjohn 1y ago
  I don't know how long they are supposed to last always on, but I have done a few always-on displays with cheap-ass consumer TVs. They have always been fine left on for a couple of years. I mean, some of them got turned off on weekends and stuff, but for the price of a commercial display, you can buy 4 cheap-ass displays, and just replace one if it dies. I've also seen lots of these commercial displays die as well... I just don't believe they are really worth spending the money on. Of course, this was back before every consumer TV was a smart TV. I dunno if you can find cheap-ass TVs that aren't smart anymore.
  - jopsen 1y ago
    There are probably many places where the cost of sending a technician to replace the display is rather expensive.
- bigiain 1y ago
  > The other side of the coin? Because of the first two points, they are also rather cost-prohibitive. Not if you steal one! Which has 3 great benefits, you get a free screen, wherever you stole it from no longer bombards passersby with intrusive advertising, and whoever though doing that was a good idea is now out the cost of their expensive screen. > Nevertheless, anyone know where I can pick up a good one? Your local shopping mall late at night... <All jokes. Honest. Although as Hunter S. Thompson said “I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me,”>

cosmicgadget 1y ago

Don't connect it to wifi?

bigiain 1y ago
Wasn't there a minor scandal a while back where I think Samsung TVs were discovered to be connecting to nearby unsecured wifi to send their telemetry back to HQ? I feel to be safe you'd want to consider opening them up and removing the wifi radio or antenna.