I am not doubting you, but I'm surprised that it was cheaper. Every time this is discussed here on HN, or on other forums, the prevailing narrative is that it is increasingly difficult to buy a non-smart TV, and that the only option is to look for "industrial display panels" (or some similar designation), which, people claim, are rather expensive.

Note that I am only recounting hearsay, and I haven't done my research on this, as my three PC monitors cover my needs completely, and I have no need for a TV. I'm only "idly curious" about this topic, because one day I may need such a dumb TV.

Context is important.

HN consists of many different people in many markets.

For US folks, yes, you generally have to go for an industrial display panel which is slightly more expensive than a smart TV [whose lower price can be subsidized by the data they're eventually selling].

Maybe for the previous poster who is in the EU, faces a completely different market than the US, a market which is more favorable to non-smart TVs.

I have a 'smart tv' (HiSense) - and while it has a bunch of smart stuff that isn't that bad, the best thing is it starts on the input you left it on. So for me it always opens as connected to hdmi1/chromecast, and I never have to see the smart stuff and the tv itself has no internet connection

My 2018 Sony X900F behaves similarly. Have never connected it to the internet, and its near-stock Android TV install doesn’t nag me about that. When I turn it on it starts on the last used input and you don’t see any “smart” UI unless you explicitly summon it with the home button on the TV remote.

I’ve been using it with an Apple TV 4K and it’s been great.

My TV (TCL) also switches to the last input, but it first has to boot into Android, which takes some time. :(

(I know I could leave the TV on standby but I don't like doing that, especially just to work around poorly designed software.)

“Dumb TVs” can still be found in the US, but they tend to be quite low spec, using panels with mediocre at best performance. That’s not a problem for a lot of people but anybody looking for a nicer panel is probably stuck buying a smart TV.

Current Sony TVs offer a “basic TV” mode that disables all the smart stuff though, so they’re a decent option for more discerning buyers looking for a dumb TV.

the reason for the expensiveness being that “industrial display panels” are specifically built to prevent the burning in of an image, as consumer tvs will retain an image if held on that same image for too long

>I looked explicitly for one without any software

Same here. I want to buy things without software and Touch Screen.

Lucky you. Here in Switzerland mediamarkt lists there "OK" TVs and all three are smart. :(

(I'm in the market for a dumb TV and am not having much joy.)

Unironically this could be a good startup idea.

Make dumb tvs, and maybe put a firestick or similar piece of tech in the box.

Search for business display [0] and expect to pay an unsubsidized amount for it.

[0] https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=pastYear&page=0&prefix=tru...

I'm curious who is providing the subsidy here, and roughly to what percentage of the retail price?

don’t bother with a firestick. firesticks used to be good, but last year they forced an update that did pretty much the same thing as Android TV, but worse. a massive ad-banner across the top of the home screen that you can’t get rid of, with your apps relegated to a tiny ribbon, followed by semi-adverts underneath

at least with android TV it’s sort of, somewhat a choice, for now, but this is flat-out immutable. you used to be able to sideload an alternative home screen, but another forced update removed that option too

buying a firestick is buying adverts for inside your house

That’s why i like the idea… had i bought the fire stick and it was trash, I could just throw it away and keep the tv…