Why Smart TVs Are So Slow

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Why are smart TVs so slow?
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[@MrVolksbeetle]

One of the most accurate consumer depictions I've ever seen: Salesman: "As you can see, this one is bigger." Consumer "Wow!"

[@ilovefunnyamv2nd]

*Bigger for the same price And yeah thats all it takes

[@quadruple_negative]

@@ilovefunnyamv2nd Hey! I resemble that remark! Seriously though, I was gonna get a 55" set but the 65" was on sale for like $100 more, so I got that one.

[@ilovefunnyamv2nd]

@@quadruple_negative honestly, same. I just wanted a small cheap tv. instead I got a 4k 43inch, because it was $40.00 more than a a 32inch 1080p... not that they had those in stock anyway

[@wdpk837]

SNL Orange Julius sketch

[@narobii9815]

Wait, but is it thinner? Must be bigger and thinner

[@nyasham1]

I would actually pay more for a TV with lots of ports and the option to completely turn off smart features

[@overlisted]

yeee, just a big monitor that has a tv matrix

[@petar932]

yes, make it basic with android as a seperate device integrated in a tv that you can turn on if you wish to

[@ungatodelinternet8597]

A monitor then?

[@ungatodelinternet8597]

@@petar932 a chromecast, fire tv, apple tv, or similar in a monitor?

[@hupsou4237]

I'd prefer to pay less and have them just eliminate all smart hardware.

[@baltmatrix]

The SMART part of these TV is tracking user behavior and then selling that data to the wider advertising market. Visio stated earlier this year that by 2023 the bulk of their revenue will be from DATA and not the tvs. They will become a data company with a tv business. Not a TV company with a data business. That user tracking is where the real money is. :(

[@LetrixAR]

That would mean cheaper TVs, right?

[@RothAnim]

@@LetrixAR Why would they reduce their profit margins like that?

[@Sgt.Shadowsong]

@@RothAnim it's what should happen, like facebook did with quest 2 or w/e it was called

[@arisakathedappergoose4796]

price a similarly spec'd smart TV vs a digital signage monitor; Smarts TVs are about half (or more sometimes) the price.

[@RothAnim]

@@arisakathedappergoose4796 Fair point, although the lower volume sales to businesses (which generally have capital to spend) might play into that price difference as well.

[@shashankagarwal804]

An important aspect of buying electronics now days is differentiating gimmicks from features

[@CrispyHulk1]

8K. 3D. Curved screens. ‘HDR’ in $500 TV’s.

[@acidous1276]

@@CrispyHulk1 TV's having those crappy frame smoothing "features" that look worse and call it "1000hz ProMotion Cinema XRR"

[@CrispyHulk1]

@@acidous1276 You either love or hate the smooth motion 'soap opera effect'. I love the feature and don't think I'll ever go back

[@arjunkrishna1]

@Trinh Khoa That's the most irritating to me, some people like "look, my phone got a 108MP camera and look at poor you still stuck at 16 or something" and all they take are 12MP photos!

[@shashankagarwal804]

Remember the screen mirroring gimmick in phones a couple years back

[@Myvoetisseer]

Riley: Smart TV's are actually about as smart as the common garden slug, with clunky user interfaces, poor responsiveness and even instability. Me: Yes. Just like the common garden slug.

[@MrSameerMalik1]

i honestly felt a bit offended for the slug

[@vedantagrawal9530]

My slug doesn't come with a user interface. Is my slug broken? Did I get ripped off?

[@HallyVee]

You just but it's frightening and depressing how commonly people ACTUALLY mistake this analogy for an equivocation.

[@Myvoetisseer]

@@vedantagrawal9530 Check for an HDMI port. There is a chance that you could simply plug in a smart slug.

[@legitscoper3259]

Poke a slug and you will experience "responsiveness"

[@voltaicfire1825]

I don't use any of the "smart" features of my TV and it's not connected to my network. I just want a dumb TV to hook devices into.

[@Soundwave142]

Mee too.

[@RisingRevengeance]

Yeah I have a decent pc and some consoles hooked up both of which are much better options than my Sonys "smart" stuff.

[@DacLMK]

Me too. My father bought me a cheap "smart" tv to replace the 19" tv that I had been using for almost a decade, and I only opened KZbin on it twice. Its currently hooked to my Media Computer.

[@voltaicfire1825]

Yeah, a computer monitor is in many ways a great dumb TV but it's much more cost effective to buy a huge TV and never let it connect to a network than it is to buy a huge monitor. Plus while TVs generally lack high refresh rates and decent response times, monitors generally lack good HDR and the audio options TVs have.

[@dakoderii4221]

Can't spy on you like that. What's next? You don't want the NSA to have your "anal print"? You "conspiracy theorist"!

[@voltaicfire1825]

The only reason I know my TV has digital services is because my remote has KZbin and Netflix buttons that I've never pressed.

[@donkey7921]

So you don't use Netflix?

[@voltaicfire1825]

@@donkey7921 Correct, I do not use Netflix.

[@mrducky179]

@@donkey7921 its pretty expensive on tv

[@donkey7921]

@@voltaicfire1825 and you think that is the majority of people?

[@donkey7921]

@@voltaicfire1825 you don't watch KZbin on your TV either?

[@nil4t]

The worst part about "smart" TV's is that they stop supporting the software long before you want to invest in a new TV. For me this meant I couldn't even use certain apps like Hulu or Netflix because the software was so out of date. IMO they should just make deals with companies like Amazon or Roku to include their dongles with their TVs for people who want smart features.

[@suppar8066]

But how will they sell tvs every 3 years then?... Thats the whole point oft his industry shitshow

[@Montisaquadeis]

YUP Has already happened to my 47" Vizio TV from 2011 the apps are long since dead and are no longer usable and thus forces me to purchase a third party box/dongle to continue using my TV as well a TV.

