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Article Accelerator wrote:
[quote=Janit]Any tips on the merits of the different brands of smart TV? I will soon be in the market for one.
Avoid "smart" TVs if you can. Get a smart media box instead, e.g. Apple TV.
Samsung: see above + privacy issues
LG: privacy issues
Vizio: privacy issues
Panasonic is a great brand. I don't know if it too has fallen into the trap of enabling spying on its customers.
Last time I used an Apple TV, I couldn't even run a network test without logging in with my Apple ID. Since Apple takes a cut out of everything on the Apple TV, they, like Roku, likely collect a lot more info than you might think.
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silvarios wrote:
[quote=Article Accelerator]
[quote=Janit]Any tips on the merits of the different brands of smart TV? I will soon be in the market for one.
Avoid "smart" TVs if you can. Get a smart media box instead, e.g. Apple TV.
Samsung: see above + privacy issues
LG: privacy issues
Vizio: privacy issues
Panasonic is a great brand. I don't know if it too has fallen into the trap of enabling spying on its customers.
Last time I used an Apple TV, I couldn't even run a network test without loggin in with my Apple ID. Since Apple takes a cut out of everything on the Apple TV, they like Roku likely collect a lot more info than you might think.
And as far as I know, Apple keeps it strictly to itself. I have no problem with that—it's a matter of trust.
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Robert M wrote:
Paul,
Trust me. This isn't a reason to avoid Samsung Smart TVs. My parents, brother and I each have them and so far they've been great TVs.
Robert
I have a fairly old (2007?) Samsung and it's been great. It's not a Smart tv which is fine but still gives me a good picture. The user interface is pretty good in terms of adjusting the picture, adding or deleting channels, etc.
A few years ago my dad was shopping for a teevee and I was helping; he'd settled on a Samsung. I went to the Best Buy and asked for a remote so I could look at the interface. The store drone guy was baffled: "uh we don't usually keep remotes on hand." The set my dad bought ended up having an interface that was so poor, so counterintuitive, so clumsy it's beyond belief. I found it very frustrating to use. His frustration was beyond words. From what few tv reviews I've read, the focus is always on the picture, sound, etc. But not the user interface which these days seems even more important since you're pretty sure to get an excellent picture even from a low-end set.
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Article Accelerator wrote:
And as far as I know, Apple keeps it strictly to itself. I have no problem with that—it's a matter of trust.
Apple does track your info and does use for advertising. Have you opted out of the ad tracking as listing in the privacy policy I just read?
http://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy/
"Disclosure to Third Parties
At times Apple may make certain personal information available to strategic partners that work with Apple to provide products and services, or that help Apple market to customers. For example, when you purchase and activate your iPhone, you authorize Apple and your carrier to exchange the information you provide during the activation process to carry out service. If you are approved for service, your account will be governed by Apple and your carrier’s respective privacy policies. Personal information will only be shared by Apple to provide or improve our products, services and advertising; it will not be shared with third parties for their marketing purposes."
While that seems good on the surface, notice the bolded part. Apple will share information with third parties that help market to their customers. Hopefully, Apple has negotiated the correct privacy controls as seen in the RadioShack bankrptucy, but I'm not sure how we, the consumers, would know that, unless either party publicly posted the agreement.
Seriously, all these companies are tracking your information and since their policies can change at anytime, it is all about trust. Since publicly traded companies don't answer to you or me, thats a leap I'm not willing to make.
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Article,
The media boxes aren't the be all and end all that you're implying in your post. For example... I'm no longer a fan of the Amazon Fire TV stick. The interface is horrid in comparison to the smart features built into my Samsung TV. It wasn't so bad originally. Now? Bad enough that I moved it to a TV which is rarely used for streaming. I'll take the smart interface of my specific Samsung TV over the interface of the Amazon Fire TV stick without a second thought. It's that much better. The interface other media boxes have their own pros and cons.
Panasonic makes some very nice TVs. The one I have now (which is being replaced by the Sony) is a 1080p 60hz LCD. Not an LED. The picture quality is still fantastic despite its age and it has great audio, especially in comparison to newer LED TVs. My parents want a TV for a spare bedroom. I decided to give them the Panasonic on "indefinite loan" and get the Sony. It works out nicely for everyone.
However, I've heard that Panasonic TVs have ads that show up when you perform certain tasks, i.e. change the volume. It may only impact smart models and I think there is a way to turn them off but I can't say that with certainty. If you can't turn off the ads, then I'd avoid Panasonic smart TVs at all costs. I hope the Panasonic dumb TVs don't suffer from the same issue.
Robert
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I can't get the PBS app on our Samsung Smart TV but it's available through our old Roku 2.
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Yoyodyne ArtWorks wrote:
I can't get the PBS app on our Samsung Smart TV but it's available through our old Roku 2.
No doubt. Most channels works on Rokus as old as Roku 2 HD/XD/XS line. Not all features work (like Netflix profiles), but most channels are available. Anything older and the channel selection, while pretty darn good given the age of the boxes, is much reduced.
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NewtonMP2100 wrote:
Samsung also used cheap capacitors on their TVs.......then when issues arose they played dumb and made it difficult to get them fixed......many ended up just fixing it themselves (this includes myself and a relative)....and it wasn't easy to do........
Lady, You just earned my respect!
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Avoid the bullsh!t "smart" TVs if you can. Get a smart media box instead, e.g. Apple TV.
Seconded.
Last time I used an Apple TV, I couldn't even run a network test without loggin in with my Apple ID. Since Apple takes a cut out of everything on the Apple TV, they like Roku likely collect a lot more info than you might think.
Yet another benefit of anything that runs Kodi.
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Someone suggested logging onto the account on the Netflix web site and deactivating the problematic device. Not possible because I did not have the user name and PW to log onto Jamie's account to do that. As far as Netflix was concerned, my TV belonged to someone named Jamie.
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