How to make a regular TV a SMART TV

[NanLaew]

Plenty of YouTubes and self-help out there but looking for a robust and easy solution for up here in Isaan.

 

I have a couple of flat screen TVs that predate the SMART era and are limited to the regular AV interfaces with no built-in internet or Bluetooth support. Therefore, I guess I am looking at the firestick or android box solutions. Plenty options on lazada, including different size memory and the like but just looking for something that will need minimal setting up and virtually idiot-proof. Not a great watcher of premium sports or the like but I have a Netflix account that gets plenty use in my shed or the SMART telly in the lounge. These 'dumb' TV's are in the bedrooms. The home has 3BB's fiber-driven 5Ghz Wi-Fi so that part is all sorted.

 

Thanks in advance.

[BenStark]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Not a great watcher of premium sports or the like but I have a Netflix account that gets plenty use in my shed or the SMART telly in the lounge. These 'dumb' TV's are in the bedrooms.

 

Then you need a box that is Netflix certified, the cheaper boxes are not certified, so you can't even download the app.

 

Mecool KM2 and KM 2 plus are Netflix cerified. The box provided by 3BB is not certified

[Woof999]

What size TVs do you have? All the Android boxes I've seen (and I still use) are a little clunky compared to a modern smart TV. All my TVs do have an Android box connected to them, but the VAST majority of the time I'm using the built in features of the TV. 

 

What I'm saying is... every 2 or 3000 baht you spend on a separate box is 2 or 3000 baht that could have gone towards a more modern, more capable, new TV.

[Trippy]

Firestick is the way to go.

[grain]

I bought a Google Chromecast for one of my dumb TVs, works great, I have a USA VPN on it so I watch USA content, lots of good movies and shows on USA YouTube that you need a VPN to watch in Thailand. 

[NanLaew]

24 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

Then you need a box that is Netflix certified, the cheaper boxes are not certified, so you can't even download the app.

 

Mecool KM2 and KM 2 plus are Netflix cerified. The box provided by 3BB is not certified

 

My Mecool search revealed devices costing 75 quid from the UK.

 

How about the boxes on lazada for 1000 baht and up that are Netflix compatible and show users photographs with Netflix on the onscreen menus?

 

I haven't got any box from 3BB, nothing but their modem/router.

[NanLaew]

19 minutes ago, grain said:

I bought a Google Chromecast for one of my dumb TVs, works great, I have a USA VPN on it so I watch USA content, lots of good movies and shows on USA YouTube that you need a VPN to watch in Thailand. 

 

I see them on lazada for 2500 baht and up. Is that where you got yours? I mean from an online Thai reseller?

[NanLaew]

21 minutes ago, Trippy said:

Firestick is the way to go.

 

From 1500 baht and up on lazada. Was yours locally purchased?

[Sheryl]

Easily done, Amazon Firestick.

 

I wasted money on a TCL "smart" TV and then,  due to numerous bugs, switched to using the Firestick. Not just as good, better (in the case of TCL Smart TVs anyhow).

 

Got mine on Lazada.

 

 

[BenStark]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

How about the boxes on lazada for 1000 baht and up that are Netflix compatible and show users photographs with Netflix on the onscreen menus?

 

Like I said, those cheap boxes are not certified, and I'm sure that you are aware that what is shown on Lazada listings doesn't make it true.

 

Very few Android boxes are Netflix certified, even minix boxes from 6 -7000 baht aren't.

 

I have you 2 specific models of Mecool that are certified, most other Mecool boxes aren't either

[ezzra]

How to make a regular TV a SMART TV? send it to school would be a good start...

[NanLaew]

4 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

Like I said, those cheap boxes are not certified, and I'm sure that you are aware that what is shown on Lazada listings doesn't make it true.

 

Very few Android boxes are Netflix certified, even minix boxes from 6 -7000 baht aren't.

 

I have you 2 specific models of Mecool that are certified, most other Mecool boxes aren't either

 

Thanks for that. I could probably buy a new, entry-level smart TV for the price of that, especially with the Christmas specials on.

 

What's with this certification? I watch Netflix on my ancient desktop in the shed and that's far from certified. I am a not totally ignorant of the web of things and I imagine there is a lot of rubbish and false advertising out there, but this 'certification' doesn't quite ring the same as 'compatible'. Not arguing, just clarifying the jargon.

