Smart TV's

[modio]

Can anyone help me with this? I am looking to buy a Smart TV and I was wondering if it will replace the dish. I know you can get apps on these television's but can you get the ABC go app or the WMUR app that has live streaming video on these? If anyone knows, has it or has tried please let me know what you've found out! Thank you!

[BroadHopper]

I have the Vizio with the app bar from Amazon. I did download the ABC app and it is pretty slick. The last I look WMUR does not have an app yet. Why would you want WMUR to begin with? Their news are lousy!

You can pair the TV to your laptop or smartphone with the DLNA app and use the TV as the monitor. This is how I use the laptop as a DVR of prior shows. Renting or buying a DVR is a waste of money!

Now that RedBox, Blockbuster and Netfix are available on the laptop, I stream my movies to the laptop and use DLNA to use the TV as my monitor. You don't need Roxu or any of those sticks.

[Slickcraft]

The streaming performance of the smart tv will always be stogy compared to a streaming box like ROKU or chromecast. And the streaming channel choices on the smart tv will be limited compared to ROKU.

If you get a dumb tv plus something like a ROKU 3 the total cost will will be less than that of a smart tv and the streaming performance better.

Smart tv makers are first of all in the business to sell tvs. ROKU is in the streaming business.

There is very little live major network tv available with streaming, smart tv or ROKU. We watch WMUR news live by streaming to the laptop and and connecting to the tv by a HBMI cable.

[modio]

Thanks Slick. Do you own a smart TV, or is that just what you've decided about them? I have the WMUR app on my phone and can stream the broadcast (which I enjoy, Hopper!). So, that app is not available on a smart TV? However, I could stream through my phone and watch on my TV like a monitor? Slick, do you have to watch the broadcast live, real time, or can you stream the most recent from their site whenever you want? Thanks for your responses. They have helped!

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by modio

Thanks Slick. Do you own a smart TV, or is that just what you've decided about them? I have the WMUR app on my phone and can stream the broadcast (which I enjoy, Hopper!). So, that app is not available on a smart TV? However, I could stream through my phone and watch on my TV like a monitor? Slick, do you have to watch the broadcast live, real time, or can you stream the most recent from their site whenever you want? Thanks for your responses. They have helped!

We have a Samsung early generation smart tv at home and considered getting a latest version smart tv for camp. After a lot of on line research I got the dumb Samsung for camp + a ROKU 3 and then also got a ROKU 3 for home. We find that the best thing about streaming is Netflix.

WMUR local news is available live from their web site as well as from the phone app. But just the content that WMUR generates, not network stuff. Just look at their web site when their news is on, red live newscast link at the top of page. Then I select full page on the browser and switch the tv source to the HDMI input connected to the laptop. I an not aware of a wmur app for smart tv or ROKU but that may happen.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I have the Vizio with the app bar from Amazon. I did download the ABC app and it is pretty slick. The last I look WMUR does not have an app yet. Why would you want WMUR to begin with? Their news are lousy!

You can pair the TV to your laptop or smartphone with the DLNA app and use the TV as the monitor. This is how I use the laptop as a DVR of prior shows. Renting or buying a DVR is a waste of money!

Now that RedBox, Blockbuster and Netfix are available on the laptop, I stream my movies to the laptop and use DLNA to use the TV as my monitor. You don't need Roxu or any of those sticks.

Some people may like WMUR's new. I happen to be one of them.

[diz]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

The streaming performance of the smart tv will always be stogy compared to a streaming box like ROKU or chromecast. And the streaming channel choices on the smart tv will be limited compared to ROKU.

If you get a dumb tv plus something like a ROKU 3 the total cost will will be less than that of a smart tv and the streaming performance better.

Smart tv makers are first of all in the business to sell tvs. ROKU is in the streaming business.

There is very little live major network tv available with streaming, smart tv or ROKU. We watch WMUR news live by streaming to the laptop and and connecting to the tv by a HBMI cable.

I prefer the external boxes for two reasons:

1. As new models are released I can upgrade for $100 or so. I'm not stuck with the platform on my TV.

2. Both my Apple TV and my Roku regularly get new apps and channels. I don't think there's a similar amount of new content added by the TV manufacturers.

[Rusty]

Movies and TV are just about a thing of the past for me.

I tried Netflex and Amazon instant videos for a while and canceled them both because there wasn't anything good to watch.

I watch WMUR TV news in the morning and evening and maybe an educational channel and that's about it.

All this new streaming technology is a waste of money. Smart TV's don't work good because of sync, software, and wifi problems. Most of the stuff on smart TV's are fun to learn but end up not being used by a lot of people.

Let me see, how did I do that before...I hear that phrase a lot from people who try to use all the features on this new technology.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by diz

I prefer the external boxes for two reasons:

1. As new models are released I can upgrade for $100 or so. I'm not stuck with the platform on my TV.

2. Both my Apple TV and my Roku regularly get new apps and channels. I don't think there's a similar amount of new content added by the TV manufacturers.

Samsung has an awesome new(1 year) super bright Plasma (8500) that will allow for new upgrades.

[diz]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Movies and TV are just about a thing of the past for me.

I tried Netflex and Amazon instant videos for a while and canceled them both because there wasn't anything good to watch.

I watch WMUR TV news in the morning and evening and maybe an educational channel and that's about it.

All this new streaming technology is a waste of money. Smart TV's don't work good because of sync, software, and wifi problems. Most of the stuff on smart TV's are fun to learn but end up not being used by a lot of people.

Let me see, how did I do that before...I hear that phrase a lot from people who try to use all the features on this new technology.

Whether or not these devices and services are a waste of money depends on your viewing habits, in my opinion. Between our streaming boxes and our DVR we rarely watch anything live. We'd prefer to watch what we want when we want to. And I think this is the trend in general. (Netflix has more than ten million customers.) We are also big fans of the shows Netflix is producing on their own. Nothing on network TV has captured our attention like 'Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards."

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by diz

Whether or not these devices and services are a waste of money depends on your viewing habits, in my opinion. Between our streaming boxes and our DVR we rarely watch anything live. We'd prefer to watch what we want when we want to. And I think this is the trend in general. (Netflix has more than ten million customers.) We are also big fans of the shows Netflix is producing on their own. Nothing on network TV has captured our attention like 'Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards."

You are doing the right thing with having streaming boxes and a DVR .

The software that smart TV's are using will get dumber and dumber as time goes by. Lack of updates and compatibilities will be a nightmare for the average user.
Get a good TV and a well known set-top box for streaming and forget about the smart TV. They have more polished interfaces and good mobile apps so you can control them from your smartphone or tablet.