A smart vs non smart , i choose a non smart every single day . That doesn't mean you can't make the tv smart . Many times the upgrades might become a problem after a while , and your smart tv is suddenly stupid tv . For the same price , ok , otherwise i choose a android box or computer , for putting on the VPN and all bells and whistles , while the tv can focus on what he has to do , meaning play tv .

19 hours 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 have a wireless mouse on both my TV's. Just hook up the doohickey into USB port on TV.

I have a 3 year old 55" Samsung HD 4K Smart TV.  Love the features on it.  Youtube HD 4K videos play very nicely on it with a very crisp picture.  

5 hours ago, sezze said:

A smart vs non smart , i choose a non smart every single day . That doesn't mean you can't make the tv smart . Many times the upgrades might become a problem after a while , and your smart tv is suddenly stupid tv . For the same price , ok , otherwise i choose a android box or computer , for putting on the VPN and all bells and whistles , while the tv can focus on what he has to do , meaning play tv .

Exactly. 
The TV is just a monitor. Other devices, far more powerful and reliable than those inside a smart TV, plug into the monitor (non smart TV) as required. 

On 10/22/2021 at 10:11 AM, tifino said:

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

IMHO a non-smart TV does not have many of the features that the higher end "Smart" tv's . Such as multiple USB ports and more like a LAN connection or a WIFI connection.

17 minutes ago, longball53098 said:

IMHO a non-smart TV does not have many of the features that the higher end "Smart" tv's . Such as multiple USB ports 

Nonsense. Modern non-smart TVs have multiple USB ports and HDMI and AV sockets. 

7 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

I have a wireless mouse on both my TV's. Just hook up the doohickey into USB port on TV.

simply a Play&Go?? 

 

17 hours ago, Dene16 said:

Practically the whole of your post could of been written by me

Can you even buy a non smart TV over 32"?

I could not believe the price of our 55" TV 20 months ago and will probably get a 65" for our new house next year

A must for any smart TV owners must be a wireless keyboard and mouse if you really wish to use the internet

hmmm, I have an Android phone with Remote Control Apps on it, for both the Sonig and the Hisense... now tempted to interrogate the PlayStore deeper for any App equivalent to providing a keyboard/mouse feature?? 

I prefer dumb TVs with HDMI and VGA options as I attach a PC to it. But it is difficult to find dumb TVs these days and it will be limited to size around 40" with a max 1080p FHD resolution. Larger than that will be smart TVs which is pretty annoying to use as simple task like switching inputs, you need to go thru quite a bit of steps. If you have a non SmartTV remote of the same brand, you most likely be able to use it on the SmartTV.

 

My LG SmartTV have the option for Wireless Keyboard and mouse support for USB or bluetooth.

 

To me, it is still a big cheap monitor and I don't use the Smart features.

9 hours ago, sezze said:

For the same price , ok , otherwise i choose a android box or computer , for putting on the VPN and all bells and whistles , while the tv can focus on what he has to do , meaning play tv .

As others have already mentioned, in many cases the newer smart TV's are actually cheaper than the older, dumber models and in any event it's getting more and more difficult to even find a "non-smart" TV these days (unless it's 32” or less).

 

Also, many of the recent models have the full Android TV OS and Chromecast functionality built-in so you're essentially getting a TV, Chromecast and Android TV box all rolled into one.

 

For instance, I have an older Sony TV with a Mi Box S attached but a friend of ours recently bought a newer Sony model that has the Android TV functionality. There's nothing I can do (or install) on my Mi Box S that he can't do with his TV - including installing a VPN to avoid geo-restrictions.

On 10/22/2021 at 11:26 AM, KhunLA said:

I don't notice much difference in 1080 HD / 2K / 4K.

I find that there is a significant difference.

 

 

Drop into your local PowerBuy store and see for yourself.

Yes, you'd think it would be noticeable, but I don't notice any difference.  My laptop is set at 1080p , and duplicated to my 55" LG TV / monitor, and no noticeable loss of resolution, pixel distortion.  LG recommends 1980p, I think, and the monitor is set at that, though handles all my 1080 HD media with no problem.

On 10/22/2021 at 10:32 AM, tifino said:

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

I had no problem signing-up for and playing TUBI on my Hisense (2021 model)   Great selection of content.  Did you actually sign-up for the service and also, did you send back the confirmation e-mail?

On 10/23/2021 at 3:24 PM, GroveHillWanderer said:

There's nothing I can do (or install) on my Mi Box S that he can't do with his TV - including installing a VPN to avoid geo-restrictions.

I was just going to ask how to set-up a VPN thru a smart (Android) TV.  I've always used an Intel NUC/Windows10 as my content source with my VPN (Surfshark) installed on my Chrome browser and the TV as a monitor via HDMI.  Never a problem with the VPN.

I recently purchased a "Smart" Android TV and am unsure how to use the VPN with the Android system.  Can you explain how your friend did it?  Is it installed on the router?

 

BTW, for those asking about still available standard (non-smart) TVs, I believe SHARP still sells a line of them as well as some brands like Aconatic and Southworth.  

Edited October 28, 20214 yr by dddave

On 10/28/2021 at 7:30 PM, dddave said:

I had no problem signing-up for and playing TUBI on my Hisense (2021 model)   Great selection of content.  Did you actually sign-up for the service and also, did you send back the confirmation e-mail?

yeah did all this things, and even created TUBI accts on a laptop too...   Trouble with my Hisense (2018) is that since the previous Post, even TUBI is no longer on the menu to even Choose it...

 - So given all the above, I even tried forgetting about the 'hisense playstore' and tried going basic and trying the Smart TVs own Browser and directly access the TUBI desktop page. Okay can go to the main login page but LogIn cannot be completed, all one can get to do is Input the Password then Email, and the screen goes no further...  ps if one inputs Email firstly, even the password cannot be entered...  The 'TUBI App'/'TUBI on Browser TV' login are also preventing trying to use 'Facebook login', and 'Email Log in' ... the TV screen simply doesn't let one complete typing it all in...