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TV that doesn't require 'on-line activation' to set up. (midwest.social)

submitted 1 month ago by catfishsushi@midwest.social to c/technology@lemmy.world

77 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

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[–] Squibbles@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 month ago (2 children)

How old are they? We bought an LG TV 1 or 2 years ago and it has a lot of online features and keeps prompting me to make an account and accept various terms and conditions for their advertising or to let them listen to the microphone and such. I think it's mostly optional but they don't make it easy to opt out

[–] wccrawford@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

To add to this, my LG C2 kept popping up a message that I could use Alexa with it if I connected it to Wifi.

To kill that message, I did. Now it pops up advertisements in that same way from time to time.

If I take it offline again, I get messages about connecting it again.

It's effectively impossible to kill ads on it.

[–] tomkatt@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If you have a modern router you can block WAN connections while allowing LAN connections. This is what I do and it doesn’t give me crap (and bonus, I can interface with it still with home assistant for automations).

My router is an ASUS AX5700, if it matters.

[–] wccrawford@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's an interesting idea. I'll have to see if I can do something of the sort and see if it matters. I have a feeling it'll still pop the stupid messages about connecting to the internet, but maybe I'll get lucky and it won't.

Thanks!

[–] tomkatt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Can confirm, I no longer get network or ad pop ups on my LG C1.

[–] wccrawford@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's awesome. I can't wait now.

[–] tomkatt@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

No prob. Extra tip, the router has support for guest networks. If you want to be hardcore about it, put it on a guest network where it literally can't see any of your other devices (bear in mind, this will make the automation stuff I mentioned not viable, but I'm sure most people don't care about that).

[–] acosmichippo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

my LG is from 2021. it is a little tricky to opt out of everything because the various options are scattered in different places in the settings, but once I did all that it hasn't bothered me.