Tvs that are not smart: How to buy a dumb TV — and why you’d want to

Oct 19, 2021 alexxlab

How to buy a dumb TV — and why you’d want to

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Dumb TVs might soon be the new smart TV. While many of us rushed to the store to pick up a TV with a smart platform when they were first introduced, dozens of data leaks, unwanted software and even violations of privacy are now starting to get people to re-think their relationship with IoT TVs.

Even if there’s nothing unsavory about them, most smart TVs come with unwanted ads and may have a shorter usable lifespan as software ages, two good reasons that you might want to consider getting something a bit less…well, smart.

Check out the best TVs we’ve tested and reviewed
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If you just want an old-fashioned TV without the bells and whistles, you should probably go for the Sceptre U650CV-U that offers a 4K resolution. It has over 2,800 reviews on Walmart’s website, many of which are from users who are happy that they finally found a decent non-smart TV.

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Ready to dive into the world of dumb TVs? Keep reading to see why you might want a dumb TV, how to find one, and how to buy the dumb TV that’s right for you.

What is a dumb TV?

TVs without built-in internet and smart functionality are often referred to as dumb TVs, since they remove the “smart” features that define smart TVs.

So, dumb TV has become shorthand for any non-smart TV. By offering just the basics of the display, audio and TV tuner, these simpler TVs should give you a solid TV experience with a little more peace of mind and a little less complexity.

Why you still might want to get a smart TV

Let me say this up front. You will get better options and features on pretty much any of the smart TVs on the market than you’ll find in a so-called dumb TV. The smart features that have become so popular today also go hand in hand with modern standards of performance and more current capabilities. Because so many major TV makers have gone all-in on smart TVs, it’s harder to find certain features that would otherwise be considered basic elements on any smart TV we reviewed.

Resolution is the big one. While you can find non-smart TVs out there, chances are very high that it will only offer 1080p or 720p resolution, instead of the 4K resolution that’s become standard.

And any secondary features that rely on internet connectivity will also obviously disappear. You won’t get voice control on a dumb TV, nor will you get the option of using an app-based remote control in the event that you lose your TV remote.

But you can still get streaming services through another device, such as one of the best streaming devices or even an internet-connected game console. You may give up a few of the more advanced features, like voice control (though the Roku Voice Remote Pro and Amazon Fire TV Cube can add that) , but all of the content and flexibility of streaming will be ready to go, with the option of disconnecting it whenever you want to be less connected.

And you do have the option of using most smart TVs without connecting them to the internet, rendering most of the smart features moot. While that’s not strictly the same thing as a dumb TV with no built-in connectivity at all, it’s a much better way to get today’s best TV experiences while allaying some fears about the smart TV experience.

Why buy a dumb TV?

Smart TVs may offer lots of exciting functions and a wealth of free and paid content, but there are some real concerns that come with any internet-connected TV.

Privacy

The biggest issue is the justified concern that your TV can spy on you. While it’s unlikely that your smart TV is recording your personal conversations and relaying them to the government – though that certainly can happen – the very real worry is that TV manufacturers track your viewing habits closely. And this is not an unfounded fear, it’s actually part of the business model.

TV manufacturers have found a new source of profit in the age of connected TVs. By monitoring your viewing behavior – literally, what you watch, when you watch it, and for how long – TV manufacturers collect and frequently sell large amounts of information about their customers viewing habits.

And the worst part? You likely agreed to this tracking when you set up the TV. Part of the setup process of most current smart TVs includes some language about gathering and sharing data. It may be dressed up in disclaimers, or buried in the fine print as you are activating features like the voice assistant or hands-free voice control, but it’s there.

Advertising

Smart TVs are also yet another way to fill your life with advertising. The majority of smart TVs not only serve up the latest streaming services, they also serve extra ads on the smart TV menu itself. Whether it’s content recommendations that don’t quite match your viewing tastes, or outright advertisements for products and services, most smart TVs can and do provide extra advertising. If you want to have a little less corporate intrusion into your life, ditching the smart TV is one way to do so.

