In a world where your television probably has more apps than your phone, wants to suggest what you should watch next, and occasionally tries to sell you things you didn’t ask for, Mitchell & Brown has decided to offer something refreshingly radical: the option to turn it all off.
The Bolton-based TV manufacturer has announced that its latest TiVo-based TVs now include a “non-smart TV mode” – essentially allowing buyers to bypass all the connected features and use their shiny new telly exactly like one from 2005.
No apps, no streaming services, no confusing menus. Just good old-fashioned Freeview channels through an aerial.
It sounds bonkers in 2025, doesn’t it? Launching a TV that deliberately hides all its smart features feels like selling a smartphone that can only make calls.
But Mitchell & Brown clearly knows its audience – and it seems there’s a surprisingly large number of people who just want to watch BBC One without accidentally opening Netflix.
How It Actually Works
From the moment you switch on a new Mitchell & Brown TV with this feature, you can skip the Wi-Fi setup entirely.
The TV then goes dumb – and hides all smart functions, streaming apps and online menus, leaving only live broadcast channels, the electronic programme guide, and your standard connections like HDMI and USB ports (so you can still connect another device and easily switch to it when a grandson comes to visit, for example).
The clever bit is that this mode stays enabled even after you turn the TV off or reset it, with no nagging prompts to connect to Wi-Fi. The TV just quietly carries on being reassuringly simple.
What you end up with is essentially a modern television that behaves like a traditional one. You turn it on, it shows you Freeview channels, you watch something, you turn it off. Revolutionary in its ordinariness.
Why Would Anyone Want This?
Dan Brown, Purchasing Director at Mitchell & Brown, reckons they’ve been listening to what customers actually need rather than what the industry assumes they want.
“Technology should serve people, not the other way round,” he says. “We’ve listened carefully to our customers, retailers and installers, and a huge number were asking for a way to make our brilliant TiVo OS TVs behave just like the reliable televisions of old.”
It’s a fair point. Modern smart TVs can be genuinely overwhelming, especially for older viewers who remember when changing channel was literally the most complicated thing a television could do.
The endless rows of apps, the subscription prompts, the multiple remote controls – it’s a lot.
And it’s not just about confusion. In non-smart mode, there’s no chance of accidentally clicking on a paid service, no security concerns about internet connectivity, and no opportunity for settings to mysteriously change themselves (we’ve all been there).
For families buying TVs for elderly parents or relatives, this offers genuine peace of mind. No more worried phone calls about mysterious charges or accidentally deleted channels.
The Broader Trend Towards Simplicity
Mitchell & Brown isn’t alone in recognising that not everyone wants their television to be a computer.
Back in August, we reported that the BBC is exploring a “radically simplified” Freely streaming box specifically designed for people who find modern streaming technology overwhelming.
That proposed BBC device would offer a straightforward channel guide and quick access to catch-up services, without the endless apps and complex menus that characterise current streaming boxes—but it WILL be based on broadband, rather than aerial reception.
It’s aimed at the same audience Mitchell & Brown is targeting – people who just want their telly to work without requiring a degree in user interface navigation.
Mitchell & Brown has been championing simplicity for a while now. In 2023, they launched the Big Button Remote Control – a simplified universal remote with large, clear buttons that requires no programming or complex setup.
And last year, they somewhat defiantly released a brand new DVD player in an era dominated by streaming, recognising that plenty of people still have DVD collections they’d like to watch without subscription fees.
There’s clearly a pattern emerging. While the tech industry races ahead with ever more connected, feature-rich devices, a substantial number of people are left behind – or actively choose not to keep up.
Beyond elderly viewers, Mitchell & Brown’s non-smart mode could be ideal for several scenarios. Guest bedrooms, holiday homes, caravans, and rental properties all benefit from a TV that simply works every time without requiring updates, logins, or streaming accounts.
The Smart TV Paradox
There’s something slightly ironic about buying a smart TV specifically to not use its smart features. But it highlights a genuine problem with how the television industry has evolved.
Will non-smart mode revolutionise television? Almost certainly not. Most buyers – particularly younger ones – expect and want smart features. The ability to switch between live TV and streaming services on one device is genuinely useful for many households.
But for independent retailers serving older customers, families buying for elderly relatives, or anyone setting up a second TV in a spare room, this may fill a genuine gap in the market.
The new Mitchell & Brown TiVo OS TVs with non-smart mode are available now through independent retailers across the UK. You can find your nearest stockist at mitchellandbrown.co.uk.
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Why can’t we record TV programmes so easily now. I’ve got Sky Q but there’s a lot of things people don’t realise about streaming. The signal is compressed to death so it will fit down the line. It’s prone to drop-outs depending what day and time it is. 4K streaming is nothing like a 4K blu-ray. You know all these modern sound system for movies and possibly TV as well like DTS–HD, DolbyTrueHD, which all virtually give you the sound of the master? You can’t recieve any of them when streaming and Dolby Atmos is available but is massively compressed compared to a Blu-ray disc and 4K Blu-ray disc in which again is like the Atmos master. The picture for HD and 4K is a lot worse than satellite broadcasting or a disc. As well as drop-outs it’s common for it to buffer for around 8 seconds. It might be worse in certain places but generally this is streaming for you. What’s wrong with sticking to satellite were there’s loads of space to not compress TV signals to high heaven. Even with SD I’d chose DVD anyday due to possible TV connectivity problems and maybe even more compression than the DVD version. The audio is simply Dolby Digital 5.1 & 2.0 which is the same audio as DVD. Nothing better. I saw an Amazon ad the other day advertising 4K movies to download with MP3 sound 😅.
Stick to satellite broadcasting, physical media and you’re set up. Even if you manage to download streams they’ll still be in that quality. Apps are OK if you’re on the go like ITVX for example but for proper TV you’re stuffed. Streaming will have to improve a lot before I use it and the ability to record. Anyway, there’s no talk of ditching Sky Q yet so I’ll worry about it when the time comes. What are these morons playing at!
Dont they wont to switch freeview off and replace it with freely
My Freeview Television keeps working fine when the service is available on the Smart Network 🛜 , which is safe.
Sign me up.
I have boxes that are smart and easy to replace. The TV is something I want to sit in a corner and display what I tell it, not try and be smart when in 2 years it’ll be perfectly functional as a monitor but outdated as a “Smart” device.
My 2024 television already has this model.