Tell me about smart TVs

[The39thStep]

Its about the apps staying current though. Try access Netfilx or Amazon with a two year old app on you phone...with so many smart TVs out there the apps simply stop being updated for older TVs.

When smart TV app support vanishes, what next? – Which? News

Some of the cheaper ones with their own operating system yes but I think we are perfectly safe with a good Sony android tbh. I've had mine for three years and it handles everything , I have IPTV with full epg with all English channels, sky sports , Bt sports all the foreign sports , sky movies for £6 a month plus all the films and TVs series inc those from Amazon, Netflix and plays anything from 1080 to 4K and can record ( not that I bother) to hard drive .

 

[jontz01]

Cheers!

How's things in Blenheim??

Yea good thanks! Pretty stunning today.

 

[cybershot]

Can't see myself having a spare 500 for a new TV for a long time, but how long do you predict it will be till you can get an OLED for that money?

A while yet, when you consider smartphones with OLED screens cost close to a grand, unless somehow places still have 2016 stock they need to get rid of still next year and haven't decided to burn it instead.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

You should be able to get Freesat through the sky dish so make sure whatever you get has that. If you don't have a standard aerial you won't be able to get Freeview.

They are essentially the same thing. Just different delivery methods.

So you need internet and aerial cable. That's all you will need. As said above any modern TV will come with everything else you need.

Stick with a big name and you can't go far wrong. Have a look at Richer sounds for deals.

That's helpful to inow - thanks.

I might actually have an ordinary aerial after all. I seem to remember there being one now I think about it. I'll have to ask my builder mate who renovated the room a few years ago if he can remember. It's all built into the wall now so I can't see the cables.

 

[2hats]

I don't want to be changing my TV every five years either. The one before my smart TV was over 15 years old and was still working!

I replaced an old TV with a more recent smart one as the cost of electricity saved (in about 4 years) due to the energy efficiency gain more than offset the cost of the new TV.

 

[spitfire]

That's helpful to inow - thanks.

I might actually have an ordinary aerial after all. I seem to remember there being one now I think about it. I'll have to ask my builder mate who renovated the room a few years ago if he can remember. It's all built into the wall now so I can't see the cables.

Post up a pic of the aerial wall plate.

 

[skyscraper101]

The built in features of a smart TV are certainly a bonus, though inevitably they will get older and lag over time. I've noticed some relatives' TVs taking ages to load things like All 4 or Netflix.

That said, I have a Samsung and it seems to work just fine for now after 3 years approx. When it starts getting too slow, I'll probably invest in a new ROKU or Apple TV.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

 

[Leafster]

I replaced an old TV with a more recent smart one as the cost of electricity saved (in about 4 years) due to the energy efficiency gain more than offset the cost of the new TV.

That was one of the reasons I eventually replaced it. That and it was a huge CRT which took two strong people to move around!

I miss the sound quality though.

 

[TruXta]

Do any of the new ultra HD TVs come in stupid versions? Ie no OS, just pure input output. Or do I need to buy a monitor for that?

 

[Mrs Miggins]

The last telly I had was an old CRT - it's probably still working somewhere as I gave it away when I left the UK. It would be about 20 years old by now.

 

[Ted Striker]

Sony's are the best imo as they are android and you can sideload wide range of apps and apks into them, far better than the limited number of apps and apks you can get from other smart tv providers.I like the picture on Samsungs but they have a different operating system.

Christ...my Sony TV is probably the worst electrical item I own. It's achingly slow to do anything, seemingly forever checking for updates/content/recommendations, as of I've got a 56k modem (It's a wired broadband connection). Completely ruins the TV experience for me.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Christ...my Sony TV is probably the worst electrical item I own. It's achingly slow to do anything, seemingly forever checking for updates/content/recommendations, as of I've got a 56k modem (It's a wired broadband connection). Completely ruins the TV experience for me.

What model is it? I will make a note to avoid

 

[Badgers]

Christ...my Sony TV is probably the worst electrical item I own. It's achingly slow to do anything, seemingly forever checking for updates/content/recommendations, as of I've got a 56k modem (It's a wired broadband connection). Completely ruins the TV experience for me.

What model is it? I will make a note to avoid

Most Sony TV products are decent tbf
Ted might have got one dodgy unit

 

[Mrs Miggins]

View attachment 141955

I suspect that the one marked "TV" might be an normal TV aerial

But WTF does "FM" stand for in this context?

I will still ask my mate if he can remember though because I don't trust him to have actually done it according to what's on the plate.

 

[spitfire]

They are F type connections. Which usually suggests a Sky Dish. However if someone had just picked one off the shelf from Screwdix then it could well be a Tv aerial on the other end.

If you get a TV that has both freeview and freesat you’ll be safe.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

They are F type connections. Which usually suggests a Sky Dish. However if someone had just picked one off the shelf from Screwdix then it could well be a Tv aerial on the other end.

If you get a TV that has both freeview and freesat you’ll be safe.

We definitely have a Sky dish so I'm wondering if we do have both after all.

Mate would definitely have just picked the plate up at screwfix or whatever and he probably had his mate actually do the work rather than himself and I trust that bloke even less

 

[skyscraper101]

FM would be for a radio aerial surely.

