[NA] “TV” in the current day

[Matthew]

Roku may be great, I just haven't any experience with it. I generally try to avoid appliances the require extra connections that I seem to always be troubleshooting. Roku I assume will require another power connection plus likely the HDMI cable, and then configuring TV to select the correct input for it. Simple enough, but not as simple as the Plug and play Smart TV, which seems to be complex enough setting up Wifi and subscriptions.

Not sure what level of subscription my son is paying for Hulu haven't noticed that Ads, but haven't only found it to have limited content i liked, or haven't already watched enough times I don't need/want to watch it again.

I do pay for the Ad free netflix. sure there are other good services but try to limit how many subscriptions I am paying for to a minimum and something I actually use.

Roku just plugs into an available HDMI port, and it does require power through a USB cable. My old-ish TV has a USB port right next to the HDMI ports, so I plugged my Roku stick into that for power. But what I didn't know is that USB port wasn't really designed to provide enough current to power a Roku stick so it would sometimes reboot or go offline. I had to connect it to a different power supply. The Roku setup connects it to your WiFi network and you're in bidness. My TV defaults to the last HDMI input, so when I turn on the TV it starts right up on the Roku menu. Basically, the Roku is always on. The advantage of Roku is -- it works. Smart TVs, like one that I have, do have all the apps built in, but the TV hardware and internal apps will sometimes lose support for certain apps. I have that problem with one of my TVs and my BluRay player. Both of them no longer support certain streaming services. So even though I have a smart TV, that one also has a Roku.

 

[TCABM]

boredom?
fomo?

Alright. Here’s a a suggestion. If you have a tablet, phone, or computer, google up streaming services that offer content around your interests.

Do a free trial of any of these services to see if your itch is getting scratched. Once you figure that part out, set a budget and get the biggest screen at the price point.

If your itch isn’t scratched, you won’t have to figure out what to do with that big screen sitting in your space going unused for the next 25 years.

 

[FastEddieB]

There is a YouTube channel called "Cordkillers". Two congenial hosts discussing what to watch and how to watch and the state of the industry today. Recommended.

Latest show:

 

[M20K]

Why go buy a whole new TV, when any old TV with a Roku may be every bit as good?

Granted the OP may not care about 4K or 8K, but his 25 year old TV is probably 1080p, or maybe 1440p (Quad HD / 2K) at best. But if he's going to be paying for 4K or 8K streaming, why not spend a few extra bucks to get at least a 4K TV, which really cost nothing now.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Granted the OP may not care about 4K or 8K, but his 25 year old TV is probably 1080p, or maybe 1440p (Quad HD / 2K) at best. But if he's going to be paying for 4K or 8K streaming, why not spend a few extra bucks to get at least a 4K TV, which really cost nothing now.

If it's 1080p, upgrading to 4K isn't a big improvement unless you're sitting very close to it and/or it's a huge screen. If it's 55 inches, you have to be sitting closer than 5 feet to even see it.

 

[M20K]

If it's 1080p, upgrading to 4K isn't a big improvement unless you're sitting very close to it and/or it's a huge screen. If it's 55 inches, you have to be sitting closer than 5 feet to even see it.

Well, yes. Pending upon where you sit and the size screen it can make a difference. But for the VAST majority of installations you can definately see a difference. And I have no clue what the room is like that the OP is talking about, but since he said "TV" vs "monitor" it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY they are sitting 5ft or less from the screen.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Well, yes. Pending upon where you sit and the size screen it can make a difference. But for the VAST majority of installations you can definately see a difference. And I have no clue what the room is like that the OP is talking about, but since he said "TV" vs "monitor" it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY they are sitting 5ft or less from the screen.

Right... Which means you can't see the quality difference between 1080p and 4K.

