Any device, as long as connected to the internet, will probably run ads from whatever platform they’ve partnered with. For this reason, you surely wonder if there are smart TVs you can watch from without interruptions.
So our tech team tried various smart TV brands to identify Smart TVs without ads. Read on!
Are There Ad-Free TVs?
Today’s Smart TVs have become more and more capable of displaying ads, and some TV models display more intrusive ads. Let’s look at how various smart TVs perform:
Samsung
All Samsung smart TVs that we tested came with some form of ad or suggested content. Most of the time, some ads appear on the home menu and the content store. However, the suggested content line can be removed completely.
Sony
The Android interface from Sony is ad-free, but there are a few suggested content links. What’s good is you can remove them completely from all versions of the device.
TCL
Most TCL TVs’ home menu has a wide section dedicated to ads. This section is a typical gray box when you disconnect the TV from the internet.
Most of the time, the ads on TCL smart TVs are the most invasive we’ve encountered. You can’t see it, and it usually appears in the middle of the screen. In 2018, they started featuring ads for unrelated services and products, such as tax software and streaming devices from Roku.
LG
Most LG televisions have ads. They usually appear within the content store and home menu, though they’re not always visible. Most of these are just suggested content, and there is no way to disable them completely.
Although some LG televisions run ads, and you can’t remove them completely, they’re not invasive and don’t cause any problems.
Vizio
All of the TVs we used and tested from Vizio had ad-free features. But there was a banner that showed suggested content.
During the past years, many viewers criticized Vizio for equipping ad tracking and collecting viewers’ information without consent. But no, you can have the option to disable the ad tracking and stop information collection.
How Can I Watch TV Without Ads?
You can use any ad-blocking [1] resources online. For advanced readers interested in learning more about ad-blocking, you can try any of the following:
- AdvancedTomato
- Pi-hole
- Alternate DNS
How Do I Get Rid of Ads on my Smart TV?
There are many ways to eliminate ads on your smart TV, but they are not simple to set up. You need to use a router firmware or a third-party adblocking DNS server to prevent them from being shown on your TV.
Unfortunately, these are not widely available to some users. Some Samsung televisions, for instance, allow you to use a DNS server inside the TV.
In particular, Google updated several Sony TVs, such as the X950G and X900F, to add a space for sponsored content on the home screen.
Unlike the suggested content line before, this new feature could not be disabled through the “Customize Channels” tab. Also, these ads can probably appear on some other Sony models that run the Android Oreo update.
Although removing the new content bar is impossible, you can still delete or disable the application “Android TV Core Services” from your TV’s main menu.
To disable the suggested content bars, go to the “Customize channels” tab on the home page’s bottom and select “Android TV Core Services.”
FAQ
Do smart TVs have built-in ads?
Most smart TVs have built-in ads and sponsored content from their associated platforms. This is especially true for smart TVs running a Tizen OS user interface.
Do Sony Smart TVs have ads?
Sony Smart TVs don’t run ads. There is a row of suggested content in the interface, but you can remove it completely on all versions of the Sony TV.
Does Adblock work on a smart TV?
Yes, Adblock works on a smart TV. You can install adblockers on your smart TV to prevent ads from displaying as you watch or stream any content.
However, adblockers can be risky because they might contain malware or software that could cause your device to crash.
Conclusion
Many viewers are looking for smart features in their televisions, and these include the ability to stream content on their smart TVs without ads.
It’s very unfortunate that some TV manufacturers are now running ad services on their software to make up for their falling margins on television sales. While some people do not mind, this might be a deal killer for others.
