The tech world is always changing; as TVs are the primary entertainment electronics for most of us. Technology powering the TVs is also getting better day by day. Starting from grayscale then flat screen, High Definition, Full HD, UHD (ultra-high definition) and smart TVs – the makers are always trying to make something better than the previous one. Let’s get to the point.
What are Smart TVs?
Think of a smart TV as a connected TV – a TV screen that is consistently connected to the internet. They run a heavier OS than standard HD TVs and are capable of streaming video, music and other stuff from other services; they include a web browser and also sometimes the ability to install apps. Some more expensive TVs may offer you a camera for video chat. A smart TV may use Wired or Wi-Fi based technology to connect to internet. Though as the features sound exciting the prize is not so. A Smart TV is much more heavier on Pocket then a normal HDTV.
The Bad side…
Makers such as LG, Sony and Samsung make these TVs – Who care more about hardware and are not so good about software, and there is one more thing to care about – when we buy TV we think of keeping it for 4-5 years but you will want to buy a new smart TV in just 2-3 years the reason: makers don’t provide updates regularly OOUCH…
A smart TV tries to do too much but is not successful in anything. A computer connected to internet can stream technically anything from any service while in smart TV the streaming relies on the manufacturer’s mood – you can’t use Netflix unless there is an app available for the TV. And believe us there is not every streaming service app available for Smart TVs. Also using web browser by a remote is really uncool.
Buy / don’t buy?
Smart TV sounds like a cool idea, a connected media rich experience – But it comes at a prize. The price is sometimes too much for any user. You can easily buy a normal LCD TV and add a PC or any other device to stream stuff from the internet.
You can buy a smart TV if you do not care too much about money and you are not willing to set up other products with your TV. If you want to save bucks there are some other options to think of.
The Alternatives:
Media Streaming Sticks : These are the cheapest alternatives and they are the smallest too. Google Chromecast is a perfect example, it is only $35 and can stream media from your smartphone, tablet and even chrome browser. Amazon fire Stick and Roku are also quite good options to choose from. They don’t come with remote control – you can control them using your phones.
Separate Media Players : there are many media players available on the market and they have much better functionality too. The Apple made iTV and Google Nexus Media Player are just to name few. You can use them to stream content from your home network and even NAS. Media Players are not so large and work perfectly as media steamers – heck! you can even play games on some of them.
Gaming Consoles : An Xbox or PS4 is always a better option then buying a so-called Smart TV. You can stream media and even browser the web -plus play games on them too. They also have built in Optical drives, You can use them to watch Blu-Ray Disks.
Add a PC : Adding a full PC is always an good option to think of – you can set up DVR and stream anything form web – HTPCs are more expensive but they have much more value then a Smart TV.
What were your experiences with a Smart TV? fire us your views in comments.
Image Credits :”Chromecast dongle” by EricaJoy – Flickr, Chromecast. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. LG on flikr
