Upcoming Google TV devices can be set up in a 'basic TV' mode that disables smart features to make the TV "dumb", as reported by 9to5Google.
Make your TV dumb
For a few years now, a segment of consumers has been yearning for a "Dumb TV", as it is often called, as opposed to a connected or Smart TV. It is in essence a TV without internet features; just great picture quality and a handful of HDMI inputs.
The new 'basic TV' mode in upcoming Google TV devices may be the closest we come to a dumb TV with great picture quality today. It disables internet features including recommendations and voice functionality, as illustrated below.
- "In this experience, Google’s homescreen is bare. It shows only a handful of icons, presumably to HDMI inputs, live channels, and there’s also a dedicated button for the “Dashboard,” the right-hand tray that holds a settings button, the time, and also a shortcut to ambient mode which is still live in Google TV’s “Basic TV” mode, albeit without personalized photos," reports 9to5Google
Users can switch back to the full Google TV user experience at any time. Google confirmed that the feature is not tied to a specific version of Android but rather the new Google TV layer.
The first Google TVs will be introduced this year from Sony and TCL, with many more coming later.
