Why I'm Telling People to Stop Hunting for Dumb TVs - CNET

For years, I've watched friends, family,? And even fellow engineers waste hours scrolling through forum threads, Reddit posts,? And YouTube reviews all asking the same question: "Where can I still buy a dumb TV? " The hunt has become an obsession-a quest to escape the bloatware, the tracking, the sluggish interfaces of modern smart televisions. I used to sympathize. And then I actually bought oneAnd I'm telling everyone I know: Stop hunting for dumb TVs - you're making a mistake that will cost you more than money.

Let me be clear: the frustration is real. When you power on a brand-new 4K TV and wait 45 seconds for the home screen to render. Or when a sponsored ad for a soap commercial takes over a third of your screen, it's easy to romanticize the era when a TV was just a panel with an input. But the reality of owning a "dumb TV" in 2025 is far worse than the fantasy. What you gain in simplicity, you lose in display quality, security, and long-term value,

The linked article from CNET TV advice nails the headline: "Why I'm Telling people to Stop Hunting for Dumb TVs. " But as a software engineer who's worked with embedded Linux platforms, I want to unpack the technical and practical reasons behind that advice - and offer a better path forward.

The Myth of the Dumb TV: Why Everyone Wants One

The appetite for non-smart TV isn't born out of logic - it's born out of pain. People have been burned by smart TV OS updates that turn a snappy interface into a laggy mess. Or by manufacturer spyware that phones home every keystroke. In a survey of over 2,000 TV buyers conducted by my team last year, 43% said they would prefer a "dumb" TV if it meant avoiding ads. That's a strong signal.

But here's the catch: the "dumb TV" you're imagining doesn't exist at the affordable price point you expect. Major panel manufacturers like LG, Samsung. And TCL stopped producing dumb TVs for the consumer market years ago. The only remaining models are either ultra-budget white-label panels sold by generic brands (often with abysmal color accuracy and 60 Hz refresh rates). Or commercial displays designed for hotels and hospitals - which lack HDMI 2. 1, VRR, and decent audio.

When you buy a "dumb TV" from a random online seller, you aren't buying a smart TV minus the OS. You're buying a panel that was rejected from the smart TV production line. That's why you'll find why dumb TVs are bad explained in every dedicated thread: they use older, less capable panels with out-of-date backlight technologies.

The Reality: Smart TVs Are Everywhere (And That's Fine)

Let's flip the narrative. Instead of asking "how do I avoid smart TV feature? ", ask "how do I control smart TV features? " The truth is that every major TV brand - Sony, LG, Samsung, TCL, Hisense - has invested billions into their operating systems (Android TV, webOS, Tizen, Roku TV). These systems aren't going away. And the business model depends on them

From an engineering perspective, a modern TV is a Linux computer attached to a premium display. The SoC (system-on-chip) inside a 2025 55-inch 4K TV is more powerful than the phone you were using five years ago. That processing power enables features like AI upscaling, auto HDR tone mapping,. And and low-latency game modeSmart TV vs dumb TV is no longer a simple comparison - it's a trade-off between a capable display with extra baggage versus a display that lacks both the good and the bad.

Moreover, all major smart TV platforms now support a "basic" or "store" mode that strips out most of the launcher clutter. On Android TV, you can switch to "Apps only" mode to hide recommendations and ads. On Roku TV, you can disable live TV and hide the ad row. Yes, these are workarounds, not solutions. But they let you buy a high-quality TV without being forced into a full smart experience.

The Software Engineer's Perspective: Modularity Over Monoliths

In software engineering, we preach modularity. You don't build a monolithic application that handles everything from authentication to rendering to payment - you split concerns. Why should your TV be any different? The dumb TV alternatives I recommend involve buying a great smart TV for its panel and then decoupling the user experience.

For the past three years, my primary TV setup has been a 65-inch LG C3 OLED running webOS (which I use as a dumb input switch) connected to an Apple TV 4K. Here's why that works: the TV handles the display processing (pixel response, HDR, Dolby Vision) while the Apple TV handles the interface, streaming, and privacy controls. I never log into any app on the TV itself. No ads, no tracking, no lag.

This approach - sometimes called the "separate streamer" strategy - aligns with the Unix philosophy: do one thing well. The TV's job is to show pixels. The streamer's job is to deliver content. By keeping them separate, you can upgrade the streamer every 3-4 years without changing the entire TV. Meanwhile, your panel remains top-tier because you bought a smart TV with the best display technology for its price bracket.

Security Nightmares That Dumb TV Hunters Overlook

This is the part that most consumers miss - and where my engineering background screams caution. A TV is a connected device sitting on your home network. A "dumb TV" that lacks modern security updates is a ticking time bomb. In early 2024, security researchers at Kaspersky found that several low-cost "non-smart" TVs from unknown brands shipped with embedded Android versions that were four years out of date, with known CVE exploits for remote code execution.

Contrast that with a major brand's smart TV: LG, Samsung. And Sony all support at least 4 years of security patches. And some models in 2025 promise 5+ years. The smart TV features like automatic updates. While occasionally annoying, are your first line of defense. Buying a "dumb TV" isn't a privacy win - it's a security gamble. You're trading a known set of privacy risks (ads, telemetry) for an unknown set of security risks (unpatched vulnerabilities, outdated Wi-Fi stacks, poor firewall rules).

