I would love the child of a Surfacebook with a Framework laptop; or A bare keyboard attached to a screen, that I could plug my phone (possibly running Phosh) and use it as a hardware for a laptop experience
I would love the child of a Surfacebook with a Framework laptop; or A bare keyboard attached to a screen, that I could plug my phone (possibly running Phosh) and use it as a hardware for a laptop experience
They exist, they’re just not cheap since they’re meant for enterprise use and should last much longer.
At least for most smart TVs, they’re completely operational if you never connect them to the Internet, though.
You still end up with awkward, overcomplicated UIs that make using the TV in basic ways unnecessarily obnoxious.
Want to change the volume? There’s an app for that!
Plug in your own Kodi box. Problem solved.
People who would like to get their hands a bit dirtier can take off the back cover and remove/desolder the WiFi and Bluetooth chips (if present). Just don’t touch the IR chip
This is how I use my TV but it’s still not perfect. When my TV turns on, it always try to shove a list of “smart apps” in my face which takes a minute to load even with no internet, and the input switcher is slow and clunky. I guess I would accept it anyway though since the smart features push down the price. I don’t think I’d be able to afford the LG C1 otherwise
I do use Kodi for local content, but this unfortunately doesn’t help with streaming services, and even dedicated steaming boxes have ads on their home screens now.
DNS blocking (Pihole, adaware, nextdns…) Can take care of those ads on dedicated streaming boxes.