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Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2026 8:28 pm
by Matty
Bought a new Samsung TV, one of those Frame jobbies - don't care about the art, just that it's nice and flush to the wall for the bedroom
My Panasonic downstairs from about 8 years back is still going strong. It's just a TV with some basic apps, it's perfect. Turn it on, and it's just TV....this Samsung? Fuck me, it boots up a whole OS, with voice commands, some crazy menus, cloud connectivity, 7 (!) checkboxes to click for various T&C's, another load of permissions after that as it wants access to my bank, health records and porn history. I also needed to install an app on my phone, which can be used as a remote, alongside the TWO remotes it already comes with?!
Not everything needs to be crammed with tech and complicated. Some things just need to be what they are.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:21 pm
by DeskJockey
Just wait until it starts serving you ads and mining your data.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:39 pm
by mik
Can it boil a fucking kettle for Harry or not?
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:47 pm
by Jimexpl
Matty wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 8:28 pm
Bought a new Samsung TV, one of those Frame jobbies - don't care about the art, just that it's nice and flush to the wall for the bedroom
My Panasonic downstairs from about 8 years back is still going strong. It's just a TV with some basic apps, it's perfect. Turn it on, and it's just TV....this Samsung? Fuck me, it boots up a whole OS, with voice commands, some crazy menus, cloud connectivity, 7 (!) checkboxes to click for various T&C's, another load of permissions after that as it wants access to my bank, health records and porn history. I also needed to install an app on my phone, which can be used as a remote, alongside the TWO remotes it already comes with?!
Not everything needs to be crammed with tech and complicated. Some things just need to be what they are.
You can - a £70k LED wall...
LG seem to have the least bloated menu systems, or get a commercial display, like a Sony Pro Bravia - you could even mount it in portrait!
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2026 10:50 pm
by dinny_g
I have a new LG, a recommendation from here, and I have none of those issues.
In fact, I almost never use the TV remote. Sky remote turns it on, controls the volume etc. I watch all streaming via the Sky Q box.
You just appear to have bought the wrong TV
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 8:20 am
by DeskJockey
Jimexpl wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 9:47 pm
Matty wrote: Thu Jan 29, 2026 8:28 pm
Bought a new Samsung TV, one of those Frame jobbies - don't care about the art, just that it's nice and flush to the wall for the bedroom
My Panasonic downstairs from about 8 years back is still going strong. It's just a TV with some basic apps, it's perfect. Turn it on, and it's just TV....this Samsung? Fuck me, it boots up a whole OS, with voice commands, some crazy menus, cloud connectivity, 7 (!) checkboxes to click for various T&C's, another load of permissions after that as it wants access to my bank, health records and porn history. I also needed to install an app on my phone, which can be used as a remote, alongside the TWO remotes it already comes with?!
Not everything needs to be crammed with tech and complicated. Some things just need to be what they are.
You can - a £70k LED wall...
LG seem to have the least bloated menu systems, or get a commercial display, like a Sony Pro Bravia - you could even mount it in portrait!
I was looking at the Samsung business displays. How are they as TVs? Have a Firestick and Freeview box. Don't want the TV to do anything other than being a screen.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:40 am
by Jobbo
I have stuck to Sony's for the last few TVs and they have all had Android TV built in. So yes, it opens with a screen of apps and stuff (though it will remember if you were watching TV through a Sky box for instance and open straight to that) but the interface is pretty simple and quick to load. Samsung have always been kings of bloatware.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 10:01 am
by Swervin_Mervin
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:40 am
I have stuck to Sony's for the last few TVs and they have all had Android TV built in. So yes, it opens with a screen of apps and stuff (though it will remember if you were watching TV through a Sky box for instance and open straight to that) but the interface is pretty simple and quick to load. Samsung have always been kings of bloatware.
So very much this. I'd never buy another Samsung (I use a small one as a 2nd screen) as the bloat on them is ridiculous. And they're so laggy.
Our Sony has been brilliant. Straightforward Android UI as Simon says. Ours remembers whether it was last using an app or TV, so will boot either into the app/Home screen or just straight into the last TV channel that was being watched.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 10:23 am
by mik
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:40 am
I have stuck to Sony's for the last few TVs
I’ve vowed to never purchase another Sony product again if I can help it. Because PlayStation are absolute TAUCs.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 11:12 am
by Jobbo
mik wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 10:23 am
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:40 am
I have stuck to Sony's for the last few TVs
I’ve vowed to never purchase another Sony product again if I can help it. Because PlayStation are absolute TAUCs.
Playstation? The online store?
I am a Sony fanboy I must admit, so I doubt anything you say would put me off.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 1:15 pm
by Jimexpl
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 11:12 am
mik wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 10:23 am
Jobbo wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 9:40 am
I have stuck to Sony's for the last few TVs
I’ve vowed to never purchase another Sony product again if I can help it. Because PlayStation are absolute TAUCs.
Playstation? The online store?
I am a Sony fanboy I must admit, so I doubt anything you say would put me off.
Sony have sold the majority share of their TV business to TCL now, so every Sony TV will soon just be a rebadged TCL.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 1:22 pm
by Mito Man
That’s a shame. I still miss their Vaio laptops.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 1:42 pm
by Jobbo
Mito Man wrote: Fri Jan 30, 2026 1:22 pm
That’s a shame. I still miss their Vaio laptops.
And me. I'm sure I read that they were less focussed on TVs some time ago so hiving off Bravia to TCL is hardly a surprise. I won't be buying a Samsung instead though.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2026 3:42 pm
by Matty
Most major providers have moved away from the underlying panels. I used to be all about the Panasonic TVs, back when their plasmas were the bollocks, but they're out the market as well.
Quick Google suggests Sony still do their own OLEDs though.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2026 7:41 pm
by V8Granite
Still have a nice plasma here, still a really lovey image so not looking forward to it dying.
Dave!
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2026 2:25 pm
by Ascender
I've got an LG and never touch any of the apps, have disabled network connectivity other than when I check for updates occasionally. We have an Apple TV connected to it and that's all we use on it now.
I think there's a market for a "just a TV" device but it probably only exists within the tech and nerd community, possibly home cinema folks so will never happen.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2026 3:11 pm
by IanF
I have LG and use the apps on there Mike.. what’s the benefit of Apple TV?
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2026 9:07 pm
by simon_g
I do the same - the LG remote is tucked away except for the odd time we want non-BBC broadcast TV, the AppleTV remote wakes up the TV and puts it straight on that input.
Quicker all around, no screen clutter, you can type searches or paste passwords etc from your iphone, and it does a decent job of tying together the various streaming services - unified search and "watch next episode" so you don't need to remember what service that thing was on.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2026 4:17 pm
by Ascender
IanF wrote: Mon Feb 02, 2026 3:11 pm
I have LG and use the apps on there
Mike.. what’s the benefit of Apple TV?
Oops, missed this.
Apart from the paranoid bit of me not wanting an LG to connected to the internet, I’ve always found the inbuilt tv os to be very slow and laggy compared to the Apple TV and its apps.
Re: Can I get a TV that's just a TV?
Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2026 8:30 am
by Brannen
I bought an Apple TV over the weekend based on a couple of these comments and as my Android based Sony TV was becoming so slow loading apps. It's a massive improvement in terms of performance, wish I'd bought one earlier now.