[@hellomine2849]

Google stopped supporting old Smart TV's KZbin like a few years ago. Honestly I didn't mind too much because I never really use it

[@_____alyptic]

Can't people just jailbreak/root smart TV's?

[@CommodoreFan64]

I know not the most popular brand, but Sceptre makes decent dumb TV's at good prices, and their monitors for the money are not bad either, which means no out of date software full of security flaws to worry about, and you can just upgrade your Roku, Chromecast, etc.. as needed till the TV/monitor kicks the bucket.

[@harrkev]

When the streams get more compressed and you need more hardware power to decode the signal, it is much cheaper to replace a dongle than to replace the entire TV. A Roku will be obsolete within five years (been there, done that), but I expect to get at least 10 years out of a display. Yeah, I would MUCH rather have a dumb TV and provide my own Roku.

[@timsaxon5825]

Yes. Spot on.

[@felixkremer7773]

I have 2 “dump” tv’s and a first gen LG smart tv. I still use 3 chromecasts since it works so good, they’re good looking 1080p tv’s so I won’t replace them till they break.

[@kelvinr2507]

This. I really wish I could get just an OLED panel without all the unnecessary added crap. I want the good picture, I don't need buggy, slow apps that are poorly optimized. I either have my gaming console or streaming device for that. Not to mention, if I'm wanting to experience real, legitimate 4K HDR content, the best experience for that is going to be via a 4K Bluray player.

[@mikkj1]

@@kelvinr2507 I have a 4K "smart tv, that I keep "dumb" by not connecting it to the Internet (it only connects via wifi). I connect my desktop via HDMI and I can go anywhere I want - no need for the tv or any dongles. You could get a refurbished old desktop for 1-300 bucks and hook it up, and you can go anywhere you want for as long as the tv and computer hold out. All you're missing is the "convenience" of having some centralized program for all of your media that collects all of your data.

[@luisccastro]

That's precisely point: TVs should be dumb and then we could choose a good and easily replaceable steamer for it.

[@TheQuickBrickWalker]

It would be really nice if they would go back to making "dumb" TVs so consumers don't have to deal with a pointless required setup as soon as they turn on their shiny new TV just so they can use the HDMI port to hook up a device with a well thought out user interface and never use the smart features on their display again. (Sorry for the run-on sentence.)

[@vectoralphaSec]

i agree. If any manufacturer builds a non smart tv it will entice me to buy it over the smart tvs.

[@VitalVampyr]

Some manufacturers do still make dumb TVs. Usually just smaller screen sizes with bottom-tier panels though.

[@Astolfo2001]

But hey, at least, you can find crt TVs used online though. They might be heavy and may need some adapters for modern stuff but they just work, period. No internet, no pointless apps, no invasive data collection, just a vanilla TV with a few inputs or so.

[@millies21]

Honestly smart TVs these days are made with planned obsolescence in mind.

[@duhass]

It’s too bad this isn’t regulated. It’s criminal how crappy so many things are made these days.

[@Mr.Morden]

Yea I mean he says in the video they are switching to Android TV, but that doesn't help, just look at all the Android phone that never get system updates.

[@BuzzKiller23]

Nowadays all TVs are

[@Snickarz1337]

im using a nearly 10 year old LG smarttv its still working and i also dont see any reason to upgrade

[@orcite]

unless you get a sony :)

[@jfolz]

Since size isn't a concern - after all, more bigger is more TV - why would you want to put every bit of functionality into one device that's not upgradable anyway?

[@OTPulse]

I remember reading the first 4k TVs has a user upgradeable card that has all the smart TV components on it, was Sony TV I think. Wish they kept that. My TV works perfectly as a screen but if all I had to do was replace the computer part with a $150 card I would probably happily do that.

[@LRM12o8]

But it is upgradeable (the "smart" part of it): There's an "extension slot" called HDMI which you can use to upgrade your TV's streaming capabilities when they're no longer good enough. I don't get all the fuzz about TV's having streaming hardware built in. It's not like they pulled and Apple "courage" move and removed support for external sources to force the use of their built in "smart" services...

[@antenna_prolly]

Title: "Your TV Actually Sucks" Most viewers: "I know"

[@rayanmazouz9542]

Crts are the best, i would LOVE to see a new crt, i would pay at least twice the price. Your OS can't be laggy if you don't have any OS

[@webmasale]

Report that guy for spam

[@oksowhat]

my family bought a crt when i was borm, last year we replaced it with a smart tv, and the crt was sent to our village, mind you in its 18yrs of life with us, it never needed any kind of repair except once the capacitor burst which my father replaced himself

[@rayanmazouz9542]

@@teknerd fair enough, but technology has evolved, we can probably make them way lighter by moving the beam a more extreme angle, i wanna say by the way that more than 20 years old tvs have a 100 hz screen, i'm sure that if a company wanted to make a modern crt, they could make the fastest TV in the world, and it doesn't need to ve 60 inch, they could start with a 45 inch and go from there, i'm sure there is plenty of way to make them smaller, like putting multiple beams or something like that idk lol but it can probably be done

[@steemlenn8797]

@@rayanmazouz9542 Of course you can do that. As long as nobody in your house has a pacemaker and you have a good electricity connection.

[@rayanmazouz9542]

@@steemlenn8797 I didn't know it caused problems with pacemakers, thanks for the info

[@shadowtrell9961]

Yo, just gimme a TV with like 50 HDMI ports so I can plug all my game consoles up to it and I'll be happy.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Seriously just buy a Sceptre 4K dumb TV, and a 4K HDMI switch box, or 2, and you are good to go.

[@mingyi456]

@@CommodoreFan64 Chain switch boxes for even more inputs

[@lateral1385]

How about five?

