Smart TV question?

IMO buying a smart TV is pointless.
They come with terrible OS (usually proprietary) which they stop updating and leave you with a piece of *** in 1 year. The support in terms of codec/formats etc. is also usually a bit limited and can be really annoying when you need to convert movies to different formats. The apps installed on the TV (e.g. netflix and youtube) don't get maintained and might eventually stop working.

my advice:
buy an expensive TV with great video quality.
attack a raspberry pi or any other form of media player to the tv. These typically have a longer life span, easy to replace/upgrade and generally provide a better experience
 
DUDE!@##$%% said:
IMO buying a smart TV is pointless.
They come with terrible OS (usually proprietary) which they stop updating and leave you with a piece of *** in 1 year. The support in terms of codec/formats etc. is also usually a bit limited and can be really annoying when you need to convert movies to different formats. The apps installed on the TV (e.g. netflix and youtube) don't get maintained and might eventually stop working.

my advice:
buy an expensive TV with great video quality.
attack a raspberry pi or any other form of media player to the tv. These typically have a longer life span, easy to replace/upgrade and generally provide a better experience
Click to expand...

Having an opinion is great. Having an opinion that relates to the question asked is even greater.
 
Thanks for the feedback thus far.

My friend wants to cancel his DStv and get ADSL at home.
I've shown him my PC setup connected to 42in TV and using it as HTPC/PC.

He wants to go same route to stream series and watch movies online.


Hence the question.....Smart TV or build a HTPC for living room connected to TV?


Basically having more freedom to watch what he wants when he wants and not be forced to watch repeats.
 
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Take a look at Plex (shameless plug). He can run the Plex server software on an existing PC in the house and then download the Plex app for whichever smart TV he buys (as long as it has a supporting app: https://support.plex.tv/articles/204080173-which-smart-tv-models-are-supported/).

There really isn't much need to purchase a dedicated HTPC unless there are some very specific requirements. If all he wants to do is watch media off a hard drive then it's really not a requirement for a dedicated PC.
 
DrJohnZoidberg said:
Take a look at Plex (shameless plug). He can run the Plex server software on an existing PC in the house and then download the Plex app for whichever smart TV he buys (as long as it has a supporting app: https://support.plex.tv/articles/204080173-which-smart-tv-models-are-supported/).

There really isn't much need to purchase a dedicated HTPC unless there are some very specific requirements. If all he wants to do is watch media off a hard drive then it's really not a requirement for a dedicated PC.
Click to expand...

Do you work for them now mate?
 
DUDE!@##$%% said:
IMO buying a smart TV is pointless.
They come with terrible OS (usually proprietary) which they stop updating and leave you with a piece of *** in 1 year. The support in terms of codec/formats etc. is also usually a bit limited and can be really annoying when you need to convert movies to different formats. The apps installed on the TV (e.g. netflix and youtube) don't get maintained and might eventually stop working.

my advice:
buy an expensive TV with great video quality.
attack a raspberry pi or any other form of media player to the tv. These typically have a longer life span, easy to replace/upgrade and generally provide a better experience
Click to expand...

I disagree. For example, LG is renowned for their OS, and it gets updated regularly. The apps on it as well.
 
Another thing...if he buys just the smart TV without a pc cause he doesn't have a pc in his house atm....can he perhaps download cartoon series for his kids onto HDD connected to TV's usb and copy to usb and let them watch it in their rooms?


Basically download stuff without pc?
 
Serene said:
Another thing...if he buys just the smart TV without a pc cause he doesn't have a pc in his house atm....can he perhaps download cartoon series for his kids onto HDD connected to TV's usb and copy to usb and let them watch it in their rooms?


Basically download stuff without pc?
Click to expand...

I assume that since he has DSTV he already has a PC.. If the existing TV does have an HDMI or VGA port to plug a PC into, it would be best to spend the 6k on a PC to use as a HTPC for the mere fact that is pretty much guaranteed to do anything he wants to do, including downloading whatever he wants and copy to USB storage for the kids.. 6k is an expensive risk to take on hoping a smart TV will be able to do everything he wants to do..

A HTPC does not need to be super high end at all, or big for that matter.. A Intel NUC to serve as a HTPC and should easily be covered by his 6k budget..
 
Serene said:
Basically download stuff without pc?
Click to expand...

IMO, doing everything he wants to do just with a TV is really pushing it. If it is possible, it will be an absolute mission. I have a Samsung, and it's great for stuff like Plex, Netflix, etc. However using the browser to download stuff is not something I'd want to do at all. Think about it, you'll be managing everything with a TV remote - not fun. On top of that, the space on the TV is really limited, so if it doesn't allow you to download to something external, you are screwed. Then the smart specs are not what I'd call high end. Just a recipe for disaster and frustration if you ask me.

What I would do in his case is:

- Get a budget / HTPC to act as a Plex server and download box.
- Get the kids and his TV to stream from there. You can either use the TV's smarts, or Chromecast / some sort of media box.

Another option is a WD My Cloud Home, which you can use to store media, and act as a Plex server. But I don't think it handles downloading. I just use mine for local storage and Plex. I think the normal My Cloud may support that, but I'm not 100% sure.
 
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