 

[cybershot]

£399. Has the most common apps, but DYOR before any purchases.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073VQB...scsubtag=99b06086-e9dd-4a99-86f0-30a427cb7d67

LG for £498

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XVYZFGD/ref=psdc_560864_t1_B073VQBK73

 

[Ted Striker]

Most Sony TV products are decent tbf
Ted might have got one dodgy unit

I suspect it's probably a random setting (in the TV or broadband connection) that I have that is causing it, if anything - though I've done hard resets and the issue is still present.

I don't know the model number, though I will find out tonight to warn people off! It's about 2-3 years old.

(This is backed up by a good few threads on AV forums with the same issue - we fucked it basically for assuming it would resolve itself, and should of taken it back to the shop whilst we could)

Every few weeks I sit down and consider I must have something wrong, and got to town on Google, AVForums and the settings, and try every suggested solution, though it never changes.

For example, I press 'guide' and in about 45 seconds the guide (in Youview) comes up, then another 15 seconds before the actual program guide is populated etc. All the menus are a permanent go-slow.

AND the default position for all menus is bonkers. I boot up Youview (when I CBA to watch anything proper), and it takes me to some shitty 'Choice' section that supposedly gives me a guide as to what it suggests I watch (further requiring a send/receive data stream to the internet to update this selection). Its takes about 60 seconds to 'back back back' my way out of it and watch the damn TV. Urgh!

 

[Ted Striker]

OTOH, my Samsung is a JOY to use btw! And the picture is almost too out-of-this-world.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

My TV "suggesting" what I should watch would make me very cross indeed.

 

[Ted Striker]

My TV "suggesting" what I should watch would make me very cross indeed.

Exactly.

Kodi Exodus (when it was working) nailed it for menus. everything else tries to be too clever, or require login to ensure the customer is 'owned' etc. Kodi also nailed it for fast forwarding and rewinding (why can't this be standardised across all platforms?! ) . Urgh, going to need to calm down to prevent a full blown rant!

 

[The39thStep]

I suspect it's probably a random setting (in the TV or broadband connection) that I have that is causing it, if anything - though I've done hard resets and the issue is still present.

I don't know the model number, though I will find out tonight to warn people off! It's about 2-3 years old.

(This is backed up by a good few threads on AV forums with the same issue - we fucked it basically for assuming it would resolve itself, and should of taken it back to the shop whilst we could)

Every few weeks I sit down and consider I must have something wrong, and got to town on Google, AVForums and the settings, and try every suggested solution, though it never changes.

For example, I press 'guide' and in about 45 seconds the guide (in Youview) comes up, then another 15 seconds before the actual program guide is populated etc. All the menus are a permanent go-slow.

AND the default position for all menus is bonkers. I boot up Youview (when I CBA to watch anything proper), and it takes me to some shitty 'Choice' section that supposedly gives me a guide as to what it suggests I watch (further requiring a send/receive data stream to the internet to update this selection). Its takes about 60 seconds to 'back back back' my way out of it and watch the damn TV. Urgh!

Cant use Youview over here in Portugal so I cant comment , sounds a pain though

 

[The39thStep]

My TV "suggesting" what I should watch would make me very cross indeed.

You can disable that on many smart tvs. Netflix does it as well but in a slightly more subtle way

 

[High Voltage]

So does a broadband speed of >25meg sound about right for streaming Ultra HD - if so, I really think we're going to struggle with our 11meg odd

Arse

 

[JimW]

We got a Mi smart telly (world cup ahoy) which comes cheap because they make you watch ten seconds of ads when you turn it on. Thought that would be an OK trade-off but it's pissing me off now Could subscribe to the premium service and not have them but I'm too tight and vanilla does everything, especially if you cast to it.

 

[2hats]

So does a broadband speed of >25meg sound about right for streaming Ultra HD - if so, I really think we're going to struggle with our 11meg odd

Depends on the fine details of the video codec used, and what other activity there is on your local network at the same time (and also the degree of over subscription/local congestion on your providers network). Most UHD content providers seem to suggest anywhere between 13 and 25 Mbps, but as a general rule of thumb you probably want at least 25Mbps sustainable which means having better provision than that as doubtless that 25 is never achievable in reality (if your ISP package is described as such) and almost certainly dips below that at peak times. I wouldn’t assume to get a decent UHD stream with a package any less than 40 Mbps unless the ISP consistently deliver what it says on the tin (and few, if any do).

 

[twentythreedom]

I bought a 49" Blaupunkt smart HDTV from Tesco a while back for £279 and it's brilliant. I just plug sky box, Chromecast and Android telly box into it. Works great.

 

[High Voltage]

Depends on the fine details of the video codec used, and what other activity there is on your local network at the same time (and also the degree of over subscription/local congestion on your providers network). Most UHD content providers seem to suggest anywhere between 13 and 25 Mbps, but as a general rule of thumb you probably want at least 25Mbps sustainable which means having better provision than that as doubtless that 25 is never achievable in reality (if your ISP package is described as such) and almost certainly dips below that at peak times. I wouldn’t assume to get a decent UHD stream with a package any less than 40 Mbps unless the ISP consistently deliver what it says on the tin (and few, if any do).

So, long story short - NO