About App-Free Home and how we verify

More and more TVs and appliances push you into an app, an online account or a Wi-Fi connection. This site lists products that still work on their own, and shows the evidence for each one.

What gets a model onto a list

It's a real model that's sold today. We open the manufacturer's product page or a major retailer's listing (Walmart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, and so on) and look for a current sign that it's for sale: an add-to-cart button, "in stock", or the maker's own current listing with an MSRP and where to buy. Discontinued or "no longer available" models are left off.
Its spec page backs up the claim. We need positive evidence, for example a spec row that says Connectivity: No, a connections list with no Wi-Fi or Ethernet, or a retailer spec that says Smart TV: No. A missing "smart" badge doesn't count as proof.
We record what we saw. Each listing shows the four answers (needs app, needs account, needs Wi-Fi, works fully offline), a short note on the evidence, the source link, and the date it was last verified.

What we don't do

We don't make up models, specs or prices. If we can't confirm something, the model goes under "Not yet verified" or is left out.
We don't show prices. They change too often. Follow the source link for today's price.
Payment never buys a listing. See the disclosure.

How the four questions are answered

Needs Wi-Fi? "No" means the spec page shows no Wi-Fi or network connectivity at all.
Needs app? / Needs account? "No" follows from that: a product with no network hardware can't need one. If a model has optional Wi-Fi, we say "Optional" and explain.
Works fully offline? "Yes" means every main function works from the buttons, knobs or remote.

Re-checking

Every listing has a "last verified" date. Plan: re-check each category at least every 90 days, and remove models as soon as they're discontinued. Manufacturers sometimes add Wi-Fi to a model without changing its number, so always check the linked spec page before you buy.