Smart Televisions

[luke1989 10]

Hi all, me and my Wife have decided to upgrade our TV to one of the smart TV's which will hopefully be with us very soon. Just wondered if anybody on here owned one and what are your views on them. Thanks

[mart 71]

How do they work Luke? What do they do differently to a conventional tv?

[Vague_Boy 10]

Fancy streaming rental films directly to your TV without the hassle of visiting the rental store or posting DVD returns? How about surfing Google maps, sharing web photo albums or making a Skype video conference via your living room’s big screen? With the latest generation of internet-connected, or Smart TVs, you can.

 

Smart TVs can be connected to the internet

 

Smart TV is the catch-all term for internet TVs. For many new TVs this means access to a collection of apps, an app store for adding more, a web browser and access to home network files all rolled into one interface.

 

To do all this, the TV has to be able to connect to the internet. This is done by connecting it to your router and broadband via an ethernet cable, or wirelessly with wi-fi.

 

Personally I was hoping for a TV that said "You don't want to watch this rubbish, here's a nice, educational documentary from the BBC".

 

Or maybe one that knew all the answers to The Weakest Link.

[tedog 10]

I've had one for about 6 months and I love it, BBC i player and you tube is great for when there's nothing worth watching.

[stereolab 10]

I'd be wary of buying a TV with the 'smart stuff' inside - there doesn't appear to be a standard at the moment, so anything that you buy could quickly be abandoned out outdated. Will LG or Samsung or Sony still support your smart TV in a year or two?

[Location114 10]

Luke

 

 

My personal opinion of smart tv is very good the youtube, bbc iplayer, etc can be very handy I have spent many hours watching documentaries I would normally have missed aswell as endless youtube videos when you fancy a laugh.

 

The support side of it can be a concern but as long as you stick to the reliable brands ie samsung etc you should be fine.

 

The one thing I would say is please do NOT spend extra £100s just because it is smart simply because it is not worth it many things can do pretty much the same job for example i have a xbox 360 which has bbc iplayer, youtube, now tv, etc i also have a panasonic blu ray player which always has bbc iplayer, youtube etc i have a freeview hd box guess what this has....yep your right bbc iplayer, youtube etc

 

I love the capabilities of what modern tv's can do these days.

 

Hi all, me and my Wife have decided to upgrade our TV to one of the smart TV's which will hopefully be with us very soon. Just wondered if anybody on here owned one and what are your views on them. Thanks

[L00b 441]

Have had an LG 8900 for going on 2 years now.

 

Using the remote to input search strings in Youtube is a pain. It's like texting, but without predictive, and with 'spongy buttons' on a remote rather than an ergonomic (mobile-like) keypad.

 

Still no 'universal' standard for the innards and the software, so you will be at the mercy of the manufacturer for updates/new features. We've got Youtube, iPlayer, NetFlix, Picasa and a few more not worth mentioning and that's it. The set has been discontinued, so we'll probably not be getting 4OD, ITV Player, etc.

 

Not that I'm particularly bothered, as we only very occasionally use BBC iPlayer and Youtube. Built-in (software-) obsolescence can be an issue if you intend to rely on these features, considering the rate at which manufacturers are (still) updating/discontinuing models.

 

I bought that TV because at the time it was the best 2D picture money could buy, first and foremost. That it had smart features was a nice bonus...but I'd have bought it without them just the same

 

EDIT-

How do they work Luke? What do they do differently to a conventional tv?

Basically, it's additional software for the PC-like innards that are already inside modern LCD TV, which allow the TV to run 'web' programs (Youtube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD, Netflix, LoveFilm, etc.) without adding another box (just need Internet connection to TV). Very recent ones even include built-in webcams, for videoconference and gesture interface (if adverts are to be believed ) Edited November 13, 2012 by L00b

[Fudbeer 12]

built in bbc iplayer is a big advantage,however using youtube and stuff is a pain because its "fidly" to input on the Sony I have.

[luke1989 10]

Thanks for the input guys, really looking forward to getting it

[geek_andy 10]

Nobody so far has mentioned the reason I'm hoping to get one. The TV connects to your home wireless network so if, like me, you have hundreds of movies/TV shows on your PC in another room (e.g. bedroom), then you can use your computer as a server and connect many smart TVs to it.

 

I plan to download to my PC in the office then wirelessly stream to either smart TV in the living room or bedroom.

[L00b 441]

Nobody so far has mentioned the reason I'm hoping to get one. The TV connects to your home wireless network so if, like me, you have hundreds of movies/TV shows on your PC in another room (e.g. bedroom), then you can use your computer as a server and connect many smart TVs to it.

 

I plan to download to my PC in the office then wirelessly stream to either smart TV in the living room or bedroom.

Guilty

 

That is the main 'smart' feature I use with our LG TV (files streamed from a NAS to the TV through an Ethernet-over-Power network works a treat, too, though TV is a bit particular about subtitles in mkv files)

 

...though I'm not sure if that feature (network stream player) is part of what is usually understood as 'smart' TV features.

 

Also, Location114's earlier post is relevant for that feature again, as many Blu-Ray players and Freeview/Freesat HDD boxes have had that feature built-in for a while.

[Likos 10]

Have had an LG 8900 for going on 2 years now.

 

Using the remote to input search strings in Youtube is a pain. It's like texting, but without predictive, and with 'spongy buttons' on a remote rather than an ergonomic (mobile-like) keypad.

 

Still no 'universal' standard for the innards and the software, so you will be at the mercy of the manufacturer for updates/new features. We've got Youtube, iPlayer, NetFlix, Picasa and a few more not worth mentioning and that's it. The set has been discontinued, so we'll probably not be getting 4OD, ITV Player, etc.

 

Not that I'm particularly bothered, as we only very occasionally use BBC iPlayer and Youtube. Built-in (software-) obsolescence can be an issue if you intend to rely on these features, considering the rate at which manufacturers are (still) updating/discontinuing models.

 

I bought that TV because at the time it was the best 2D picture money could buy, first and foremost. That it had smart features was a nice bonus...but I'd have bought it without them just the same

 

EDIT-

Basically, it's additional software for the PC-like innards that are already inside modern LCD TV, which allow the TV to run 'web' programs (Youtube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4OD, Netflix, LoveFilm, etc.) without adding another box (just need Internet connection to TV). Very recent ones even include built-in webcams, for video conference and gesture interface (if adverts are to be believed )

 

 

 

I bought that TV because at the time it was the best 2D picture money could buy, first and foremost. That it had smart features was a nice bonus ..hehe