[Closed] Smart TV thoughts.

NowTV will be the tough one - I think only LG and Samsung have it.

I wouldnt worry about having NowTV on the Smart TV itself, I have a Samsung with it and its great but I just stream it via Chromecast on the Sony TV (which has built in Chromecast) and its no different.

Chromecast > .

We've a Samsung - their 'Smart Hub' of built in apps seems to be as good as any

Get a TV with the best panel in budget, and a 'smart' external box. Then when the smarts are obsolete in a fortnight's time you can replace a £20 box rather than a £500 TV.

Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung.

Like Cougar says dumb TV and a smart box. The smart tv’s tend to fall off the updating path shortly after you buy them.

Fire stick or humax if you want live pause, series link etc.

As Cougar and Sandwich say; a good TV can easily last ten years or more, with smart TV's, they seem to be following smart phone practice and either only updating the OS for a couple of years, or not bothering at all.
It's much easier to replace a cheap box than a telly costing several hundred quid.
My Sony Bravia has a superb picture, it's coming up on its tenth birthday, it has no smart functionality and I wouldn't use it if it had. Any smart functions are provided by the Mac Mini that uses the telly as its monitor.
Buy an Apple TV, a Firestick or any one of a number of add-ons that give you the smart bit, it'll be cheaper in the long run.

2011 viera smart. Obsolete.
2013 viera smart. Obsolete.
2017 Samsung. Currently in date. Doubt it will stay that way.

Chromecast etc ftw.

My 5 years old Samsun recently lost some of its smart functionality with loss of support to you tube and now iPlayer.
Bought a Chromecast. Brilliant bit of kit.

Only issue with NowTv and Chromecast is it uses up two of your available devices (the other one is whatever you are streaming from).

We've got a 3 yr old Sony and already the app's are pretty unreliable. Mostly watch iPlayer/Netflix etc through PS4 instead (which is much easier to use)

If you're going the AppleTV route wait until the end of the month when the 4K version is due to be available. It will do NowTV, Netflix, Amazon (when they get their act together and release the app), Netflix and several other TV apps.

Likewise my Samsung smart telly is losing apps and updates. YouTube app gone because they've moved to html5 video but they don't want to convert their app for older models, or requires Samsung to update the software in older models.

Also annoying is the Amazon app is clunky and has sound drop out issues. Long known and Amazon not interested in fixing it. Not a TV issue as Plex works fine streaming HD and 5.1 audio.

See when people say these TVs are obsolete, I'm assuming you mean the software no longer receives updates but the tv still actually works?

See when people say these TVs are obsolete, I'm assuming you mean the software no longer receives updates but the tv still actually works?

Yes, exactly. The smart features on my Samsung tv from 3 years ago have slowly been degraded.

Don't use them at all now really - PS4 provides all the apps I need (NowTv, Amazon, iPlayer etc) in surround sound and a Fire Stick does almost the same but it's not connected to the surround sound.

BoardinBob
See when people say these TVs are obsolete, I'm assuming you mean the software no longer receives updates but the tv still actually works?

The TV still works of course. Some of the apps may work but there will often be a whole load of apps that don't. Vimeo and Red Bull TV no longer work on my Sony for instance. Also, YouTube whilst still working has started always giving subtitles with no way of turning them off that I can find. Thank heavens for Chromecast!

+1 - the TV manufacturer will update each TV for a while, but often the apps are left with known faults as the manufacturer moves on to selling a newer model TV to other people.

I bought a Roku box - it is updated frequently, I haven't used the smart functions of my TV since I got it. As I use a Logitech Harmony, using the Roku is no more troubling than using the features on the TV.

I found that once I went over a certain size and spec there was no way to avoid "smart" functionality.

Really happy with our 55" and 65" lg 4k jobs. The youtube and netflix apps work well.

I found that once I went over a certain size and spec there was no way to avoid "smart" functionality

Yeah, smart tv is inevitable, but just ignore the clunky apps and use something like a Chromecast, it's just easier.

Is there anyway to stream *LIVE* TV from [b]ITV[/b] on a Samsung yet? I was really frustrated on Friday night trying to get a reception to watch the football. It is annoying because iPlayer streams live TV and I can get a decent reception, but ITV has rubbish reception and no streaming either.

toby1

but just ignore the clunky apps and use something like a Chromecast, it's just easier.

It might be my imagination but the apps seem better optimised for streaming speed and quality. I usually browse content and create playlists using a laptop but I'll use the tv app to view it. I can chromecast, direct cast and connect via micro hdmi. The app seems fastest and highest quality.

We have an older Samsung smart TV. The iPlayer app still works but it's slow. Not ITV player, no Red Bull Player.

Yours will end up this way too 😈

Q- I was going to buy a recording type box to do both updated smart TV functionality and live TV recording (just so I can do basic stuff, like rewind live TV and do a series record of the TdF).

Is there anything worth knowing (for a numpty like me)? I have a chromecast, it barely ever worked on our home network.

I was given a very nice Sony Bluray player a few years ago, which had full smart capability. Now, none of the apps work anymore, so I use a Roku stick.

I'd second the dumb tv, smart box suggestions. We've got a smart Samsung but hardly ever use the features as it's much easier and more reliable through the PS4. If you get a PS4 you can also get Doom and run around like a maniac shooting imps in the face and giggling like an idiot...

We have one of the latest Samsung smart TVs and it's surprisingly good.

If/when the smart side of it becomes obsolete then I'll use a Chromecast or whatever.

Trying to find a 4k TV that isn't 'smart' is essentially impossible.

Panasonic, Toshiba, Samsung.

yes, because Toshiba make much better TVs that Sony...

personally I don't like Samsung TVs 🙂

yes, because Toshiba make much better TVs that Sony...

