Before we had smart TVs, we had the dumb TV. What is a dumb TV? This is a TV that has no smart features, no Wi-Fi connectivity, no Bluetooth, and zero connectivity whatsoever. The only thing a dumb TV has on it is a power cable and I/O to connect third-party devices to.

Step into any Best Buy, Walmart, or even Amazon and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a TV that doesn’t have some sort of smart features. Manufacturers have figured out that integration of smart features into their TVs, means access to data and the ability to sell ads through the smart interface. They’ll say it’s for the customer’s convenience, and most will believe them, but it’s all about the data.

The Dumb TV Era Is Over

There isn’t a single brand on the market today that doesn’t make a smart TV. Samsung, LG, TCL, Hisense, RCA, and the list goes on. TVs from Samsung and LG generally run their own operating system, TizenOS for Samsung and webOS for LG. The majority of the other brands are usually running some form of Android TV or Google TV.

It is important to note, you don’t have to use the smart functions of most smart TVs on the market, you don’t even have to log in to them. You can plug in a third-party device such as an Apple TV and use that and never touch the smart functions of the TV. But those days may also come to end at some point soon.

Still, even if you’re not using the smart functions and try to use your smart TV as a dumb TV, the technology is still inside. It is suspected that some manufacturers still collect data on your TV usage, even when not logged in.

Can I Still Get One?

Yes, there are still a few TVs out there that continue to be made dumb but they are few and far between. The one thing you will need to come to terms with is, you won’t be getting a flagship product nor the best TV tech on the market.

That’s just the flat out truth. If you want a dumb TV in 2024, don’t expect the best OLED or QLED technology and you may not even get 4K resolution. You also won’t be getting a TV that’s much bigger than 55″. Sceptre is the one brand I’ve noticed that is still selling dumb TVs.

Sceptre has been around for a while and they specialize in budget TVs, both smart and dumb TV variants. Though, I wouldn’t put them at the top for reliability, build quality, picture quality, or sound quality. We found this 43″ LED TV from Sceptre on Amazon for $149, but it’s far from perfect.

There are a few other choices, but you’ll have to dig through Amazon to find them. And most of them fall right into the same boat as the Sceptre. There may be one or two floating around from Samsung and LG, but again, these are bottom of the barrel picks.

Conclusion

It is still possible to find a dumb TV for sale in 2024, but you’re going to spend time digging them up. If you’re satisfied with the potential of not getting anything larger than 55″, potentially only having 1080p resolution or lower, potentially replacing the TV in less than a year, and sacrificing pinnacle features. Then it may be worth it for you to start exploring Amazon or Best Buy for these TVs. But act now, the era of the dumb TV is nearly over.