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Posted by fleahunter 12/12/2025

Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options(arstechnica.com)
636 points | 532 commentspage 6
asdff 12/13/2025|
It isn’t even the smart tv prospect that concerns me with new tvs. My current TV is technically a smart TV but you can’t tell. It has never been connected to the internet.

My concern is the framerate. Some of these TVs, even in the 1080p era, will turn a cinematic masterpiece into feeling like a cheap soap opera. I’m not even sure what to look for to avoid this issue. Limiting myself to maybe 48hz tvs?

fwip 12/13/2025|
You just need to turn it off in the settings.
b8 12/13/2025||
Don't connect to the wifi on the tv and just use a Nvidia Shield Pro or ugoos/Onn.
chaostheory 12/13/2025||
Will it be smart if you don’t connect it to the internet? Am I missing something?
maurits 12/12/2025||
"We, and our 226 partners use cookies and similar methods to recognize visitors"
mrweasel 12/12/2025||
How can you as a publisher not look at that an not go: "Seems a bit much".

Fine that you need to run ads and maybe partner with someone to sell those ads, but 226 of them?

deafpolygon 12/12/2025|||
It’s just a modern-day MLM scam.
pandemic_region 12/12/2025||
This
p1dda 12/13/2025||
Why not just buy a big monitor and use it to watch 'TV'?
JodieBenitez 12/13/2025||
> Best ways to find a dumb TV

I did not give my TV network access. Works fine.

idbehold 12/13/2025|
Manufacturers know people do this. The TV will attempt to connect to any open network (neighbors) and I'd be shocked if they haven't at least considered packaging them with 4G/5G antennas. You're gonna need a Faraday Cage.
JodieBenitez 12/15/2025|||
Well... I got lucky then: none of my 3 TVs from different brands (two of them being used as screens for computers) did this.
nickthegreek 12/13/2025|||
Provide any evidence at all that this is happening.
1970-01-01 12/13/2025||
Want to know the best option? GO USED. You can find a 50-60 inch dumb TV for a hundred dollars. No, it won't be UHD 4K, but it might be 3D, and it won't pester you to connect to Wi-Fi every time you use it.
deltaburnt 12/13/2025|
Basically locks you out of HDR, high frame rates, VRR, or (more importantly) new panel technology like OLED.
1970-01-01 12/13/2025||
Nope. https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/sony/x850d
lucasRW 12/12/2025||
Aren't private DNS or PiHoles a good enough compromise ?
MattTheRealOne 12/13/2025|
That can block some trackers, but does not block ads or “suggested” content. There are also some devices that have hardcoded DNS settings that bypass any local network DNS settings.
Marsymars 12/13/2025||
> There are also some devices that have hardcoded DNS settings that bypass any local network DNS settings.

You can intercept those as long as they're not using DoH/DoT.

nephihaha 12/13/2025|
I don't really watch TV now. Not scheduled TV anyway. Sometimes some sport in a bar or whatever. I do watch YouTube and some streaming services but old school TV never.
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