How paranoid should I be about buying a smart TV (particularly one made in China)?

I realize the obvious solution to privacy concerns is simply not to connect them to a network. However, I am quite paranoid about bringing this sort of recording equipment into my home, which can't be as easily mitigated as smartphones, for example, can. Unfortunately, if you want a cheap TV these days, they're all smart.

I don't know if things along the lines of, say, connecting a WiFi-connected streaming dongle to the TV, even if the TV itself isn't connected, …

china privacy smart smart tv tv