How to learn how to use a "Smart TV"

[Lorry]

We got a free, new Samsung "Smart TV".

OS is Tizen, True installed a free True TV box and says now it's an Android TV.

It does have WiFi, 3 HDMI, USB.

We got 4 (four) remotes for it.

We got no instructions,  I found an e-manual (what's that?) on the internet,  257 pages. 

The engineers who produced the UI must have advanced degrees in user-unfriendliness and anti-ergonomics.

 

The True lady who set up our WiFi was extremely taciturn. We succeeded in extracting the knowledge which button to press to watch Youtube. For the Thais, that was all that mattered. I still got her to answer which button to press to switch the whole thing on or off, and which button is regular TV.

 

This is an incredibly dumb TV. Some functions I figured out by now, but mostly it's a black box. 

Samsung customer service 1282 is very unhelpful.

The True lady said,  I can now load regular Android apps from the Google play store.

Is that true?

The thing seems to have 2 layers: the Tizen OS which says there is no internet,  and True's Android which does have an Icon for the play store and which does run Youtube. 

 

Where to start to learn how to use this thing???

[bubblegum]

Start at page 1

[gargamon]

Forget the smart TV. Most of them aren't very. Get an android TV box, learn it once and if you get a new TV, just move the box to the new TV.

[recom273]

Tizen OS is difficult, you might find a lack of apps. 

 

If you go to settings and network, you could enter the home wifi credentials.

 

I have a samsung Tizen TV, i dont use any apps on the TV, its really slow. It has an AIS app which allows the wife to watch all the Thai channels, but it's really laggy. Samsung won't help you, just get the Android box GUI up and use the scan function to find the input, which you already have by the sounds of things and then forget the Tizen function.

 

Focus on your true box, add YouTube, the Thai channels should be there on the true app, what else do you want to do? Do you have a VPN and want BBC iplayer?

[TroubleandGrumpy]

IMO Smart TVs are total rubbish.  I use an old laptop and android device (Shield TV) connected to TV via HDMI.  Set them up and you never have to worry about the idiot smart TV and its constant updating and changing of things and poor functionality.

Once you have the devices setrup that were designed and meant for internet use, then 'delete' the smart TV khrapp.  Turn it off completely - uplug - then factory reset and start again - do not connect wifi - skip that step and all the other 'setup' stuff. Youtube has plenty of vids how to do it - look it up for your model (on laptop or phone). 

[Lorry]

9 hours ago, gargamon said:

Get an android TV box,

 

4 hours ago, recom273 said:

Focus on your true box

So the true box is an android box?

 

4 hours ago, recom273 said:

forget the Tizen function

Thx, very helpful advice

 

4 hours ago, recom273 said:

the Thai channels should be there on the true app,

Yes, correct,  I was very surprised about this

 

4 hours ago, recom273 said:

what else do you want to do? Do you have a VPN and want BBC iplayer?

With the true box, is the TV now a normal android device?

 

I was thinking about a VPN (I should download it from the Google playstore, which I access through true's android,  correct?) so can access channels of my home country (not UK, so not iplayer)

I was also thinking of sideloading apps (can also load them from F-droid which I can load from the playstore), eg New Pipe = YouTube without commercials

 

Google maps and OsmAnd might look nice on a bigger screen,  same procedure,  right?

[Will B Good]

Step 1 Do not read any instructions

 

 

Step 2 Keeping pressing buttons until you eventually find what the buttons do

[scubascuba3]

Smart TVs are dumb, i despise my Samsung. YouTube is the only useful app the others are garbage, any available have to be paid for so of course i ignore them.

 

Play around with the menu, it won't kill you, learn by trial and error.

 

I don't bother with a box either, they are annoying and a faff, instead i have apps on my spare phone and cast to the TV, much easier and user friendly 

[Lorry]

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Step 1 Do not read any instructions

 

 

Step 2 Keeping pressing buttons until you eventually find what the buttons do

That's what I am doing. 

Whith 4 remotes,  it's a bit of a pita.

 

1 remote seems to be called "universal remote" by Samsung. It seems to be the real remote. 

2nd remote I was told is for my 5 year old and my not-so-smart wife (how did they know?)

3rd and 4th are from true and look identical. 

Could it be that the 3rd remote was just given to the previous user of the TV, and I got the same again?

 

Should I use the Samsung remote #1 or the true remote? How do they relate to each other?

[Lorry]

6 minutes ago, Sticky Rice Balls said:

it spies on you

I read that. 

I don't see the spying cam, though. 

Does Samsung hide the spy cam inside the main screen?

Is there any way to put tape onto it?

Does the spy cam still work if I pull the plug of the TV?

[Will B Good]

5 minutes ago, Lorry said:

That's what I am doing. 