[@shadowtrell9961]

@@lateral1385 I guess that works too.

[@its-amemegatron.9521]

Thrown in a few DP ports, RCA and Colorstream for good measure too. I mean heck... We got coax but no RCA?!

[@NoName-ik2du]

Surprised that there's no mention of how smart T.V.s track users' viewing behavior (pretty invasively from what I've read). Last I checked, it's nearly impossible to buy a regular T.V. anymore. I reluctantly bought a smart T.V. a few years ago since it was 4K and the exact same price as a 1080p dumb T.V. I unfortunately (but as expected) started having laggy software issues and problems with the OTA channel tuner after awhile when it decided to install an update without my permission. The T.V. has since been disconnected from the internet, and I watch all my streaming content through my computer via an HDMI cable (which is, frankly, a better experience anyway because I can more easily block ads when streaming from my computer). The T.V. has a lovely "feature" where an obnoxious three-inch wide LED bar at the bottom blinks at you constantly to let you know when the T.V. can't find an internet connection. There's no way to turn this off, and I'm sure they made it so obnoxious so that people will just give up and connect to the internet, allowing the T.V. to start scavenging your personal data again.

[@Blustride]

I doubt that removing the tracking would make the TV dramatically faster, so it's not worth mentioning. I can't say I've had the same experience leaving a smart TV disconnected, but maybe the margins on such a cheap TV are so low that pestering the user to connect it is worth it to the manufacturer. The most unfortunate part is that all the actually good TVs are smart TVs nowadays, but I suppose that's not really a problem until a TV will outright refuse to work until you connect it to the internet. I'm giving that feature 5 years at the most.

[@arturoescorcia]

I mean you could just not connect the TV to the internet (no wifi or wired) and use it as a regular TV, as the video mentions, you're better off just plugging a streaming stick in like a chromecast or an apple tv.

[@leonidas14775]

Blinking LED bar? How about some black electrical tape.

[@IbbiAhmed]

or u could just connect it to the router, and block internet access for the TV through the router. anyway what can the TV track if you're going to use HDMi anyway, be it with or without internet

[@NoName-ik2du]

Unfortunately, the blinking LED bar also indicates a few other handy things, so covering it with tape would mean I miss out on other useful feedback from the T.V. As far as watching through HDMI even when connected to the internet: The way most (if not all) smart T.V.s monitor your viewing habits is by screen captures, so whether you're using an app built into the T.V., or watching your own personal stuff on an input, it still tracks what you're watching and reports it back for analysis. There's an algorithm that runs on the captures and tries to decide what you were watching, even if it was through an external device. To be frank, it's pretty invasive and creepy...

[@N1lav]

The only good 'smart' TV is a TV hooked up to a moderately powerful PC. In lieu of this statement, a techquickie or a full LTT video on a sensible yet cheap HTPC would be marvelous.

[@daniel_960_]

No, 4k support and hdr on PC is terrible

[@mingyi456]

@@daniel_960_ HDR support on windows can be considered bad, but 4K? Pretty sure it should work quite well with any halfway decent hardware specs.

[@daniel_960_]

@@mingyi456 the hardware isn't the problem. Most streaming services just don't support it.

[@Roxor128]

And don't forget the tuner card! Mustn't forget the ability to record broadcasts.

[@paulelderson934]

The experience of pushing the Netflix button on your remote versus walking to the computer and clicking play/pause really isn't the same. Especially when you just want to quickly pause something.

[@alternatereality7713]

I do like LG WebOS based interface, it is pretty good as long as your TV is less than 3 years old - apps run pretty good on it (I tried Plex, Hulu, Netflix, Apple TV+). For anything older there are Roku/Apple TV/Android TV/Fire TV boxes/sticks.

[@Baulder13]

Yeah my LG 55C7P from 2017 still flies. Never had any apps crash or noticed any bugs with it. I even have $350 55" LG I bought last year that works perfectly fine despite not having the magic remote. My brother-in-laws Sony from around 4 years ago is incredibly slow running AndroidTV though. Also bonus is the free LG streaming TV channels where you can watch hilariously terrible 80's/early 90's crime shows like Tropical Heat lol.

[@zxcvb_bvcxz]

@@Baulder13 The Sony is probably paging to flash because Sony skimped on the RAM. You can actually "de-bloat" these (the Android TV models) the same way you would a phone. ADB is probably already enabled.

[@Luke-zx4nx]

I agree. Magic Remote is great too

[@outsideredge]

I like LG WebOS, although it has become a bit less responsive on my 2018 TV since the time the Apple TV+ app became available. No real problem since I have an Apple TV 4K anyway, but navigating stuff like LG Channels can be laggy

[@AxWarhawk]

SmartTVs are the reason why I no longer own a TV.

[@QueueTeePies]

Yep, with monitors getting better and larger, they completely replaced the tv. No smart features built in. The pc it’s hooked up to can do all of those magic already and I dont have to deal with shitty remote cursor.

[@matheus5230]

@@QueueTeePies It's not everyone that can easily do all of that and has a good computer. One example is me.

[@hellomine2849]

@@matheus5230 tbh tech noobs like grandparents don't even know how to use a smart tv

[@deedoubs]

@@QueueTeePies I still can't find a 60 inch monitor though.

[@matheus5230]

@@hellomine2849 I'm not a tech noob. I'm 22 years old

[@silverwatchdog]

LG is one of the few brands where the OS is actually good. It's responsive and easy to navigate especially with the magic remote which has a cursor. It's at least a lot better than my Samsung TU7000's os. I actually find my self using the native apps more than using my PC to watch Netflix and KZbin because I don't want to watch videos on my PC settings profile and prefer to use one I specifically made for media, which has a more accurate colour temperature, has post processing, supports upscaling from 1080p to 4k. Upscaled 1080p looks a lot better using the native KZbin app. You could actually mistake it for 4k at times, that's how good the upscaling has become. On the PC 1080p looks very bad as expected because the image is just increased in size. Obviously the PC profile is good for games and generally using it as a monitor because there is no input lag, but for media I want the best possible picture quality. I actually think that this is a huge advantage of using a TV as your display is that it can process the video when necessary and the customisabitity in settings is also a lot better than a monitor. The TV is a C1 by the way. This is of course not a cheap TV so maybe that's why it's got a good chip and OS.

