Ask HN: Which TV do you recommend for privacy?

Posted by LecroJS 2 days ago

I haven’t owned a TV in years and would like one that respects my privacy. Are there any TV’s which do this well? I am looking for something in the 60”to 80”range and would like a 4k display with at least 60hz display. I don’t mind paying a premium.

I have heard good things about Apple TV as a better alternative to most smart TV native apps. Would some TV’s pair better with this than others for privacy? I don’t want the TV doing anything other than being the display for Apple TV.

I am curious what success others have had.

721 points | 865 commentspage 19

throawayonthe 1 day ago|

no, if you're plugging something in just pick a good tv and never connect it to internet :p

hexapus 2 days ago||

Well, I have CRTs in most of the rooms in my home. That's because of an unrelated condition for which I refuse to be treated, but they are great for privacy!

loloquwowndueo 2 days ago|

Do crts make you better, or lcds make you worse? What about plasma?

hexapus 2 days ago||

Plasmas are great, and I have one - and our main screen in the living room is just a bog standard Sony...I just love CRTs, but I'm a retro gaming nerd.

Jach 1 day ago||

9 years ago I got a hisense 65h8c for around $800, at the time it seemed like the dumbest tv I could get (all new tvs, that now-old one included, are advertised as 'smart') that still hit other criteria. It has only ever connected over HDMI to a PC or an AV receiver. Still works great, used mostly for gaming, occasionally movie or show watching. It has weaker blacks and some edge bleeding, but meh; I'll never buy an OLED TV since at some point I'd play a game on it and soon enough after get burn-in from static UI elements.

tootie 2 days ago||

Another slightly pricier option is buy a digital signage display. These are screens intended for use in like retail floors or even outdoors. They tend to be extra durable, resistant to burn-in, very bright and devoid of most fluffy end user features.

MoarEmus 2 days ago|

I second this. Both my TVs at home are previous signage from my work. Samsung panels and the one that does have smart features is from the far flung past.

ivanmontillam 2 days ago||

At this point I'd just hooking up a gaming monitor (a very large one) with separate speakers and low-spec computer to run it.

I researched a bit for business displays from Samsung and these also have enshittified with "smart" features, so it lost my trust as well.

asimovDev 1 day ago|

just be careful to not buy a gaming monitor with Smart TV features (yes, those exist)

forbiddenvoid 1 day ago||

Stop connecting TVs to the internet.

computersuck 2 days ago||

A "Dumb TV" that doesn't have any Android / set top OS on it. Plug a debian box into it via HDMI, and you're all set.

x3haloed 1 day ago||

Any TV that you want. Just don't connect it to a network. Why is this hard?

bitwize 1 day ago||

Sceptre dumb TV. Failing that, large computer monitor or digital signage display. You WILL pay a premium.

Night_Thastus 2 days ago|

Rather than trying to get a TV which doesn't have blatant spyware (when in all likelyhood, they all do, or will get one in a software update), I would suggest solving the problem the other way around - get a TV you know you can disable that functionality in. Trusting the manufacturer is a recipe for disaster.

I stripped out the bluetooth+wifi module from my TV and keep it disconnected from ethernet. Now it doesn't matter what it tries to collect, it can't send it anywhere.

SOFTWARE SWITCHES CAN NEVER BE TRUSTED!

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