While most people buying new TVs will purchase a smart TV, AKA a TV with apps built in, they will do so almost passively. This is because the vast majority of TVs sold in the US are built with one of a couple of operating systems. The common US operating systems are Web OS (LG), Tizen (Samsung), Roku OS (Roku) Fire OS (Amazon) or Android/Google TV (Google).
Gone are the days when “smart TVs” were a novelty. They have very much become the standard. But did you know at least at the time of this writing that you can get modern TVs without apps built in? You will be hard-pressed to find a 4k TV without apps new in box, but there are a number of HDTVs from computer monitor sized models to family room sized sets. You just need to know where to look. Luckily, we found them for you.
Best buy still sells them
The best buy house brand Insignia has a line called the N10 line. The N10 line is affordable and does not have any apps built in. After that though most of the TVs built without apps are very niche items. They include outdoor-rated TVs (TVs that can be seen in sunlight and are weatherproof and even TVs that are built to look like paintings or mirrors.
You can check out the full listing here
Walmart
Walmart does not have a search feature for “Non-Smart TVs” in fact its filter is set to differentiate specifically between platforms. That said there are still brands out there that sell TVs without apps. We found one Vizio on sale (albeit from 2016) and a number of others. I would not recommend buying a 7-year-old model because I’m sure they won’t support it if it breaks. But if you want the risk here it is.
RCA has a number of options but you will find the prices for HD TVs higher than new 4k smart TVs. Check the selection here. They are not listed as “dumb” TVs. But you will be able to note that no OS is advertised in the description or the product picture.
Sceptre a lesser known brand has a number of inexpensive TVs with a large size range at that. In fact, most of their TVs don’t have a smart TV OS at all with a few notable exceptions that feature Android TV. You will find though, that many models are listed as out of stock. See their options here.
