Television buyers trying to avoid advertising, tracking and software-heavy interfaces face a shrinking selection of displays built without internet features. An Ars Technica guide concluded that the most practical solution for many households is to buy the display they want, keep its built-in smart system offline and connect a separate streaming device.
The guide's leading recommendation was an offline television paired with an Apple TV box. It described Apple's tvOS as generally faster, cleaner and easier for guests or family members to navigate than many integrated TV systems. The box still sends some information to Apple when used with an account or the Apple TV app, but the guide noted that it does not use automatic content recognition, a technology that can identify material shown on a screen.
That arrangement also preserves access to newer display hardware. Dedicated non-smart televisions tend to be smaller, dimmer and lower-resolution, with fewer premium panel options and narrower viewing angles, according to the guide. OLED models are effectively absent from the category. Buyers who want high-end picture quality may therefore achieve a better balance by disconnecting a mainstream smart set rather than choosing a basic non-smart model.
Some offline configurations can retain local-network functions. A router may be able to block a television's internet access while leaving connections to network-attached storage or phone mirroring available. Google TV also offers a basic-TV mode that works without an internet connection. Although some owners worry that disconnected sets will repeatedly request network access, the guide said that did not appear to be normal behavior and suggested disabling notifications or contacting support if prompts persist.
Technical compatibility still matters. Streaming protected 4K or HDR material requires an HDCP 2.2-compliant display and cable path, while HDMI 2.0 or newer is needed for those formats in the setup described. An Apple TV can also play files from network storage.
For buyers determined to purchase a non-smart television, the guide identified Emerson, Westinghouse and Sceptre as brands with some available models. Their ranges involve compromises: Westinghouse's listed options topped out at 32 inches and 720p, while Emerson's selection extended from portable displays to 50-inch 4K sets. Inventory and model availability can change.
Projectors and computer monitors provide other routes. Projectors without connected features remain available, including some capable of protected 4K and HDR playback, but need suitable space and controlled light. Monitors offer more choice at smaller sizes and can include premium features, though a similarly specified monitor may cost more than an offline smart television. The result is less a single dumb-TV market than a set of tradeoffs among privacy, convenience, price and picture quality.
