Smart TV disable internet connectivity

Jabbah

Hello

I know absolutely nothing about smart TVs so apologies for the extremely basic questions and for what is likely to be incorrect terminology.

I currently use a 10 year old TV with an Amazon firestick and a freesat PVR which works wonderfully. Unfortunately my older eyes now need a bigger screen (55+) which means I have to buy a smart TV - with all the planned obsolescence that will involve.

Is it possible to connect my amazon firestick and PVR to a smart TV and not to connect the TV to the internet so just to use the TV as a screen? I could then just get a new firestick when it was no longer receiving security updates which would be much safer than relying on the TV being updated?

I would appreciate any advice on this.

Thank you

Vitor

Assuming the  Amazon firestick and a freesat PVR connect using HDMI plugs, you can transfer these to any new TV and use them as before. However, I'd still link the TV to the internet so it receives service and feature upgrades. You may find that there's apps and service on the TV which are simpler to use than on the Firestick etc. 

If you really want to to go 'purist' the NEC E558 MultiSync is a 55" panel with no TV decoder, no apps etc. and only shows inputs from HDMI

Neil49

You will initially have to connect the new TV to the Internet to get it set up and download all the latest firmware updates. After that you can still carry on using your pvr and firestick as usual as well as having the tv connected to the Internet, it makes no difference. 

Jabbah

Thank you both very much.

I guess my main concern is that the TVs don't carry security updates forever and I won't have the budget to keep replacing them when they stop being updated whereas I can afford to do that with the firestick. I wouldn't want to have an out of date (security wise) Smart anything connected to my home wifi.

Neil_Jones

Jabbah said:

Thank you both very much.

I guess my main concern is that the TVs don't carry security updates forever and I won't have the budget to keep replacing them when they stop being updated whereas I can afford to do that with the firestick. I wouldn't want to have an out of date (security wise) Smart anything connected to my home wifi.

Then the simple solution is don't buy a Smart TV if you don't want an out of date "Smart anything connected to Wifi".

You'll do well to get any updates to the base software at all on most TV models, my Toshiba Smart TV I bought in 2019 and its only had one system update in 2021 and nothing since.  The apps update (as its picked up ITVx and the new Prime logo) but I have a Firestick for those purposes as a legacy of the TV that was relegated to the bedroom.

RumRat

A smart TV is just the same as your Firestick. The apps are just part of the TV's system. You can use the TV just as a monitor and use your Firestick as you do now.
However, when you first turn on the TV it will go through a simple automated system with you to set it up. TV's don't really get 'Security' updates, but system updates frequency depends on the make of TV.
Samsung and LG for example will get updates on a more frequent basis than any of the cheaper brand from the Vestel stable..
.

J_B

Strangely, watching ITV-X on our Firestick often crashes whereas if we watch on our main LG TV, it works perfectly.

At another place we often visit, the C4 (or is it C5, can't remember) app on the Hisense TV is outdated and doesn't work, whereas it works fine on the Firestick.

Jabbah

Thank you all so much. I am really clueless and you have helped me so much.

Farway

J_B said:

Strangely, watching ITV-X on our Firestick often crashes whereas if we watch on our main LG TV, it works perfectly.

At another place we often visit, the C4 (or is it C5, can't remember) app on the Hisense TV is outdated and doesn't work, whereas it works fine on the Firestick.

 My5 is forever buffering on my TV, but perfect using Roku

jshm2

Jabbah said:

Hello

I know absolutely nothing about smart TVs so apologies for the extremely basic questions and for what is likely to be incorrect terminology.

I currently use a 10 year old TV with an Amazon firestick and a freesat PVR which works wonderfully. Unfortunately my older eyes now need a bigger screen (55+) which means I have to buy a smart TV - with all the planned obsolescence that will involve.

Is it possible to connect my amazon firestick and PVR to a smart TV and not to connect the TV to the internet so just to use the TV as a screen? I could then just get a new firestick when it was no longer receiving security updates which would be much safer than relying on the TV being updated?

I would appreciate any advice on this.

Thank you

To be honest, unless you've got an "unlocked" firestick - all your apps should be available on the newer TV. and you don't need the firestick. The PVR will just go in the usual ports. 

bob2302

Jabbah said:

Thank you both very much.

I guess my main concern is that the TVs don't carry security updates forever and I won't have the budget to keep replacing them when they stop being updated whereas I can afford to do that with the firestick. I wouldn't want to have an out of date (security wise) Smart anything connected to my home wifi.

If you stick to video apps with professionally produced content like the BBC, Netflix etc the risk is very small. There's no good reason to use a TV web-browser, if you have an alternative.