Software shelf-life

One issue that new TVs face that your Dad’s old tube TV never did was obsolescence. As with computers, smartphones, and anything else that runs software, the shelf life of a product is a lot shorter when you need the right compatibility with the latest apps and services. Once your TV stops supporting the functions you bought it for, like Netflix, it stops being useful, even if all of the component parts still work perfectly.

In 2019, older Samsung TVs from 2010 and 2011 stopped supporting the Netflix app, leaving owners without a key function they originally paid for. And a lot of connected devices (TVs included) will have trouble next year as a result of expired security certificates. That’s a little hard to swallow when you consider that a TV can cost several hundred dollars – or even a few thousand dollars – but might only be good for a decade, at most.

Redundancy

The biggest reason to buy a dumb TV isn’t privacy or anti-advertising, or any other high-minded motivation. Instead, it might just be due to the fact that we can get plenty of smart TV functions elsewhere – if you have a game console, streaming stick, or any of a number of connected media devices, you can get a pretty full assortment of smart functions without any of them being built into your TV.

How to find a non-smart TV

For several years, the growing popularity of smart TVs still allowed for a healthy selection of non-smart TVs that could be used with all of these connected devices, but that day has mostly passed. Finding a dumb TV to use with a game console or streaming stick is harder than ever before.

Even shopping for a non-smart TV can feel like an exercise in futility. There’s no “dumb TV” category on Best Buy’s site. Amazon doesn’t highlight “non-smart TVs”. All of the shopping tools we use today are designed to push you towards the best and latest technology, and in most respects, that means 4K smart TVs.

That said, there are a few shopping tricks you can use:

Lesser known brands, like Sceptre, Supersonic and Caixun offer non-smart models, but you’ll probably have to hunt for these brands, let alone the TVs that meet your non-smart TV needs.

And be prepared to sacrifice modern niceties, like 4K resolution and larger screen sizes. The majority of dumb TVs we found offered for sale were full HD (1080p) or even basic HD (720p), and very few were available in sizes larger than 40 inches.

And, if you’re willing to look, you can also find one or two non-smart TV models from more recognizable brands, like LG and Best Buy’s store-brand Insignia, but be aware, these aren’t the current flagship models. Instead, you’ll be selecting from older and mostly discontinued models.

(Image credit: SunBriteTV)

Outdoor TVs offer some excellent 4K displays, but none of the smart capabilities you’d get on the top indoor models. Favorites like the SunBriteTV Veranda or the SunBriteTV Pro 2 offer great performance without smart features, and that’s the norm for outdoor models. Of the 37 outdoor TVs offered by BestBuy, only three have smart TV functions – and they’re all from Samsung’s Terrace collection of outdoor smart TVs.

Most outdoor TVs skip the smart functions, and the reasoning here is two-fold: First, it’s cheaper to make TVs without the extra processing power and software licensing that are needed for smart functions, and outdoor TV makers spend a lot already beefing up the TV’s defenses against the weather. Second, because outdoor TVs are often out where the Wi-Fi signal is weakest, smart functions aren’t as big a draw for these models.

The only problem with using an outdoor model indoors is that (on top of being heavy and bulky compared to most indoor sets) they’re not great for indoor use. The heavily filtered, backlight boosted displays that are made for full or partial sunlight visibility don’t look so great in regular lighting, and the limited viewing angles and less capable HDR support will be noticeable.

Many will also require separate speakers for sound, with no audio built in. For an outdoor set in the backyard, that will usually mean a weatherproofed soundbar, but for indoor use, you can use one of the best soundbars just like any other TV.

Business displays are another alternative. Lots of businesses use “TVs” as displays for customer information, status monitoring, or presentation screens in meeting rooms and offices. While technically not TVs, since they don’t have a TV tuner built in to receive broadcast signal, they often fit the bill of 4K displays that lack all of the smart TV features and software.

