I need a new tv,

hawkdon

hawkdon

Well-known Member
Location
Liberty MO
so do I go to SMART or find a dumb one like I already have?? Don't know anything
at all about the smart ones....mine is about a 2007 model....but I'm seeing more shows available on "streaming" channels or whatever, than is available to me on
Cable tv (spectrum)...and i already spend a fortune on cable fees, and don't get
what I would like to.....advise please....thanks...don:oops:
 

If you decide not to get a smart TV you can always buy a streaming device to release you and your pockets from cable's grip. I don't have a smart T.V. but I've had Roku players for over a decade. I prefer Roku but there's also Chromecast and Firestick for streaming. By streaming, I'm getting many more choices of shows to watch, ad free for much less than I paid for cable.
 

We also have a quite old TV....Panasonic plasma....that we bought 15+ years ago, and is still working. However I occasionally check the prices on new ones, and we could buy 3 or 4 TV's today for the price we paid years ago. It seems that most of the new TV's are "smart". I check sites like Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Staples., etc.,etc., and it seems that Walmart usually has the best prices. I would also advise picking it up personally at the store, rather than .having it delivered, and potentially damaged by "rough handling" by a delivery driver. Also, as Knight said, "Size" is important....buying a huge TV to place in a normal size room would be a problem for viewing.
 
I have a dumb TV also and use an antenna, so I can't be much help. For streaming, it's my understanding it comes over the internet and if you don't have high speed internet, it may not work.

If you're high tech challenged, you could try to find a store with techs who will help like Best Buy along with some other stores.
 
hawkdon said:
Where do the "smart streaming" shows come in at?? Thru
my regular cable, Or thru something else??
Click to expand...
There's a TV called Roku that has streaming channels built in, or you can buy a streaming device and attach it to a Smart TV.

Of the dozens of streaming channels either one of those will bring in, about 50% are free and the other 50% are subscriptions that you pay for monthly. You can ignore those, or even remove them if you want (from the Roku TV, at least).

I suspect that the Roku TV service will eventually be overtaken by some big corporation (i.e., Xfinity), or it will fail, so I advise getting a Smart TV and a streaming device. Both are available on Amazon.

Roku TVs are relatively cheap, though, and don't need an outside device.
 
Just throwing my two cents in but I think you are better off buying a regular TV and then a Roku ,.Amazon, Apple stick or box. Why ? Because much like the early days of home PC's, the technology behind streaming is changing fast. For example, the brand new Roku stick that I bought 4 years ago will probably soon be obsolete and at the risk of not being supported someday soon. Processing speeds in streaming devices are getting faster each year. However, a TV monito tends to last a long time and not much changes (except for the jump from SD to HD to 4K which evolves slowly). So, it is possible to buy a great regular TV set that could last 10-15 years with a great picture but if you buy a similar TV with a processor already built in (thus making it a Smart TV), it could be obsolete in a matter of 5-7 years. So I think people are better off buying a regular TV and buy a separate streaming device and buy new devices every few years to keep up with the technology. The streaming devices are not that expensive.

This is just my opinion though and many might find it easier to buy a Smart TV every 5 to 6 years or so.
 
hawkdon said:
Okay, so how do i get it from 'net to the tv set??
Click to expand...
When setting up Smart TV, it will need to be connected to your Modem/Router WI/FI signal. This is done through the SETTINGS on the TV, using the WiFi password written on the back of the modem. The supplier will do this if installed by them. See below:
 
kburra said:
When setting up Smart TV, it will need to be connected to your Modem/Router WI/FI signal. This is done through the SETTINGS on the TV, using the WiFi password written on the back of the modem. The supplier will do this if installed by them. See below:
Click to expand...
Thanks Kburra, looks like I'll just stay with a dumb tv...don't have
any wi-fi and too much trouble to install it here....thanks all .....
 
officerripley said:
But can you even find regular tv's for sale? Seems like all I see for sale (that are large enough for what I'd want) are Smart.
Click to expand...
Not very often. The cynical side of me suspects that Amazon, Roku, and Google have some deal with manufacturers of Smart TV's that allows them to be sold cheaper so those companies can make more money from the ads and tracking what we watch. Kind of a "loss" leader type of situation. Even the individual streaming devices are not that expensive and I suspect for the same reason. I'll take off my tin hat now :oops:
 

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