Do Smart TVs Work?

[corkman]

Hi All,

Of course the guys in the shop will tell me that I can, but realistically can you stream live TV and movies etc. on a smart TV?

I need to buy a new TV anyway, and to be honest I don’t have much patience for connecting PC’s to TV’s etc. So if a smart TV allows me to log onto sites like "ilikeHD.com", "putlocker", etc., then I’d prefer that.

My main concern is will I be likely to experience the system “hanging” due to low processor speeds etc.?

To be clear, I have no interest in surfing the net, or doing anything other than watching tv and movies.

Thanks guys.

[inzman]

I believe it's more a problem with the slow internet in Thailand. Even with fiber, the international sites are lagging due to the poor connectivity. I cannot get anything to stream continuously here. Unless of course it originates in this country. I'm pretty sure the single gateway is already up and running.

[rawhod]

I login to iLikeHD on our Samsung Smart TV. They have a lite app. especially for Smart TV's.

[Happy Grumpy]

I need to buy a new TV anyway, and to be honest I don’t have much patience for connecting PC’s to TV’s etc.

All you do is plug the cable that would go into the monitor into the TV.

I have my main PC plugged into my 50 inch flatscreen via HDMI cable, 5.1 Surroud Sound system, wireless keyboard and mouse which are handy whilst on the sofa. It's a smart TV but have never bothered doing anything like that as using the PC is so great.

Get yourself a HDMI cable.

[Chicog]

If you buy an Android TV, you can actually install Kodi on it.

Although the only brand I've heard of that runs Android is LG.

[sniffdog]

I just bought a LG Oled smart tv (65eg960t) and it's great. Netflix has its own app and sites like Ilikehd can be watched through the tv browser. It connects all of my network devices so I can stream my downloaded movies and series from either my Mybook, PC or Kodi on my PC.

And as usual the Thaivisa expert has it wrong again. Sony has an android tv not LG. LG's WebOS runs not on Android but on Linux. Chicog, why don't you check things before you start typing.

Edited April 3, 2016 by sniffdog

[Happy Grumpy]

^ What he said could well be true.... that he's 'heard that'. Perhaps he has heard that. Thus it's a true and correct statement, it is what he has heard. Whether or not what he has heard is correct or not, is another matter.

[sniffdog]

And you,sir, need to read correctly.

[canuckamuck]

You can also buy an Android box, and just hook it up like a DVD player. and you can add a hard drive too.

[Linesy]

Toshiba also do a smart tv running Android 40" for 17k and some of the cheaper lesser known brands are also appearing. TCL also do a Roku TV for streaming.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Linesy

[Chicog]

Big round of applause for sniffdog, he got one right and can do a little fist pump.

Sony are in fact the leading brand, with Phillips and Sharp coming to market. LG's won't run Kodi, so I stand corrected.

P.S. Although they might be going Android, since they laid off 20 staff in the WebOS division in December, so sniffdog might be left with a lemon.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Chicog

[condo bought]

And you,sir, need to read correctly.

Actually, the other poster made a statement of hearsay, which you (incorrectly) read as a statement of fact.

As for android TV's no idea, standard media center and PC connected to my TV's work well.

[Chicog]

And you,sir, need to read correctly.

Actually, the other poster made a statement of hearsay, which you (incorrectly) read as a statement of fact.

As for android TV's no idea, standard media center and PC connected to my TV's work well.

As does an Amazon Fire TV Stick, which thanks to the latest update now lets you add Kodi to the home screen.

[Chicog]

And you,sir, need to read correctly.

Actually, the other poster made a statement of hearsay, which you (incorrectly) read as a statement of fact.

As for android TV's no idea, standard media center and PC connected to my TV's work well.

As does an Amazon Fire TV Stick, which thanks to the latest update now lets you add Kodi to the home screen.

[Chicog]

And you,sir, need to read correctly.

Actually, the other poster made a statement of hearsay, which you (incorrectly) read as a statement of fact.

As for android TV's no idea, standard media center and PC connected to my TV's work well.

As does an Amazon Fire TV Stick, which thanks to the latest update now lets you add Kodi to the home screen.

[UKJASE]

laptop connected to a TV via HDMI works best i think.

No need for the TV to be smart. Just run the HDMI cable out the back and connect it to your laptop when needed.

Wireless mouse and keyboard for 600 baht and you are ready to install Kodi ;o)

[RandG]

We have a Samsung "Smart TV", which is 2 or 3 years old and connected to 3BB in Phuket via WiFi and 3BB's standard cheapo router and their 10MBit/s service. When Netflix launched in Thailand in January, we went into the Samsung's Smart TV functions, and it automatically downloaded the Netflix app. Over a 3 month period of watching Netflix, the quality has been perfect (HD) with the exception of 1 day, when 3BB connectivity was up and down like a yoyo anyway. In the UK, we also have a LG Smart TV, which works perfectly with Netflix, Amazon Prime etc.

What the Smart TV will not give you, in comparison to the Android black boxes, Fire Sticks etc. is the wide choice of aps, such as Kodi, and thereby access to some of the overseas streaming.

Good luck.

[swissbie]

laptop connected to a TV via HDMI works best i think.

No need for the TV to be smart. Just run the HDMI cable out the back and connect it to your laptop when needed.

Wireless mouse and keyboard for 600 baht and you are ready to install Kodi ;o)

It depends on your needs. For me, the smart TV works very well. Wife, daughter and friends prefer streaming on the TV, i look my own stuff on my laptop. When i want to see something from my comp. on the big screen, i just connect it per WiFi, don't even need a HDMI-cable.

