# Anybody have a "Smart TV"?



## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

Looking at a Samsung 65" smart tv. I'm not exactly sure what smart tv means. I mostly want it for more on demand than TiVo offers. I also considered the Xfinity X1, but I like my Tivos and I hear there are issues with them. 
Would there be any conflict with my Series 3 HD TiVo? They kind of make it sound so you need no cable box of any kind, but then all of your viewing is on demand, right?


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

Smart TV = connected to the Internet and provides access to some streaming services. Most new TVs qualify as smart TVs but honestly you can buy a Ruko or Apple TV and have the best possible streaming device available for less than $100 so if I were going to buy a expensive 65 inch TV I would worry about the picture and not about what it can stream. Smart TVs don't replace your cable box, if you have cable you will still need a cable box or something that does replace it like a TiVo.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I have two Samsung Smart TVs and a Vizio Smart TV. Basically they have a built in interface for apps that allow you to access services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, VUDU, HBOGo, etc... all from the TV itself. (they have an ARM CPU built in, like a smart phone)

The Samsung TVs have a much wider variety of apps then the Vizio. They have a whole app store type thing where you can pick which apps to install.


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

I have a Samsung 65" Smart TV.


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

Well my current TV is a Samsung 58" plasma 1080P that is only a few years old and looks really good. 
I just ran out and bought a Roku 3 and am in the middle of setting up my Harmony One remote for it. Thanks!


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

I have a 23" Vizio Smart TV running Yahoo Widgets and they're pretty bad. I have a 50" Panasonic smart plasma will less bad apps, but still unpleasant. I'd take a $50 Roku over either TV's "smart" apps any day.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

davezatz said:


> I have a 23" Vizio Smart TV running Yahoo Widgets and they're pretty bad. I have a 50" Panasonic smart plasma will less bad apps, but still unpleasant. I'd take a $50 Roku over either TV's "smart" apps any day.


My Vizio TV works OK. At least for Netflix which is pretty much all I've ever used it for.

The apps on the Samsung are a lot nicer and there are apps for a lot more services.

But if you already have a TV you like then a Roku is a good way to add those features without having to replace the whole TV.


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

OK after running to Best Buy, buying a Roku 3 and spending a while setting it all up, I find HBO GO is not supported on Roku by Comcast/Xfinity. There's a whole 2 year long thread about it at their website forums: http://forums.comcast.com/t5/XfinityTV-Website/ROKU-HBO-GO/td-p/1100271

I read much of it and it seems nobody from Comcast could explain, only apologize and quote some company BS. It also doesn't work on Samsung Smart TV. I damn near spent $1,700 on one of those today. 
They do say it works on Apple TV and Xbox though? I'm kind of an anti apple guy so this wasn't my first choice.
Damn... I wanted to watch Game of Thrones tonight.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

That's weird. I didn't realize they could limit HBOGo support to specific devices. I thought if you had access to HBOGo through your cable company then it would work on any device that had an HBOGo app. I wonder why they do that?


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

They had many other providers listed: WOW, Time Warner, Cox, Fios, etc, just not Comcast. I can plug in my laptop and watch it, and I can watch on my Nexus 10, but I can't use HDMI out on it and now this. It's enough to make me look for another TV provider.


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## tenthplanet (Mar 5, 2004)

mikeb33 said:


> OK after running to Best Buy, buying a Roku 3 and spending a while setting it all up, I find HBO GO is not supported on Roku by Comcast/Xfinity. There's a whole 2 year long thread about it at their website forums: http://forums.comcast.com/t5/XfinityTV-Website/ROKU-HBO-GO/td-p/1100271
> 
> I read much of it and it seems nobody from Comcast could explain, only apologize and quote some company BS. It also doesn't work on Samsung Smart TV. I damn near spent $1,700 on one of those today.
> They do say it works on Apple TV and Xbox though? I'm kind of an anti apple guy so this wasn't my first choice.
> Damn... I wanted to watch Game of Thrones tonight.


 It's supposed to work with the Apple, Apple TV and Roku together do complement each other. Also Apple Tv's do play nice with Windows PC's.
Comcast may come around with Roku but as I understand the ball is in Comcast's court. 
Some cable companies have a lot HBO on demand content something else to look into as another option.


