LG makes the best panels, in my opinion, but they’re also the most customer-hostile when it comes to privacy.

The easiest solution is to never give the TV network access at all (no WiFi, no Ethernet) and only drive it over HDMI, via an Apple TV for example. The onus then shifts to how much you trust Apple, and the TV becomes mostly a dumb display. That still isn’t a 100% guarantee, though, since the TV has radios and could potentially talk to other networks or devices without your knowledge. If you want certainty, the only real option is to remove the radios entirely, which can have side effects, like the remote no longer working if it relies on BLE.

Personally, I don’t like LG’s “smart” apps, so never using them isn’t much of a loss.

But if you’re more technically inclined and want to use a product you paid for the way you want, you can do what I did with my C1:

Root it, put it on a restricted VLAN with no WAN access and no outbound privileges to any device on the LAN, and enable SSH. These displays run webOS, which is Linux-based. Yes, you can literally SSH into your TV. :)

That let me deploy my own custom app that I drive over the network. My display also never actually turns “off”. I just paint black pixels when I’m not using it, so it’s very snappy when I want something on the screen. It works as a spare data and metrics display while I’m working, and as a media player (a simplified DIY Plex) when I’m not.

So I get the “smart” part of the TV without the privacy concerns.

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spear 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think you'll find most experts now agree that Samsung's QD-OLED panels have surpassed LG's WOLED panels.

https://www.flatpanelshd.com/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=...

https://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/samsung-s-s99-h-qd-oled-tv-w...

	▲	kempbellt an hour ago \| parent [-]
		The crown has changed hands most years since QD-OLED came out. I appreciate the citations. I wasn’t up to date on the 2026 models, but in 2025 both flagships were very close. Many reviewers called it a draw, iirc. That’s partly why I said “in my opinion”. Mine is also based on the general design of the sets. I’ve found the port placement, bezel, and stand design more to my liking on LGs, but that’s entirely subjective. I also cannot speak to how rootable Samsung sets are, since I don't own one. I’m glad to see the crown change hands, though. It’d be ideal if there were more contenders.

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olyjohn 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Don't give LG your money. Jesus people stop it.

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kempbellt 3 hours ago | parent [-]

Boycotting them is a completely reasonable response. Their stance on privacy is beyond ridiculous. Something right out of 1984.

The problem is that if you want a good OLED, there isn’t much of an alternative. Even if you don’t buy from LG or Samsung directly, they make essentially all the OLED TV panels on the market. A Sony or Panasonic OLED is still built on an LG or Samsung panel. So if you truly want to boycott them, your options for a quality modern display are very limited.

I bought my C1 before I was aware of how bad LG’s privacy posture was. The point of my comment is that you can still get the panel quality, and even some of the “smart” capability, without feeding them data, as long as you’re willing to treat the TV as a display and nothing else.

	▲	3 hours ago \| parent [-]
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