[AlQaholic]

All new smart TVs can stream, you have also the option if you have win10 and the TV is connected to your home wifi you can stream directly from your win10 machine or even your android phone. just right select file and chose "cast to......". Im on trial on the Netflix in Thailand and so far I am not at all impressed. I already have all their stuff on my home drive plus a hoard of stuff they do not have, and there is nothing but movies and series on Netflix, non of which I see.

Ilikehd is also garbage, it is not really streaming HD, its just using some player like flash to show the content, no streaming.

Edited April 4, 2016 by AlQaholic

[JHolmesJr]

Tried a samsung smart tv for a week….didnt enjoy it at all….clunky interface and browser….tv should concentrate on being a good tv, not a computer.

Much rather have a minix or something similar plugged into the tv….its powerful, upgradable and tiny.

Theres also the privacy aspect….Im pretty sure that smart tvs transmit every single bit of detail about your viewing habits back to the manufacturer who sells that info to marketers who will then target you. Plus the tvs with cameras built in can record you and whatever's going on in the room without your knowledge….smart tvs can't be trusted.

Edited April 4, 2016 by JHolmesJr

[anfh]

I bought a Toshiba Smart TV in December. This allows you to install android apps directly.

However, you may need to use the Internet browser to download "APK versions of apps that you require to stream videos and TVs series. This is easily done, merely search google for the name of required app and ad APK to the search line.

I use Kodi directly on this TV. This ok and seems to run as well as it does on my laptop. However I find Kodi is not always stable.

I also loaded Showbox onto the TV. This has many videos which includes relatively new ones. It also has a huge range of TV series. The programme allows you to stream the programme directly or to download it in order to watch it later. I would suggest this is the best way to watch movies as the Internet in Thailand is always erratic. I download movies during the day, to watch later.

As I am English, I also loaded Filmontv app, which has pretty stable streams of live UK TV

[Chicog]

Apologies for the dupes gentlemen, must be TV because I didn't do anything here other click once, although I did notice Database errors shortly after.

[fasteddie]

I must admit, after spending 5 secs plugging that cable in and switching tv to hdmi I'm at my wits end and need a lie down.

[Baimai48]

Smart is limited to the same device and a game console or DVD player etc is large and has limitations

Only a streaming media player or stick will give kodi and all the apks you want to enjoy all including music and games. I recommend android with a mini keyboard that can easily be carried from tv to tv everywhere on earth where there is wifi

The newest have 4k and 16gb technology and are becoming easier to use

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

[jacko45k]

I haven't had much success using the App which is on my Samsung (IPTV). You have to program a source file to pick the channels.

One or two channels work sometimes but I believe it needs faster internet and perhaps a VPN.

Nor can you run a standard TV website (FilmON.TV) on the TV browser. It doesn't support the flash player.

Sorry to say I do exactly what you do not have the patience for, a HDMI cable from a laptop sitting near the TV.

Controlled from a wireless mouse (a keyboard could be added too).

Even that hangs sometimes.

Perhaps you could consider an android box.

Edited April 4, 2016 by jacko45k

[patyh]

The idea of a smartTV is good.. But because everyone is doing their own thing.. I prefer to go with the following option:

1. Apple TV (At least it gets updated and has a good app eco-system)

2. Android TV (Something like the Nvidia Shield.. TV brands are notorious for not updating the software on their TV.. )

3. Plug a god damn PC. (Something like the Intel Compute Stick or the Intel NUC will serve as a good media player to stream from other devices in the network.. )

[pkspeaker]

i have a ps3 which is like a 'smart tv' in that it has that it has the youtube app and a few other's, the video works fine with average adsl internet speed which is all i got, only problem is ps network is often down which means when it is i can't use youtube, even though youtube is working fine, i gotta log into playstation network everytime i wanna use it.. it's better than plugging in the PC though because with the pc everything is small and then your gonna have to resize everything so you can see it on the tv from 5 feet away and use a wireless keyboard.. the smarttv youtube app linked to a tablet is the best way to use youtube or other video services, you select whatever you want on the tablet and it plays on the TV.

[sendintheclowns]

I believe it's more a problem with the slow internet in Thailand. Even with fiber, the international sites are lagging due to the poor connectivity. I cannot get anything to stream continuously here. Unless of course it originates in this country. I'm pretty sure the single gateway is already up and running.

Not sure why the only references are to buying a hdmi cable, only. That is the best medium to transfer data from computer to monitor. I issue it to connect the external HD containing all my current downloads to my TV. Nothing smart about that, I know,

In addition to what your ISP provides, speed is limited by the medium you use, to get the signal from your modem to your TV. If you use wi-fi the signal will lose strength, so compared with using a LAN cable.

A caution, dealers are blowing older model TVs out the door. Better check that the one you choose has a LAN port.

Depending on the viewing distance between you and the TV, a wi-fi mouse/keyboard may not be adequate. You may need a Bluetooth model.

I've made it sound more complicated than it is, for most people. That is because the smart tv is new to me, I haven't watched live TVs for 20 years.

I found you cannot rely on most of the 'salesmen', for objective advice. Good luck and do post in your experiences.

[Chicog]

A caution, dealers are blowing older model TVs out the door. Better check that the one you choose has a LAN port.

Not really necessary for streaming, the bottleneck is usually your Internet connection.

Good 802.11ac Wifi will stream pretty well everything and you can do that with an Amazon Fire TV stick or similar.

In fact for the novice I'd go so far as to say the Fire Stick is the way to go, as you can put Kodi/Netflix, etc. straight on it, and you can play media from your home network.

[hspace]

If you're a little bit IT competent or willing to google a bit, you can get the same functionality, or more, with a cheap Android TV box. Or if willing to splurge, the Apple TV box. This is just a little box that you connect to your TV. You can easily install apps on it, just like any smartphone, or upgrade easily.

With a TV, once the hardware is outdated, you have to change the whole TV. If you get a normal TV, you pay less, and you can upgrade the little TV box.