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## SugarBowl (Jan 5, 2007)

Can a smart TV's power and volume be controlled with your phone ?


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## Davisadm (Jan 19, 2008)

Dan203 said:


> That's weird. I didn't realize they could limit HBOGo support to specific devices. I thought if you had access to HBOGo through your cable company then it would work on any device that had an HBOGo app. I wonder why they do that?


HBOGo is available on the AppleTV


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## takeshi (Jul 22, 2010)

davezatz said:


> I have a 50" Panasonic smart plasma will less bad apps, but still unpleasant. I'd take a $50 Roku over either TV's "smart" apps any day.


I don't have a Roku but I do have a Panasonic GT30 and I'd agree with the comment above. If I have to I'll use the GT30's apps but that's generally only the case with Amazon streaming.



SugarBowl said:


> Can a smart TV's power and volume be controlled with your phone ?


Depends on the specific TV. Mine cannot.


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## atmuscarella (Oct 11, 2005)

SugarBowl said:


> Can a smart TV's power and volume be controlled with your phone ?


I believe the technical answer is yes. However you would have to see if the TV manufacture has an app for your phone and what it can do.


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## davezatz (Apr 18, 2002)

atmuscarella said:


> I believe the technical answer is yes. However you would have to see if the TV manufacture has an app for your phone and what it can do.


My older Vizio doesn't have an app, but my new Panasonic does. I haven't looked at it in awhile but I'm pretty sure I can adjust volume and channel. I may also be able to power it off, but not on. Can't recall and use my TiVo peanut 85% of the time.


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

SugarBowl said:


> Can a smart TV's power and volume be controlled with your phone ?


Certain ones, I suppose. I have a remote app that works from my phone to my Samsung TV while they're on the same network...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adi.remote.phone&hl=en


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

Davisadm said:


> HBOGo is available on the AppleTV


With Comcast?


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## jmoline (Sep 14, 2009)

hefe said:


> Certain ones, I suppose. I have a remote app that works from my phone to my Samsung TV while they're on the same network...
> 
> I have the new Panasonic and their free Iphone app VIERAremote2 which gives me complete remote control access. Power On is enabled if you have a wired connection. With Wireless you only have Power Off.


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## buscuitboy (Aug 8, 2005)

Dan203 said:


> That's weird. I didn't realize they could limit HBOGo support to specific devices. I thought if you had access to HBOGo through your cable company then it would work on any device that had an HBOGo app. I wonder why they do that?


I sort of thought the same thing, but these days it seems like Comcast can do WHATEVER they want. Too bad as I was looking to get a Roku since it supports HBOGO only to learn from a co-worker that Comcast doesn't allow it. :down:


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## SullyND (Dec 30, 2004)

mikeb33 said:


> With Comcast?


Yes.


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

I ended up putting Xbox 360 on my big screen and have been watching HGBgo that way. I pay Comcast/Xfinity and TiVo and now Xbox to watch TV
I see some of the new TiVos have an Xfinity app, but not in my Chicago market. Anybody know about this?


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

The TiVo and XBox implementations of Xfinity are different. The XBox version is a subset of the videos offered via pure IP distribution. The TiVo one works the same way as a real cable box. The selection portion happens via the internet, rather then using bidirectional communication over the coax, but once a selection is made the cable company starts streaming the video via an actual QAM channel and simply tells the TiVo which frequency to tune. That's why the TiVo version is only available in some markets because it requires an upgrade to the VOD server so that it exposes the selection stuff to the internet.


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## mikeb33 (Dec 10, 2001)

Dan203 said:


> The TiVo and XBox implementations of Xfinity are different. The XBox version is a subset of the videos offered via pure IP distribution. The TiVo one works the same way as a real cable box. The selection portion happens via the internet, rather then using bidirectional communication over the coax, but once a selection is made the cable company starts streaming the video via an actual QAM channel and simply tells the TiVo which frequency to tune. That's why the TiVo version is only available in some markets because it requires an upgrade to the VOD server so that it exposes the selection stuff to the internet.


Thank you for the concise explanation. Sadly, Chicago is not considered one of their "larger markets".


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

I have a receiver that flows multiple components through it and it makes the smart TVs messy when they themselves are creating the content.

