this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2024
104 points (100.0% liked)

Privacy

32120 readers
607 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The EMMC on my PC-TV finally broke down and I'd like to replace it with something that doesn't run an OS or will predictably fail with a countdown. But dumb TVs are hard to come by and monitors come at a premium at that size. I want to run a PC (DP/HDMI) and an SBC (HDMI) with it. I also have an S2 satellite cable, but that's secondary. I'd like to have ~43", 16:9, 4K but without an embedded smart-hub, ideally running of eeprom-firmware, or just anything independent of write-cycles. But I can't find any good options online. Are there companies for this. Comments and recommendations welcome.

Edit: I'm EU, hence the DVB-S2 cable. Scepter would be great, but doesn't run on EU power.

Edit: I've pretty much settled on a philips 439P1/00. I'll give it another day, but it seems good. The PC over DP is my main focus and I can connect my own SBC for streaming. It lacks freesync but has adaptive sync and basic HDR. Being an office-monitor, it has no smarts and at ~600 bucks with consumer warranty and support it fits what I'm asking for well. Industry-signage wasn't really an option.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Currently it's nearly impossible to find good and big dumb TV, but as mencioned, it's only smart conected to the internet. Instead of this conect it to an Satelite decoder and a Parabolic outside (not very expensive (<€100) and you have access to hundreds of channels from every country for free. and anonymous.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 hours ago

As stated in OP, I have an S2 dish already. Agreed that it's better than cable. But not everyone lives in a place they can set up a dish on. Rentals and such. My point was that I wanted to use the display without relying on some buggy vendor-locked OS.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Every TV is a dumb TV of you don't connect it to the internet.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 minute ago

I do recall there being tvs with baked-in ads that play on startup even without internet service, but i was unable to easily find the reference. Also, many smart tv interfaces are much slower than dumb tv on-screen menus, so there is that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

Exactly, why do people even bother?

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don’t know, but if good smart TVs are cheaper than good dumb ones, you might consider ignoring/disabling the smart bits. I might go so far as to sever the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth antennas.

Tom’s Guide: Dumb TVs — here’s why you can’t find them anymore

That’s because, for a number of reasons, it’s cheaper and more profitable for TV makers to simply include a smart platform with every TV they ship out. It’s actually a major reason why TVs have become so much cheaper in the last decade — with a smart platform, TV makers can sell the hardware at cost or even take a small loss, but in the end make money through the advertising that shows up on the homescreen.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is the advice I usually give. I hate the concept of smart TVs, but I’m not willing to spend more when I can just ensure my Hisense U8K never connects to the internet. It’s a gorgeous and completely affordable display for the quality it provides, and there are no relevant features that are unavailable because it’s offline.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Don't tell that out loud, they may decide to block features of we don't connect it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

Just wait till they get 5g

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Are people aware that they can buy a smart TV and never conntect it to wi-fi and never plug in the ethernet? There is no risk if TV never gets an IP.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 day ago (13 children)

It's possible a smart TV will use its wifi to connect to another device of the same brand on its own. I'd read an article about it a couple years ago.

If I'm reading about it, that means a company has been working on it, and frankly it makes sense. If I were in their shoes I'd look into making it happen. It's pretty trivial to do when you think about it.

Not that I think it's happening in the wild, just an idea to keep in mind.

Also, those devices are always capturing data. So if/when they ever connect, that data will get uploaded.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'll just connect it to my LAN only wifi network. No way in no way out.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

I think what they were talking about is the TV actively scanning for similar models and connecting to those to reach the internet. I’ve read similar articles showing how smart TVs will even connect to an open WiFi network to try to get online.

All this would bypass your LAN restrictions of course.

load more comments (12 replies)
[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

They're called Signage Displays.
Most major names you know make them.
They do cost more, but not prohibitively so.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

The display specs tend to be shit, and they are often more expensive. Their design is tuned for 24/7 operation, not fidelity.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 hours ago

I suppose that depends on what you mean by "shit". They're the same displays as in retail units. Maybe a generation older. But that's it. Samsung doesn't have special lines making different screens for a niche market like this. LG even has OLED Signage Displays.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

Seriously. Leaves the $200 computer away – costs more. Market is weird.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 14 hours ago

Most still have the computer built in. But the software is complety different. They have some different features that would make sense for an always on screen in a shop, office, or airport. You can load up a thumb drive with images for the screen to rotate through. Upload new images through WiFi or Ethernet. Use that same network connection to setup, synchronize, and controll dozens of screens, making a video wall. Pretty cool stuff really.

Just none of the spyware. Since there is no individual or household to tie the data to, that part becomes pretty useless.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

When scaled to mass production, the SBCs become dirt cheap. Then they can subsidise with sponsored/preloaded content, ads and usage data.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago

Beat me to it. Yeah they have 4k LEDs with ARC

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago

Seen them recommended in dumb-tv articles. Will check them out.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'd like to know too. I've never used my TV as a traditional TV, and I hate the "smart" features. Ideally, I'd like a modern 16:9 CRT under 80lbs, but they don't exist

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

What would be the benefit of a CRT? I'm sure they last plenty, but they draw a lot of power.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Some people prefer CRTs for gaming, there's much less input lag, and differences in the way images are displayed means that you can often run games at lower resolutions than pixel based displays without as much of a decrease in image quality. Here's a DF video talking about some of the advantages.

Also CRTs can be pushed to insanely high frame rates, although this can be limited by how much you reduce the resolution. For example, one guy got his to run at 700hz refresh rate (by dropping resolution to 120p).

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

As soon as you use a digital input you lose any real latency advantages. Plus modern digital displays have such low latency the difference really doesn't matter.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

I see, I know the arguments from gamers (and have seen that video before). The discussion was on TVs and I didn't think of the gaming angle.

I'm also not convinced about that stuff, to me it's like talking to audiophiles that swear they can totally hear the difference between made by an expensive ethernet cable in the final audio, or that they can tell 16bit 48kHz from 24bit 96kHz, while basic physics and double blind tests say they can't.

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

Modern displays make my eyes hurt

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Nope! I could watch one all day, no clue why

[–] [email protected] 2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

You could watch all day today? Or are you thinking it as when you were a child with a healthier body and knew no limits?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Today, I own 3 CRTs and they don't make my eyes burn

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 hours ago
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 15 hours ago

I was eyeing Scepter, but I just saw that their stuff is made with exclusively US standards and EU power and broadcasting is different. Didn't notice that would matter.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Big compromises. Only 90% sRGB? Last decade has been making shifts towards DCI-P3 & they can’t even cover sRGB?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 15 hours ago

I've never paid attention to that, and at those prices, while keeping more stuff from mining data, it's a steal.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago

I have a 43-inch Insignia N10 that works great in exactly that role. Dumb TV with HDMI inputs, audio outputs, and that's about it. Best Buy's in-house brand, it was like 120 bucks about a year ago, when my Vizio TV from 2003 finally died in a way I couldn't fix :(

The built-in speakers aren't great, definitely recommend hooking it up to something else.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

At 43" you're in luck, and not needing a tuner, there are still some options

https://www.usa.philips.com/c-p/BDM4350UC_27/brilliance-4k-ultra-hd-lcd-display

Also: Samsung - Odyssey Neo G7 43"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 14 hours ago

From what I can see, this is still a Tizen based smart TV masquerading as a monitor, Apps and all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago
load more comments
view more: next ›