Just don't connect them to the internet, then it doesn't matter.
this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2026
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Privacy
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People connect them to the internet to use YouTube or something, and then just forget that it is still online. This is for those people who are unaware. And a smart TV can still be hacked while disconnected from Wi-Fi, that is obviously harder to do.
If those people are unaware, then make them aware. Telling them to disable telemtry instead of taking them offline completely is simply bad advice.
Turning off those features still help. That is why I posted, so some are aware... People have smart TV's to use the internet. That is kind of the whole point of having them. Most people just don't disconnect their TV from the Wi-Fi every time they are done streaming. Which, that would be a GOOD IDEA idea.
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Hasnt there been claims of the smart tv's automatically connecting to open WiFi to update and or send data.
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There was some sort of scandal a few years back that some smart TVs (Samsung?) were using not just open networks (let's be honest, there usually aren't any), but other smart TVs if the same manufacturer to be able to send their telemetry. I don't know what game of that, or if that was ever made illegal (probably not).
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Limit, not disable.
Correct.
Don't connect them to the Internet.
Done.
Not done, they have shown to jump on unsecured networks to phone home. That coulr be a neighbour or a guests hotspot.
Edit: I was correctly asked to source this and couldnt, it was a few reddit posts without back up. I should have checked before posting
Got any sources for this? This seems unlikely to be true at any scale
Who has shown it? Never seen anyinebprove that.
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Don't reward shitty practices with your money. Just don't buy them.
Where can you buy a non-smart TV ? I searched a lot, there is nowhere to buy such TV for private consumers. I could find some Hotel or Hospital TVs on eBay, they are all expensive and shit specs.
There are several dumb tvs, such as the Samsung BEFX-H series and the LG UN640S. Yes, they are more expensive, because they don't make money with ads and paid services.
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Never connect it to your wifi and use an open source Linux or android media box instead. If you can buy a tv or projector without any smart device baked in.
I think it’s important to note that most of the devices you’ll find if you just search for a cheap and generic “Android media box” are not going to be any better for your privacy. Even if you ignore the data collection you subject yourself to with Android, you might be purchasing a botnet node or a backdoor into your home network.
where/how do you get an open source android media box?
You buy one from the internet, any hardware that can run Android Open Source Project (AOSP) like the Ugoos AM8 Pro, Generic Amlogic Boxes. You could use certain arm and x86 hardware and run waydroid on top of Linux or install android like LineageOS, BlissOS, PrimeOS AndroidTV-x86_64, and FydeOS. You can use like an SBC like a raspberry pi or an old laptop or something. In short there's. A lot of pathways to get this done that doesn't involve sending all your data back to the TV or streaming box manufacturer.
Maybe the easiest way is just using Linux and waydroid on really any hardware. There are specified Linux OS's like LibreELEC, OSMC (Open Source Media Center), LinuxMCE, but it's not necessary you run a specified OS. Also easier to slap a hard drive on that badboy and get a media server going with Plex or jellyfin and host other stuff like kiwix, pinhole, nextcloud and so on. Just pair with a Bluetooth keyboard trackpad combo and you're good to go.
Disable those non connected options
You don't really believe that companies actually stop monitoring the shot out of you, right?
Just don't connect your smart TV to the Internet. Instead get some opens source TV stick, dump jellyfin on it, make your own little library and go nuts
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My 6yo was falling down into youtube rabbit holes of total brainrot. And then netflix started offering similar content.
I cancelled all my subscriptions, run jellyfin, ytdl-sub, and other required stuff[tm], my TVs don't have internet access any more. Just jellyfin access. Reading this validates my decision for me.
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I’ve been rocking a 46 inch Sony xbr 1080p tv for like 22 years. It just broke last week :(
That thing was awesome. It had nine types of inputs, DisplayPort, hdmi, super video, dvi, rca. It even had optical audio in and out. It was a $10,000 tv when it came out and I watched it for a while until it was something like $3300 and I bought it.
I replaced it with a 55inch Samsung for $300. The picture is 22years better :) but the rest of it is throw away junk. It will never get connected to the internet and it will never get a software update. I think this is the logical conclusion to cheap tvs, they just become 100% enshittified.
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Genuinely zero idea how people use TVs on their own, with wi-fi connected, and no HTPC. Not only is it mostly spyware, it's a horrendous experience too.
Just get a tiny pc with a wireless keyboard + touchpad combo, and use that instead of a Smart TV's built-in OS. More secure, more private, more feature-rich, more convenient. If you watch TV (I can't see why anyone would), then you can even watch that online.
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PiHole/AdGuard on the network and/or don't connect the tv to the internet.
The correct answer is VLAN/MAC jail or no connection.
Even DNS blocks won't stop persistent tracking which often has fallback IPs.
Isolate it and only allow the domains you need.
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Rootmy.tv + a good firewall like opensense can help
Better solution: do not buy such defective products.
Oh, come on, just don't connect it to the Internet = problem solved. HDMI cables all the way!
Don't some roku TVs require a connection now.
Don’t buy things from scumbags.
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Its the only sane thing to do.
I read that put those things on a separate guest WiFi is a good option for better security too ?
True, it is more secure with a secondary guest network. But I doubt it stops data from being sent back in this case. A strong Wi-Fi password is always recommended too with a guest network.
Everybody in this thread: "Instead of that, just do this incredibly complex techy thing and build up your own library with multiple PBs of stolen media"
I'd love to ditch my Roku stick (already unplugged LG tv from internet). I use plex for some stuff...
I probably will set up a raspberry pi but most people cannot do this
EDIT: just set up LibreELEC and tried a few streams ... this sucks lol.
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