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TV that doesn't require 'on-line activation' to set up. (midwest.social)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/technology

78 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm going to buy my first new TV in years. Even if it's a 'smart' tv we plan to just use our Roku. I've heard that some TVs require you to connect it to the internet before you can even use a Roku device. For privacy reasons I don't want my TV to EVER have access to my wifi. Is anyone aware of how to know what models/brands of TVs allow me to use it without ever connecting the TV itself to wifi?

If necessary I guess I could connect it to my guest network to 'activate' the TV, set up the Roku to connect to my private network, then change the password to the guest network.

Would rather just have a TV that doesn't even 'phone home' once.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

For a TV that can be set up as a 'dumb tv' and you can even reject the terms and conditions: Hisense surprisingly.

My partner got one a month ago and it was stupid simple to set up and asks you if you want to set up as a Smart TV or as a Basic TV.

Also ditch the Roku, that's absolutely just as bad as using the onboard smart tv functions. Theres NVidia Shield, Apple TV, or with a little setup a Raspberry Pi running Kodi.

[–] JamesTBagg 3 points 1 month ago

I couldn't do that with my Hisense. There was no way to move past linking an email.

[–] Mr_Mope 1 points 1 month ago

Functionality, ease of use, and longevity taken into account, I'll have to disagree based on my experience. Shield, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire, Raspberry Pi in that order. But if they're planning on using it just for streaming, a Roku stick is the simplest, cheapest, and easiest option. And unless they're already deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem, I'd avoid it too.