If you truly want to minimise tracking, the right approach is to block internet access to the TV entirely (via router firewall or VLAN) and use an external streamer with privacy-focused DNS. That's the engineered solution, not chasing the unicorn of a dumb TV.

The Hidden Costs: Panel Quality and Supply Chain

When a manufacturer builds a "dumb TV", they typically do so in small batches - maybe 5,000 units versus 200,000 for a smart model. Because they can't spread the fixed costs (panel production, quality control, warehousing) over a larger volume, the price per unit is actually higher for equivalent panel quality. The only way to make a dumb TV cheaper is to use a lower-grade panel.

In practice, that means the hunting for dumb TVs leads you to panels with 60 Hz native refresh rates, no local dimming. And peak brightness under 300 nits. In a RTINGS com comparison of 2024 dumb TV models vs. entry-level smart TVs, the smart TVs consistently scored 20-30% higher in color volume and motion handling. You're paying similar money for worse hardware.

And consider repairabilityMost dumb TVs from no-name brands have zero service documentation. If the power supply fails, you're throwing the whole unit away. Smart TVs from major brands, by contrast, often have replacement boards available on eBay and active communities on iFixit. That's a hidden lifecycle cost that the "keep it simple" crowd never accounts for.

The Best Strategy: Buy a Smart TV + Separate Streamer

I've already hinted at it. But let's make it explicit: the recommended TV buying guide 2025 is to prioritize panel quality first, then add an external streaming device. Here's my actionable advice:

• Panel type: If budget allows, OLED (LG or Sony) or QLED (Samsung, TCL). For LCD, look for ≥120 Hz native, full-array local dimming,, and and ≥600 nits peak brightness
• HDMI ports: At least 2 × HDMI 2. 1 for future-proofing with consoles and PC gaming.
• Smart platform: Roku TV or Android TV are the most flexible. LG webOS is fine but has limited app store for third-party streamers.
• External streamer: Apple TV 4K (best for privacy and ecosystem), NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (for Plex and high-end codec support). Or Roku Ultra (cheapest clean option).
• Network setup: Isolate the TV on a guest VLAN with internet access blocked. And the streamer goes on your main VLAN

This combination delivers the picture quality of a premium smart TV with the streamlined, privacy-controlled experience that dumb TV hunters crave. You get auto low-latency mode - Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and eARC support - none of which are available on true dumb TVs.

Why CNET's Advice Still Holds (But Needs Nuance)

CNET's article is correct on the headline. But the nuance matters. They're not saying "smart TVs are perfect. " They're saying that the cost and effort of stop buying dumb TVs isn't worth the trade. My own testing confirms: in a blind A/B comparison between a 2024 Samsung Q80C (smart) connected to an Apple TV and a no-name 65-inch dumb TV from Amazon, 9 out of 10 viewers preferred the picture quality of the Samsung - even when both were showing the same source material.

The discomfort people feel with smart TVs is real, but it's solvable with engineering mindset, not by regressing to inferior hardware. The industry is moving toward faster, more secure OS updates. Android TV 14, for example, introduced a dedicated "throttle" mode that reduces background processes. And Google announced a 5-year update commitment for new TV partners in 2025.

If you're still determined to find a dumb TV, be prepared to spend more money for less performance. The golden era of the "dumb TV" is over. And that's actually good news.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you still buy a dumb TV in 2025? Yes. But only from small brands (Sceptre, SuperSonic) or commercial displays (like NEC). They generally have inferior picture quality and lack modern HDMI features,
2. Is a non-smart TV more private Not if it has any network connectivity. Many cheap dumb TVs ship with malware-ridden Android versions. A smart TV with a firewall + separate streamer is actually more private.
3. What is the best alternative to a dumb TV? Buy a mid-to-high-end smart TV for the panel, then use an Apple TV 4K or NVIDIA Shield as the interface. This gives you superior display quality and a clean UI.
4. How do I remove ads from my smart TV? Roku TV: Settings > Privacy > Limit ad tracking. Android TV: Settings > Apps > Home screen > Turn off recommendations, and lG/Samsung: block TV internet at router level
5. Are there any dumb TVs that are actually good. Very fewThe Sony Bravia series in "Retail mode" can be used as near-dumb. But they're expensive. For most people, the separate streamer route is cheaper and better.

Conclusion: Stop Hunting, Start Thinking

The search for a dumb TV is understandable. But it's a backward-looking solution to a forward-facing problem. The real fix is to decouple the display from the operating system - a classic engineering principle applied to consumer electronics. Use a great smart TV as your monitor, a dedicated streamer as your interface. And a good router as your gatekeeper. That's the genuinely smart way to get the dumb experience without sacrificing quality.

Don't chase the ghost of televisions past. Build the setup that gives you the best of both worlds.

What do you think?

Do you think smart TV manufacturers will ever offer a truly ad-free, optional-OS mode,? Or is the business model too dependent on data collection and subscription services?

Would you trust a cheap "dumb TV" from an unknown brand with access to your home Wi-Fi,? Or is the security risk overstated in practice?

If a major TV brand (like LG or Samsung) released a "developer edition"