Help me chose a Smart TV (I haven't had one in 15 years)

August 14, 2015 8:43 PM

Help me chose a TV (like a Roku) or similar, that can play netflix, youtube, any webpage, and preferably my girlfriend's ATT U-verse live account (it has a website login). If it matters I'll be buying it used on craigslist or refurbished.

I haven't had a TV since high school, but I have other tech gadgets now, I'm not super familiar with my options as far as a TV goes. I want a flat screen of pretty good quality, but I don't need top of the line, and I'd like to know what brands/types of TV's do what I am looking for. But I probably won't be getting cable TV service, just streaming online content and watching my girlfriends ATT Uverse Live account occasionally when she comes over.

I don't even know what the features are that I might be looking for (other than those listed above).

If you ask me questions I can probably answer, to figure out what I want.

Thanks.

posted by crawltopslow to Technology (14 answers total)

I was a little confused by the framing of the question, but I have learned (thanks to you) that Roku actually makes TVs now, not just things you plug into TVs!

For things like this, I tend to go to The Wirecutter and do whatever they say. However, they're more about whatever's new, which is not too helpful for getting something "used on craigslist or refurbished", as you're planning to do. Since they've been in a long period of waiting on the new 2015 TVs to test, maybe you can go to the TV section over there, poke around, see some older information, and then look for those TVs used/refurbished.

You may also want to consider getting the TV separately from the streaming functionality. Especially if you're going used/refurbished on the TV, you might be able to get a great deal on a TV that does less, and then you can plug something into it like a Chromecast, or a Roku player, or an Apple TV, or whatever works for you. (Here's what Wirecutter has to say about that, and there are many other reviews to be found around the web.)
posted by cardioid at 9:03 PM on August 14, 2015 [4 favorites]

My experience with the Roku is better than any built-in smart TV software. Get whatever non-smart TV you like, and get a Roku 3.
posted by demiurge at 9:10 PM on August 14, 2015

Oh weird. Yeah... I didn't know Roku made tv's either. Neat.

Anyway, just to echo the comment above -- don't waste your money on a smart tv. Just buy the dumbest thing you can and get a Roku box, plug it into the HDMI port. You'll save a bunch of money and have a much more flexible / enjoyable experience. If you need to cast a browser tab onto the TV, the Chromecast is cheap and works really well.

For what it's worth, Amazon reviews tend to track pretty well with what Consumer Reports has to say.
posted by ph00dz at 10:32 PM on August 14, 2015

You're getting good advice here. Forget the "smart TV" part; buy a decent dumb TV and a separate media-streaming box.
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:35 PM on August 14, 2015

Do bear in mind, though, that as smart TV features become more and more common, you may be limiting yourself to quite low-end models if you force yourself to avoid a TV that's in any way "smart". Just don't let smart features affect your purchase too much!

(that said, I have a smartish TV that on purchase had amazon prime instant video built in, but not netflix. I'd use my xbox to play netflix through the TV. Recently, the TV downloaded an upgrade that now lets it play netflix directly. Number of times my xbox has been switched on since? Yeah, zero.)
posted by ominous_paws at 12:58 AM on August 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

The AppleTV beats the Roku only if a) you want to stream stuff from an Apple device wirelessly to your AppleTV or b) you want to stream content via iTunes.

I always use my Roku because I want access to Amazon video from the TV streaming device (no Amazon access in AppleTV), and I can buy anything I'd otherwise get on iTunes on Amazon video, and I have no reason to stream from my Apple device to my TB.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:07 AM on August 15, 2015

That said, I use my Roku all the time and love it. If Apple added Amazon video, I'd probably use my AppleTV instead.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:08 AM on August 15, 2015

A dumb TV with an HDMI port and a Chromecast can do what you want.
posted by Obscure Reference at 7:03 AM on August 15, 2015

Response by poster: So I will be getting a dumber TV with HDMI port. Now my question is to get a Chromecast or a roku3, Which one is more popular? Which one do mefites recommend more?
posted by crawltopslow at 7:45 AM on August 15, 2015

Ha ha, I was also coming to tell you that smart TVs are stupid. If you're getting a larger, later model TV, odds are good you won't be able to find a dumb one anymore, but you can just ignore the "smart" features and not hook the TV directly to the internet to mimic dumbness.

I haven't used Chromecast, but I have never been dissatisfied with my Roku 3. This article has a handy chart at the bottom so you can check to see what content is available on various streaming devices.

One final thing in case you hadn't thought of it: You can still get over the air TV with an inexpensive antenna. I just got a really simple indoor one you mount on your wall or window for about $10 at Big Lots, and it gets IIRC about 80 different channels. I don't use it that often, but it will almost always pick up local news, weather, and PBS in any reasonably populated area. I also get lots of other stuff, like a few music channels and this one channel that is always showing Fantasy Island whenever I check. There are websites that supposedly tell you what you can pick up in your area, but I pick up way more stuff than they list for me. I have a little app on my tablet that shows me local TV listings in case I want to add a specific Fantasy Island episode to my calendar or something.

Anyway, I just wanted to mention that because it's super-cheap to try, and you might get a whole bunch new content that way.
posted by ernielundquist at 9:09 AM on August 15, 2015

Roku 3 can stream Amazon Prime content, so that's why I'd choose a Roku over a Chromecast.
posted by dcjd at 9:54 AM on August 15, 2015

Response by poster: ernielundquist, what is this device called? this inexpensive antenna? can you link me to an example one?
posted by crawltopslow at 10:51 AM on August 15, 2015

They're called HDTV antennas. There are a bunch of different kinds, including more high powered outdoor setups, but I just ended doing the $10 impulse purchased indoor version.

Here are some on Amazon, and here is the one I got at Big Lots.

You just plug it into the TV's antenna connector, set the input to antenna, and then scan for over the air/antenna channels.

I put off doing it for an embarrassingly long time because I thought it was going to be some big deal, but it took maybe 5-10 minutes to set up, and it was just boom, "Welcome to Fantasy Island!"
posted by ernielundquist at 11:06 AM on August 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, and here is the Android app I use for TV listings. You may be able to use that or some other service to just get a look at the sort of programming available in your area.
posted by ernielundquist at 11:20 AM on August 15, 2015 [1 favorite]