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

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)

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.