this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2025
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Hi, does anyone own a non smart tv which is 4k and around 48"? I'm currently own a Samsung TV but to use any of the apple TV or game consoles you have to go through their painfully unresponsive smart menus and its driving me up the wall. ive looked online but it's hard to avoid smart TVs, they seem to be everywhere and a lot of options I came across are US only. the budget is upto £400, thanks in advance

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Go the other way. Get the one you want, but all content comes from an external media player, the TV never gets directly connected to a network.

I use a nvidia shield but an apple TV can be locked down as well. Stay away from roku and cheap Chinese boxes. More info

My approach is to muddle the waters as much as possible, using different providers and throwing in a pi hole to the network to block DNS requests.

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

This is the way to do it. Consumer TVs are subsidized by the data harvesting they do, the equivalent commercial models are much more expensive

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

Oh, also check if CEC is enabled. I control the whole Tv via the shield remote, it switches input automatically.

Samsung calls the feature anynet

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Definitely this. Though annoyingly, the one CEC command I have issues with is turning the Shield off doesnt always turn the TV off too. Only works about half the time. Thankfully, the TV turns off by itself after 2 mins with no signal, but still a bit annoying

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm not sure if it will help since you're in the UK, but search for commercial displays. There should be some televisions available that are meant for hotel lobbies and the like. Not sure if they'd be 4k and 48", but they should exist despite being in the UK.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Really? I thought it was all just pubs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Pubs all the way down unfortunately

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

thank you, I'll look into it

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Exertis, Midwich, ProAV will all help you get hold of a commercial display. You’ll pay more because the screens are rated for 18/7 operation, but you’ll get no OS and a single HDMI port to connect your shit.

NEC, Phillips, Sharp and BenQ are worth looking at as alternatives to the mainstream brands.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I've never used apple TV (because fuck apple) but I have a Philips Ambilight, and there's no issue with games consoles. Plug in an hdmi and select the source. Not sure why you'd be having so much trouble, as any smart TV I've used is the same. It's one button.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

Yeah, my LG is set to automatically turn on and switch to whichever input that provides a signal.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago (2 children)

perhaps its just Samsung TVs that cause me the trouble then. if I turn on the tv, just selecting the source menu involves going through their horrible menus. I find their remote to be very unresponsive too. I'll look into some Phillips ones though. thank you

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

The Ambilight is the best TV I ever owned. Great for gaming.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

perhaps its just Samsung TVs that cause me the trouble then.

Yes, I don't recognise your issues from any previous telly. I just turn on, select the input and go.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Yeah I have a Philips and was very happy that during the set-up process it let me say that I didn't want to use smart features or connect it to the internet, so I just have it connected to a console. Definitely can recommend Phillips.

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

What about a computer monitor instead?

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

I did look into it, the prices are insane, I end up paying for features that are overkill for a tv, refresh rate etc, thank you though

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

Monitors tend to have much better picture quality than TVs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

The approach I'm taking is to just not connect it to the internet. Obviously the menus might still get slow over the years, but that could happen on and TV and I do most of my button-pressing through an external device (whether that's a Chromecast, raspberry pi, console, full PC, or whatever).

I'm also looking into setting up a pihole to block everything except specific sites I actually want it to access, but that's a bigger undertaking!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

You could look into getting a projector...

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

If you want a long warranty Mitchell and brown do them although it seems only up to 43" https://www.mitchellandbrown.co.uk/product/mitchell-and-brown-jb-43fs1811/

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Unfortunately you can't buy non-smart TVs any more.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Having spent a great deal of time trying to find one recently, I believe you are incorrect.

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

There's a British company making non smart TV specifically https://celloelectronics.com/collections/non-smart-tvs

Quite fitting for this sub :)

Or you can go with iiyama if you don't like British stuff https://www.visunext.co.uk/p/iiyama-lh4341uhs-b2-non-touch-display-1000030591/

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

non smart TV

That's 22". Perhaps I should have been clearer: you can't buy a large (e.g. 75") non-smart TV.

https://www.visunext.co.uk/p/iiyama-lh4341uhs-b2-non-touch-display-1000030591/

That's not even a TV.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What do you mean 22"? Did you even open the link? My god...

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What do you mean 22"?

I mean 22":

Did you even open the link?

Did you?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Stop doing drugs.

Dafuq?