As long as consumers have basically no choice to avoid a smart TV, they’ll keep buying them whether they want the smart part or not.

(I agree you’re generally correct, but at this point we don’t even have a choice)

You're free to buy digital signage if you want, and some people do. You do have a choice.

But it's just not what most people want. Most people really do want their TV to natively run streaming services.

Signage exists, but it takes a lot of effort and research to buy compared to a “normal” TV. Normal stores just don’t have non-smart options, I bet most people don’t even know it exists.

I know several people who love not having to use extra boxes due to their smart TVs, I totally get it. I just wish it hadn’t pushed out all other options, especially on the high end where subsidies from deals are less necessary.

Best Buy sells dumb tvs (their in-house brand, "Insignia"), and their brick-and-mortar stores always have a bunch in stock. Options are limited to 32, 40, and 43" displays, though.

Oh really? I had no idea.

Yep. I've needed a bunch of dumb tvs this year (don't ask) and they're what I landed on. Best Buy overnight delivered a half-dozen ~$100 tvs to my doorstep for free (I bought them one at a time), and I also grabbed some off the shelves at two nearby stores.

Also, as far as I can tell, I just can't get a commercial display equivalent of one of the recent oleds sans smart crap.

Digital signage is getting a lot of smart features too, it's just a bit behind the consumer and hospitality markets.

Can you point me in the right direction so that I as someone that didn't know this exists up until now could learn enough to know what and where to buy?