In my bedroom I have a sound bar that drives the sound from the Tivo Elite and once again I would have to mess around with more complexities if the sound originated from multiple sources.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

zalusky said:


> I have a receiver that flows multiple components through it and it makes the smart TVs messy when they themselves are creating the content.


How old is it? If it's made within the last 3 years or so it probably supports HDMI Audio Return Channel. Basically the TV can send the audio back to the receiver through the same HDMI cable that the receiver uses to send it video. Works great on my Samsung TV and Onkyo receiver.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Dan203 said:


> The XBox version is a subset of the videos offered via pure IP distribution.


Also, just for clarification, the pure IP distribution (i.e. via the Xfinity app) has a mostly different amount of content than the regular Tivo/Comcast On Demand stuff... which I think is a shame.

For example, you can get a decent amount of shows from various networks (including the main broadcast networks) on the real On Demand, but not via the Xfinity app.

Yeah, I know, just Tivo it then use the Stream to get it to an iPad. I do that, but once in a while, I wish I could watch on the iPad the same exact stuff I could get via the On Demand menu. (Yes, grudgingly, even with the commercials.)


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## Beryl (Feb 22, 2009)

Dan203 said:


> My Vizio TV works OK. At least for Netflix which is pretty much all I've ever used it for.
> 
> The apps on the Samsung are a lot nicer and there are apps for a lot more services.
> 
> But if you already have a TV you like then a Roku is a good way to add those features without having to replace the whole TV.


Yeppy. Netflix is good on my Vizio TV. I like the way Netflix episodes automatically play in sequence. It is minor but nice. I don't like its Amazon interface as compared to other devices -- even the Sony BluRay Player's app is better. It is a pain to find content and it doesn't support watchlists.

I have Rokus on my dumb TVs but I don't recommend any model except the XS or 3.



mikeb33 said:


> With Comcast?


And some of us have it working on our ATVs and haven't subscribed to HBO!! It think it authenticates based on Internet provider. I expect that hole to be closed eventually.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

My TV is dumb as a sack of rocks, and that's the way I like it. Basically, I want it to show me what's on TV.

Then again, a few years ago I just wanted my phone to make phone calls and now I have a One. So who knows what the future will hold?


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> My TV is dumb as a sack of rocks, and that's the way I like it. Basically, I want it to show me what's on TV.
> 
> Then again, a few years ago I just wanted my phone to make phone calls and now I have a One. So who knows what the future will hold?


I do.


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## allan (Oct 14, 2002)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> My TV is dumb as a sack of rocks, and that's the way I like it. Basically, I want it to show me what's on TV.
> 
> Then again, a few years ago I just wanted my phone to make phone calls and now I have a One. So who knows what the future will hold?


Not only is my TV dumb, but considering its age, it's probably senile!


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

It's nice having all these apps readily available and easily accessed. Before I got my Smart TV I had to switch over to my PS3 or XBox 360, wait for it to boot up, navigate it's UI and then launch the respective app. With the Samsung TV I simply press a button and a UI instantly opens up overlaying whatever is on the TV. I pick the app from a small list and I'm off.


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Dan203 said:


> It's nice having all these apps readily available and easily accessed. Before I got my Smart TV I had to switch over to my PS3 or XBox 360, wait for it to boot up, navigate it's UI and then launch the respective app. With the Samsung TV I simply press a button and a UI instantly opens up overlaying whatever is on the TV. I pick the app from a small list and I'm off.


I actually wish my Samsung had less "Smart" stuff. When I press the Smart TV button, I've got a carousel of several screens that have TV recommendations, apps, social features, etc. And a truly horrible remote to navigate it. I just want my apps to pop up directly, but I have to get over to the apps screen.

I think that getting a better universal remote will help, though.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

hefe said:


> I actually wish my Samsung had less "Smart" stuff. When I press the Smart TV button, I've got a carousel of several screens that have TV recommendations, apps, social features, etc. And a truly horrible remote to navigate it. I just want my apps to pop up directly, but I have to get over to the apps screen.
> 
> I think that getting a better universal remote will help, though.


The UI on mine is relatively simple....


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## hefe (Dec 5, 2000)

Dan203 said:


> The UI on mine is relatively simple....


I would prefer that.

On mine, I have to rotate from the TV page to the apps page to access the apps.


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