vidyesh2d ago

Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/03/newly-purchased-vizio-tvs-now-require-walmart-accounts-to-use-smart-features/

Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features

Walmart wants to connect what people stream "directly with retail interaction."

Ars Technica
Show threadRobdel12

Is there any kind of “hook up” on wholesale large dumb displays?

I know I’m preaching to the choir, but I just want a giant dumb display from my Apple TV. I vaguely remember someone posting a link to tvs restaurants use but I don’t remember exactly what or if it was what I’m looking for.

(Sorry, being lazy here)

Mar 26 at 2:57pmWeb
Show thread1bpp2d ago
Look for used 'Digital Signage' or 'Commercial' displays. They usually have dumb firmware and the same panels as retail models.
Show threadclose042d ago
Most are also larger, heavier, with higher power consumption, and sometimes uncomfortably high minimum brightness. They rarely use the same panels as retail models because they have to support different operating conditions like extreme temperatures and 24/7 operation.
Show threadsgerenser2d ago
Just use any TV but don't log into your WiFi or connect an Ethernet cable. It sounds like that won't work with these Vizio TVs, but they're likely junk anyway. This is what I do with my Sony and LG TVs in my house and they work fine as dumb displays attached to my AppleTV box.
Show threadjonpurdy2d ago

I wonder about this every time I see a smart TV-related thread on HN. I recently purchased an LG OLED (C5 48") because my old TV died so I'll finally comment. As others have said, just don't connect it to the internet. But you knew this already, so I'll provide my anecdote on the experience of this since I wondered the same thing for years before getting this TV.

When the TV is never connected to internet, and you use a single HDMI source like me, the TV acts completely like a dumb TV. It gets turned on via my AppleTV remote and displays the picture 1-2 seconds later. No LG logo (I disabled this), and no smart interface shown whatsoever.

If you want to change settings, you can display the settings interface via LG remote control and it generally acts like a dumb TV (not blocking the entire screen, so you can adjust picture quality and see the result as expected).

I've had the TV for about two months and never been asked to update it or shown any ad. The only time I've ever seen the smart fullscreen interface is when you unplug a live HDMI source and the TV detects that nothing is there. (If you turn the source off, it tells the TV to turn itself off as well.)

Hope this helps since it's a lot easier to buy a nice smart TV and do it this way than find a truly dumb commercial panel.

Show threadprepend2d ago

I bought a 60 inch Spectre tv from walmart and it works great as over the air and receiving video from my appletv.

I just googled “dumb tv” and that brand showed up.

Show threadZigurd2d ago
Many (most?) "smart" TVs will work fine if their network connection is never set up. Many of those can be set to wake on an HDMI signal from, for example, an outboard streamer box. That means you can take advantage of the subsidy paid by the bloatware that comes inside your TV, for a price that I bet is coincidentally close to the same as the price difference of an unsubsidized dumb TV.