Technically correct and actually wrong :-).

TVs do need software beyond the minimum to support the price asked. TVs are a cut throat, low margin, business. And the only way to eek out a bit more margin is to have some "feature" that makes your offering marginally better than your competitor's offering. That margin can be the difference between a going concern and going out of business.

So from the manufacturer's perspective they do "need" that extra software. Until someone establishes the 'spyware free, dumb tv" market that will continue to be the case I'm afraid.