Smart TV Subsidies Undercut Dumb TV Appeal as 50-Inch Nonsmart Sets Still Cost $230
Updated
Updated · CNET · Jun 15
Smart TV Subsidies Undercut Dumb TV Appeal as 50-Inch Nonsmart Sets Still Cost $230
1 articles · Updated · CNET · Jun 15
Summary
$230 buys one of the few larger nonsmart TVs still on sale in 2026, and Geoff argues that price does not justify hunting for a “dumb” set.
Google and Amazon help make smart TVs cheaper by paying manufacturers to preload streaming software, flipping the assumption that removing internet features should lower the price.
40-inch-and-smaller nonsmart models remain available, but they are mostly cheap LCDs with weak picture quality; larger options are largely limited to no-frills brands such as Sceptre.
Commercial displays and used older TVs can avoid smart features, yet they often cost more, look worse, or bring reliability and compatibility trade-offs.
For buyers worried about privacy, the simpler workaround is to buy a smart TV, update it once, and keep it off Wi-Fi.