[@chloedegurechaff1941]

I got a 42 inch Vizio from 2008. Love it. Its got 3 hdmi, 2 components, 2 composites, s-video, and vga. It still looks great too. The big ass bezels are the only real give away of its age.

[@teardowndan5364]

I use my 50" "smart TV" primarily as a secondary monitor and occasionally as a TV. In three years of owning it, I have yet to take a look at what apps might be available on it.

[@writerpatrick]

I've used a computer with a TV for a couple decades now (although not always the same computer). It allows me full control and the ability to stream anything I can access from the Internet. I can also PVR stuff and use a remote to control the computer. I'm then not limited by the TV's software or selection of apps.

[@RisingProtostar]

I have a smart TV and a smart soundbar, both of which have Android TV, but neither are anywhere near the experience our Nvidia Shield offers. It is definitely a night and day difference.

[@lumi4784]

plot twist: I don't have a TV

[@chinnidiwakar]

Mee too

[@tapank415]

same

[@Jacobstoddy]

All I want is a tv that is a kick ass screen and processor and that’s it. Cut out the speakers, cut out the smart BS.

[@lethalantidote]

You have described a monitor

[@Jacobstoddy]

@@lethalantidote yea mostly but I want it at 65”+

[@Enforcedcraft]

Idk about you but my TV gets used as display image. Like I have Android TV Box that displays both YT and my other channels that I have from ISP. I don't do anything on "Smart" features of TV.

[@lethalantidote]

@@Jacobstoddy LG's TVs are pretty good as monitors. I'm rocking that 48" C1. All the smart features are easy enough to ignore. There just is not a large demand for dedicated monitors that big. And since a TV can be a monitor, but a monitor can't be a TV, it makes more sense to just add a couple features to the TV to make it more suitable for the PC market than it would to make an entirely new product. Trust me, if there was a market for large monitors like that, they would already be out there. Any company would jump at the chance to sell pc enthusiasts a monitor that costs about much as a TV but with a smaller BOM and lifetime support costs. Higher margins for less work? yes please.

[@silverwatchdog]

@@lethalantidote you also made a wise choice. The 48" LG C1 is way better than any monitor I have owned. It's just such a gorgeous and fast display. I actually still use the built in OS to watch KZbin and Netflix (Webos is actually great) because of the post processing and excellent upscaling, but its very easy to ignore if you don't like it. Only need to use it once to change your HDMI port to PC so it gives you zero input lag.

[@schinka]

This channel is really informative with short but good content. Thank you guys.

[@NC7491]

Make dumb TVs great again! I probably bought the last one in 2016, deliberately making that choice over so called smart TVs and I will gladly do so again. You give me a TV that does what is supposed to do well - that is show the best picture possible- I will figure out the rest.

[@silverwatchdog]

Yeah that's probably not happening though. You can however pick up LG TVs though as they don't shove the OS down your throats and can easily be ignored. It's basically plug and play. You don't need an account or anything. Not even the picture settings use the OS. It's just on the side of the screen.

[@MrRagequitnow]

I miss my dumb tv's. I don't need a TV to be another IoT device on my network.

[@deepakbhatti155]

man i don’t even know you but you’re my fav LTT personality cuz i’m scared you’re gonna roast the hell outta me if i piss you off

[@sinuslebastian6366]

See their other channel Techlinked if you are a fellow Riley fan. He is a lot more common there.

[@bhig3]

Still rocking my old plasma screen with an old workstation plugged into it and a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for my TV

[@StolenJoker84]

TQ video title:“Your TV actually sucks” Me (before even watching the video): Yes. Yes it does. Me (after watching the video): This is exactly why I don’t want a SmartTV. I already have an TV that works better.

[@kurnikov613]

What is that blank character

[@StolenJoker84]

@@kurnikov613 The “Apple” logo, probably. Just guessing, since it’s the only non-standard character in the post.

[@NitheshVG734]

@@kurnikov613 

[@NekronataRaeven]

I wouldn't mind a TV that does away with all the "smart TV" stuff and is even cheaper. I already use Fire TV Stick and would most likely stick to it any ways, so I don't need a TV to be "smart". I just need it to be a Display. Also I don't need a TV Tuner anymore too. TV with all its advertising is dead to me.

[@Globodyne]

The smart TV stuff IS what makes the TV cheaper because the manufacturer can serve you ads or harvest your data and sell it. If it didn't have that stuff then your TV would cost more.

[@ungatodelinternet8597]

Then buy a monitor?

[@hupsou4237]

I agree, but I don't even use a dongle...PC forever!

[@steemlenn8797]

@@Globodyne How does a smart TV show me ads that aren't in the TV program?

[@Globodyne]

@@steemlenn8797 On the home screen of the smart function of your TV where you go to select which app you want to use.

[@oafkad]

I'd happily pay extra for a TV with no network connectivity or apps on it.

[@HallyVee]

Yeah that'll definitely stop tecxperts from stealing your info /eyeroll

[@HallyVee]

@@teknerd good lord, your should know they can Tech Nerd!!! Even just the basics of spyware tell us that!

[@HallyVee]

@@teknerd well just by viewing the surrounding Wi-Fi networks it can instantly know your location exactly. That's automatic. The microphone can detect long periods of Silence, telling them when you work and sleep. Catch a hotspot driving by, upload all that. You know, the basics of computer security stuff.

