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LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices
(www.notebookcheck.net)
this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
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Television
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Is it even possible to buy a dumb tv nowadays? Or are we now at the point of needing to buy a standalone computer display and connect media device to it via HDMI?
Not even that will save you.
LG was just caught very recently when they installed malware on people's PCs via Windows update masquerading as some kind of "monitor firmware update".
https://videocardz.com/newz/lg-monitors-silently-install-software-through-windows-update-without-user-consent
Well... not to be that guy, but the above "feature" is exclusive to Windows, and using Windows is also a choice that subjects you to an extreme amount of data collection in other ways.
I bought a Westinghouse "non-smart" TV for my workshop, which is out of range for our wi-fi. I have an antennae for over-the-air TV and no internet back there, so I wanted something that just comes on and plays without having to go through menus and shit. 32" for $149 through Mal-Wart™. I have a TCL with Google TV in my den, but it has a bug where it won't stay connected to the wi-fi, and I'm cool with that...
Westinghouse not only still exists but also makes TVs? Mind blown.
yeah I was kinda surprised by the brand, but it was what they had available as non-smart. I won't brag about the quality, because when I first plugged it in, I was really disappointed by the sound quality. Tinny and not much volume. I figured out that the right speaker wasn't working, and instead of sending it back, I hooked my boombox I listen to music with up to it and it sounds great.
Yes, but they’ll be prohibitively expensive for most people. Companies need dumb TVs for things like lobby displays, digital menu boards, digital directories, meeting room displays, etc… Imagine corporate secrets leaking because a smart TV was sending screenshots back to LG on a boardroom meeting’s PowerPoint presentation. Or a hospital patient’s personal info showing up in data sales, because a hospital’s digital directory was listening in on conversations at the nurse’s station.
Commercial Displays are truly dumb TVs, but they’re often thousands of dollars more expensive than a smart TV. Because their price isn’t being subsidized by the mind-boggling amounts of data snooping. They’re also designed with durability in mind, because a typical TV isn’t meant to run 24/7. But a 24/7 restaurant can’t just turn their menus off and continue to function. So their panel hour lifetime is typically rated much higher than a consumer-level panel. They also often won’t include a lot of the most cutting-edge options, because they’re designed for a good enough image over long periods of time.
https://www.samsung.com/us/business/commercial-tvs/all-commercial-tvs/
I bought one of these (non-smart) and I'd say I'm having a blast with it.
Yup, pair this with something like an Nvidia Shield, Apple TV, or homemade Linux TV, and you’ll be golden.
I've paired mine with a mostly de-googled Onn 4k TV box.
Was just looking for this, apparently Sceptre makes some. I had never heard of them.
Best Buy also has a filter for 'non-smart'. Tho the results don't seem very good, at least a couple had reviews calling out that they had smart features.
But yeah, by default I think the main option is to not connect a smart TV to the Internet. But then you have to do research to make sure it allows that, and doesn't try to rogue connect to open networks.
Scepter isn't bad. I have a television and my sister has two monitors from them. It has the inputs I need for my game consoles and no wireless connectivity at all. My only complaint is that the built-in speakers have a little bit of a tin can sound to them. They're far from the worst speakers I've had (that dishonor goes to Westinghouse), but I still recommend getting an A/V receiver and speakers to go with it.
Tube tv + tv box with av output
I bought a TV recently and it’s difficult to find a major brand without a ton of smart features. I bought a Samsung and just don’t let it get on the internet. It’s…ok
You can buy a Roku TV and just never set up its internet connection. Other brands are likely similar.
If you have already connected it to the internet, you can just choose the “reset” option in settings to start over and then avoid entering network information.