As a former IT professional, it blows my mind that people actually hook their TVs up to an Internet connection. Why would you ever want your TV installing updates? Or for that matter, give it the chance to install malware? Not to mention, the potential for it to turn on a microphone (!?) and listen to you in your home! Why does a TV have a microphone built in?! A TV should never be able to record you!

I bought a mini PC and hooked it up to my TV. It’s not that powerful, but it can stream 4K video through a web browser. I use a wireless mouse and keyboard on my couch to access it

Because it’s a PC, I can install ad blockers and other security features to keep junk from popping up while I’m using it. Then I just stream all my shows and whatnot, fullscreen through the browser. No interruptions, total control over what is installed/playing, and the TV itself doesn’t connect to the Internet. It’s just a dumb device, acting like a monitor.