[@HallyVee]

@@teknerd correct, but you are relying on the honesty of big Tech. A casual Google will show you how wise that is. This sort of spyware technology has been built into everything we've used from the beginning. It isn't conspiracy theory territory, this is commonly understood.

[@randomgamingsd6216]

I have been using my X96 Max Plus(4/32) for over 2 years which costed me only like 60$. It has everything I need and there was a time that I played some games on it, and it never made me disappointed. Still works as good as new and has all features I need.

[@HumanGamer]

I have a cheap 4k tcl roku tv I got on amazon, and it's super responsive and works very well, and is compatible with all the streaming apps I use.

[@linkthehero8431]

I'm glad my laptop uses HDMI for video and audio so I can plug it into my really old 45 inch 1080i and watch anything through my browser on the big screen as well as play PC games on the big screen.

[@efnick96]

Oh my goodness finally someone talked about it. I am so disappointed with smart TVs in general and their "dumbness". I have an espresso machine that is "smarter" than my TV. Samsung TVs and their crappy OS don't support basic apps like a video player(VLC etc) or simple features like casting and android TVs(Sony and some TV boxes from my experience) don't support 95% of android apps out there. The only thing that they are good at, is serving you targeted ads. At this point, it's better to have a pc hooked up to it rather than using it for anything other than watching regular tv and switching inputs.

[@vicorp]

Riley used the right TV brand for this. I got a Vizio D-series 40" at the start of the pandemic (just for some set top emulator machines) but never had a use to use the "smart" features until last week. That was the slowest interface I have ever used. It was almost painfully so. I have an older Vizio D-series 24" and it looks like a speed demon compared to the 40" one. So glad I have a few TV boxes and a Samsung 55" for my normal viewing habits.

[@atodaso1668]

Still only use my 15 year old Toshiba hooked up to my computer. If I got a smart TV it would still be attached to my computer. It would be nice if they made tvs without the crappy bloatware and constantly listening microphones.

[@williamsquibb5249]

Same my 13 year lg is fine and connected to a fire tv stick second gen and is fine

[@YOEL_44]

Altho having a dongle has way more sense, you can upgrade all your hardware individually and prevent the issues that each bundle can have.

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

Good thing Google invented capitalism and so made real the promise of competition improving the products. Advertisers are RACING to who gets to buy our data first, and help us decide what to buy with ad monetization. For the low price of watching an ad while the channel changes on the average smart TV.

[@tubester358]

One thing I CANNOT get over about big smart TVs: They're big, expensive devices entitely made to consume media, but their built-in media players have incredibly poor file support. The Samsung smart tv we have can't play a lot of file formats that even my phone's stock video player can, subtitles are pretty busted (it can't show 2 separate lines at once, or e.g. a sign translation & a line) with many not working, music player is pretty basic, file browser has next to no config. Its UI is actually pretty slick & responsive but it's mostly good for cable, KZbin app or connecting an external device. I feel a TV should have as much media support as the KLite codec pack

[@ArmiaKhairy]

Have you tried VLC ? I'm not sure it's on samsung TV store but I guess it is.

[@LBSiUK]

I'm not completely with that one. My Samsung 4K Smart TV will play basically anything I throw at it (excluding AV1 video), including 4K HDR BluRay REMUXes, and the 7.1 TrueHD audio that accompanies that.

[@tubester358]

@@LBSiUK from a USB device? Maybe they'd finally gotten better, ours is a fairly old 43" 1080p panel I haven't found many useful apps in its store. The newer ones may likely be using some kind of Android TV or something which would prolly be better

[@soundportrait]

Riley is the BEST! I would watch you present anything!

[@dancroft8387]

Having bought an absolutely top of the range Samsung smart TV a few years ago and finding that its built in apps (like KZbin) were no longer supported and basically non-functional just a few years later, along with a mid-range LG that had the same issues in an even shorter time, I'll never trust built in TV apps again.

[@avenged110]

I still want to know what's wrong with providing just a single SKU that matches other high-end models for display-related tech/quality, but without any "TV" functions (e.g. a 77" LG G-series with no operating system, speakers, wireless hardware, tuner, SoC, etc.). Like a big monitor with extremely efficient firmware for changing display settings, but with top-tier display quality. It should be relatively easy from a manufacturing standpoint and you can charge the same or slightly more - I'd buy that one and be happier with it.

[@SaneGhoul]

Separate streaming boxes are only a partial solution. The TV itself could lag out or crash just turning on and off. Large computer monitors feel like a better alternative if you just need a basic display that'll just work.

[@williamsquibb5249]

The turning on and off thing happens to my jvc tv just randomly turns off usually while playing the wii on av

[@ryanf922]

I used to feel VERY strongly about this and encouraged everyone I knew to buy the Roku or Fire Stick or whatever fit their needs. Now, the cheap TCL 4k TV we use has a decent Roku set built-in and we encounter few bugs/slowdowns compared to the "smart" TVs 4-7 years. ago.

[@sogerc1]

Yeah, I was so happy that my first smart TV had youtube. And then I used it for 2 minutes. It was really hard to type in a search term or anything and even though it was a full hd tv (1080p) it only downloaded the video in 480p.

[@rubenthijs746]

Why do they even put this features in a TV? I don't use them because they are so bad. My TV only serves as a screen for my media center.

[@A_Laptop]

Never knew I got insulted by a video title

[@md.abdullaalwailykhanchowd3974]

1:28 best moment of the video. God you guys really put a lot of effort in every video. So Awesome.

[@hg-ir8tb]

And, if you don't want a dongle hanging off your TV, an SBC is small enough to be tucked away in a corner. Add something like LibreELEC and you can have your own media center. Though, do mind what SBC you're using. Modern ARM-based SBCs are generally fine for 1080p, but still struggle against 4k and software decoded content (and hardware acceleration for some formats can still be missing.)