[BenStark]

Just now, NanLaew said:

 

Thanks for that. I could probably buy a new, entry-level smart TV for the price of that, especially with the Christmas specials on.

 A Mecool Km2 Plus cost 2000 baht on Lazada or Shopee, and is certified, I doubt you can buy a TV for that.

 

A firestick is underpowered and has poor wifi, because it is plugged in at the back of your TV, so unless that wifi signal is really strong in the shed, it will be an issue.

[Sheryl]

2 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

A firestick is underpowered and has poor wifi, because it is plugged in at the back of your TV, so unless that wifi signal is really strong in the shed, it will be an issue.

 

My wifi is far from the best but I have had no problems with my Firestick.   TV is on same floor as the router, though. Maybe 15 meters from it in a straight line.

[NanLaew]

7 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 A Mecool Km2 Plus cost 2000 baht on Lazada or Shopee, and is certified, I doubt you can buy a TV for that.

 

A firestick is underpowered and has poor wifi, because it is plugged in at the back of your TV, so unless that wifi signal is really strong in the shed, it will be an issue.

 

Do you work for Mecool?

 

Firesticks can be run on an extender HDMI cable if back-of-the-set signal is rubbish.

 

I'm not watching it in the shed (there's a PC in there + DTAC 4G wifi). This is in the bedroom, where the 3BB 5GHz Wi-Fi router is about 6 foot away from the telly. Signal strength will never be an issue around this place.

 

Anyway, appreciate the reference to lazada and the 2000 baht-and-up Mecools. On the list of options. Thanks.

[freeworld]

51 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Plenty of YouTubes and self-help out there but looking for a robust and easy solution for up here in Isaan.

 

I have a couple of flat screen TVs that predate the SMART era and are limited to the regular AV interfaces with no built-in internet or Bluetooth support. Therefore, I guess I am looking at the firestick or android box solutions. Plenty options on lazada, including different size memory and the like but just looking for something that will need minimal setting up and virtually idiot-proof. Not a great watcher of premium sports or the like but I have a Netflix account that gets plenty use in my shed or the SMART telly in the lounge. These 'dumb' TV's are in the bedrooms. The home has 3BB's fiber-driven 5Ghz Wi-Fi so that part is all sorted.

 

Thanks in advance.

Genuine Chromecast with google tv, firetvstick 2gb ram 16gb l, miboxs 2nd gen or mitvstick the 2gb version.

 

All available in Thailand.

[ezzra]

With the pro and and con of this or that, what would be the best box for watching  IPTV that i use all the time?

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

Do you work for Mecool?

 

Firesticks can be run on an extender HDMI cable if back-of-the-set signal is rubbish.

 

I'm not watching it in the shed (there's a PC in there + DTAC 4G wifi). This is in the bedroom, where the 3BB 5GHz Wi-Fi router is about 6 foot away from the telly. Signal strength will never be an issue around this place.

 

Anyway, appreciate the reference to lazada and the 2000 baht-and-up Mecools. On the list of options. Thanks.

 

No I don't work for Mecool, I just gave some kind advice to a pretentious idiot, because I know what I'm talking about, who asks a question and then claims he knows it all better.

 

And I didn't refer to Mecools 2000 baht and up, because they have about 15 models and only 3 are certified

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

No I don't work for Mecool, I just gave some kind advice to a pretentious idiot, because I know what I'm talking about, who asks a question and then claims he knows it all better.

 

And I didn't refer to Mecools 2000 baht and up, because they have about 15 models and only 3 are certified

Mecool km2 plus,

1780bht delivered with sale vouchers. If it's rubbish I'm blaming you!

[Trippy]

32 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

From 1500 baht and up on lazada. Was yours locally purchased?

yes, bought on Lazada. Get the 4k one it has the most memory, even if your tv is not 4k it still works great.

[BenStark]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

1780bht delivered with sale vouchers. If it's rubbish I'm blaming you!

 

It isn't rubbish, but get the Plus version

[Dmaxdan]

Xiaomi Mi TV stick or box are another option and are both Netflix certified.

[Mike Teavee]

55 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

My Mecool search revealed devices costing 75 quid from the UK.

 

How about the boxes on lazada for 1000 baht and up that are Netflix compatible and show users photographs with Netflix on the onscreen menus?