Can the Human Eye See the Difference Between 1080p and 4K? - Filmmaker Mode

Better resolution has been the name of the game for televisions over the last decade. First it was color, then it was HD, then 720p, then 1080p and now, finally, 4K. Is more always better? At what point does resolution stop mattering? After all, the human eye is only capable of seeing so much...

filmmakermode.com

https://www.lasikmd.com/blog/can-the-human-eye-see-in-8k

Home Theater Calculator: Viewing Distance, Screen Size – Carlton Bale

 

[M20K]

Right... Which means you can't see the quality difference between 1080p and 4K.

Yeah, well, I have to disagree... I was in the video biz for decades, including building a few studios from the old CRTs up until 4K when I was moving on to other things. You can see the difference from 1080p very easily, pending how it was recorded what you're looking at the video on. And with the prices today, you can easily get something that you can see the difference on.

If you watch some old TV series from the the last century, then you are correct it doesn't matter what you watch it on.

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Yeah, well, I have to disagree... I was in the video biz for decades, including building a few studios from the old CRTs up until 4K when I was moving on to other things. You can see the difference from 1080p very easily, pending how it was recorded what you're looking at the video on. And with the prices today, you can easily get something that you can see the difference on.

If you're in the business and have superhuman vision, yeah. I'm sure some of the difference comes from newer cameras and newer editing processes too, in which case you'd see that part of the difference anyway.

But for most people, it's literally not possible for it to be "better". Your eyes don't have the resolution to tell the difference.

 

[asicer]

If you're in the business and have superhuman vision, yeah. I'm sure some of the difference comes from newer cameras and newer editing processes too, in which case you'd see that part of the difference anyway.

But for most people, it's literally not possible for it to be "better". Your eyes don't have the resolution to tell the difference.

For static images, I disagree.

However, I think I tend to detect motion artifacts before anything else.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Late to the party here, but here's my .02:

I hate smart tvs. I wish it were easier to buy a TV with no apps, or even speakers for that matter. The benefit of an Amazon FireStick, Roku, NVidia Shield, or AppleTV is that they are updating their firmware and apps constantly to being better user experience and fix bugs. SmartTV manufacturers have almost ZERO reason to update anything that wasn't included on their interface from the factory.

For my primary TV, i want the TV processing nothing but a video signal. The audio is handled by an AVR with surround sound. The apps are handled by a dedicated streaming box. One remote running it all.

As far as televisions go TCL and Vizio make serviceable cheap options in 4K with decent dynamic contrast ratios. However, LG, Sony, and Samsung are still the flagship manufacturers with the top tier motion rendering, incredibly vibrant colors, and Dolby Vision standard capability. OLED is generally best, but needs good light control in the room. LED does better in rooms with lots of windows and ambient lighting, but by its nature can't reproduce blacks and dark gradients as well as OLED (or the old Plasmas).

Finally, for streaming services pick your poison. Netflix is probably my favorite for movies and some high production value TV series. Hulu has it's good shows, but it's ad-heavy. AppleTV is okay, but i generally sign up for short periods to watch something that's ATV- exclusive (Ted Lasso) then drop the service after I've seen what I wanted. Disney+ is good for kids shows and Disney/Marvel movies. Amazon Prime is okay for movies, but it's worthless otherwise and has been losing some of it's value lately. YouTube TV is probably the best way to emulate cable TV without actually paying for cable, as they can do your local TV stations as well. DirectTV and SlingTV suck and most people have abandoned those services.

HDHomerun is a great module for watching OTA channels and can use multiple runners to watch (or record) different channels simultaneously. Streaming from your phone while not at your house is a cool feature, which i have used during periods of severe weather to keep an eye out for family when I'm out of town.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Sent from my SM-S948U using Tapatalk

 

[M20K]

For my primary TV, i want the TV processing nothing but a video signal. The audio is handled by an AVR with surround sound. The apps are handled by a dedicated streaming box. One remote running it all.

Ummm... any TV you buy today will do that. There is nothing that says you have to use ANY of the Apps or Streaming.

