Out of curiosity, do these “smart” TV features even matter if you’re just switching to one of the HDMI inputs? I’ve used an external device to drive my TV for years, and I honestly have no idea what is installed on the TV itself.
They don’t. My Hisense doesn’t nag me at all. I just use my Apple TV and 4k player and PS5 without issue. It’s not nearly as hard as all the comments here have made it out to be.
Similarly, my Hisense TV never gets a chance to show the VIDAA interface. It just displays the HDMI input and I switch that between Kodi running on a Raspberry Pi and a VirginMedia TV box.
Maybe it’s more of a factor for people who watch over the air broadcasts or use cable TV. I haven’t used either in years.
They will probably find an open (or semi-open, like the comcast ones) to connect to.
ACR also notes what you're watching even on HDMI and will upload it if given a chance.