[@saysbadman]

I have two smart TVs that I absolutely ignore the smart functionality. They remind me of the old school tvs with a DVD and/or VCR built in. If you wanted a good player you shop for that separate. I have a 2015 Nvidia shield tv that has lasted through 3 tvs.

[@mohnishm9247]

Hey you don't need to attack me like that

[@Dubmaster3]

All I need from a TV/Screen is to display the image fed to it as pretty looking as possible.

[@InfindecimalSlice]

Would love to see a video with some manufacturer recommendations with good smart tv performance!

[@jefthereaper]

Why are people pirating movies? Also: region locks all good movies so people can't buy them, even if they WANT TO. *shoots own feet multiple times* "why are *they* doing this to us?!"

[@voxelfusion9894]

Every time I see a movie isn't available, or all they're offering is a shitty local dub, I head out to sea, in search of a better service. Region locking is such an antiquated idea.

[@ruukinen]

@@voxelfusion9894 They don't really do it on purpose though. They have to do it to abide by your local laws in most cases. Or to abide by the license terms of whatever series they offer somewhere else but not where you reside.

[@DacLMK]

Yar har har pirate life ftw!

[@jefthereaper]

@Not RickRоII👇❣️ I don't know why, but thatvreally was oddly relaxing.

[@robertk1701]

Eventually, your smart device, whether TV or dongle, will become slow and outdated. I prefer to ignore whatever smart features a TV has and go with an external device knowing that I'll have to upgrade eventually.

[@steemlenn8797]

I prefer going with the dumb TV that I have for years and that will still show TV program in 10 more years. I don't need "apps". I can watch youtube on my computer and the rest is uninteresting.

[@outsideredge]

I just discovered the one advantage my 2021 LG TV has over my Apple TV 4K 1st Gen. The WebOs interface is sluggish and even freezes at times, but the KZbin app built into the TV does play 4K60 HDR KZbin videos, where the 1st Gen Apple TV 4K does not (capping out at 1440p60 or 2160p30). The sound quality through those same videos is also slightly better through the TV. I don't know if this is worth upgrading the Apple TV to a newer model, but there it is. Thank you stats for nerds for pointing this out.

[@alflud]

Riley, this was, overall, an _excellently_ made video.

[@TheAvsouto]

I have the same Sony TV since 2010. I use chormecast or the hdmi port since ever to watch all kinda of stuff. I'm pretty satisfied with it. Unless it breaks one day, I'm not gonna replace it with a smart TV.

[@sjain07]

"...why TVs were historically dumb..." *iFixit sponsorship appears* 😂

[@BlakieTT]

I have my plasma from like 2005 or 2007 still. Still love it, still works very well, **knock on wood** .

[@paulgray1318]

WIshed they would split the screen and the smart tech into a seperate box - plinth for the soundbar perhaps and then could upgrade and heck, if was a standard - could have the screen and the smarts from different companies. Be nice if those doing screen focused upon that and those doing OS smarts could focus upon that instead of one inhouse smess up.

[@kernelpickle]

I wish you could still buy a dumb panel that can switch inputs faster, and only has the on screen menus for making adjustments to the picture or other functions. I don’t want to buy a TV with a built-in streaming device because as the apps get updated over time, they start to run like shit, and flipping inputs on them usually sucks. I liked my cheap Roku TV by Sharp when I got it several years ago, but it seems to struggle with certain apps these days, and with the panel still working just as good as it always has, it’s hard to justify replacing it, and I don’t want to have Roku-caption where I’m plugging a Roku into my Roku.

[@ThomasSmoke]

There was a decent 55" Dell monitor I almost bought: good looking, stand speakers and remote but only Full HD. 4K replacement doesn't have any speakers or desktop stand

[@silverwatchdog]

LG C1 is very quick with input switching (basically as fast, if not faster, as a 2009 dumb tv in my house) and WebOS is really nice actually. Obviously this is one of the best looking TVs on the market and it having a responsive OS helps a lot. Just stay away from the cheaper TVs. It may be costly now, but it will definitely be worth it as cheaper TVs will take a while to catch up in picture quality and 2 years later they will chug on the OS, therefore you don't have to upgrade as often. Also I still recommend a streaming box (personally my favourite is an Apple TV 4k), because sometimes it chugs on 4k60 HDR videos (4k30 HDR is fine though). If high framerate content doesn't interest you then you are fine with WebOS. Also another reason to get a streaming box is to avoid ARC, because it's not as consistent as what it should be.

[@GmorkDK]

I actually think that LG's WebOS in my 77" OLED CX is pretty good.

[@daemonbyte]

yeh webos is nice. Although I have still failed to get it to play nice with alexa and they replaced the voice with google so I don't use that now unless I actually want a youtube video

[@WartimeFriction]

I just upgraded to a C1 from a shitbox and for the price point, I'm seriously disappointed in the large amount of ads, the ethernet port not being 1gig, the ridiculous amount of EULAS and shit needed to use the "included" features like voice searching, etc. I literally paid more for awesome picture quality but shit user experience. That being said, the OS itself seems okay and my only gripe is that SteamLink doesn't support the OS, but that's probably entirely on steam

[@LightsLuck-]

@@WartimeFriction I have a 2020 Sony and an LG C1 and don't notice any ads. The LG has seemed pretty great software wise. The Sony will often freeze on KZbin videos and need to be restarted. Aside from making the LG a full fledged PC, I'm not sure what else I'd want from it.

[@AndrewB23]

@@WartimeFriction you should be able to turn ads off atleast I can on my cx

[@Baulder13]

My LG 55C7P from 4 years ago is still flying through apps and menus and I never see any ads. Only thing I've ever noticed is a new app icon like Disney+ will appear at the end of my app bar or something small like that.

