The first two suck too.
One brand, I think it is Vizio, is specifically known for over the top selling of user data to “subsidize” the consumer facing price of the TV. Of course all of the brands do it but even the ones who are very transparent about it do well enough to stay on the market.
Is this something a router-based DNS filter like PiHole remove?
Dont connect it to the internet. That’s all
I don’t have a TV. I’m asking to understand what it runs inside.
I have a Google TV based “smart” TV and use PiHole. The balance is blocking just the right queries to maintain acceptable privacy and security, while allowing queries which are necessary for desired functionality. The domains often change as well. These can be more efficiently blocked with RegEx queries but those have a higher chance of breaking functionality as well.
You can also deactivate the “smart” features or simply not connect the TV to the network.