I'm all for non-smart TVs and have gone that route through not hooking up internet.
That said, I think there is a middle-ground here.
If its within your capacity, I'd consider allowing a USB connection. If I were able to attach a USB thumb-drive or an external hard-drive (powered though USB connection) and the TV provide a basic visual navigation system.
The nearest comparison is something like the current Roku USB app, or a more basic version of the Infuse App (https://firecore.com/), the library structure is a reflection of the file-system. I'll skip the details where a dedicated user can set the cover image for a given video by having a image filer with the same name as a companion to the MP4 etc...
I know that would be a huge jump, but I'd pay for it.
And which file formats and filesystems should that USB connection support? Should it support next-year's H269 format? Who will provide firmware updates to add new video formats?
That's my main objection to many of these all-in-one systems: the built-in technology support will be obsoleted before the rest of the system fails due to old age. I much prefer a dumb TV with a separate media box/dongle that I can replace with a new model every year to paying for a TV with soon-to-be-stale features.
That’s straight back in smart territories, and precisely not what I want. Just give me something that shows what it receives via HDMI. Give me two inputs I can switch over, maybe. That’s it.
That said, I think there is a middle-ground here.
If its within your capacity, I'd consider allowing a USB connection. If I were able to attach a USB thumb-drive or an external hard-drive (powered though USB connection) and the TV provide a basic visual navigation system.
The nearest comparison is something like the current Roku USB app, or a more basic version of the Infuse App (https://firecore.com/), the library structure is a reflection of the file-system. I'll skip the details where a dedicated user can set the cover image for a given video by having a image filer with the same name as a companion to the MP4 etc...
I know that would be a huge jump, but I'd pay for it.