You can shop specifically for commercial displays and business TVs through retailers like Best Buy, B&H Photo and NewEgg, or you can hunt for products directly from brands like Samsung, LG, Sharp and Panasonic.

But pay attention to the specific product listings, because not all business displays are built alike. Some may not have the usual smart TV software, but still offer Wi-Fi connectivity and support for YouTube or require commercial controller software.

(Image credit: HP)

4K monitors have also also gotten pretty affordable, and as TV technology has gone digital, the lines between the two types of displays have blurred considerably. Just look at any of the models on our best monitors page to find 4K and HDR support have become fairly common. This is especially true with a number of big-screen monitors that have come out in recent years, some in the same 55 and 65-inch sizes you’d get a TV in.

There are a couple of potential issues you can expect to run into with these bigger monitors, though. First, the port selection, while more varied, might not offer all of the HDMI ports you’re used to, offering DisplayPort instead.

And audio may be absent or connect differently – monitors generally use HDMI for video alone, and handle audio separately. Be prepared for a less straightforward setup experience, even for those big screen monitors that have speakers built in.

When shopping for a non-smart TV, you obviously won’t be worrying about finding the right smart TV platform or worrying about whether your favorite apps are supported by the TV, but the basics of TV performance still hold true.

The advice found in articles like Everything you need to know about buying a TV and TV buying guide: 9 things you need to know still hold true for TVs without smart functions, but some of the specifics will differ a bit.

Resolution: While we still recommend getting 4K resolution whenever possible – anything less is a big step down, and 8K just isn’t worth buying yet – you might have a harder time finding a 4K TV without smart functions. A good number of the dumb TVs we looked at when researching this article had only 1080p or 720p resolution. If you want a TV with all the connectivity and app support of the 2010s, you might have to settle for that era’s resolution, too.

Screen size: While articles like What size TV should you buy? will point you toward larger TVs and provide handy guidelines about seating distance, you may find yourself with fewer options when shopping for a dumb TV. In this case, or most basic advice still holds – get as much screen as you can find. Unfortunately, you might be deciding between a 23-inch TV and a 40-inch, rather than a 75 or 85-inch big screen.

Ports: One more piece of advice that gets scaled back due to a lack of options is port selection. Where we normally recommend springing for a TV with more HDMI ports, the lack of options in the dumb TV sub-category are such that it might not be worth quibbling about a third or fourth HDMI slot. If you can find a set with the desired size and resolution that has no smart TV features, don’t worry about the port selection, just buy it. You can always add an HDMI switcher after the fact.

HDR: Though most modern 4K TVs have high-dynamic range capability, with options for different formats and approaches to backlighting, things are simpler with non-smart TVs. If it offers HDR, great! Because most don’t.

There might not be many options for non-smart TVs, but we’ve got plenty of great smart TVs to choose from, all tested and reviewed to bring you the best models available. If you’ve narrowed down your TV shopping by brand, price range or screen size, check out our picks for the best TVs in each.

Best TVs | Best 4K TVs | Best smart TVs for streaming | Best TVs for gaming

The best TVs under $1000 | The best TVs under $500

And don’t forget to watch out for the latest TV reviews.

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Brian Westover is currently Lead Analyst, PCs and Hardware at PCMag. Until recently, however, he was Senior Editor at Tom’s Guide, where he led the site’s TV coverage for several years, reviewing scores of sets and writing about everything from 8K to HDR to HDMI 2.1. He also put his computing knowledge to good use by reviewing many PCs and Mac devices, and also led our router and home networking coverage. Prior to joining Tom’s Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.

Ask Wirecutter: Can You Recommend a Not-Smart TV for Me?

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The Answer

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Clay sculpture: Dana Davis and Ezra Lee / Photo: Connie Park

Published April 7, 2023

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Ask Wirecutter, an advice column written by Annemarie Conte, explores the best approaches to buying, using, and maintaining stuff. Email your biggest product-related problems to [email protected].

Dear Wirecutter,

I’m in the market for a new TV. I thought about buying a non-smart TV but it seems like they just don’t exist anymore! I don’t trust any of the TV manufacturers’ data privacy promises. Is there still hope?

