65 inch Samsung. New old stock I guess, since it's a discontinued 2025 and the 2026s are already in the store (Best Buy).

But hooking that thing up. Holy moly. I felt like I was trying to hack into the CIA mainframe with all the accounts, passwords, login codes, user agreements, etc.

And there's no instructions. Except for actually putting the tv on it's actual cabinet. Other than that, nada.

Thank goodness for boobtube, huh?

Lol!

We are in the Sony ecosystem, but same story. We use an AppleTV to connect to online content. The tv remains disconnected from the internet. I also physically removed the camera so it cannot spy on us.

Best thing you could do, is NEVER put it on the internet. Keep it dumb.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
The tv remains disconnected from the internet.

This is what I did, the only difference being DirecTV streaming for us.

Mind me asking why keep a smart tv dumb?

Mine are old and dumb but am looking forward to something made this century.

0-0

We use several streaming services. Impossible to not use the internet. Have done so for years.

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Mind me asking why keep a smart tv dumb?

Mine are old and dumb but am looking forward to something made this century.

0-0

Privacy. I don't trust any data collection because we have seen examples of being lied to about what is collected, and seen it used improperly.

A smart tv reports back to someone about all your viewing. But it also collects audio for the voice control functions. In addition, some have cameras looking at the room, which they claim is for functions like determining if nobody is watching so it can turn off.

The last thing I want is microphones and cameras in my home connected to the internet.

By using something like an AppleTv box, and I assume similar boxes such as ROKU, there is no microphone or camera. I expect each streaming service is collecting data on my viewing, but it isn't being aggregated by Apple.

I've got a smart tv and use the intranets w/ it but I don't have any voice or video stuff going on.

If they are recording what I watch, they'll see I'm not watching Disney anymore.
Nor am I watching Wheel of Time and all their specialness in how they went woke and ruined the story.

IMO the only worthwhile “smart” TV is a Roku TV

My Dad bought a Vizio smart TV a few years back and it’s terrible, I consider myself a techie and it even frustrates me trying to operate and set up for him.

I feel like they're trying to make TVs into cellphones these days. Except they're about 15 years behind in the user experience while using very slow processors and slow to react remotes. The IR remotes of the past reacted with much more consistency compared to the "modern" RF remotes (as long as you pointed them in the correct direction, of course).

I have an 82" Samsung and between the initial setup and getting it logged into all the streaming services we use it was crazy. One feature I do love which I found by accident is that with my Samsung galaxy phone I can also have the tv stream to the phone. Works great if I'm watching a game and need to hit the head... I can't do it with my work iPhone tho.

We recently upgraded to a new Samsung smart TV. I concur that it was a pain in the butt to set up -- lots of new passwords, little in the way of guidance and in our case the need for a new router (and lots of time on the phone with Verizon, who actually were great!). While I hated the process, now that it is working as intended, it is great. Stick with it, the results are worth the initial aggravation.

Last "smart" tv I purchased was smarter than me.

I called the tech support hot line and it still !
Took 25 minutes !

And!
It's not on the inner net!
Rabbit ears only.

( Thanks to a kind soul here)

33 channels gets me by, fine just fine.

Smart TV's pretty much rock, but they are an pita initially. One thing we ended up doing is getting ROKU, which enabled us to download many more apps for streamers. Also, the ROKU remote is the best. Very intuitive. Best part is the mute button and volume buttons are on the side edge, so we don't have to hunt for it in the dark. Highly recommend. My wife uses bluetooth with her airpods so she can watch and listen at night and I hear blessed silence.

Have a few years older Samsung 64 4K smart TV it has a great picture only issue I have is you have to select the input when you start, or, wait 20 seconds while the Samsung tv smart window/page loads, sits there waiting on you to pick something with the Samsung remote.

We run Firesticks and DTV app, Netflix, Apple, Disney and a few apps that the Samsung won't accommodate, it won't let you side load, so you need a Firestick, ROKU or generic android TV box.

Watched NapCar Nashville lastnight on Prime, have to say they do a lot better job than the networks... And watching it in High Def was nice.

Agree with OP, loading everything can be a pain but it's a really good TV

I have two Vizio's with one being 40 years old while the other is 15 years old.

Walmart bought out Vizio several years ago. Are they still good TV's?

They have a 65 inch model for $348:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/VIZ...g=L1102&from=/search

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Mind me asking why keep a smart tv dumb?

Mine are old and dumb but am looking forward to something made this century.

0-0

Smart TV is a bullshit term. They don’t even make flat panels without all the app bs installed.

Fly Sig covered most of the why do keep the thing dumb. Cameras, mics, spying on you. It’s basically a chintzy computer installed into the flat panel. You fry that computer, you fry the flat panel. + all the updates the OEM does to the tv OS, not all OS updates are good. They can literally “brick” the TV. So it’s silly to ever put it on the internet.

Instead get a stick or streaming box such as the Apple TV 4K. A stand alone box, or stick is built to stream off of. The apps, everything, work better than off the native OS of the flat panel. If the Apple TV breaks or bricks, you’re our $129. Your flat panel bricks or breaks, you’re out the replacement cost. There are some places that will work on them but it’ll usually cost as much as a new one to get it fixed. So most people just put them in the landfills and a buy a new one.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
I have two Vizio's with one being 40 years old while the other is 15 years old.

Walmart bought out Vizio several years ago. Are they still good TV's?

They have a 65 inch model for $348:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/VIZ...g=L1102&from=/search

We have one Costco Vizio left a 50 in the master, wife doesn't want it messed with, it's one of 4 that's working probably 15 years old.

If you want inexpensive flat screens with decent operating systems get a Hisense, non ROKU. and as Prefontaine said, get a Firestick, or Android box if you want the ability to side load apps, otherwise the ROKU limits you to whatever apps are in the store, Apple TV is the same.

Link Android TV Box

My TVs are from the generation that had RJ45 and the most basic media player functions. Dumb as the owner.

I understand and practice most of your pricacy concerns having worked IT for the ladt 30 years.

I do own a couple of Rokus so it surprised me that you mention it, knowing both remotes i have sport a microphone button. Never tried it but it is there.

0-0

Reasoning for keeping it dumb as asked but also some settings to look for.