Technology

59116 readers

3754 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.

Our Rules

Follow the lemmy.world rules.
Only tech related content.
Be excellent to each another!
Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
Politics threads may be removed.
No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

216

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

submitted 2 weeks ago by catfishsushi@midwest.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

77 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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I thought LG and Sony and a few of the other big players still had the self respect to sell TVs that can just be.. you know… TVs

[–] CucumberFetish@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

LG C series OLEDs are a pain. If you connect them to wifi, they'll give you Apple TV and other "promotions" as pop up notifications at random times.

These TVs also have Bluetooth which cannot be turned off and any device can try to connect to it, giving you a non intrusive pop up of 20% of your screen area.

And their customer support is absolute garbage. In my area, you'll have to call them a few times before anyone picks up, then there is a 50% chance that the clerk doesn't speak English nor your local language. Sometimes you'll give up on calling them, as no one responds. You'll be happy to know that they will call you back in about a month.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

You can fix the always-on BT wirh a screwdriver, can’t you?

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I hope most of these have discrete hardware, but i won't disregard SoCs...

[–] CucumberFetish@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

Or BT controller soldered onto mobo

[–] CucumberFetish@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

I mounted it on a wall before I found it out. Neighbors haven't bothered to connect to it once, so I haven't risked accidentally breaking it during dismount. It is scary enough to adjust it on it's mount, considering that most of it is a thin and fragile oled panel.

[–] 0x0@programming.dev 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

These TVs also have Bluetooth

It's really nifty to wardrive those and play Tool at max.

[–] CucumberFetish@lemm.ee 1 points 2 weeks ago

Luckily it doesn't auto connect, otherwise I would have sent it back