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?
You can generally do firmware updates over USB if you actually need them.
Also sont devices will grant Ethernet over hdmi, which doesn’t require authentication like wifi, so make sure your set to box isn’t granting internet access to the tv.