[@RichMantaray]

tell me about i have to use my gaming pc to play 4k @ 100mbit video's on tv !!!! it can only play 4k @ 40mbit on its own :( and still struggles

[@Kasper0822]

I thought this was mostly a problem with the cheapest ones. My midrange Samsung from 2019 is still pretty snappy with it's tizen OS. It's a beast compared to my cheaper TV.

[@justsomeguy5103]

Mine is fairly snappy as well, but the constant bugs are driving me nuts.

[@mrclown7469]

Yesterday: "OLED sucks" Today: "Your TV sucks" LTT hating on TV's right now

[@gamamew]

Well, watching TV is a thing for old people...

[@otakuofmine]

u clearly didnt watch the actual OLED video and just read the clickbait title

[@tharushaherath1948]

Riley : Your TV Actually Sucks My TV : Literally 8 Years Old *sweat nervously*

[@DacLMK]

Don't worry, my TV that my father bought me last year sucks too, but still better than the decade old 19" TV that I used to have.

[@Kapsyz]

I recently got an Nvidia shield tv, and man it's one hell of an upgrade over the built in roku in my tv.

[@devinsingleton5242]

It was crazy to see an Ad popup on my grandmas roku smart tv and she was watching CABLE! I didn't know the tv was capable of displaying ads for Cable Commercials. 'Streaming Commercials' I get buuuutttt yeah I disconnected that thing from the home wifi and got her a streaming dongle instead.

[@adtc]

I would definitely go for size and picture/sound quality of the TV, simply because I can just plug in a Chromecast 4 with Google TV to make it "smart".

[@kevincarson8144]

I would pay EXTRA for the option to NOT use Android TV. I'm constantly fighting all 3 of my home TV's to have to "reboot" the tv after turning it back on the next day or at times having to unplug it completely, because the apps were still running, but crashed, and force closing apps won't make them actually work. When I turn off my tv, it never turns all the way off.

[@ac.creations]

Get a chromecast.

[@kevincarson8144]

@@ac.creations I'm about too, just trying to avoid extra overhead cost, but it's everytime a fight to just watch something on the tv.

[@ac.creations]

@@kevincarson8144 personally i use my TV with my gaming rig, but before that I had the old chromecast which didnt support hdr or 4k. I believe they have a new one that will.

[@silverwatchdog]

The only smart features I would want on my main home cinema TV is image processing. It really helps lower resolution images look better and gets rid of noise in old movies. I use a Apple TV 4k for streaming , which is way more stable and gives better quality than the built in apps.

[@josemurillorios]

My TCL AndroidTV has been fantastic, it even gives the opportunity to program and install custom applications

[@icky_thump]

I've been wondering this after my 2020 Vizio TV update to a new firmware earlier this year and got DRAMATICALLY SLOWER. Just powering on into the home hub is exhausting, nevermind the now horrible input lag navigating menus or channels. Thankfully the TV has Chromecast and Airplay support so I just end up casting directly that way, which I get the feeling Vizio banked on...

[@Polo_n]

Me seeing the title: Y do you have to remind and hurt me T.T

[@rijaja]

My TV is just smart enough to read media off a USB stick and automatically turn on when an HDMI device sends a signal. That's pretty much perfect. I can't even connect to the internet.

[@filleswe91]

Spot-on explanation LMG. Thanks ♥ My Chromecast with Google TV is only marginally better (4 core Cortex-A55) than my mom's Phillips Android TV, (4 core Cortex-A53), but it's perfectly fine for everyday use IF you can get it for 50 dollars (in Sweden I had to pay around 90 dollars, and I only got a couple gigabytes of free storage for apps (sadly we can't get write access to USB connected devices as some Android SAF components are missing)

[@Tfin]

You're right, my TV doesn't care about my time. In fact, I need to keep reminding it what time zone I'm in. It keeps switching to Central US time, while the Google screen saver that pops up on it keeps switching to Atlantic time, leaving me guessing at when in a two hour range I actually exist at any point.

[@B1tterAndThenSome]

I wish more manufacturers would release versions of their TVs with no smart functions and no speakers.

[@electricspider2267]

Sooo a monitor then?

[@B1tterAndThenSome]

@@electricspider2267 Sure...a 65" or 75" monitor.

[@xluca1701]

@@B1tterAndThenSome There are 65" Monitors... the Asus ROG Swift PG65UQ for example (but it's pretty expensive)

[@B1tterAndThenSome]

@@xluca1701 I know. And still I want more models to choose from.

[@HoangNguyen-xo6bp]

I just want a TV with good screen quality and 90Hz refresh rate, cut out everything so I can make the TV function as a monitor for my unused PC.

[@paulelderson934]

You need an LG C-series then.

[@silverwatchdog]

LG C1. It has a PC mode that allows you to cut out all post processing, and its 120hz with gsync (just a warning 120hz and gysync only works on HDMI 2.1 so only current gen gpus support it). And the UI that there is is probably the best out of all the brands if you do want to use it as a TV. The youtube app does struggle a bit with 4k60 HDR footage but if you really want that you can get something like an Apple TV 4k or Chromecast Ultra or hope that windows displays it correctly. This TV looks way better than any monitor and 48" gives you a lot of screen real estate to work with, and it has a faster response time than any other monitor.

[@HoangNguyen-xo6bp]

@@silverwatchdog thank you for your recommendation, I'm gonna get one soon

[@blazetownsend8785]

When I was using the Samsung Q90T, instead of using the OS that was built into it for the smart features, I got a Android TV device for that function as it was much faster while in app. It was annoyingly slow in it. I did not get the same experience for the A8H from sony though, so I did not have to switch over the android tv device and just use the internal OS that was pretty much the same. I will say it was slower even on the A8H but not enough to take up a HDMI slot to fix it.