H.B.

Dear H.B.,

There are people in this world who care about chromatic resolution and who can debate HDR formats all day, and then there are people who watch Love is Blind on their phones. I am in that latter group.

As such, I asked Lee Neikirk, senior staff writer and TV expert, and Thorin Klosowski, our editor of privacy and digital security coverage, to help steer you in the right direction.

This question of smart-TV data privacy and security is by far the most-asked among Ask Wirecutter readers. We suspect it stems from an FTC complaint and a class-action lawsuit that Vizio settled for $2. 2 million in 2017 and $17 million in 2019, respectively. Both alleged that Vizio tracked the TV-viewing habits of millions of customers without their consent. Although Vizio denied the allegations, it’s now common for smart TV manufacturers to have users opt into their data being collected and sold.

Whether you want a disconnected TV because you’re concerned about privacy or you just don’t need smarts in your TV, here’s what you need to know.

How modern TVs work

Every year, Lee tests and reviews TVs from all of the major brands—Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, TCL—and even some you may not have heard of, like Onn, Element, or SuperSonic.

“Any TV worth buying is very likely going to ask to connect to your Wi-Fi, and that’s been the case for many years now,” he says. “If you can find one manufactured recently that isn’t smart, I don’t know that I would trust it to be worth what you’re paying for it, because it’ll likely be missing several other salient features that you may actually want, like Bluetooth compatibility, HDR functionality, built-in channel scanning, or the ability to auto-label and optimize devices by HDMI input. ”

By connecting to the internet, these smart TVs provide relatively seamless access to the 11-billion streaming services at your disposal (Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Disney+, Apple TV+, and all the other pluses), as well as to security and features updates—anything from bug fixes to refining the picture quality.

You can reduce the collection of your data, but doing so on your TV is only part of the solution (for example, you’d also want to log into any streaming apps and opt out on that account as well) because the same or similar privacy issues persist with any related internet-connected devices (such as streaming sticks and game consoles). So you’ll likely need to individually opt out of data collection on all devices and apps.

Regardless, if you don’t want your TV connected to the internet 24/7, here are a few things you can do:

Buy a new TV but don’t connect it to Wi-Fi

When you’re setting up your new TV, opting out is as simple as skipping the step that connects your TV to the internet. Then you’re free to connect your TV to whatever external sources you want, whether that’s Google Chromecast (which may collect data from you if you don’t opt out) or Betamax (which definitely won’t collect data from you).

“Even if you’ve opted into data collection or internet connectivity in the past, you can always go back and change your settings to opt out on the TV and all related devices and apps,” says Lee. However, you should still occasionally connect the TV to the internet for a minute to see if it needs any firmware updates, which can fix bugs and improve performance. But note that TVs often don’t receive security or feature updates after five or so years.

Our top-pick LCD TV, the Hisense U8H Series, has important traits like 4K resolution, rich color saturation, and a mini-LED backlight with local dimming for better black levels and overall contrast—and it will work great whether or not you’re connected to the internet.

Hisense U8H Series

The Hisense U8H offers great image quality, superb gaming features, and the Google TV interface, but it has a narrower viewing angle and fewer screen sizes than some other TVs.

Our pick for a budget 4K TV, the TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S555), costs about $450 and also works with the smart features off.

You can set up either TV (and many others) to bypass their smart-TV menus and go directly to the last-used video input when you turn them on, so you don’t have to deal with the smart TV system at all.

TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S555)

This delivers a satisfying 4K HDR picture for the price, and it supports the latest gaming features. Its Roku TV smart platform is robust enough for enthusiasts but intuitive enough for the whole family.

Buy an old TV, a 4K monitor, or a projector

Swap and Buy Nothing groups are rife with people who have recently upgraded to newer models trying to offload their old TVs.

