I suspect in the near future it will be impossible to buy a TV without spyware/adware. The only option will be to not connect it to the internet and run your own Raspberry PI/SBC based solution.
Monitors aren’t being pumped full of this stuff and so won’t the premium televisions.
I have a feeling premium TVs won't escape adware/spyware either. They can get their margin on the hardware and earn some more money on spyware; I don't see what incentive they have to not do both. I hope I am wrong though.
You’re not wrong, there are a number of videos from Louis Rossman (right to repair advocate) on YouTube lambasting LG for doing this very thing on their high-end G-series OLED TVs; including defaulting to opt-in to marketing and providing PIR data after an automatic update.
If I worked for the manufacturer I'd just piggy back on other TVs networks to communicate. Wouldn't work if you live in the country but for everyone else I'd just need a similar brand within wifi range.
Checking before buy buying will be possible for computer and privacy « educated » people only, that leaves almost everyone helpless in the real world, in a store facing TVs all playing the demo video.
Maybe some will read Amazon reviews or do actual research… hope.