[@BlacklistBill]

I have an LG B7A OLED and one thing I can say about the app-driven experience is that the picture quality out of the "Smart" apps on the TV is better than anything I plug in over HDMI (my full time streaming stick is a 2019 nVidia Shield). I regularly see stutter in sweeping pans from any apps on the Shield, but the TV apps are flawless. That being said, the interfaces on the TV apps are not as good for playback control and my Netflix app has entered this dreaded LG state where a buffering event occurs, the app gets to 25% buffer and fails out making the Netflix app useless. TV also doesn't have access to an HBOMAX app so I'm constantly back and forth between smart tv and shield. I am convinced that besides having weak SoCs, they don't provide adequate cooling for long term use and the chips are cooking themselves enough to cause problems but not fail outright.

[@silverwatchdog]

LG just has such an amazing OS. The experience is flawless on the C1 OLED. I found it better than Samsung Tizen but that one is also solid.

[@matheuswohl]

the smart features aren't that much of a deal breaker but it sure is funny to use the tv voice assistant to turn the lights on and off

[@zeze64.]

My Samsung Smart Tv from 2013: Pathetic.

[@David73977]

I got an android smart TV earlier this year and immediately hooked my fire cube up to it. I didn't even try to see how well it worked because my fire cube is already set up for me and I know how it performs.

[@MegaDrainProductions]

This is primarily the reason why I keep both of my tvs connected to a mini pc and a gaming pc respectively. I have a sony x85j and while the menu system is nice and intuitive, all the built in apps like disney+ and prime video are slower on the tv itself than if I just my computer's browser. Sure there's some loss in video quality since it's in game mode but at least it doesn't jitter or take forever to load. ETAPrime has a lot of of in depth looks at a ton of mini pcs varying through prices and you can get a pretty nice one for cheap off ebay and just slap it to your living room tv and you're good to go.

[@ericcalderon4040]

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[@annohamuo637]

You're Right ma..,..

[@annohamuo637]

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[@benchristrichard7409]

my first investment with Sam Justin give me profit of over $43,000 US Dollars..

[@benchristrichard7409]

And I can't even say his is the most sincere broker I known.,

[@charlottehardy2121]

O'yes I'm a living testimony of Mr Sam Justin ,..

[@rustyshackleford5166]

Smart tvs are unavoidable. There aren't any tvs you can buy that aren't smart.

[@HL09]

Other than scepter, although those TV's take 8 and a half years to turn on

[@BlueEyedVibeChecker]

If your TV is so smart, why can't it do your homework for you? Checkmate Millenials!

[@rustyshackleford5166]

@@BlueEyedVibeChecker joke's on you; I don't do my homework.

[@rustyshackleford5166]

@@HL09 scepter is likely the only exception but I suspect they will eventually end that. Walmart tvs are plagued with Roku built in. The main problem I have with these tvs is the OS will eventually be obsolete or just unusable (more so than they are currently). What's the point of it being smart if you'll have to plug a stick into it anyway?

[@jaseaquino]

My Samsung Tizen TV from 2016 still runs pretty decent, despite some other apps won't support older Samsung TVs before 2018. If there would be no support for some apps, I might purchase the Chromecast with Google TV dongle instead of buying a TV.

[@dennislacroix5478]

I think Samsung and LG have decent user experiences for custom software and all the cheaper TVs these days have either Roku or android TV built in which means it's a relatively standardized set of hardware that gets customized by the manufacturer.

[@silverwatchdog]

LG's WebOS is actually really good. It's super responsive and the magic remote with a cursor makes navigating it easy. Tizen on samsung is worse but it's still very usable and not to unresponsive. I actually use the native apps now so I can have picture enhancing and seperate profiles. Makes my life alot easier than having to swap profiles every time I want to watch something.

[@elements1122]

my tv sucks, so do i

[@KyuVulpes]

If I was ever given a Smart TV, it's sole use would be if it was a dumb one. Even if it had great user experience. I prefer privacy over that luxury.

[@a.i.privilege1233]

This ^

[@firsttpt]

I gave up on my Samsung "smart" hub the 4th or 5th time it fouled up my ability to connect to one of my streaming services (this last time time more or less permanently fouled up). So I got a Roku... and aside from needing to re-add all the passwords to my streaming services that I forgot over the years, it was something I should have done a long time ago. In addition one streaming service had (as of about a year ago) began to pause for almost exactly two minutes prior to beginning most shows I selected. So we'd select the show and then go do something else knowing it was going to be a while. But it was the TV's problem not the service itself, and that was proved conclusively when I started using the ROKU, i.e all shows start up instantly.

[@bahamutbbob]

My TV has a Roku built in (2019 TCL) and it is snappy and responsive. I know it'll eventually slow down, but the main selling points of the TV are it's size and it's (low) price, so I'm not afraid to actually try and get a decent TV when this one starts acting up.

[@randallgreen4084]

Thing is, those smart TVs become useless in a few years as the apps/software evolves beyond what the hardware can do. BUT they are still perfectly good TVs. So, unless you throw out your TV every few years to get a new model, the external, easy to replace, dongles and devices are going to stay around forever.

[@muadeeb]

My TV needs to have one function: display pixels. Any smarts need to be done by a dedicated box attached to the TV.

[@PurpleKnightmare]

This is why I have a not-smart 50" flatscreen LCD TV years ago and that was hard to find. It is basically just a monitor. I have a media center/Plex/NAS Linux Pop! PC under it. Now that is smart.

[@ianpobanz12]

and that’s why I will forever use my Apple TV and ya unnecessarily expensive but zero advertisements just apps on a screen to open🤷🏻‍♂️

[@hupsou4237]

With your Apple TV money I will use 5 TVs as monitors for my 5 PCs