The query of whether or not you may nonetheless purchase a “dumb” TV comes up quasi-regularly in tech journalism. I perceive why. On a fundamental degree, that is how TVs labored for many years, and it is not like good tech is crucial. You possibly can nonetheless tune into over-the-air broadcasts when you’ve received an antenna, or hook up an exterior Blu-ray or DVD participant when you’ve received a good library. Different folks simply detest the thought of getting to pay for options they don’t seem to be going to make use of, or have issues about knowledge assortment. These aren’t completely unfounded, given what number of units have ACR on by default.
The truth that folks even need to ask factors in the direction of the broader fact. It is nonetheless doable to purchase dumb TVs — however they’re now a uncommon breed. Extra importantly, I might argue, they’re probably not price searching down for the common viewer, particularly since there are methods round a TV’s built-in software program.
Can you continue to discover dumb TVs on the market?
Be ready to hunt round
Sure, dumb TVs are nonetheless being made and bought, though you are unlikely to search out them at your native big-box electronics outlet. They are not very fashionable, so you may most likely need to do your procuring on-line. It’s possible you’ll not have to buy too lengthy — I knew going into this piece that Greatest Purchase nonetheless sells “non-smart” TVs on its web site, and certain sufficient, the corporate’s US division lists 34 choices. That is a fraction of their good TV choice, however actually, 34 is best than I anticipated versus the final time I checked.
In a approach, it is a peek into one other world. A part of the explanation folks aren’t conscious dumb TVs exist is as a result of they’re probably not marketed at shoppers anymore. Slightly, the present goal is the enterprise world. These are the TVs you see used for digital signage, safety screens, or possibly displaying sports activities at bars. Should you’re attempting to purchase a dumb TV, your finest wager could also be to look the online for key phrases like “business TV” or “enterprise TV.” Some corporations even embody these phrases in product names.
A part of the explanation folks aren’t conscious dumb TVs exist is as a result of they’re probably not marketed at shoppers anymore.
Talking of which, there are manufacturers that exist on this house that you have by no means heard of, reminiscent of DuraPro, SunBriteTV, and AWALL. You will additionally discover acquainted behemoths like Samsung and LG, however there’s apparently extra room to specialize within the business world.
Certainly, one of many causes this section exists is that companies have completely different priorities. Some fashions are constructed not simply to be seen open air, however to be waterproof or impact-resistant. On the excessive finish, you should buy what are basically video partitions — TVs so massive that they won’t slot in your front room.
There’s fairly a value vary, as you may think about. Greatest Purchase lists a 43-inch 4K Samsung TV for about $339. If cash (and dimension) are not any object, nonetheless, you may spend $56,900 on a 162-inch MicroLED TV by AWALL. It is like one thing out of Blade Runner. The one non-business clients I can see shopping for one are millionaires.
Why dumb TVs aren’t price shopping for in 2026
Take into account your priorities
In lots of instances, you may very well be paying extra for inferior specs — that’s, the specs that matter to watching films and TV reveals in your house. That 43-inch Samsung set shouldn’t be solely small by fashionable requirements, however restricted to a 60Hz refresh fee, no HDR assist, and outdated backlighting know-how. Conversely, for a bit over $250, you will get a 50-inch Hisense QLED good TV with Dolby Imaginative and prescient and HDR10+. On the $400 mark, mini-LED TVs change into obtainable, a few of which can really be preferable to OLEDs, relying in your pursuits.
This theme persists with different dumb fashions. I will not bore you with extra examples, however even within the MicroLED realm, selecting a sensible TV you will get comparable (or higher) efficiency for much less. The options these business units supply could also be invaluable to companies, however they don’t seem to be going to ship the absolute best model of Blade Runner 2049 or the Tremendous Bowl.
Finally, the most important problem could also be that with out some type of good tech working, content material may be troublesome to come back by in 2026.
What’s sillier nonetheless is that it is easy to bypass a sensible TV’s interface, or not less than decrease the time spent with it. In my residence, as an illustration, the Roku TV in our bed room is ready to routinely change to the Apple TV 4K’s enter when it powers on. It might take some looking out in menus (or on the internet) to determine what setting to vary, however as soon as you have performed it, you are good — the one flashes of Roku OS I see are after I energy down or modify audio and film settings.
Due to this, worries about knowledge assortment do not maintain a lot water both. After you have disabled ACR (examine the hyperlink within the intro), no significant knowledge assortment is feasible except you begin utilizing apps. You might, in concept, set your TV to default to an antenna or Blu-ray enter and change into a ghost so far as a variety of advertisers are involved.
Finally, the most important problem could also be that with out some type of good tech working, content material may be troublesome to come back by in 2026. An affordable Blu-ray assortment goes to price you tons of or 1000’s of {dollars}, and nonetheless get stale rapidly when you watch a title each day. Broadcast channels, in the meantime, are sometimes chock-full of sitcom reruns and “actuality” reveals. That is not precisely inspiring when reveals like Andor and Pluribus are breaking floor in streaming. Heck, typically the caliber of these reruns is best in apps — you are going to have a troublesome time discovering I Love Lucy, The Twilight Zone, or The Golden Women in your native affiliate. I can watch the primary two totally free on a service like Pluto.
Are dumb TVs doomed to extinction?
A respectable query
The short-term reply isn’t any, as a result of there isn’t any signal the calls for of the business market are poised to go away. It is not nearly sturdiness or outside use. A dumb TV is inherently simpler to handle — there isn’t any software program to replace, and no separate web connection to configure or pose a safety danger. Even supplying content material may be less complicated. At a weightlifting gymnasium I used to go to in Calgary, employees would change the digital signage by plugging in a USB stick.
For you and I, dumb TVs are successfully irrelevant. You are higher off deciding in your good platform of alternative.
Past the following few years, the forecast turns into hazy. One of the best good TVs are already shiny sufficient to outshine the solar, and there isn’t any purpose why software program and supplies could not come as much as par with enterprise requirements. We would even see wall-sized units change into the norm. I suppose there’s not a lot name for a rainproof TV in most properties, in order that area of interest may be left.
For you and I, nonetheless, the decision is obvious. Dumb TVs are successfully irrelevant. You are higher off deciding in your good platform of alternative, and dealing inside these boundaries. The downsides are simply brushed out of the best way.
