That TV above still has all the bare minimum to display whatever content you pump into it; the only part that's not functional in this post is its self-pumping, so to speak. As long as the TV can still function in dumb mode, having a smart mode is extra gravy that makes life so much easier.
Now if I could pair a Bluetooth keyboard with it...
No. The part that's not functional is everything else. "Smart" TVs tend to have all kinds of idiotic things like splash screens (what? why?), ads (seriously? ads on my TV that I paid for? no thanks), stupid software vulnerabilities and instability that a TV has no business having (see the topic this thread is based on), and all kinds of other nonsense.
Add in the fact that good TVs are basically always made by the companies who are the Very Worst at software (Samsung most prominently), and you have a recipe for digital heartburn.
No thanks. Dumb TVs forever.
Also, to respond to another comment, there's no correlation between a TV being "smart" and achieving a simple A/V setup with a single remote and a minimum of hassles. Unless you mean a negative correlation. It's very simple to achieve single-remote nirvana with a dumb TV. Plus you're not stuck with a dumb company's remote and software; you can pick your own, because a dumb TV will work with anything and not get in your way.
Singled out for especially thorough beatings are those TV makers who put actual physical buttons on their remotes for websites that might be gone next week. Seriously? No.
I can sympathize with the fact that Smart TVs have a worse overall experience for you. The ads and crapware that you can't get rid of just mess up what was once a simple experience of turning on the TV. However I think smart TVs are a good idea because the way that people consume visual media is changing. More people are ditching cable and turning to services like Netflix. If HBO ever decouples itself from cable, I'd imagine this trend would increase more so. Why should I watch YouTube on my computer screen when I can watch it on a larger screen (and in a more comfortable room)?
I don't think the problem is with Smart TVs, I think it's just the current execution of the idea.
Currently, yes. I don't think that excludes the option of someone creating a smart TV that doesn't require an additional device to plug into it though.
Such a smart TV would have to be really well done in order to justify keeping the same privacy-invasive firmware around for the 5-10 year life of a TV.