Those older TVs will likely be obsolete in terms of current video standards, but if that’s not a concern, you can connect a cable or satellite box, DVD or Blu-ray disc player, Roku, Google Chromecast, or other source to it as long as it has an HDMI port (and even if it doesn’t, you can always buy an HDMI-to-legacy converter). But as we said above, many streaming devices likely open you up to similar concerns as the smart TV.

If you want more modern video quality, monitors and projectors often have the same connection options as TV (though usually fewer HDMI ports) so you can connect all kinds of sources to them.

Dell S2722QC

Priced comparably with low-budget TVs, this monitor has a color-accurate 4K display, two HDMI ports, and a one-year warranty.

BenQ HT2150ST

This projector can produce a 100-inch image with 8 to 10 feet of space, and its integrated speaker and small size make it easy to store when not being used.

I know all of this is complicated and can feel a little infuriating. If you’re truly concerned (like flip-phone and disposable camera instead of iPhone concerned), then being off-the-grid from an entertainment perspective may give you the peace of mind you need.

“Honestly,” says Thorin, “from a data privacy standpoint, an unconnected DVD player and a library card is a fantastic combo. ”

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Jason Chen.

Our media streaming device pick has all the features we look for in a media streamer, and it has the best interface for finding and organizing content.

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The Best Projectors

Experts told what threats Smart TV poses

TVs with Smart TV function create a user profile, and then pass this information on to advertisers, experts warn. What the home cinema knows and how to limit its power – in the material of Gazeta.Ru.

Smart TVs have built-in apps that track users and send the collected data to third parties, reports the Mashable Portal.

The information these companies collect does not include sensitive searches or financial data, but allows for a detailed consumer profile.

In turn, Smart TV manufacturers do not hide the fact of tracking – this is written in a separate clause in their privacy policy.

“Samsung’s Smart TV service offers a range of features that provide enhanced video content customized through voice commands. We collect, use, share and store information collected through Smart TV and devices connected to your Smart TV as described in the Samsung Privacy Policy.” — says in the Samsung Smart TV privacy policy.

It also says that the company bases all of its recommendations on the following data: information about the content that the user has viewed, search queries, as well as IP address and much more. In other words, every time Smart TV is turned on, users start listening to an advertising agent and remember what they are watching and how much time they spend on it. This technology is called Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) – that is, “automatic content recognition”.

Vizio does not even deny that user data may be transferred to third parties.

“When ACR is enabled, we may share collected data with our partners, including analytics companies, media companies, and advertisers. The data can be supplemented with additional demographic information and data on some activities. For example, about digital purchases and other consumer behavior recorded on devices,” their policy reads.

In 2019, The Washington Post conducted research and found that major TV manufacturers such as Samsung, LG, Vizio and TCL save all data about the content viewed.

In order to avoid an unauthorized invasion of privacy, you actually need to make a smart TV a little dumber, but simply turning off the microphone and taping the camera may not be enough.

There are two ways to keep your privacy: disconnect your Smart TV from the Internet and disable the ACR function. The first method has one significant drawback: your TV loses all network-related capabilities, which means, for example, it loses access to online cinemas.

The second option is hidden deep in the TV settings, it is worth noting that each brand “hides” this function in different ways. So, for example, to disable ACR in a Samsung Smart TV, the user must first open the settings menu, go to the “terms and policies” section, then to the viewing information service. Only in this section the user can disable the ACR service.

People have long needed to come to terms with the fact that technologies that have penetrated into all areas of our lives make it not only more comfortable, but also violate our right to privacy, says Artem Deev, head of the analytical department at AMarkets.

“When agreeing to use modern technology, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will not have secrets. Or use technology minimally, purely utilitarian, in order to try to hide at least part of your life from equipment manufacturers and everyone else. You can buy a TV without Smart technology, or you can not use it at all. You can use a smart smartphone for work, and for personal calls – a regular push-button device without Internet access and a camera. This will not protect at all from the invasion of personal life, but at least part of it will remain inaccessible to technologies, ”advised Deev.

