Anybody tried removing the network chip out of a smart TV?

[ezst036]

Hello everybody,

I'm in need of buying a new TV and I don't want a "smart" TV, but I have not been very successful at finding online resources that show how to circumvent the "smart" functionality of the TV to prevent it from engaging in espionage. Pretty much all TVs these days regardless of brand are "smart" TVs, which is very frustrating. The best I can tell is I am limited to two options:

1. On many models, I can "disable" "some" functionality in the settings menu related to data collection and hope and pray it stops. This option seems pretty foolish. I have little doubt that using a LAN packet sniffer would prove that its still spying. And then with as weak as security on many of these TVs have been show to be, I still have to worry the TV it being hacked.
2. Don't plug in ethernet or don't give it the wifi password, and use some external device such as a Roku box.

I was hoping to find if some of these TVs might have a mini PCIe network chip in them, or perhaps something simple like wires that can be removed in some way. I really miss the good old days of Playstation mod chips.

I was very disappointed that I did not find any online resources rife with information about how to permanently disable such odious functionality.

 

[USAFRet]

Given #2, there is nothing that TV panel can do. It is not connected to anything.

 

[USAFRet]

A year ago, I was on the same quest. Non-smart TV.
I found this Sansui...no longer sold.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FBFFDJF

 

[hang-the-9]

Pretty simple, don't connect the TV to you network, no network connection no data being sent or received over the internet. Not sure why there is a need to do anything else.

 

[ezst036]

Pretty simple, don't connect the TV to you network, no network connection no data being sent or received over the internet. Not sure why there is a need to do anything else.

YesI know. I was just blowing off steam, I suppose. All the constant data collection has grown out of control to ridiculous levels.

 

[Mtop]

I don't plug my Tv in except to update since I hate all the crap they put on my screen. Why worry about Samsung when I'm connected to that Tv with Windows 10. Who steals more info Microsoft or Google?

 

[hotaru.hino]

Removing random chips off a system you have little control over is a bad idea anyway. The system is expecting that chip to be there. It'll likely not even boot up if it can't find the chip.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Also if you did connect your tv, my router has options to block devices from access so you could do that as well.

 

[kanewolf]

Have you looked at digital signage or conference room monitors? If you don't want smart and you don't HAVE to have an over-the-air tuner, then large screen MONITORS rather than a TV might work for you.