Instead of ‘splurging’ on a dumb tv bc they’re more expensive now thanks to the data sompanies sell off of smart tvs I was considering getting a smart tv and dumbing it down. Is the way to do this never connecting it to the internet? And is that the only way?
A lot of Google/Android TV devices support “Basic TV” mode. You get the option during device setup, you can switch to it later by resetting the device. I would probably also not connect it to the internet, but that should cover making it a dumb device. I bought a Hisense one, tried it with Android TV for a bit, experienced it slow down and freeze up a bunch, and just switched it to Basic TV and plugged in a chromecast. Has worked fine since then.
Do Chromecasts not have ads? I’ve never used one.
They do, but a PiHole will stop those just as effectively as it does all other ads on your network 😊
Too techy for me unfortunately. That’s why I’m looking for something that doesn’t have ads natively.
The one with Google TV (and a remote) will show sponsored content on the launcher.