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Ask Slashdot: Why Do You Want a 'Smart TV'?
Reader kheldan questions the need for a Smart TV (edited for clarity): Yesterday we read about how Samsung is planning on 'upgrading' the firmware in its smart TVs so that it could inject ads into your video streams. This raises the question yet again: Why do you even need a 'smart TV' in the first place? We live in an age where media-center computers and DVRs are ubiquitous, and all your TV really needs to be is a high-def monitor to connect to these devices. Even many smartphones have HDMI connectivity, and a Raspberry Pi is inexpensive and can play 1080 content at full framerate. None of these devices are terribly expensive anymore, and the price jump from a non-smart TV to a smart TV makes it difficult to justify the expense. Also, remember previous articles posted on the subject of surveillance many of these smart TVs have been found guilty of. So I put it to you, denizens of Slashdot: Why does anyone really want a 'smart TV'?
I don't even want a regular TV. I watch Netflix on a 25" monitor that I plug into a laptop.
I don't.
In Capitalist US, the commerce controls the Government.
The link goes to the story yesterday on how Panasonic is stopping production of LCDs for TVs.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
I just bought a new TV over the weekend, so I have recent experience with shopping. When it comes to large screen 1080p or 4k monitors, I didn't see any in the stores that weren't "smart" in one way or another.
That said - I have no use at all for those features excepting one... The set I bought can act as a Chromecast receiver (and it does so marvelously, I might add). I won't use any of the other apps on it since I already have other devices that run those apps and more perfectly well, but I am definitely happy with the ability to wirelessly cast to it because none of my existing devices had that capability.
Consumers want a Roku/Fire/Mythbox/AppleTV-like function that lets them play video on their TV with a convenient UI. They don't especially want a smart TV, although boy wouldn't it be nice if we could eliminate a box... dream on.
However TV makers, long under the knife of commodity bottom diving, would like to get a piece of the higher margin smart-device business. It is they who are forcing their lousy smartTV functions on us. We all know better: they are very slow, they end up being unsupported after a year, they rarely support all the apps that a user may want, and it takes 60s for your TV to "boot up" as a result of the cruft. They are forcing this crap on us in the hopes that we'll find it "good enough". It's not making them any money, so I expect it will eventually be dropped, I don't know anyone who bought a TV because of its "smart" functionality.
Why wouldn't you want a TV with SystemD and a fucking web browser that tells all your data to HQ. If you get a hard one when the TV fails to boot again thanks to PoetteringD or you want to pay ransom to the hackers of the TV company who made photos of you naked to not release them then smart TVs are something for you.
As of right now, Netflix only plays in 4k directly on a smart TV or a few authorized media devices but no mention of a self made computer.
I want a TV that specifically does NOT have those "smart" features.
Putting a EULA-requiring TV with a camera, microphone and internet connection in the bedroom. What could possibly go wrong?
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"You are not remembered for doing what is expected of you." - Atul Chitnis
I know it's weird but I just want this unitasking display that does ONE THING GOOD - Generates a purty picture with good resolution and color depth and supports the current HDMI standards and maybe displayport. I don't want or need to play angry birds on it or skype on it or any countless numbers of apps that I'll use my computer or iDevice to run and I certainly do NOT want it networked (unless you're going to allow me to update the HDMI controllers - which you guys never do anyway preferring to make me buy a whole new display)
YOU. SELL. TVs!!!
That's the extent of your access into my life!
A computer monitor makes a great dumb TV. I use a Raspberry Pi with one as a media center.
Dog is my co-pilot.
It's a bit strange to me to ask the question, "Why do you want a smart-TV when you can just buy a Raspberry Pi?" Because then I'd need to figure out and set up a Raspberry Pi, obviously. It may be that it sounds to you like a fun project, but a lot of people don't want to go through that process. I don't want a media center computer, adding another device that I need to manage and update, I just want the simplest way to watch Netflix without worrying about yet another device.
Now I'm playing the devil's advocate a little here. I have a Smart TV because the TV model I wanted at the time I was shopping for TVs came with those features. I don't use it, because I use an Apple TV (if I weren't in Apple's ecosystem for other reasons, I'd probably have gone with a Roku box). If there were a TV with a built-in Apple TV, I might buy that as a matter of simplification and convenience, but if I kept two separate devices, it would probably be so that I could upgrade the "smart" components without upgrading the screen. Still, if it were an option to have a TV with the Apple TV components integrated, I might go for that, just to make things really simple.
All I want is to watch Netflix/Hulu. As long as it has that functionality, I want the simplest, easiest, most elegant, and most trouble-free method of doing that. I suspect that many people have a similar approach to the problem.
