New TV In 2024?

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Judge Dredd

Judge Dredd

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The old thread hasn't been updated since 2020, and this thread might be obsolete by the time I read the replies.

My parents TV has finally given up after more than a decade of service. I have a spare they can use, but are looking to buy a new one. Something affordable they can watch Judge Judy and Vera on. Being boomers (in both meanings of the word) I tried to find something simple, but a quick internet search reveals that basically everything is Ultra 4k UHD Smart TV with AI, Alexa, and other gadgets and nonsense they'll never use and will just make things worse. Plus I find it sinister that TVs have microphones and cameras but that's just me.

If there's anything I should look for, or avoid, I'd like any advice.
 
I bought a TCL Roku 55" 4K UHD last year for $500. Flickers darker to lighter every now and then, but can't complain for $500. 120hz refresh rate.
 
I've read that "business display" is the code phrase to get a real TV nowadays. Expect to overpay.
 
I still see 720p TVs sold in stores (and I use one as a monitor). I wouldn't recommend that but 1080p should be fine, and crap 4K TVs go under $200 if you want to be a cheap ass.

The thing about smart TV spying is that most of them will work without an Internet connection, and you can connect a separate box (PC, game console, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chinese Android box, whatever) to actually control the TV with Internet content. Judge Judy and Vera sounds like you could even use an OTA antenna connected to it, so long as your parents are close enough to the stations to get a good signal. So you don't need to go out of your way to find a dumb TV. You can look this up before you buy to make sure. I think the literal Roku branded TVs (maybe not the TCL one mentioned) are an exception.

Check a nearby Walmart electronics department for clearance. Very hit or miss but you could find good stuff including cheap TVs.
 
I had a Smart TV. The company put their streaming service in the input selection menu and removed the option to take it out. Don't get a Smart TV.
 
I got a Sharp ME651 65" 4K commercial display. Ended up being about $1500 shipped.
No complaints other than it could be higher refresh or have full array local dimming for the price, but the lack of a spying OS was worth it IMO.
It does a good job of powering up directly to HDMI 1 and nothing more.
 
I use a Samsung QM-series, the same model my company installs in conference rooms. It's basically a big, dumb, 65" computer monitor with 4 HDMI inputs to which I hooked up my PS4 and Switch. The IR receiver for the remote isn't that great, so it's a bit of a struggle to manually turn it on, but something like this might be the way to go if you don’t want your parents being spied on.

I can't say much about pricing, I paid 800€, but got it for cheap from a coworker.
 
If you want to have good video quality you unfortunately have to choose between the big ones - Samsung and LG. You can do Sony or Phillips, but those use Android and are a privacy nightmare. I prefer LG because it's WebOS platform is just dumb enough not to be malicious *yet*, is hackable - getting root is easy, and is usefull in it's limited scope. In short WebOS is the least-worst option.

That and in my opinion their OLEDs are still top of the line. But that's only if you're autistic like me about getting the best video quality

OR you can splurge and get a Panasonic VIERA OLED. Same panel as LG, calibrated ootb, but it's OS is even more dumbed down. Which could be a good thing, but it may prove to be too dumb
 
I really don't like how everything is smartified now, as the smart features usually age poorly and get unsupported, so you get an unremoveable netflix app that can no logner connect to netflix. I'd say get one with Roku OS or something, but even those are starting to have more advertising, i think there is a push to play ads when you pause your show or game.

I consider there to be two types of smart TVs:
one using an OS from a company that knows software well and makes a fully functional OS with an app store that has jellyfin in it
one using an OEM specific OS that has an unclear upgrade and support path and either has no app store or a very limited one, and requires sideloading with proprietary tools on you computer to install jellyfin, if even possible

overall i'd say dumb monitor/tv > Roku OS > AndroidTV > limited smart tv that can be put into a dumb tv mode > everything else
 
Just get an AndroidTV, install Projectivy launcher, use ADB to remove the pozzed default launcher and other bloat, and then install VLC, Jellyfin, what ever other non-pozzed apps you want.
The biggest thing I see lacking from Android TV right now is a good free browser.

Don't buy Hisense they are complete garbage. I woudn't buy TCL either. You're going to have to pay more for something good if that's what you want. I stick with Sony, their Android TVs are solid. The one I currently have has a mic, but it has a physical on/off switch and, pretty sure, a software toggle. No camera, if it did I'd physically disable it permanently.
 
Isn't the best option to just get a non-spyware TV and then plug in externally a device that has all the smart features? Surely those things don't have a microphone or a camera and this way your TV doesn't know what you're plugging in neither does the external device.
Google has discontinued the chromecast and I personally don't have any idea about alternatives, any ideas? No, getting a whole PC / Laptop is not an option.
I've thought of getting a raspberry pi and making something myself but I'm unsure if that'd even work
 
Unstable Diffusion dijo:
Isn't the best option to just get a non-spyware TV and then plug in externally a device that has all the smart features? Surely those things don't have a microphone or a camera and this way your TV doesn't know what you're plugging in neither does the external device.
Google has discontinued the chromecast and I personally don't have any idea about alternatives, any ideas? No, getting a whole PC / Laptop is not an option.
I've thought of getting a raspberry pi and making something myself but I'm unsure if that'd even work
Presiona para expandir...
Ex office workstation PCs like old Lenovo thin clients are a good option, cheaper than a raspberry pi (unless the price has come back down) in most cases with more power anyway. Then just buy a cheap Bluetooth mouse/keyboard combo and use the TV as a monitor effectively.
 
Unstable Diffusion dijo:
Isn't the best option to just get a non-spyware TV and then plug in externally a device that has all the smart features? Surely those things don't have a microphone or a camera and this way your TV doesn't know what you're plugging in neither does the external device.
Presiona para expandir...
it is, the issue is getting a comparable dumb tv in the first place. even if you don't have an issue with smart TVs, corporations just love their planned obsolescence having you sit on outdated software. better buy a whole new TV each time goy!

MarvinTheParanoidAndroid dijo:
All this talk about TV operating systems, it makes me wonder if there's not a Linux TV OS.
Presiona para expandir...
there is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisense#VIDAA

now idea how much you can mess with it tho.
 
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