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.

  • @computergeek125English
    18•1 month ago

    Sadly the so-called “smart TV” is becoming the norm. Companies add unnecessary crap to TVs that’s often as slow as your car’s factory infotainment system, and when they feel like not upgrading the software anymore for security issues in a few years, it’s a permanent security hazard until you disconnect it from the network.

    I have a Vizio TV from several years ago with Yahoo branded smart functions (that should date it) that I need to factory reset because I can’t find the WiFi password erase.