Unsmart a smart TV

LCDs do tend to speak somewhat standardised languages, but there is a lot more to a modern TV than just an LCD controller.

Color and white balance calibration, image/motion processing, HDR Processing, backlight control/dimming zones, input management, audio decoding/encoding/passthrough, digitizing analogue sources, HDMI licencing, Dolby licencing, etc.

If you want a better smart TV the best thing to do is to get a hackable TV like most android based models, replace the launcher, strip out system apps and telemetry with ADB and start fresh, then either leave it offline or use filtering to only allow access to the services you approve.

Just fyi - Your post is 20 minutes old and the eBay link has broken already

I have rematched controllers to displays in the past. It's neither simple nor easy. You'll need to dig through spec sheets to ensure you're sending the correct signals over the correct pinouts, at the correct frequencies and voltages. Be prepared to read some IO documentation for the sending and receiving chipsts, then verify pinouts with certainty. They are not always standard.

Here are 2 identical LCDs, with 2 very similar, nearly identical looking controllers. Note that one needed to be re-wired. It is not fun butt-connecting 2 dozen 28ga wires.

I think it depends on what level the smart aspect is implemented and how integrated it is. Screen technology has been getting more and more locked down by corporate privateers/thieves.

I mostly tried hacking on small displays, and finally gave up as it was over my head. There is a whole lot going on in various layers and protocols. My rule would be to only buy a product like this if I can find a functional example of someone using my exact hardware with this exact hack in question.

In my experience, prototyping or hacking around with displays is a losing game because they are not constructed for handling like this. You must go to extremes to avoid placing strain on the flex ribbon connections and must be very careful about taking the thing apart to test with it disassembled. It only takes a tiny mistake to damage something that can not be repaired. They are usually sensitive to small nonsense too. These are fast parallel circuits. I stay away from them, but maybe I'm just being soft.

In short, this is one of those questions where if you have to ask the answer is no. It may be possible but unless you have a spare TV laying around that you don't mind breaking it's not a good idea to try. The best advice I have for any modder is to have multiples of whatever you're modifying on hand.

Well you could not connect it to the internet...

No, yes, maybe, but probably not.

Also, only do this if it's a passion project for learning, because the odds that it works out the gate, and doesn't require multiple repurchases, are very slim.

The odds that you never quite get it to work right, or at all, very high.

If you're sure you want to do this, start by reading the technical documentation to get a grasp of which parts might, or should, work together, and how. Do this before making any purchases.

If that doesn't sound appealing, then buy an "digital signage" or "enterprise/business class" TV, or find a dumb consumer TV, new or used.

Why go through all of that when you can just block network access, or not even connect it at all? Hell, just get a Blocklist that includes the bad URLs for your TV you don't want it using, and run it on AdGuard or Pihole. Lots of easier ways to work around this.

I've always wondered this, figure this is the thread to ask it.

I've been using the same dumb TV since 2013 it's great, but eventually it's gonna die an I'm scared of what pieces of shit smart TV's are.

Could I not just use a computer and run it through the smart TV and bypass all the smart bullshit by using it as a monitor?

huh i wonder, if the answer is "yes" or "somewhat yes" is it a valid alternative to replacing the power supply in my tv?
i got one for free with a busted psu, but the power supply board is extremely rare (i only ever saw two listings of it, one on AliExpress and one on ebay, both just one piece left and for higher price than a new used tv; similar boards are like 5 times cheaper)
basically, unless i could find an alternative solution like that, I'm throwing it away

So, "yes", but also no. You'll lose the calibration panel for your display, and the result will probably be unwatchable.

You're much better off buying a display which is un-smart to start with. These are often called "commercial displays". Or of course you could just buy a monitor.

reminds me of this video that shows how they reverse engineered the macbook touchbar display and made their own driver. I bet a tv is harder, but I've wondered the same thing, and would be interested to see someone try.

so far i've been between simply buying a projector, im assuming those havent been smartified yet.

Or buying a big format display, i think those still exist, i hope they do at least.

Presumably you could probably mutilate a smart tv to properly disable it's functionality, but im not electrical engineer so don't ask me.

Yeah, I am definitely going to open up my $400 tv and replace the LCD controller with this sketchy piece of hardware instead of, checks notes, just not activating any of the smart features and not connecting the TV to the internet at all.

So if anyone is interested I found the answer to my question. There seems to be two standards for LCD panels and there are these cheap converters for both of them.

What are you trying to accomplish? Just reset the TV and keep it off the internet.

Haven't taken any TVs apart yet, but this lookes like it could totally work on a laptop lcd panel

There are some amazing projectors available these days and they don't seem to be crippled by smartification. There are some cool homebuilt projectors that are made of bright light sources and old cell phone screens to, if you want to learn.

It depends on the TV.

Am I missing something here? Why in the hell would I try to jam this into a TV, something that's not trivial btw and more than likely not compatible vs just not connecting the blasted thing to the network? Do they come with cellular data you can't turn off or something?

Probably not but you can buy digital signage. You will pay upwards of $4k potentially based on your needs.

If there's a TV repair / electronics repair shop in your area -- someone who works with contemporary flatscreens -- I wonder if you could reach out and make the ask? They probably have a sense of which generic controllers they would use.

I bought a commercial TV, you might see them sold as "sigital signage." it is my last "television".

its doable with tablet and laptop screens but you need to know the exact model of the display-panel (not just the tv), i will get a large monitor if my current non smart TV from 2015 dies.