That's my answer. I'll never own a "smart TV", just decent gaming graphics with a large monitor.
Best solution is to "air gap" your TV by not connecting it your wifi or ethernet.
It's a truly disgusting trend.
It's been a while since I bought one, I admit.
How long will it be before TVs embed a cellular modem with manufacturer-paid service to keep the smart features connected? “No setup, works straight out of the box” has to have at least some marketing value, after all.
Yeah, uninstall it and install Linux ;)
As for image quality it is miles ahead of crufty CRT displays, Sony Triniton or the like.