 

I haven't got any box from 3BB, nothing but their modem/router.

I bought a Mecool 2 Plus from Lazada for 2,180B 

 

I added WizzTV (approx 3,600B for 1 year for the Plus version with built in VPN) & now have more movies/TV Shows/Live events than I can shake a stick at, worth every satang 👍🏻

 

I do keep a Netflix subscription (though downgraded from 419 Premium to 169B… The 250B per month saving goes a long way to paying for WizzTV) so the GF still has subtitles when we’re watching movies. 
 

The  only downside of the box I can see for you is the Browser is a bit limited & as it’s Android TV you can’t just install Chrome on it but the inbuilt web browser has been fine for the couple of times I’ve wanted to use it. 

Edit: WizzTV does come with approx 600 Netflix movies/shows with more being added all the time, but GF was well into a couple of Thai Soap dramas at the time I bought the box so switching that off was more than my life’s worth… 

 

[BenStark]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

The  only downside of the box I can see for you is the Browser is a bit limited & as it’s Android TV you can’t just install Chrome on it but the inbuilt web browser has been fine for the couple of times I’ve wanted to use it. 

 

You can install Firefox or Chrome, if you know how.

 

Google is your friend

[grain]

42 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

I see them on lazada for 2500 baht and up. Is that where you got yours? I mean from an online Thai reseller?

No I actually bought mine in Australia for my TV there. It cost me $60 aud which is about 1400 Bt. My TV in Thailand is an android and I have pretty well all the same programs installed on my android TV as I have installed on the Google Chromecast. Programs like TUBI & PLEX which you can download free and watch movies, TV shows, news.

[grain]

Just saw a Google Chromecast on Lazada for 1750 Bt. Comes with the remote & connecting cables. Good for Netflix, Disney and a bunch of others.

[Mike Teavee]

31 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

You can install Firefox or Chrome, if you know how.

 

Google is your friend

I agree (& have done) but that’s not for somebody who just wants something to work out of the box 😊

[dddave]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

What's with this certification? I watch Netflix on my ancient desktop in the shed and that's far from certified.

Netflix certification allows 4K and HDR which is immaterial if using older 720 P TV's.

 

You might also consider a mini-pc.  There are windows-11 mini PCs with great specs for watching TV and normal internet browsing, YouTube and Netflix.  For example this mini-pc from Lazada would work very well.

 https://www.lazada.co.th/products/geekom-mini-pc-mini-air11-se-intel-celeron-n4020c-nuc-11-mini-computers-with-fan-coolingup-to-28ghz-6gb-lpddr4128g-ssd-desktop-windows-11-pro-support-4k-uhddual-wifibt42gigabit-ethernet-i4871547293-s20400690342.html?

 

Actually, with your older TVs, you could probably get by with some of the even cheaper used office mini-pc's with VGA graphics. and windows 10.

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/acer-veriton-n4640g-i5-gen6-mini-pc-i4831860551-s20788104352.html?

[NextG]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

 

Do you work for Mecool?

 

Firesticks can be run on an extender HDMI cable if back-of-the-set signal is rubbish.

 

I'm not watching it in the shed (there's a PC in there + DTAC 4G wifi). This is in the bedroom, where the 3BB 5GHz Wi-Fi router is about 6 foot away from the telly. Signal strength will never be an issue around this place.

 

Anyway, appreciate the reference to lazada and the 2000 baht-and-up Mecools. On the list of options. Thanks.

It seem you who is being ‘churlish’ to someone who is obviously trying to help you. ‘Grumpy old man’ syndrome catching up with you? 
What he means it that there is a specific protocol needed(Widevine DRM Level 1, in addition to NetFlix certification) for NetFlix, and the like to show media in HD and beyond on mobile devices.  In other words, without it, NetFlix will only output at 480p. That won’t look good on your 4K TV. Some boxes have a sort of workaround wherein they run an Android TV version of NetFlix that supposedly outputs in Full HD; I haven’t tested that. But likely it works if it doesn’t appear to be a mobile device. But NetFlix may block this at any time. 
MeCool are one of the few Android box distributors who have Widevine Level 1 DRM capability, but I’m not sure as to whether they are NetFlix certified. Fire TV sticks of course have that licence, hence the recommendation from some here.  

[sungod]

Onn tv box, 1450 on Lazada.