Whith 4 remotes,  it's a bit of a pita.

 

1 remote seems to be called "universal remote" by Samsung. It seems to be the real remote. 

2nd remote I was told is for my 5 year old and my not-so-smart wife (how did they know?)

3rd and 4th are from true and look identical. 

Could it be that the 3rd remote was just given to the previous user of the TV, and I got the same again?

 

Should I use the Samsung remote #1 or the true remote? How do they relate to each other?

 

 

I do lots of house sits.....and the most difficult task I ever face is getting the b****y TV to work....555

[gargamon]

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

So the true box is an android box?

I haven't used the true box but I'm sure it greatly restricts what apps you can add and use. 

[gargamon]

1 hour ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

I do lots of house sits.....and the most difficult task I ever face is getting the b****y TV to work....555

You had to mask out bloody?

[Will B Good]

3 hours ago, gargamon said:

You had to mask out bloody?

Been banned too many times to take the risk

[Robert Paulson]

I use an Amazon fire stick I don’t be messing with any of the “smart” tv functions. I wish they would make tvs cheaper and just load them with a few hdmi and that’s it

[recom273]

5 hours ago, Lorry said:

 

So the true box is an android box?

 

Thx, very helpful advice

 

Yes, correct,  I was very surprised about this

 

With the true box, is the TV now a normal android device?

 

I was thinking about a VPN (I should download it from the Google playstore, which I access through true's android,  correct?) so can access channels of my home country (not UK, so not iplayer)

I was also thinking of sideloading apps (can also load them from F-droid which I can load from the playstore), eg New Pipe = YouTube without commercials

 

Google maps and OsmAnd might look nice on a bigger screen,  same procedure,  right?

 

It runs Android OS - not too sure if it's a straight up android or if it has restrictions, does it have google play store?

 

If you want to get overseas content then you might want to buy a sub for a vpn, they can be more reliable than a free one from wherever, they will have an app to use the vpn and then download the tv stations own app.

 

If you want to view YouTube, ad-free then use a VPN to select a country that doesnt allow monetization https://isthischannelmonetized.com/youtube-monetization-countries-list/

 

Yup, smart TVs collect data from your viewing habits and send them back to the manufacturer, who then sells them on to interested parties. It's called automatic content recognition. It's not just smart TV's - the android boxes collect data, apps, services that provide video content and media players all do the same.

 

Edited May 28 by recom273

[Lorry]

22 minutes ago, recom273 said:

does it have google play store?

Yes

 

Thx for all the advice!

[Denim]

A useful shortcut if you have a smartphone is to just cast anything you watch on your phone onto the television.

 

We were recently in our go to hotel in Bangkok which has a smart TV with Netflix in every room. Wife got so irritated trying to figure out how to use it she distracted me from my book. I showed her how to cast from her phone and peace returned.

[Lorry]

Turned out not many apps are available in the play store for this TV.

For example,  the usual browsers aren't there.

I read that many of them don't work well with TV, so I downloaded TV Bro, a  PITA.

Maybe tomorrow I will sideload Puffins, and OSM (maps aren't really available, either).

 

New Pipe works well, VPN too, TV apps from home country soso.

 

I have a 7 y.o. Philips "smart" TV in my home country, incredibly bad, and would have expected something better by now, especially from Samsung.

With Philips, I just cast the screen. 

With Samsung - not sure yet.

 

Thanks to everybody here,  especially @recom273

 

 

 

[huangnon]

On 5/29/2024 at 1:40 AM, Lorry said:

Turned out not many apps are available in the play store for this TV.

For example,  the usual browsers aren't there.

I read that many of them don't work well with TV, so I downloaded TV Bro, a  PITA.

Maybe tomorrow I will sideload Puffins, and OSM (maps aren't really available, either).

 

New Pipe works well, VPN too, TV apps from home country soso.

 

I have a 7 y.o. Philips "smart" TV in my home country, incredibly bad, and would have expected something better by now, especially from Samsung.

With Philips, I just cast the screen. 

With Samsung - not sure yet.

 

Thanks to everybody here,  especially @recom273

 

 

 

 

I also (foolishly) bought a Samsung "smart" tv a year ago. The apps available are from Samsung only and very limited, especially if you want to watch or have subscribed to an iptv service. (Any future purchases will be an android system). The apps on Playstore are only Samsung-approved and limited.

I got an android 'box' last month and loaded up the iptv viewers / players, and also bought a decent VPN to run in the background. Seems to work very well.

Edited May 31 by huangnon

[msbkk]

On 5/28/2024 at 4:28 PM, gargamon said:

I haven't used the true box but I'm sure it greatly restricts what apps you can add and use. 

Yes, it does.