“Smart TV is favored by the quality of sound and image, the functions of playing files from digital media, the ability to save video from the screen. However, Smart TV is also the source of potential leaks of confidential data. Often, manufacturers include in the user agreement a clause about collecting preferences: what you watch, what applications you use, up to your age, weight and height when subscribing to health and fitness channels, ”said Deniz Bilich, cybersecurity expert at ESET.

According to the expert, this is primarily done to improve the service and the TVs themselves. At the same time, in practice, unique data is transferred to third parties, as informed by the license agreement. However, sometimes there may be no warning.

“For example, in 2017 Vizio TVs collected information about content without the consent of viewers. The information obtained with reference to IP addresses was sold to advertising firms, and data on the gender, age and education of users was also leaked to third parties, ”Bilich recalled.

She also noted that a more serious threat has become a targeted attack on Smart TV, when hackers need to damage the digital, financial or real life of the victim. Attackers have a whole arsenal of tools to gain control over TVs: malware, social engineering, vulnerabilities in TV manufacturers, and so on.

“Smart TVs have been targeted by ransomware, forcing victims to pay to regain access to their devices. In 2018, the ADB. Miner worm hijacked the processing power of Android smart TV devices to mine cryptocurrency. It is also common for users to install malware on their TV when they download new apps from third-party stores,” Bilich said.

Daniil Chernov, Director of the Solar appScreener Center at Rostelecom-Solar, listed other threats that Smart TV owners may face. So, according to the expert, such TVs have a limited period of software support and release of security updates. This means that over time, there are more and more vulnerabilities in the system, and at some point the device is practically defenseless. Therefore, IoT devices connected to the network are often the targets of attacks.

“An outdated version of Smart TV with Internet access and access to a microphone and camera has little to do with security and privacy. If a smart TV is equipped with voice control, having gained control over the device, an attacker can constantly listen or record what is happening around. The same applies to the camera, if available,” the expert explained.

To ensure privacy, Chernov recommended that the TV be banned from accessing the microphone and camera. In addition, you should not give him access to the Internet.

“If you want to watch a movie or connect to any service, do it from your smartphone and use the HDMI cable to organize the broadcast on the TV screen,” Chernov advised.

What is Smart TV and how is Smart TV different from the usual – magazine LG MAGAZINE Russia

Many consumers are wondering “What is Smart TV?”. Translated from English, the word means “smart TV”. This is a TV that has a built-in mini-computer with the ability to access the Internet. The technology is quite complex, but is gaining popularity due to the wide possibilities it provides. With it, you can use the TV screen as a monitor for browsing the Internet, applications and games. The use of a large screen as a smartphone has become convenient and attractive.

The main point of buying a Smart TV is the availability of special functionality from simple devices. Among them, it is worth mentioning the management of television.

The smart device market offers a wide range of equipment control depending on the model. Many TVs are already able to perceive voice and gestures. And the most modern device can recognize a face, manage and work using smartphones through special applications.

Control is not the only possible function. Let’s figure out what this “smart TV” technology offers and what are the scale of its capabilities.

Watch video files. You can connect your device to a Smart TV and view images on the screen. In devices with the LG operating system, it is easier: there is no need to connect a cable and wires, you can simply connect your phone to a TV via a Wi-Fi service, display the information stored in the smartphone on the big TV screen and watch.

Program recording. A modern model with the “smart TV” function provides for screen recording while broadcasting a specific TV show. This development can be useful if there is a risk of missing a favorite program. It records video content and allows you to view it at any convenient time.

Internet connection. Only a Smart TV can connect to the Internet. To get online, you need to either connect a special cable from any Internet provider, or do it using a Wi-Fi service that broadcasts a signal to all devices nearby. Visual instructions on how to connect your TV to the Internet and how to set up Smart TV on your TV Games and applications. Smart TV provides a gallery of games and applications. A dream come true for any gamer: you can play on a big screen with good graphics and sound. The game will be no different from the usual computer games.

Because this feature has been well received by users, LG is committed to continuously adding built-in games. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, it is enough to connect to the Internet, go to the menu and open the window with the games.

