Computer help

[56BISON73]

Thanks!...

[Bisonguy]

Smart TV = TV + simple computer built in. Basic web functions and streaming capabilities.

A smart TV connects to the internet and can do some streaming functions without a computer attached. Exactly which functions can be handled by the TV varies from model to model, but YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and streaming from a web browser are all common. If you're the type of guy that hooks your laptop up to your TV so that you can watch stuff(other than physical media like DVDs), then a smart TV would probably benefit you. If you never do that and have no interest in it, then it's probably not worth the money unless you're getting a really good deal on it.

When my parents needed a new TV a few months back, I advised them not to get a smart TV since they'd never use it. Dad likes to channel surf and mom can barely work a simple remote control. They almost got one because the sale on a smart TV put it at a lower price than the non-smart version of the same size they were looking at. In the end, dad got a non-smart version that was several inches bigger for even less money because of a store closeout deal. If I was buying a TV for myself, I'd probably get a smart TV because they don't scare me and can streamline portions of internet TV.

I have a smart tv and don't like it. The UI and streaming performance is much worse than a standalone device like Apple TV or a Roku. Beyond that, you're forced into the all-in-one concept which may or may not have the streaming apps you want, and may not support future updates resulting in buying a stand-alone streaming device (cripes, they're less than $100 and I doubt the difference between a smart tv and a dumb tv that are otherwise the same is less than $100).

Smart TVs are basically the TV/VCR combos of the 2010's.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[56BISON73]

LED or LCD?
Htz?

[ByeSonBusiness]

I have a smart tv and don't like it. The UI and streaming performance is much worse than a standalone device like Apple TV or a Roku. Beyond that, you're forced into the all-in-one concept which may or may not have the streaming apps you want, and may not support future updates resulting in buying a stand-alone streaming device (cripes, they're less than $100 and I doubt the difference between a smart tv and a dumb tv that are otherwise the same is less than $100).

Smart TVs are basically the TV/VCR combos of the 2010's.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a dumb tv with a Chromecast. It kicks ass and was like 35 bucks.

[56BISON73]

I have a dumb tv with a Chromecast. It kicks ass and was like 35 bucks.

A few Im looking at have chromecast also. Is that streaming for chrome? Still dont know which is best---LED or LCD?

[BisonTeacher]

I have a smart TV, but I can't say how much I've used it. Maybe a few times with the YouTube app for the kid or something. But I have a home theater PC I built that I have attached to the TV.

[56BISON73]

I have a smart TV, but I can't say how much I've used it. Maybe a few times with the YouTube app for the kid or something. But I have a home theater PC I built that I have attached to the TV.

LED or LCD?

[ByeSonBusiness]

A few Im looking at have chromecast also. Is that streaming for chrome? Still dont know which is best---LED or LCD?

It streams. Has a built in wi-fi. Your tv needs a USB port. Did not know some tv's have it built in. That's cool.

Your smartphone is your remote. Seems like all websites where you'd view games or tv (nbc sports, espn, netflix, hulu ,etc.) have a very easy method to use it.

As far as the LED/LCD I have zero idea. A quick Google search makes to look like LCD is "better" but I don't understand that stuff at all.

[BisonTeacher]

LED or LCD?

My main TV is LED. The others are LCD.

[Hammersmith]

LED or LCD?

Sorry, had a longish post typed up this afternoon, accidentally selected everything and hit the backspace key before realizing. Much muted swearing ensued(I was at work).

LCD and LED TVs are fundamentally the same. Both use an array of LCD crystals to create the image. But LCD crystals can't produce much light, so they need a light source to be projected through the image to give it brightness. This is called a backlight. The backlight is the difference between TVs marketed as LCD or LED.

The old tech is something called a CCFL. This is a type of florescent lamp. A TV might have one to four of these thin tubes providing the backlight. These TVs are marketed as LCD.
Pros: Very reliable. The tech has been around in this form since the 90s.
Cons: Comparatively energy inefficient, florescent lights give off a rather blue(cool) white, not the greatest at incremental brightness

The newer tech is LED. We've come to know about LEDs quite a bit over the last decade. An LED TV has an array of LED modules providing the backlight. There might be anywhere from six to thirty or more LED modules, each with one to four individual LED emitters.
Pros: More energy efficient than CCFLs, better control of brightness due to the larger number of emitters, light color is warmer(more neutral than bluish)
Cons: Tech is less reliable. LED factories in SE Asia were asked to multiply production by many times to satisfy the massive demand for LEDs. This caused a significant bump in failure rates. I don't know if this has been solved or not. It very well may have.

So which do you buy? I would go with LED, but I would really research the quality of the TV brand I was looking at. Do they have a reputation for LED failures? If so, have those problems been solved? My parent's old 50" Visio is sitting in my spare room waiting to be fixed after its LED emitters went out. It's a doable DIY fix, but it takes awhile and you have to be really careful at a couple stages. To have it repaired at a shop is about 75% or more of the cost of a new TV. That can be very frustrating with a 16 month old TV.


The newest tech is called OLED and it will be a massive leap ahead. But it's still in its teething pain stage. It's being used in small displays like cell phones and game units. It is still too expensive for large displays, and it has lifespan problems. Color balance goes to hell around five years out. That's not a killer for a cell phone with a life expectancy of three to four years, but it is a killer for a TV that could be around ten years down the road.