At the same price point they do, yes. Or at least, they did when I bought mine.

Get an Amazon Fire box and then you can talk to your remote to find things. Or a firestick,

My Samsung TV remote has a mic for voice control. Have a PC plugged into it and tend to use that rather than any apps. For JOHNDOH, I think the ITV website would stream live tv, has your Samsung got a web browser?

Hmm, not thought of that - will try it tonight. Very odd that the app doesn't do live TV though.

When I was looking earlier this year I found that once you have set your budget, you get what you get....

So, some TVs are smarter than others, some have fancier remotes etc.

We just went for the TV that fitted into our budget that was the right size & seemed to have the right mix of features.
Of course in time the built-in smart stuff will not be upgraded, but at that point we will just consider some kind of plug-in box. It's not really a big deal & there is very little choice of a decent TV with no smart capability.

FWIW, the smart functionality of the LG TV we ended up with seems pretty well done & seems to be well regarded.
The only thing that winds me up about it is that the guide doesn't come up instantly; it loads like any other app does. On our freeview recorder box, the guide is instant. It is a shame that the guide does not pre-load and run in RAM, so it is instantly available. Our TV was only around £450, so perhaps on the posher ones it is instantly available.

Ditto to most of the above. After the while it all becomes a bit clunky.

I use an Android TV box to feed input to the TV and a wifi keyboard.
£50. Will buy a new one if it becomes past it.

Do any TVs use Android as an O/S? Would have thought you could update the smart apps if it was.

Stuart

We have a 5 year old Samsung and a 4 year old panasonic. No issues with apps on either but we only use iPlayer, netflix and prime really. C4 app only available on the Samsung.

I have a roku stick as well and find the apps no more or less clunky on that

it's surprising that the internal smart gubbings doesn't work more like a mobile phone/pc, it should be still be able to run the latest iterations of apps but just slower because it's only failing is it doesn't have the latest and best chip sets. Per iteration customization is very wasteful in the long term.

Sonys are using the android tv stuff now.

[quote=Jon Taylor ]Q- I was going to buy a recording type box to do both updated smart TV functionality and live TV recording (just so I can do basic stuff, like rewind live TV and do a series record of the TdF).
Is there anything worth knowing (for a numpty like me)? I have a chromecast, it barely ever worked on our home network.

I have a BT Youview box here - works great with smart TV and live TV and recording all nicely integrated together. It also seems to get fairly regular updates - worked well when I first got it, but it's a huge amount better now. Bought on ebay - you could get pretty much brand new ones on there for a good price.

Thanks for all the replies. So I've been educated and I'm now just looking at the TV as a monitor that will display whatever "smart" box I plug into it.

So my next question then...

Which smart box/dongle/thingy will give me

Netflix
Amazon
NowTV
BBC iPlayer
Redbull TV
ITV/CH4/CH5
YouTube.

Does such a device exist 🙂

Kindle TV? You'll have to lose NowTV although it may work on Kodi which means you could install Kodi on the Kindle TV. I have a Kindle Fire Stick which covers 99% of my TV needs.

Which smart box/dongle/thingy will give me
Netflix
Amazon
NowTV
BBC iPlayer
Redbull TV
ITV/CH4/CH5
YouTube.

PS4?

Apple TV does all those, you're on a decent broadband connection aren't you?
We watch iPlayer and Netflix on AppleTv for preference as the Virgin Tivo box is crap for them.

Just bought a Samsung mu7000 55" 4k TV from JB Hifi (local tech store)

Picture is amazing. Netflix in 4k or HDR looks da bomb. Upscaled 1080p looks great and SD broadcasts also look good.

So many tweaks and settings it takes a while to get it dialled in, but what tech these days doesn't need a fiddle?

55" was spot on for our lounge room. Any bigger would have been pointless.

TurnerGuy - Member
Sonys are using the android tv stuff now.

New ones aren't.

Apple TV does all those...

I found the Now TV implementation on Apple TV to be a bit crap - it doesn't integrate with you Watchlist (as far as I could tell the last time I used it).

That said, I don't think I've found any Now TV implementation that isn't annoying in some way or another...

Bought and end-of-line Samsung last year. Apps work very well, no complaints.

I use one of these and a few choice apps for content:

https://www.banggood.com/Tanix-TX8-MAX-Amlogic-S912-3GB-RAM-16GB-ROM-TV-Box-p-1118613.html

You could add an USB stick to allow it to record. Don't bother with that myself.

How are you getting on with the android box rajboab?
Looking at getting one myself and there seems to be a plethora of them...

madedgar.

Pretty good. Did a bit of research and viewed a few YouTube vids. The one in the link seemed to be a good compromise on power, price and wifi stability. There's masses on the market and TBH doubt you'd have to pay much more than £40 to get something that is powerful enough for what you'd use it for. I use it over wifi plugged into the TV. Works well. You need a wifi keyboard to make navigation easier. Mine came with one. The UI on the Tanix is a bit basic but it doesn't really bother me much. I don't use KODI. Constantly found the links unreliable. I primarily use Showbox for TV and films.

Cheers Rajboab.
Looks like it could be a winner

So the consensus is dumb TV with a smart box, I currently have a BT Youview box.

If I want to 'throw' Youtube onto the telly without plugging my laptop into the HDMI, my best bet is to grab a Chromecast?

spooky_b329 - Member

So the consensus is dumb TV with a smart box, I currently have a BT Youview box.

Yeah but good luck finding a well specced 4k tv that's a decent size and doesn't have "smart" functionality.

If I want to 'throw' Youtube onto the telly without plugging my laptop into the HDMI, my best bet is to grab a Chromecast?