Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
the best option is clearly to spend as little as possible on anything with built-in processing power. Don’t buy a smart TV; buy a dumb one, and add a cheap set-top box or HDMI stick
That is the correct way to do it. The problem with expensive, all in one devices, is when one of it's built in features dies, you have to replace the entire device which usually costs significantly more than if you went with single purpose devices.
My solution? I spent another $100 or so on a Roku. I was very annoyed at being "forced" to do this -- until I realized very quickly how well the Roku worked. I now have one for several TVs in my house, and I very rarely have problems -- I might get bumped off Netflix or amazon once every couple of months (instead of every 10 minutes!!), but that's it.
FOR ME, Roku has been fantastic. Easy to set up, easy to use, and it just WORKS the way it's supposed to. I doubt that I will ever buy a "smart" TV again.
I maintain that for cheaper equipment you might as well have a smart TV. It just makes it all in one 10 lb package and you can move it from room to room without any hassles. You don't have any problems with multiple remotes or set top stands.
Best Buy is having a 4th of July sale tomorrow. The TV with built in Roku is $30 more than a similar model with no WiFi or streaming device. You might argue that standalone Roku stick is only $40 and you can upgrade, but I say why bother. At this price point the TV can always be used somewhere in the house. The monitor is pretty much basic technology, and you shouldn't worry about upgrading the Roku and maintaining the monitor. While the sound system of either system is never going to impress, with 10 watts even the hard of hearing can pick up dialogue.
$149.99 ON SALE SAVE $20 (Reg. $169.99)
Insignia™ - 32" Class (31.5" Diag.) - LED - 720p - Black -Smart - Roku TV -
Model: NS-32DR310NA17
Product Weight With Stand 9.7 pounds
Vertical Resolution 720p
Headphone Jack Yes
Estimated Annual Operating Cost 8 United States dollars
Wall Mountable Yes Speaker Output 10 watts
Number Of USB Port(s) 1 Number Of HDMI Inputs 3 Network Compatibility Built-in Wi-Fi
$ 119.99 ON SALE SAVE $60 (Reg. $179.99)
Insignia™ - 32" Class (31.5" Diag.) - LED - 720p - Black - HDTV
Model: NS-32D220NA16
Product Weight With Stand 9 pounds
Vertical Resolution 720p
Headphone Jack Yes
Estimated Annual Operating Cost 8 United States dollars
Wall Mountable Yes Speaker Output 10 watts
Number Of USB Port(s) 1 Number Of HDMI Inputs 2 Network Compatibility none
As with any high end electronics, for an expensive system you need to stick with components. That way you can upgrade and replace individual pieces. Someone point out that the newest 8K monitors which have been on sale for less than a year, the monitor often comes without any audio or even a TV tuner.
Last edited by PacoMartin; 07-02-2016 at 12:13 PM..
That is the correct way to do it. The problem with expensive, all in one devices, is when one of it's built in features dies, you have to replace the entire device which usually costs significantly more than if you went with single purpose devices.
Often that has been the case, but I would hope that if the smart part of my TV stopped working or whatever I could use it like a dumb TV and plug in a roku or something.
I maintain that for cheaper equipment you might as well have a smart TV. It just makes it all in one 10 lb package and you can move it from room to room without any hassles. You don't have any problems with multiple remotes or set top stands.
Best Buy is having a 4th of July sale tomorrow. The TV with built in Roku is $30 more than a similar model with no WiFi or streaming device. You might argue that standalone Roku stick is only $40 and you can upgrade, but I say why bother. At this price point the TV can always be used somewhere in the house. The monitor is pretty much basic technology, and you shouldn't worry about upgrading the Roku and maintaining the monitor. While the sound system of either system is never going to impress, with 10 watts even the hard of hearing can pick up dialogue.
$149.99 ON SALE SAVE $20 (Reg. $169.99)
Insigniaâ„¢ - 32" Class (31.5" Diag.) - LED - 720p - Black -Smart - Roku TV -
Model: NS-32DR310NA17
Product Weight With Stand 9.7 pounds
Vertical Resolution 720p
Headphone Jack Yes
Estimated Annual Operating Cost 8 United States dollars
Wall Mountable Yes Speaker Output 10 watts
Number Of USB Port(s) 1 Number Of HDMI Inputs 3 Network Compatibility Built-in Wi-Fi
$ 119.99 ON SALE SAVE $60 (Reg. $179.99)
Insigniaâ„¢ - 32" Class (31.5" Diag.) - LED - 720p - Black - HDTV
Model: NS-32D220NA16
Product Weight With Stand 9 pounds
Vertical Resolution 720p
Headphone Jack Yes
Estimated Annual Operating Cost 8 United States dollars
Wall Mountable Yes Speaker Output 10 watts
Number Of USB Port(s) 1 Number Of HDMI Inputs 2 Network Compatibility none
As with any high end electronics, for an expensive system you need to stick with components. That way you can upgrade and replace individual pieces. Someone point out that the newest 8K monitors which have been on sale for less than a year, the monitor often comes without any audio or even a TV tuner.
That's a good deal. I do enjoy not having multiple remotes.
My only problem so far with Samsung SMart TV is I can't stream Showtime. But a roku can't either.
I can get Showtime through Hulu when I want it for a month at a time. /shrug. I like my Smart TV.
I maintain that for cheaper equipment you might as well have a smart TV. It just makes it all in one 10 lb package and you can move it from room to room without any hassles. You don't have any problems with multiple remotes or set top stands.
...
It's much easier to move my Roku from room to room than it would be to move a TV.
All I have to do is disconnect the HDMI cable from the Roku, unplug and go.
If I move the TV, I have to disconnect the cable box and the DVD player and the Roku..., not to mention find a place in whatever room for the TV.
Hmmm interesting, I will keep all this info in mind. But will probably go for the Roku stick or just wait and see if SlingTV gets their service with the Playstation Network or Samsung Smarthub.
If I get a dumb TV for the bedroom (I have to get something smart or with a device) how do I choose between roku, firestick, etc?
Roku is the best choice IMHO. It's not tied to a specific service (such as Amazon Prime with the Fire stick) and has by far the most available content.
I just bought a Roku TV and I'm fairly impressed so far. It couldn't be easier to use and seems a bit faster, maybe less flaky, than the fire-stick. It does have some strange limitations but overall pretty good. I'll admit to being dubious about it, also have a Samsung 'smart' TV which isn't smart at all, but it's definitely well done.
There are different Roku sticks for sale, but this one is the latest version and, of all the Roku sticks, runs the fastest. By fastest, I mean that the menus load faster and the initial streaming is quicker. However, it's $50 - the slower ones are cheaper.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
