Still slow to turn on and off, still makes me pick an input device 100% of the time on startup (not remembering my last selection), still crashes occasionally, still 40% of menu items are advertisements for various services.
Not all smart TVs are like this. Next time, go to the store and ask to have a play around with it.
That has nothing to do with smart features. That’s most likely related to energy saving features.
It has everything to do with the operating system that it wouldn't have if it weren't a smart device.
Some manufacturers have been caught connecting themselves to any open WiFi they can find.
This seems like a bit of an edge case though. How many open WiFi networks are laying about the regular apartment building or house?
This is exactly what I've done with several TVs over the past 5 years.
Skip the internet setup, plug in a chromecast, and never utilize any of the built in "features" of the TV. It's worked great for me so far.