Which Smart tv - advice needed

usignuolo

Don't laugh but we have what is probably the last very large jumbo sized tv in daily use. We inherited it from our son when he moved overseas a few years back and in its day it was state of the art. It is a Sony 42" screen and has all the usual add ons, including playing MP3s etc plus a fantastic picture. It cost around 2000pds which was a lot at the time. But it is of course ginormous at the back and weighs the same as a small elephant. So as we are redecorating we thought we would upgrade to a new SMART tv at the same time.

But where to start? We do not know what they do or which is a best buy. We do have a home network (wifi and cabled) and Virgin Media high speed broadband (currently a V+ box for cable tv HD enabled /phone/broadband (60mb).

Anyone care to explain how smart tv works, what we should be looking for and any recommendations on best buys. We have a budget of around £1000 but could go a bit higher. OH watches a lot of sport, mainly US sport and cycling. I tend to go for the Discovery and History channels and like outdoor shows. We do not watch many films and have already considered, and rejected, netflicks. I shoot a lot of footage on my digital cameras am also planning to buy a DVD recorder which I should like to watch as well.

OH and I both have subs to US internet tv shows we should like to watch on the tv as well as iplayer etc.

Any advice, suggestions or recommendations welcomed.

Timalay

Do you need it just on the TV, would you mind a separate box? If so, how about a games console i.e. PS3 or Xbox 360 (the latter you have to pay a £30 - £40 yearly sub for). You can get a cracking service from them. I use my Xbox 360 for most of my on demand content.
Or wait for the PS4 who are going to partner with Virgin Media.

poppasmurf_bewdley

A Smart TV is basically a TV set with a very primitive computer built in.

Samsung are the only manufacturer to have more than one catch-up App (BBC). Many are made so they cannot download many Apps

The best bet is to attach a laptop via HDMI lead to the TV to enjoy the internet .

almillar

Before going mad about the features of the TV, have a look at the TiVo box Virgin provides, this might get you lots of the smart functionality you're after.
What subs do you have to US shows, and through what platform?

zarf2007

usignuolo wrote: »

Don't laugh but we have what is probably the last very large jumbo sized tv in daily use. We inherited it from our son when he moved overseas a few years back and in its day it was state of the art. It is a Sony 42" screen and has all the usual add ons, including playing MP3s etc plus a fantastic picture. It cost around 2000pds which was a lot at the time. But it is of course ginormous at the back and weighs the same as a small elephant. So as we are redecorating we thought we would upgrade to a new SMART tv at the same time.

But where to start? We do not know what they do or which is a best buy. We do have a home network (wifi and cabled) and Virgin Media high speed broadband (currently a V+ box for cable tv HD enabled /phone/broadband (60mb).

Anyone care to explain how smart tv works, what we should be looking for and any recommendations on best buys. We have a budget of around £1000 but could go a bit higher. OH watches a lot of sport, mainly US sport and cycling. I tend to go for the Discovery and History channels and like outdoor shows. We do not watch many films and have already considered, and rejected, netflicks. I shoot a lot of footage on my digital cameras am also planning to buy a DVD recorder which I should like to watch as well.

OH and I both have subs to US internet tv shows we should like to watch on the tv as well as iplayer etc.

Any advice, suggestions or recommendations welcomed.

If you are buying LED (bright vivid colours) then go for this:

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ue40f7000-led-hd-1080p-3d-smart-tv-40-with-freeview-freesat-hd-and-voice-motion-control-with-2x-3d-glasses/p430426


or if you want more realistic colours & deep blacks (but darker) go for:

(51inch)

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ps51e8000-plasma-hd-1080p-3d-smart-tv-51-inch-with-freeview-hd-and-2x-3d-glasses/p505127

or if you have the room! (60inch):

http://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-ps60f5500-plasma-hd-1080p-smart-tv-60-inch-with-freeview-hd/p517070


and you get the free 5 year warranty from John Lewis....


Samsung are the best for LED and are also very good for Plasma


their smart TV functions are way ahead of other manufacturers and their panels far superior to Sony/LG etc...

[Deleted User]

poppasmurf_bewdley wrote: »

A Smart TV is basically a TV set with a very primitive computer built in.

I think the CPU of a SMART TV might be better described as "stripped down" rather than "primitive". It's still a modern design.