Tried to get it to connect to several sites. Couldn't 'find' about half.
That's it. No more smart TVs. plugged the laptop into the HDMI and got the video streams that way.
It's a cheap way to get a computer monitor. And a raspberry Pi is prolly enough to drive it.
But an interface to anything other than I-player or netflix, it ain't
+1. The smart TV will probably be out of support and the apps will stop working before you need to replace the batteries in the remote. Meanwhile it'll be a perfectly good display panel for a decade or two.
Or an Android TV / Chromecast / Roku / Fire Stick / Apple TV box, if that does what you want.
Think of the 'smart' features as a £50 Android phone in the box, because that's the quality of experience you typically get.
Theo
How old is it?
We have one which must be 8 years old now, I?d say it was one of their early Smart TVs ( with Sat, 3D etc).
We?ve never really used the Smart functions, it was bought for the large screen and sat.
I?ve tended to use Android boxes for Smart features, more recently Firesticks- I?ve bought several when they?ve been on offer for half price etc. With a central media server I can watch saved videos on most of the main TVs. I even have a system for the motorhome - useful for UK winter trips in the evening. The Firestick can run IPlayer, Netflix, Prime of course, ITV?s version of IPlayer, plus the other ones.
My experience exactly. It's now fed by a hacked Humax HDR FOX-T2. And a Roku box.
I drive my smart TCL tv with a Windows computer, it gives me so much more control over avoiding Google.
Really? It works on Youtube though. Were you trying to use it for shopping?
Depends how old it is. A lot of the browsers are basically developed from Google Chrome often smart tvs, but recent changes in things like certificates do not seem to get reflected in browser updates in smart tvs outside of the streaming systems apparently. I noticed over the weekend there was a nasty noise sounding like an old
1980s computer loading on the left channel until I moved away from ch10 and back then about ten minutes later the program guide and currently on voice started to speak. I'm guessing this was some kind of software update. Did not notice any changes one still gets the occasional drop in the Wifi connection on streaming channels and Alexa, a problem not unique to Samsung, apparently, I will have to buy that cable by the looks of it. BrianI think mine has all the usual subscription channels and youtube. Trouble is if youpaid for prime, netflix, Disney, Apple discovery plus britbox and the ad free streaming catch ups you probably could not have afforded to buy the TV in the first place However some of the free streaming channels from Pluto TV Sophie TV and others can be interesting, pity they have no audio description. There does seem to be a long standing bug on smart TVs that often indicates audio description where there is none. I'm assuming they interpret a little graphic and some bright spark changed it so if the channel is capable of AD it flags that not the fact the content has it.. The only reason I bought mine was that its a joy to be able to use a TV with voice in both directions, albeit the terrible Pico voice from Google which sounds like some strict school maaam of about 70 years with asthma. Brian
My Samsungs are fine. The LG does get more useless every day, but we don't use it much. Whilst its probably OK(ish) on a new Pi I bought a Lenovo Mini PC to drive it.
Dave
I've got 2 LG TVs - one is over 5 years old - and they're both working fine software-wise.
The thing that gets me is the hardware - it's probably something to do with RAM/processor, but they're both slow. The newer one is better, but put to shame by my brother's c.10 year old curved screen Samsung (which I think was
2k+ when he bought it).
But none over avoiding Windows!
No problem with Windows, if you know how to tame it.
They don't. My media is based round a server, that can run DLNA which the TVS CAN use but I have a better web interface to stream audio and video that needs a competent browser in the TV to access it.
TVs don't have competent browsers. And all the boxes above are simply ( like mobile phones) access to someone else's advertising.
Even the on-air TV can be handled by TVheadend server...driving my custom media app.
So really at some point I decided no more TVs with tuners - they willl gradually become display monitors with sound.
No, its not even that good.
My mobile phone can access any web site, the TV randomly cannot.
But sadly not Microsoft...
I think I will drive mine with scrap PCs or Pis running linux. depends if the PI is fast enough to drive full screen HD video
You're lucky a large screen Samsung is still working. Mine died just out of warranty. A new PS board from Samsung simply uneconomic. Got a used one from Ebay, and flogged the set. Which didn't have the best picture anyway.
If you still have Netflix that is better than mine.
I tried to update the app but the TV decided to delete it. According to google, Netflix changed the way the app works a few years ago.
NetFlix still works on both my LG and my Samsung..... .... but note some old BT and TalkTalk freeview boxes top boxes will lose the ITV hub in the new year...
The problem with all of these smart devices is that broadcasters do things to "improve the service" (usually increase compression or decrease the bit rate) that muck up the built in smart apps and after a while the installed apps for a given older unit are no longer updated so you are stuck with something that doesn't work properly or at all.
Browsers that can't handle modern embedded media for example.
Probably best off with one of the USB powered devices that pretends to be a PC or Linux system according to taste. Apple TV isn't bad either but again is expensive and a bit of a closed eco system but easier to use than some of the alternatives for a non-techie.
Since moving home nine months ago my Samsung 55 inch smart TV has remained protection wrapped in what is an unheated conservatory.
I should able to hoist it ont its baracket tomorrow. I will let it adjust to room temerature for a few hours before "lighting the blue touchpaper."
Previously it was receiving either broadcast signals from a COAX feed, wifi for Netflix or a dedicated computer for MythTV.
The computer cannot be deployed yet but the Wifi has been replaced with a wired ethernet lead to a Netgear switch.
I didn't have the TV for long before the ITV Hub became unavailable. I am hoping Netflix and iPlayer will still be there.
It will probably have a hissy fit in sympathy with the polo keys
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