With the "smart" built in there is no upgrade path. Once a manufacturer stops selling the model you have you are guaranteed to not be getting any firmware updates sans any class action. Right now you buy a TV and keep it until it dies or you decide on a bigger set. OEM's want a way to get you to upgrade quicker. Enter Smart TV's. It's like all the auto makers now adding WiFi to their cars. When LTE2 or whatever rolls out will you be able to upgrade that? Probably not.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
Replacing my Roku when it becomes obsolete, or doesn't have a feature I want, that the new model has is easy and fairly inexpensive. (>$100) Having to replace my entire 50" TV for the same reason is lousy. It's many times more expensive, creates a ton more waste, and is just stupid because the screen still works just fine.
The fact that the manufacturers will do invasive things like inject ads and siphon viewer data is icing on the BS cake.
CyberKender
Apparently Appointed Lord Mayor of There
Its more likely to ask why wouldn't you want a smart tv. Otherwise its one more device, two more wires, one more power brick wasting energy, one HDMI port used and extra complexity for non nerdy gadget types.
The answer is because Smart TV UI's always suck (performance too) and that the tv manufacturers can be counted on to do stupid things no one ever asked for. Like including microphones and cameras (could easily be add-ons for the rare people who actually want it), and injecting ads into tv streams.
Thes extra gadgets only exist in the wake of the TV manufacturers ineptitude.
I don't know anyone offhand who wants a "smart TV", other than it might save them the need for another box and wall wart. Especially with the fact that it will be a pretty much foregone conclusion that the apps on the TV will never be upgraded... actually, nothing upgraded on the TV, other than an "enhanced advertising experience", which no consumer wants.
I just like displays that display accurately whatever signal I feed them, be it VGA, DVI, HDMI, DP, MiniDP, or whatever. If I want additional features, I'll just plug in a box that does what I want it to.
Plus, how can a TV maker know what people are going to stay using? An app that may be in vogue today may be completely dead a few years from now. For example, a Napster or Rdio app. A TV needs to remain relatively timeless, and app neutral. In fact, it shouldn't be connected to the Internet at all, for security reasons. Firmware updates? This is what hardware QA is for. A TV has far fewer states than a computer does, so if done right, it shouldn't need any firmware upgrades through its service life.
Everyone wants a 'smart' device until they realize that all the smart logic is designed to take control away from the user and give it to someone trying to sell you something. Your device (phone, tv, home security system, appliance, etc.) becomes an another avenue to push advertising at you or sign you up to some subscription service. That might be something you actually want. For the rest of us, it is just annoying chatter that we want to turn off.
I mean, I have a remote for Roku, one for the TV, one for the cable box, one for the dedicated skype device, one for Bluray, one for the speakers and two not-as-universal-as-I-thought remotes. Sure, 4K on 60 inches with some apps was what I thought I wanted but being able to sit down and turn on Netflix with a single remote? Priceless.
Why? No extra box, limited headache, decent UI.
All the other Smart stuff is pretty worthless IMHO.
When are we going to get a decent UI that lets me watch whatever I have access to in a single UIX? Let me put Netflix, Amazon, Hulu credentials in and have a common interface. I know Amazon opened up some, but a wider standard would be idealtastic.
I had a lengthy conversation with netflix support, apparently, there is NO way to view 4K netflix content except for a smart TV that supports "software" as they call it. Essentially, its DRM as demanded by studio.
So as in my case, I have 40" 4K monitor, all the hardware, a 4K plan with netflix, 50mbps internet, but I cannot get 4K because its only available on these so called Smart TVs.
Before we argue, 4K content is a lot lot sharper. I do want it, but Netflix won't stream it to my PC.
I always tell people not to spend the extra money because it's a "smart tv." I recently challenge myself to that assumption and bought a Samsung smart tv for the bedroom and I can say it still sucks. I suggest buying a Roku if you want plug and play streaming: Netflix, Amazon prime, slingtv, and it even talks to my media server running Serviio (plex works too).
I will add my mother in law just bought an LG with their webos software and I was really surprised by it. It works pretty smoothly, close to my favored Roku.
Chewbacon
The Bible is like Wikipedia: written by a bunch of people and verifiable by questionable sources.
Get a harmony remote. Wife presses watch movie button all the right bits come up etc etc, wife presses off button things all go off.
No sir I dont like it.
I don't even want a regular TV. I watch Netflix on a 25" monitor that I plug into a laptop.
Ah, the single life. Still thinking like you are living out of the dorm. But for social engagements with your wife and kids, friends and family, you are going to need that big screen TV and the sound bar to match --- say hello to the pre-order Disney Blu Ray from Amazon Prime, and goodbye to the rip off from the Pirate Bay.