Do I need a Smart TV to have a smart TV?

S0litaire

I can surf the net on my LG Smart TV (I do have to plaug a wireless "Microsoft 800" keyboard and mouse set into it.) it's slow and no flash! so games are out but ok for simple things like Gmail and Google search as well as updating your social media.

googler

Idiophreak wrote: »

...but then you might as well just look at it on the phone.

The only time it's useful to do something like that is when you have people round and you want to show them something...but most of the time the stuff I want to show people is videos anyway, so can just use youtube etc anyway.

There's more than one adult in my household. Watching Netflix on an iPhone isn't on option.

almillar

Idiophreak - you contradicted yourself in your own post saying it wouldn't be useful, then providing the one big use it would have - watching video. Anyway it's OP who asked specifically about the web (not just videos) on his TV, and making use of his phone, tablet or laptop browser, on his TV screen, via chromecast, would be far better for him, for whatever he wants to do, than a PS3 or any Smart TV web browser I've seen.

Idiophreak

googler wrote: »

There's more than one adult in my household. Watching Netflix on an iPhone isn't on option.

almillar wrote: »

Idiophreak - you contradicted yourself in your own post saying it wouldn't be useful, then providing the one big use it would have - watching video. Anyway it's OP who asked specifically about the web (not just videos) on his TV, and making use of his phone, tablet or laptop browser, on his TV screen, via chromecast, would be far better for him, for whatever he wants to do, than a PS3 or any Smart TV web browser I've seen.

I think you both completely missed my point.

If you want to watch netflix, or youtube, you'd just use the netflix or youtube app...not a web browser.

Like I said, there are really very few situations in which being able to see the web on the TV is any better than just looking at it on your phone.

Anne_Marie_2

You could also consider an android media tv box, which would let you access any apps on the Google Play store, and allow you to browse the internet. I have one, and quite like that I can still use my laptop for other things, should I so desire. Mine has an air mouse, and you can browse the web, but it's not something that I really do, prefer to use my laptop for that.

AnthonyUK

A smart TV well equipped, and of a good solid performing brand name, will adequately suit and serve your needs quite perfectly;a useful tip is to buy one with a wireless LAN facility, this doesn't need any addons or dongles etc and you just switch on the WiFi facility within the set menu, enter the password for your provider and within a few seconds after connection, voila! the internet is there.

terra_ferma

Anne_Marie wrote: »

You could also consider an android media tv box, which would let you access any apps on the Google Play store, and allow you to browse the internet. I have one, and quite like that I can still use my laptop for other things, should I so desire. Mine has an air mouse, and you can browse the web, but it's not something that I really do, prefer to use my laptop for that.

someone recommended an android tv box in my thread (similar to this one but from a different angle), I had never heard of them but when I looked into them they looked interesting, like having an android tablet, using all the apps and even more. I'm thinking of using it with bbci and netfix, with unblock us, to have a stable, user friendly core service, and anything extra is a bonus .

almillar

Idiophreak - I completely see your point, and agree with it, but you've missed mine, and the specific question OP is asking. No one has actually said that web browsing on TV is good, indeed everyone in the thread has agreed that it's bad, but that was specifically what OP is after, and I think I provided him with the best solution. I specifically stated 'watching video' rather than naming any service, since this would go outside the specific TV's ecosystem and just be using the 'web' like a computer does, and I've also pointed out that OP would have problems as TVs won't have Adobe Flash which much web video still relies on.
And just because your TV has, for example, a YouTube app, doesn't mean it's actually any good. I know that the one on my Smart TV is rubbish, but I bought it for the screen quality, not apps.

Idiophreak

almillar wrote: »

Idiophreak - I completely see your point, and agree with it, but you've missed mine, and the specific question OP is asking. No one has actually said that web browsing on TV is good, indeed everyone in the thread has agreed that it's bad, but that was specifically what OP is after, and I think I provided him with the best solution. I specifically stated 'watching video' rather than naming any service, since this would go outside the specific TV's ecosystem and just be using the 'web' like a computer does, and I've also pointed out that OP would have problems as TVs won't have Adobe Flash which much web video still relies on.
And just because your TV has, for example, a YouTube app, doesn't mean it's actually any good. I know that the one on my Smart TV is rubbish, but I bought it for the screen quality, not apps.

You said I'd contradicted myself, which I hadn't.

I said that web browsing on a TV is rubbish and that there's really no point in doing it anyway....that if you want to show people videos, you're better off using specific aps rather than trying to use a shoddy web browser to do it.

...and I've not missed the OPs question at all. They said they'd like to be able to surf on their TV, I'm just pointing out that, actually, they probably wouldn't - because it's slow and clunky, even using the best solution you've suggested. Clearly they'd heard that Smart TVs are like TVs, but where you can surf the web....so I think their "requirement" for doing that is based purely on what they think Smart TVs are used for. Personally, I like smart TV for the apps etc, but have no interest in using them for browsing the web. Lord knows using the phone / tablet is cumbersome enough, without introducing another element to the mix...

Anne_Marie_2

terra_ferma wrote: »

someone recommended an android tv box in my thread (similar to this one but from a different angle), I had never heard of them but when I looked into them they looked interesting, like having an android tablet, using all the apps and even more. I'm thinking of using it with bbci and netfix, with unblock us, to have a stable, user friendly core service, and anything extra is a bonus .

I'm quite happy with mine, will have a look at your thread. You are right in that it's just like having an android tablet on your tv.