Cable companies have steadfastly refused ala carte, where you would only pay for exactly the stations you wanted, and one invariably ends up subsidizing numerous channels you do not want and do not agree with.
Anyone with a smart TV these days notices a few things, you are supposed to sign up to get it to work, it wants to be on you home network, it pushes internet channels, and it generally wants to know who it is watching. And all that gets sent back to some Tech Company.
Skip the smart TV, drop cable, and go back to an antenna.
Some alternatives:
Want to watch a movie? Buy the DVD! Chances are the movie you want can be had on eBay for next to nothing. Or visit the local library and borrow it for free. Or rent or buy it from Vudu.
These days TV stations are digital, which means that some of them now stream out multiple channels and clear ones too. Almost any area will have at least some stations. These sites: AntennaWeb,Antennas Direct, and TV Fool can help figure out what stations you might be able to get in your area,
An indoor antenna may be all that is needed if you live in a larger town, otherwise a larger antenna may be called for. If your house has asphalt shingles, it may work to put it in the attic. Otherwise, an outdoor antenna might be called for. The sites above list some sources for antennas.
If you want to be able to record shows, there are DVRs that will work with over the air signals. There are several options, but one I have tried before with sucess is the Mediasonic Homeworx. About $30, plus an external USB hard drive for recording shows. A review of it is here.
What is on the free over-the air channels these days? Well, the main networks are there (ABC, NBC, etc.), not that they have anything good on anymore. But there are other channels. Most PBS stations send out three channels, one of which has cooking shows, how-to shows, etc. There are also some channels made for digital TV: MeTV, Heros and Icons, etc. Mainly with some of the better TV shows from the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s. Even cartoons Saturday morning. One could do worse. Sure, they have ads, because they have to, but they are not targeted ads.
If you do want more options than what is available over the air, then one could go with a streaming service, but note that they will collect information on you. Think about using a seldom-used email account to sign up for them, and do not set up different profiles for different family members. It is suggested to go with a device that plugs into the TV, than a “Smart TV.” A stand-alone Roku device will give more options and more control than the typical all-in-one “Smart TV.” The Roku will log what you do, but probably less of an impact than other things one could do. Some of the ala carte options on a streaming service, especially the ones that are available commercial-free for a small fee should be the future of TV.