They are cheap for a reason...
this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2026
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We need openWrt for TVs :(
I have a Hisense that I bought late last year and have never connected it to the internet (I stream everything through my PS5) and boyhowdy does that TV take every chance it gets to let me know I'm not connected lol
I bought my last TV about 7 years ago. I got a "small" 38" TV. As I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I'd rather upgrade to a larger model from the same brand with smart features for 10 dollars less. I flat out told him 'no' and that was probably the best decision I made that year.
If you don't connect a smart TV to the internet, it's functionally the same as a dumb TV.
Sadly more and more TV's will now require you to connect to the Internet, even when you just use HDMI
Ive had LG, Vizio, TCL, and Samsung TVs (still have all but Vizio) and haven't ran into one that requires internet yet, not to say that some manufacturers haven't/wouldn't do this at some point.
i don't know why i didn't expect hisense to do it.
IF YOU BUY ANY TV, DO NOT CONNECT IT TO THE INTERNET.
Televisions were never meant to be smart devices. There's no reason your screen should have software of its own. That would be like your face having a mind of its own.
Ummm,
Cell modems are getting cheaper and cheaper, it's only a matter of time before cheap smart TVs will flood the market with always-on telemetry and intrusive personalized ads.
That sounds like a great reason to return it and buy used lol
Well then I guess I make the room a giant faraday cage.
I haven't experience this myself but I've read that some newer TV's are forcing you to connect to the internet before you can do anything else.
Not to mention it seems like the apps on a smart tv get ignored when it comes to updates.
My face's mind sits right behind my face.
Bought a new TV and this is precisely the reason why it will never be connected to the Internet. I miss out on the built-in AirPlay which is annoying but I'll live.
I would resort to violence, Holy shit.
I don't have this issue with my higher end hi sense, but the article states it's for the lower end models. So this proves that companies are lowering the costs of TV's and offsetting it by selling your data and forcing you to watch ads they get paid for.
Mine is connected to the internet and no issues. If they ever do this to my TV, internet is off and i'm buying a shield pro.
Why wait? Streaming services are only getting worse, and we can only really fight back one way. Yo ho!
Anyone has a list of TV manufacturers that don't suck yet?
The easy answer is to use commercial displays. They are more expensive and may not have the latest tech BUT they last longer and don't do the spyware shenanigans.
Personally, I use computer monitors. They're cheap enough. 32 inch ultra wide. 36 inch. They're only getting larger and cheaper.
As for remote control, I hook it up to the computer and use unified remote.
At this point I consume most media literally on my computer or my phone, but I still want there to be a good solution for a big living room TV (50"+ range). I have yet to see any reasonable 'computer monitor' option for that.
The other problem with using a monitor as a TV, BTW, is that they often don't have built-in speakers.
I've got a Sony and even it's showing home screen ads - normally it's just "suggestions" for shows on streaming services I don't have, but the occasional car ad also comes through. I have a theory that the reason Sony are getting out of the TV business is that they don't want to develop their own TV OS and they're sick of their customers complaining about the ads in Google's OS.
I'm about to get a 2nd one and I'm seriously considering a computer monitor hooked up to a mini PC running XBMC or something.
It seems like a lot of the bigger names suck. I bought a Blauerpunkt and it is awful - not hackability wise but as a product. Probably for the same reasons as Nokia, Phillips, JVC etc are pale shadows of themselves (sold off / rebagged)
I have a Blauerpunkt, a TCL and a Samsung. Of the three, it's the TCL that's been the least locked down.
At this rate, I'm probably going to go for a short throw projector or just get an old school plasma if /when these go tits up.
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Ohh it's not wrongdoing and when we refuse to buy anything from them, they're getting what they gave.
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Okay, so strike Hisense products from the list of brand I'll ever buy from
The list is getting pretty big.
This is why, for years, I've been trying to point out that "if you don't like it, just don't buy it" isn't good enough. Boycotts aren't enough; we have to force the law to change to prohibit the abusive corporate behavior.
At this rate it is easier to do a whitelist than a blacklist
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