Plug in your Cable Box to one of the inputs, if your TV doesn't automatically go to that input, use the TV Remote to select it. Take the batteries out of the TV remote so years from now your estate doesn't find decaying batteries inside and put it in a drawer. Follow the instructions to make your Cable Remote turn your TV On/Off and adjust the Volume. And there you go, you've got one remote and never have to update your TV again.

You can even still use a roof top antenna in some areas. But you do need to make sure you have a TV that will accept an antenna feed.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Ummm... any TV you buy today will do that. There is nothing that says you have to use ANY of the Apps or Streaming.

Plug in your Cable Box to one of the inputs, if your TV doesn't automatically go to that input, use the TV Remote to select it. Take the batteries out of the TV remote so years from now your estate doesn't find decaying batteries inside and put it in a drawer. Follow the instructions to make your Cable Remote turn your TV On/Off and adjust the Volume. And there you go, you've got one remote and never have to update your TV again.

You can even still use a roof top antenna in some areas. But you do need to make sure you have a TV that will accept an antenna feed.

I'm well aware of how to bypass using the built-in SmartTV apps. I'm just saying I'd rather not buy a tv with them on it in the first place.

As for remote controls, yeah you can use CEC for controlling some basic functions like on/off, volume, or input selection but not all brands play nice together and handshake issues often occur. I get around all of it by using a Harmony remote (even though Logitech discontinued it).

Sent from my SM-S948U using Tapatalk

 

[Bob Noel]

I vaguely recall someone posting about a TV they bought that required him to create an account with the manufacturer in order to be able to configure it... but my searching has failed me.

 

[bbchien]

Check out a Tablo, for over the air management through a streaming device (Roku). If you have enought bandwith, it works nicely.

 

[M20K]

I'm just saying I'd rather not buy a tv with them on it in the first place.

Welcome to the 21st Century. Regretfully it is a fact of life. And I hate to tell you how much bloatware is on the computer, tablet or phone you're using to post your messages here.

The other issue is you are in the minority as far as what TVs are used for these days. People are cutting the cable cord daily. Sure some older folks have it because that's what they're used to. 40-50s, maybe 50% cable because their parents had it and they were just slow to get into streaming. When you get to those between 30-50 you're down to the low 20% and then down to 15ish% for those under 30.

So just using a TV for a basic viewing box is not what the majority of TV purchasers do. But.. you still can if you want to.

 

[Mahneuvers]

I'm well aware of how to bypass using the built-in SmartTV apps. I'm just saying I'd rather not buy a tv with them on it in the first place....

...HDHomerun is a great module for watching OTA channels...

How do you watch your HDHomerun programs on your non-smart TVs? The Kodi application saves me from having a keep up w/ a machine at every TV.

 

[SoonerAviator]

How do you watch your HDHomerun programs on your non-smart TVs? The Kodi application saves me from having a keep up w/ a machine at every TV.

We've used a Roku or an Amazon 4K FireStick via HDMI. We have an OTA antenna in the attic which the HD homerun is connected to. All of my TVs are old enough to not be SmartTVs, lol. I'll upgrade the TVs eventually but it hasn't been a priority. Kodi is pretty good, I had a jailbroken Firestick a long time ago which used Kodi with Genesis or Exodus for getting tons of movies/shows without a subscription.

 

[Mahneuvers]

We've used a Roku or an Amazon 4K FireStick via HDMI. We have an OTA antenna in the attic which the HD homerun is connected to. All of my TVs are old enough to not be SmartTVs, lol. I'll upgrade the TVs eventually but it hasn't been a priority. Kodi is pretty good, I had a jailbroken Firestick a long time ago which used Kodi with Genesis or Exodus for getting tons of movies/shows without a subscription.

IMO, Kodi is acceptable. I haven't yet figured out how to adjust playback speed nor delete a watched program or video so I have to remember and then do so from MythTV.