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Make a Smart TV dumb?

MrCheeto

MrCheeto

Suspended
Original poster
Nov 2, 2008
3,531
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I'm looking at the prices of smart TV's and it's hard not to want to pay that price for that many pixels and that many inches.

My TV, though, would only be used as a display for previewing my photos in actual size before printing. Therefore, I only need a monitor and the other stuff will just get in my way.

It's so annoying having a TV that has updates, asks for a Wi-Fi password constantly, or wakes up to a splash screen and forces me to select the last-used input rather than just turning on and displaying what I want.

Is there a decent smart TV that can easily be flashed/hacked into a dumb monitor? All it has to do is display an image from my Mac.

I've googled but can't find that anybody has a real solution to get all of the junk bloat out of a TV to make it useful rather than hobbled.
 
DeltaMac said:
What size screen do you (really) need?
Click to expand...
Well it just has to be able to display an actual-size One-Sheet print which is 24x36". A 50" display will comfortably accommodate this. When weighing smart TV prices to dumb displays, the subsidized smart crap always wins.
 
Airforcekid said:
Just avoid giving it Wi-Fi access etc. It becomes a dumb tv I do this to every new TV I get without issue. Just bought a new LG OLED and when you refuse to connect it to the internet it goes right back to the old input style from the 2000s.
Click to expand...

This!

1) Buy TV
2) Connect to internet 1 time for software updates (if you want/need to)
3) Delete Wifi information
4) Enjoy
 
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Interesting. I’ve never tried an LG.

My smart TV’s have all booted to a splash screen, required that I select an input with each startup, or always boot with some intrusive app bar or ad space in the way. Even when I’m using an input, I’ve received some obtrusive pop-ups like “set up WiFi” or “see what’s new on Netflix” or whatever.

If you set your LG TV to an input, HDMI for instance, and then turn the TV off, what displays when you turn it back on with an active input signal?

Can the LG turn off and on automatically depending on if it’s receiving a signal?

As with my monitors, I like to allow them to go to sleep when not in use but what up automatically with my Mac.
 
Just ignore the smart features? My main TV doubles as a monitor for my gaming PC. When booting up the PC, the TV behaves the same way as a monitor would, only showing the active input source when powering on. It’s not worth it to go to the trouble of finding a “dumb” TV when practically all new TVs being manufactured now have smart features. There are also no price savings to be considered since there are practically no alternatives.
 
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I'd like to know what brand you're using.

What do you mean no alternatives? 50" monitor: $599. 50" smart TV: $199. I don't need ANY of the "benefits", "features", or bloat of either. I just need a thing which displays 8,294,400 pixels in RGB color space across the diagonal span of 50".
 
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MrCheeto said:
I'd like to know what brand you're using.

What do you mean no alternatives? 50" monitor: $599. 50" smart TV: $199. I don't need ANY of the "benefits", "features", or bloat of either. I just need a thing which displays 8,294,400 pixels in RGB color space across the diagonal span of 50".
Click to expand...
Link to $200 50" tv? I could use one.
 
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Hell you might be right. I haven't seen anybody describe how it boots etc. in reviews. The "transfer pictures via USB" deal confuses me because it seems to suggest that there is some sort of storage or media viewer built in.

Dang. I might just give it a try.
 
The one we have from years back is Chromecast. No apps; can just cast to it. We use ATV to stream things. But I don't know if the ones BB has now are only casting still.

EDIT: NOPE shows it has built in apps.
 
compwiz1202 said:
But what is that brand?
Click to expand...

Don't worry. It is a good brand for what it is. Usually for commercial/office use. I'd say 1/3 of my office displays are Sceptre. At this point, I am going to buy the one I linked just to see what it does as far as being dumb and direct. I'll report back.
 
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This box might personally be your best bet:
www.apple.com

Apple TV 4K

Apple TV 4K. Our best audio and video quality. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. Works seamlessly with Apple devices, services, and smart home.
www.apple.com

And just AirPlay to it.
 
Even worse than a smart TV. Not sure what the purpose of this is. I intend to directly wire my Mac to this display and can't stand anything that makes plug-and-go any more difficult.
 
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