Smart TV or not

[KannikaP]

I am in the market for a new 55 inch TV. Anyone suggest whether a non-Smart one with say an Amazon Fire Stick, or a fully Smart would be best. I want to install Express VPN so that I can watch UK telly, plus Chrome so I can access Asean Now!

Samsung, LG are OK, but I heard Panasonic or Sony are better. Anyone any experience please.

[HeijoshinCool]

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Can an Amazon Fire Stick be used on a "stupid" TV? 

 

I'm in the market myself for exactly the same thing but prefer not to buy a Smart TV. As I already have Express, I'd also be interested in knowing if this will work on a stupid TV.

[tifino]

1 minute ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

Can an Amazon Fire Stick be used on a "stupid" TV? 

 

I'm in the market myself for exactly the same thing but prefer not to buy a Smart TV. As I already have Express, I'd also be interested in knowing if this will work on a stupid TV.

... but a stupid (non-Smart)TV wouldn't have a USB port...

[HeijoshinCool]

Just now, tifino said:

... but a stupid (non-Smart)TV wouldn't have a USB port...

.

Ah, you see, I am stupid as I did not know that.....

 

Thank you!

[tifino]

one downfall on many a brand of SmartTV with a Browser, has one required to use the Remotes Up Down Arrows to navigate the screen ????  

 - hmmm... I wonder, and now will HAVE to try our HiSense to see what happens if one puts a Mouse into the USB?? 

[tifino]

2 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Ah, you see, I am stupid as I did not know that.....

 

Thank you!

 ah but wait... since typing my response I had another look at our dumb TV (Sonig Plasma) and it does have a USB Port!! - albeit concealed by a removeable cover 

[johng]

2 minutes ago, tifino said:

... but a stupid (non-Smart)TV wouldn't have a USB port...

My 2 stupid TV's have USB ports,  a stupid TV won't have a LAN port.

I'd always go for stupid and add a separate box for smartness  as the boxes will offer greater upgrade flexibility.

 

[HeijoshinCool]

2 minutes ago, tifino said:

one downfall on many a brand of SmartTV with a Browser, has one required to use the Remotes Up Down Arrows to navigate the screen ????  

 - hmmm... I wonder, and now will HAVE to try our HiSense to see what happens if one puts a Mouse into the USB?? 

.

 

I rarely watch TV, but once in a while there is something on I'd like to see.

 

Mostly I watch DVDs of old TV shows.....so I guess I'll just buy a dumb TV and be happy with it. Thanks.

[HeijoshinCool]

2 minutes ago, tifino said:

6 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Ah, you see, I am stupid as I did not know that.....

 

Thank you!

 ah but wait... since typing my response I had another look at our dumb TV (Sonig Plasma) and it does have a USB Port!! - albeit concealed by a removeable cover 

 

2 minutes ago, johng said:

My 2 stupid TV's have USB ports,  a stupid TV won't have a LAN port.

I'd always go for stupid and add a separate box for smartness  as the boxes will offer greater upgrade flexibility.

 

.

Ah, the plot thickens.....

 

Didn't mean to hijack the thread....hopefully this info is valuable to the OP.

[tifino]

1 minute ago, HeijoshinCool said:

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I rarely watch TV, but once in a while there is something on I'd like to see.

 

Mostly I watch DVDs of old TV shows.....so I guess I'll just buy a dumb TV and be happy with it. Thanks.

on our big dumb Soniq Plasma, we enjoy all sorts of Online type entertainment...

 -   For connection we use our HDMI Port, to which is connected a ROKU Box ???? 

 - this ROKU Box has far greater Power and Versatitlity than our HiSense Smart TV any day!!!

[KhunLA]

Like smartphones, can you even buy a dumb TV now.  I have a smart TV, but don't use the 'smart' features.  Basically use it as a monitor for my laptop.  Not a TV / subscriber / streaming kind of guy.  Do torrents (movies & series).  Non sports fan, so again, don't need current media entertainment.

 

Have a 55" LG, and quite happy with it.  Thought it was inexpensive when we upgraded from the old, dumb 32", but noticed larger 65 & 72, maybe, the other day strolling through HomePro, for about same as we paid a couple years ago.

 

Pay attention to the specs, and get as much as your wallet is comfortable with, as it will be obsolete in a year or so.  Especially if you think 4k / 6k / 8k is important.  Bottom line, it will only be as good as the signal it receives.  Ours is excellent, but do know, that the vids on the display models, are synced to the best aspects of the TV on display, so your experience may differ.  If your media isn't of the same high quality, your results will not be the same as the display model.

[tifino]

1 minute ago, HeijoshinCool said:

 

.

Ah, the plot thickens.....

 

Didn't mean to hijack the thread....hopefully this info is valuable to the OP.

in our own situation at home  our HDMI Port trumps SmartTV Network connection ???? 

[Dmaxdan]

6 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

Can an Amazon Fire Stick be used on a "stupid" TV? 

 

I'm in the market myself for exactly the same thing but prefer not to buy a Smart TV. As I already have Express, I'd also be interested in knowing if this will work on a stupid TV.

Most, if not all TV sticks, boxes and dongles connect to a TV via a HDMI port and are powered either by a mains adapter or USB.

So as long as they are in range of your WiFi they should work in all TVs manufactured in this day and age.

 

[HeijoshinCool]

3 minutes ago, tifino said:

in our own situation at home  our HDMI Port trumps SmartTV Network connection ???? 

.

How so....?

[tifino]

one thing about buying a (maybe second hand) dumb Tv, is to make sure it's HD reception engine is capable of Mpeg4  

 - the elder ones sported Mpeg2 only (our recently deceased Sony Bravia HD had Mpeg2, and that particular model was not upgradeable to Mpeg4...

