Why Smart TVs Are A Bad Idea

[System Error Message]

for playing blu ray i compared to using usb2 on a PC with a blu ray drive to streaming over network. Not sure people realise but one of the reasons for networking on a smart TV is for the use of DLNA or even a media server. So not only can you watch videos from networked drives from your TV some will let you stream them on LAN. The issue isnt the bitrates of the video, its that there will be raw file access and ethernet isnt fast enough for it. This is different from having something like plex encoding the videos rather than raw file access because plex can run even on ARM but will not do any decoding.

I prefer smart TV functionality seperated from display otherwise you're stuck with what features there are and upgrading would mean changing the whole thing so its more waste to deal with. How many of you actually use your smart TV functionality rather than your ISP's TV box?

[Monkeh]

its that there will be raw file access and ethernet isnt fast enough for it.

Like hell it isn't. If I can stream a raw Blu-ray over wifi, you can sure as hell do it over ethernet!

This is different from having something like plex encoding the videos rather than raw file access because plex can run even on ARM but will not do any decoding.

Of course it does decoding..

[System Error Message]

Correction i mean ARM wont re-encode videos.
The annoying bit is that there is wireless AC that provides more throughput than the onboard ethernet as wire is more reliable than using wifi.

[Monkeh]

The annoying bit is that there is wireless AC that provides more throughput than the onboard ethernet as wire is more reliable than using wifi.

Who said anything about ac? My wifi can't keep up with my DSL, it's still more than adequate to keep up with Blu-ray. 100Mbit ethernet will keep up with most 4k content (excluding UHD Blu-ray, of course..).

[macboy]

Sounds like a lot of people here have pretty dumb smart-TVs.
Mine turns on instantly, < 1 second from power button press to display on and responding. It runs Android and can be updated. I've installed Android apps on it including Kodi, which I use every day, even for playback of 4k HVC files. It has GbE plus dual band wifi-AC. The remote isn't cluttered with buttons, it has fewer than my previous 2007-vintage high end LCD. It has a second remote is little more than a touch pad with microphone, so you can ask it to do things ("OK google, watch house of cards", "OK google, find basketball games").
I have no doubt that the smart features will become ever less smart over the years, but when that happens, I simply connect the latest and greatest set top box.

[Galenbo]

...Mine turns on instantly, < 1 second from power button press to display on and responding. It runs Android and can be updated...

Make, model, price?
Does it have a button/possibility to immediately see http://admin:admin@192.168.1.301:9001/jpg/image.jpg or  http://192.168.1.301:9001/stream/videostream.mjpg ?

[macboy]

...Mine turns on instantly, < 1 second from power button press to display on and responding. It runs Android and can be updated...

Make, model, price?
Does it have a button/possibility to immediately see http://admin:admin@192.168.1.301:9001/jpg/image.jpg or  http://192.168.1.301:9001/stream/videostream.mjpg ?

It's a Sony XBR55-X900C (last year's model). All the Sony smart TVs are Android based and are very similar in smart features. The fancy touchpad remote only comes with the higher end models. It's quite nice though... if you have photos on your phone that you want to show on the TV, you can just tap the phone to that remote and the two pair up with NFC, and you can then share the photos/video from the phone, cast/mirror the phone's screen to the TV, etc.  It actually works.

The "smartest" thing about this smart TV is the use of Android, giving the ability to install and use third party apps. A good example of a must-have app today is Kodi (aka XBMC). I have no doubt that in the future other apps will add much wanted functionality, while "smart" TVs based on a proprietary OS will be left without.

I'm not sure what you are asking in the second question. The remote has a big "Netflix" button, does that count?

Now, the picture quality, hmm... not the best. I think making the panel so thin lead to too many compromises on picture quality. Maybe this year's models are better.

[madires]

BTW, there's ransomware for Smart TVs now. FLocker is an Android lockscreen trojan: http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/flocker-ransomware-crosses-smart-tv/

[rolycat]

BTW, there's ransomware for Smart TVs now. FLocker is an Android lockscreen trojan: http://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/flocker-ransomware-crosses-smart-tv/

I guess you haven't read the first message in this thread 

[madires]

Yup

[AntiProtonBoy]

Don't even bother with actual TVs any more. PC displays do the job really well these days, with out the extra crap I never need nor use. And you are in control.

[SeanB]

Funny, just bought a 32in LED Tv set to use as a second monitor for watching video more comfortably. Not going to actually connect the antenna input ( not even sure it still works, and not really wanting to see if it does in any case, plus I gave away the sat decoder last year as I had not turned it on in 2 years in any case) and just am going to use the VGA input or even a HDMI input if i need to. Was a cheap one, under $150 from the local Makro on sale ( reduced again in price, they were R3000 earlier the year, then dropped to R2800 and I decided at R2600) and all I wanted is there, display, remote and cheap.

Funny thing it is still in the box, I have a few movies lined up for it though, and might even actually go down the road to Blockbusters and rent some.

[ivan747]

You don't have to avoid smart TVs, just don't use the "smart" features.  I don't like that they're throwing all of that crap into every TV made, but you're under no obligation to use it.  Just don't plug in an ethernet cable, don't set up the wifi, and use the HDMI inputs as you normally would.  It's no worse than any other "dumb" TV.

Except wasted processing power, power consumption, perhaps increased startup times and a user interface full of stuff you don't need and potentially money wasted.

Processing power and power consumption wasted on what?  When there is no network connection and the TV is set to an external input, what do you think the CPU is wasting cycles on?

Potentially just being there is more power than not existing at all, or being replaced by something much simpler. It's more economical having a Yaris/Vitz idling than it is having a V8 Ford Mustang.

The rest of your points I can agree on if the TV is properly designed.