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Any TV buffs in the house?
We're looking at getting a new TV. From what I've read Samsung are the brand to beat and they have all the catch-up TV services. That said Sony appear to be making some well rated TVs again, but they don't have ITV player and 4oD.
Are these services likely to be added, or are you stuck with what's in the box when you buy it?
Thanks
I bought a Samsung recently. But based my purchase on the picture quality. All the other content is just nice to have (and accessible in loads of other ways - YouView, Sky and Apple TV in our house).
Just been through all this although the smart TV features wasn't high on the priority as I have Sky and Apple TV. I narrowed it down to the Sony W905 range and Samsung F8000, I was all ready to order the W905 but when John Lewis price matched F8000 as it was cheaper although smaller than W905 I went for that. Physically the TV would have fit with the W905 but a suitable stand would have been too intrusive so that was also a deciding factor.
Have to say I'm very impressed with F8000 my wife even noticed the difference immediately and she's no techno bod, the 3D works very good and I was sceptical about that but still not sure how much use it'll get. Overall a well worthy congener especially the game mode for consoles which updates the frame rate to stop ghosting.
[b]Drac[/b] – There the same two I'm looking at. Price wise I can get them for very similar prices, so the watch again apps are the only real difference. I have AppleTV but was hoping to ditch that for a TV that had the watch again.
I think if I were buying a Smart TV again, I'd buy a dumb TV and some sort of upgradable set-top-box; RasPi and XBMC or some such. They're great as far as they go, but if you want to play something unsupported or if the manufacturer stops releasing updates(*) for older models then you're stuffed.
(* - I'm looking at you, Sony)
We've had a Samsung UE32es550 for just over a year. We bought it mainly for the smart features although we do have sky and apple tv. 99% of the time the inlayer, 4od and other catchup tv apps work flawlessly, but it can spit the dummy if it feels the apps need updating. Having said that, I'd buy it again without hesitation.
My TV is the F8000. 46" version.
Looked at that option cougar but to get the best screen I was limited. Nice ourman I couldn't quite justify the cost or comfortably fit in the 46" so I've gone for 40". Pretty much got the settings sorted I think now, I've put it through my home cinema just before for the sound but need to rewire a couple of speakers.
F8000 here too 55" version, absolutely awesome tellys! Could not believe the picture quality, previous telly was a CRT. Loads of apps if you like that sort of thing, the voice activation is a gimmick and the camera/kinect style thing.
The F8000 came 2nd in What HiFi, 1st place was the Bowers & Wilkins £10,000 TV.
Definately would buy one again.
Are these services likely to be added, or are you stuck with what's in the box when you buy it?
Don't rely on any manufacture to add services to a product that has already been released. It may happen, but doubtful.
Yeah the voice and motion seem pointless. What I find annoying the most if the smart remote won't link to my sky box I think it's because it's early HD one.
I half agree with this. My digibox [i]had[/i] iPlayer and other stuff and it was great. Really easy to use. Then it stopped working as the service was no longer supported. Now I have a Raspberry Pi which plays all sorts of things. It isn't as slick and easy as the old built in system but it does work.I think if I were buying a Smart TV again, I'd buy a dumb TV and some sort of upgradable set-top-box; RasPi and XBMC or some such. They're great as far as they go, but if you want to play something unsupported or if the manufacturer stops releasing updates(*) for older models then you're stuffed.
Basically built is better when it works but it is a bit less flexible and may stop working.
Although the voice control might be of limited use to some I have been thinking it might be easier for my wife as her MS means her hands shake badly and she often ends up pressing all sorts of settings & other things on the remote rather than what she wants.
For those who have it how easy is it to use?
MrOverShoot - Voice control is very easy to use, change channels, volume up/down, even turning the TV on. You say "Hi TV, volume up" etc.. I think it would work very well for an MS sufferer.
Thanks for that Milkie, I got home the other day and she had dropped the remote and in the proccess had switched to some shite shopping station!
Poor girl had suffered the crap for 2 hrs 🙁
Been experimenting with it this after a little, you have to price the voice button the remote to activate it or at least it seems that way then you say what you want it do and it then asks you to confirm by pressing the button again saying yes by which time you could have just changed channel.
I'm with Cougar. Dumb TV and whichever set top box that does what you want. I doubt we are going to get 4k broadcasts anytime soon so a dumb TV with good picture quality and a HD tuner will do for quite a few years. If you're using a set top box then you can just replace that as soon as its features start looking long in the tooth and keep the same screen for two or three generations of set top boxes.
Drac - ModeratorBeen experimenting with it this after a little, you have to price the voice button the remote to activate it or at least it seems that way then you say what you want it do and it then asks you to confirm by pressing the button again saying yes by which time you could have just changed channel.
Hmm that puts it on the silly feature level, shame as she uses the voice control function on her Samsung S2 to good effect, to the point where her sister thought she had full use of her fingers again while replying to a text!
Ah now then you can sync smartphones to control the TV too and given it's a Samsung it may have more features so it's possible you can use full voice through the phone. I only had a quick go as I say so I may be doing it wrong but it does seem you have to press the button which is a rather small and fiddly too.
I will look into it further, perhaps a trip to John Lewis to play/ask questions is in order.
The Samsung smart view app on my S4 is great as I can watch stuff on there while she watches something else
Yeah I'm sure JL would help where they can or email Samsung themselves.
MrOvershoot & Drac
You do not have to press the voice button to activate or confirm, although it is quicker.
You say "Hi TV... Turn to channel 8" then wait a few seconds and it will do it. This works in a quiet room, but not when other people are talking. I will try this evening to make sure and post my result.
You just have to make sure you have voice control activated in the settings. If it isn't then you have to press the button to activate it.
The Smart View is very useful, watching one channel on your smart phone while someone is watching some crap on the TV. More so now CatchUp TV doesn't have all the channels.
Thanks again Milkie, that would work fine as her S2 responds to a voice command to go into voice mode which she's used to. Bloody thing hates me and just sulks if I speak to it 🙁
I've been caught out a few times with Smart View as I have been watching something on Yesterday while she is viewing "strictly" and she didn't know until my reply didn't match what she was watching 😉
Cheers Milkie I wasn't sure you had to I'll test when I get home as that makes more sense. It all explains why it went a bit quirky when my youngest said "goodnight TV" the other night.
we have a sony tv, but wish we'd gone samsung now. didnt really look into it that much at the time, just thought sonys a big name, itll do. now im frustrated by the lack of 'smart tv channels' that the samsung has included. we've now bought a samsung bluray player to use with the sony tv :-/
id go samsung.
Right with the F8000... Once Voice Recognition is turned on in the settings you can say...
"Hi TV"....wait then..
"Turn to channcel 8"
"volume up"
No pressing of any button is required. 😉