- the result was a Black Screen, Sound only... 

[KhunLA]

Oh yea, many replied while I typed.  As pointed out, negotiating a smart TV with the remote is unbelievably frustrating.  I need a proper mouse & keyboard, (wireless), and another reason everything goes through my laptop.

[tifino]

Just now, HeijoshinCool said:

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How so....?

 well; our SmartTV HiSense32" is heavily biased to use Indian/Chinese media channels 

 - so it means learning where ones SmartTV was built (or marketed for) 

 - anyway our Hosense is only good for local channel LiveTV playback, and Youtube. 

 

so one also needs to have the shop staff demonstrate to you what their Smart TV features do? 

 - for example our Hisense cannot Install Tubi and a whole suite of our platforms -even though they are actually listed on the HiSense32 'playstore' 

[HeijoshinCool]

.

Reading your informative responses, seems I should just stick with a basic, but big, non-smart TV as I am happy watching DVDs from shows recorded in the 90s back into the 60s. No Netflix, sports, or news for me.

 

And no point in getting anything above 4K as it won't show up due to the age of the shows.

 

Hope one can still buy a dumb TV here.....

 

 

EDIT: Not to mention the fact I don't even have internet...

 

 

.

[fredscats]

bought a 55 inch smart forget name "Acon"something (cannot be bothered walking to tv half a mile away) yes its up there with Hisense,basically LG product,about 13000 powerbuy   but paid extra 1000 for talkie remote   good product

[tifino]

3 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Reading your informative responses, seems I should just stick with a basic, but big, non-smart TV as I am happy watching DVDs from shows recorded in the 90s back into the 60s. No Netflix, sports, or news for me.

 

And no point in getting anything above 4K as it won't show up due to the age of the shows.

 

Hope one can still buy a dumb TV here.....

 

 

EDIT: Not to mention the fact I don't even have internet...

 

 

.

 Does anybody know if LOS TV transmissions have all converted up to Mpeg4? 

[tifino]

1 minute ago, fredscats said:

bought a 55 inch smart forget name "Acon"something (cannot be bothered walking to tv half a mile away) yes its up there with Hisense,basically LG product,about 13000 powerbuy   but paid extra 1000 for talkie remote   good product

does the 'talkie' feature also cater for Mouse navigation?

[KhunLA]

4 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Reading your informative responses, seems I should just stick with a basic, but big, non-smart TV as I am happy watching DVDs from shows recorded in the 90s back into the 60s. No Netflix, sports, or news for me.

 

And no point in getting anything above 4K as it won't show up due to the age of the shows.

 

Hope one can still buy a dumb TV here.....

 

 

EDIT: Not to mention the fact I don't even have internet...

 

 

.

Depends on the format and 'size' / pixel of media your going to display on a larger screen.  Things look crisper, brighter & sharper on a smartphone / tablet for a reason, smaller screen.  480p will look fine on most small devices.

 

I take / edit photos and vids, and can't go below 1080p, and that's pushing it, if not a quality sourced image / vid.  Stretch that over 55" and you'll see every imperfection of the original source media.

 

For a sample of what I'm referring to, watch youtube vids at the lowest resolution, and then slowly increase it up to 4k and you'll notice the difference if viewing on a dumb or smart 32" monitor.

[keith101]

44 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

 

Can an Amazon Fire Stick be used on a "stupid" TV? 

 

I'm in the market myself for exactly the same thing but prefer not to buy a Smart TV. As I already have Express, I'd also be interested in knowing if this will work on a stupid TV.

Yes with no problems what so ever , i recently bought a 43" TCL 4K tv and works very well .

[KhunLA]

If you want to test the TV your interested in, take one of your best, favorite DVDs, preferably a music DVD, and play it on the TV.  You'll see how that TV displays your media / image & sound quality, especially if not using an aux. sound system.

 

If not a DVD person, then have them use the smart features, and pick a youtube video you're familiar with.  You can adjust the setting / resolution, down to 1080p, and see how that displays & sounds.  Don't expect any quality viewing below 1080p media source on a large screen.  Look at close up, couple meter, where you'd be viewing from at house.  Move forward & back see what imperfections you see or don't.

 

Good Luck

[tifino]

1 minute ago, keith101 said:

Yes with no problems what so ever , i recently bought a 43" TCL 4K tv and works very well .

but that's a SmartTV 

[keith101]

1 minute ago, tifino said:

but that's a SmartTV 

YES it   is has Netflix , Prime , YouTube ,internet etc etc .

[JayClay]

51 minutes ago, tifino said:

... but a stupid (non-Smart)TV wouldn't have a USB port...

As others have mentioned, you don't need a usb port on your TV to use a Fire stick or any other HDMI dongle/box.

 

If you can find one, definitely go for a dumb TV. If you can only find a smart TV then never connect it to the internet, and use a HDMI dongle anyway if you value your privacy.

[HeijoshinCool]

1 minute ago, JayClay said:

As others have mentioned, you don't need a usb port on your TV to use a Fire stick or any other HDMI dongle/box.

 

If you can find one, definitely go for a dumb TV. If you can only find a smart TV then never connect it to the internet, and use a HDMI dongle anyway if you value your privacy.

.

 

Privacy is everything. No internet anyway.

 

[HeijoshinCool]

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The DVDs are brand new, but of Frasier, MASH, Fawlty Towers and older.

 

So would the picture be any clearer/better if I went above 4K? 

 

I'll take a DVD with me, as KhunLA suggested.

 

 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, HeijoshinCool said:

.

Ah, you see, I am stupid as I did not know that.....

 

Thank you!

No you are not. I have a 7 year old LG which has HDMI and USB port. A Chromecast works perfectly so maybe I'll stick with that as it is controlled via my phone, no other remote needed. Or a Windows PC Stick?