Which Smart TV to buy?

Share experience regarding ownership of property and/or living in Portugal.
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burgau103
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Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by burgau103 »

Hi,
I currently have a dumb TV with a NOW TV box connected to a broadband router with SmartDNS. This allows me to watch BBC, ITV, Sky Sports etc. However I want to replace the TV with a bigger one, and almost all are now Smart TVs.

My questions:
  • Is any particular brand or model of Smart TV any better than any other?
  • Can you install iPlayer, for instance, on one?
  • Or will I still be limited to watching Netflix and restricted Amazon Prime titles on the TV and continuing to use the NOW TV box to access iPlayer and the other catchup services?
  • Should I import a UK-configured one instead?
Thanks
Mike
RichardHenshall
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Re: Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by RichardHenshall »

If you have your whole network covered by Smart DNS, a new smart TV should work OK but there is still the possibility that you'll struggle to get the appropriate apps installed on the TV.

A longer term problem is that some manufacturers seem unwilling to keep their operating systems and apps up-to-date. Safer, in my opinion, is to use the smart features of an external device such as you have now, which can relatively cheaply be upgraded in future. We went from an early NowTV box (£10) to a FireTV stick (£25). It's also easier to relocate it if necessary to load apps in the UK or elsewhere.
burgau103
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Re: Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by burgau103 »

Thanks Richard. Very helpful.
JackyD
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Re: Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by JackyD »

Very interesting to read about Smart TV's. Last time we bought a TV we just wanted to watch TV on it. All singing and dancing versions now. Are they expensive compared to a normal TV?
Farol
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Re: Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by Farol »

I agree with comments above. I have given up on smart tv's as they never seem to have all the apps you might want and they don't keep them up to date. Far better to buy a smart device that will allow you access to the full range of Android apps.
Lowthian
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Re: Which Smart TV to buy?

Post by Lowthian »

I use a standard TV with a 4k firestick.
The beauty of a firestick is that you can take it with you, when traveling or on holiday.
Another option is a proper Android smart TV.
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