Privacy @lemmy.ml GonzoKnows @monero.town 10 mo. ago

Best privacy tv's? Or dumb none smart tvs?

cross-posted from: https://monero.town/post/431688

Does anyone got any television recommendations for dumb tv's or other words none smart tv's? Or even a tv that is smart but the software is open sourced making it privacy friendly?

31 comments

Every TV is a dumb TV when they’re not connected to the internet, no?
- Some TV's connect automatically to open networks to upload data
  
  I'd like to see a source on that claim.
  
  Regardless, another option is to hook it up to a dummy wifi network that doesn't connect to anything and then hook up whatever to an input.
  
  They do? Do you have any examples of this? This is an enormous security fumble if any wi-fi device does something like this.
  
  Worst case you can also just open up the TV and disconnect the wifi module.
  
  I'm going to need a source on that so I can avoid those kinds of TVs.
If you are in the U.S. and have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore nearby, there are often lots of "dumb" flat screens to be had for a song. If you don't mind a slightly older bit of hardware.
I have an LG and it functions just fine without being connected to Wi-Fi. You can also monitor and block any attempts to phone home at the DNS level with something like pihole.
- where this tv is going, the individual doesn't have network control
  
  So just don't connect it to wifi
This (https://amzn.to/3Ei1ZJy) is probably the best "dumb" display I'm aware of. Kind of a dying species since consumers generally buy smart displays and tvs/etc rely heavily on the subsidization they get from both data collection and economies of scale.
- Try to give a name and model. An interesting privacy suggestion on a non privacy respecting website means folk are forced to click it.
  
  Sceptre 65" 4K Ultra HD 2160p LED 4X HDMI 2.0 HDTV 3840x2160, Metal Black 2018
- Can confirm Sceptre 65" Class 4K UHD LED TV HDR U650CV-U is a solid dumb TV
  
  Have owned this for 15 months and am very pleased with it as a screen. Do strongly recommend using a soundbar or other solution for audio.
  
  I did get this from walmart for $432 (about $200 cheaper than amazon link) https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-65-Class-4K-UHD-LED-TV-HDR-U650CV-U/48874705
You can get a commercial display, but you'll bed a separate TV tuner and speakers to make it the same function as a TV since it's just a dumb display.
- ...bed a separate TV tuner and speakers...
  
  Do I bed them immediately, or should I buy them dinner first?
  
  That was supposed to be "need" but autocorrect apparently had something to say about it. I won't edit it because it's funny and then your comment won't make sense
  
  I think this is up to each individual tuner and speaker. I don’t want to speak for all of them.
  
  Dinner or drinks first, or it's likely to not work out. But I wouldn't care about a TV tuner, so you can safely cut dinner (but leave in at least a drink or two...I mean come on)
What I did was just buy the tv I wanted for the hardware and block it from internet access by Mac address, then plugged it into the network with eth. I then put dns blocks on every request it made (I log things before blocking them, and did this on the scenario a kill switch gets messed up or something) and installed the media software from there. Smart tv made private.
- So easy!
https://www.howtogeek.com/123627/can-you-still-buy-a-dumb-tv/
- Thank you
If it doesn't have to be a TV but just a screen a monitor may be an option. Otherwise I'd look at eBay or something like that where people are selling old ones.
I use a PI4 running Libreelec I use it exclusively for Plex (which has IPTV with the help of Xteve)

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