Mastodawn

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

SoftTalker 2d ago

Just use an AppleTV, Roku, etc. and connect it to the HDMI port.

TV is just a screen. That is how I've used mine for the last 5+ years.

I find roku really ad heavy and it sent tons of traffic back to roku.com. Same for firetv.

autoexec 2d ago

Exactly. If I wanted ads and surveillance I'd have just connected the smart TV directly to internet in the first place.

Marsymars 2d ago

I've got a Roku on a TV in a spare room because it's the cheapest way to add airplay to a tv - I have it plugged in to a "smart" power bar that only provides power to the roku when the TV is turned on, so at least for the 99% of the time that the TV isn't turned on the roku isn't spamming my network.

SoftTalker 2d ago

I've never noticed ads on mine, but I basically just go immediately to Fubo or ESPN apps and that's all do with it. I don't watch much on TV other than live sports.