Features when using gadgets, drives, external devices in Smart TV. The main feature of using gadgets and external devices in Smart TV is convenience and speed. An ordinary TV will not be able to work like this, it does not have such characteristics. Smartphones cannot transmit anything to such a device at all.

New technology has made life much easier and made it possible to carry out most transactions online. You can quickly transfer the necessary information to the TV model with the Smart TV function and vice versa. Also Smart TV has connectors for USB. You can connect memory cards, phone, flash drives, computer and other external devices.

Universal pointer connection. A modern remote can be a classic rectangular box. However, it will have very few buttons (sometimes less than ten). TV control is achieved by:

• touchpad and/or gyroscope, which allow you to move the cursor on the TV screen, as on a computer;

• Scroll wheels, like a computer mouse – it will make it convenient to scroll through pages;

• Voice commands to the built-in microphone (Start channel, Display on screen, Volume up, Smart play).

Parental control function in regular TV and smart TV device. Not all conventional appliances are equipped with the parental control function and you will have to monitor the content consumed by the child yourself. LG Smart TV manufacturer has taken care of the possibility to set a password. Using this function will allow parents to be calm for the safety of children’s psychological health.

It is possible to block according to several parameters:

• By age. Content restricted to 18+ will only play after entering the PIN.

• By channels. A certain channel will not play the movie, picture and sound until the password is entered.

• By application. The child will not be able to access browsers and social networks.

There are fundamental differences between a Smart TV and a regular TV. An ordinary device (without Smart TV) was left to work with very limited functionality and not always good image quality. The TV can view only the content that is shown by federal channels, you have to “catch” the time of showing your favorite TV show or movie, wait until the advertisement ends. While a TV with a smart system provides a lot of possibilities.

Smart TV differs from the usual one in that using the new technology, you can watch absolutely any content at a convenient time through YouTube, Netflix, or even go to the TV channel’s website and watch what you missed. Therefore, as the main TV, a Smart device is the best option.

Using a smart TV is almost as easy as using a normal TV. The TV has the same remote control, and in addition to the basic channel switching, there is a main screen where, for example, a downloaded game or applications, an available service, various functions, menus and settings are located.

Not all customers can afford to buy a TV with a built-in Smart TV function due to the high price of technology. If we compare a Smart TV with a conventional one, then a “smart” system costs about 25-55% more.

An excellent solution in this situation would be to buy a TV model with a digital tuner. Externally, the console looks like a small plastic box. The set-top box has built-in connectors for connecting an Internet cable and multimedia devices. The set-top box will allow you to endow an ordinary TV with almost the full functionality of Smart TV, but the maximum image clarity will be limited by the pixel resolution of the TV screen.

Smart technology allows you to watch any multimedia content without connecting to external devices.

Smart TV from different manufacturers is equipped with different operating systems, if you use smartphones without problems, then working with Smart TV will not be a problem. All of them are very similar, but have their own characteristics, pros and cons. The most popular operating systems for Smart TVs are Tizen OS, Android TV and webOS.

The manufacturer Samsung has developed the Tizen operating system, which is equipped with simple operation and flexible settings. The Android TV operating system has a wide range of tools, a large number of applications adapted to the operating system.

Tvs that are not smart: How to buy a dumb TV — and why you’d want to

How to buy a dumb TV — and why you’d want to

What is a dumb TV?

Why you still might want to get a smart TV

Why buy a dumb TV?

How to find a non-smart TV

Ask Wirecutter: Can You Recommend a Not-Smart TV for Me?

The Answer

How modern TVs work

Buy a new TV but don’t connect it to Wi-Fi

Hisense U8H Series

TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S555)

Buy an old TV, a 4K monitor, or a projector

Dell S2722QC

BenQ HT2150ST

Further reading

11 Practical Privacy Tips for Your Android Phone

16 Practical Privacy Tips for Your iPhone

Experts told what threats Smart TV poses

What is Smart TV and how is Smart TV different from the usual – magazine LG MAGAZINE Russia