Smart TV's get out of date quickly and are useless. Why else do you think people have been plugging things into the back of them for years now? Boxes which can be easily replaced and still work

Sure, and I tend to agree. It's the same reason I was never interested in an all-in-one desktop computer where the actual computer is integrated into the monitor. I want to be able to upgrade or swap out one without binning the whole thing.

That said, I was recently in the market for a new TV and the models with the best image quality in my price range didn't offer a non "smart" version for less money or even the same price. As a result, I've got a TV with AndroidTV built in and it's actually a lot nicer than having to cast everything from my phone or PC to Chromecast (although that functionality is also built in).

Now, granted, when the AndroidTV bits become outdated as they surely will before the actual display does, I'll be back to plugging external devices into it but for now, there's definitely a lot of benefits to plugging that ethernet cable into the back of it.

I'm living in a furnished flat and the fact my "smart" TV takes 30-40 seconds to boot up is bizarre. I don't think I remember the huge CRT things taking that long.

I personally think they should just bundle something like a Fire TV stick or Chromecast with the TV

I had a Philips "smart" TV that did the same. Even switching inputs was about 10 seconds (if I was lucky).

My next TV will be as 'dumb' as I can find, at the moment off-brand TVs you get in supermarkets still seem to fit that bill.

Fully agree, but those things you plug into the TV are most likely connected to the internet, right? The parent said that his TV would never benefit at all from using the internet. I think it does, doesn't matter if the connection is built into the TV or via a gadget plugged into it.

TV's are specific case of computer monitor. They benefit from devices sending them signals which they can interpret and display on their screens. They benefit from things sending them signals which may or may not have originated from the internet.

Personally, the only thing attached to my TV is a computer. I said previously that a computer benefits from the internet, so I suppose you might say my TV benefits from the internet?