> Does anyone actually prefer the experience of an integrated Smart TV compared to a separate device? If these users exist, they probably wouldn't be found around these parts.

Sure, I've got a Sony TV with built-in netflix/amazon prime/chromecast receiver in it. Works great. There's no tv-inserted ads while watching TV or streaming services or anything like that. There's a couple of rows of icons on the homescreen below the app icons that are 'recommended content' which i guess some people consider to be ads (they're not, as far as i can tell) but i pretty much never use the homescreen anyway.

I do always see a lot of negative sentiment around these TVs on this site but really, I'm not bothered by mine at all and in fact quite like not having another device to wrangle.