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Smart TV and Smarter TV?

Rexedgar

Rexedgar

Yo-Semite!
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A few Christmases ago we went to the missus’ family for the holiday. I was impressed with the picture quality of their tv and got one of our own when we got home. (LG OLED 12/2016) All has been fine until a little while ago. We got new Iphones and there was a come on of a free year of Apple TV. Tried to get the app to download on the tv, no dice. I got ahold of customer support and they told me that the tv was too dated, their newer models are Apple compatible. I left it at that since the desktop and the IPad get the app.

Last week we went to watch something on HBO and I noticed the menu had changed. Today I called the cable provider and got instructions for half to download the HBO MAX app. TV is not HBO MAX compatible either. There is a procedure that you can start on your Apple device and send the signal to the TV. It sounds like you have to perform this every time that you want to watch something not supported by the “smart” TV.

Is this just planned obsolescence? What is the nuts and bolts reason that a tv that has internet access isn’t compatible with either of these two platforms?
 
Rexedgar said:
A few Christmases ago we went to the missus’ family for the holiday. I was impressed with the picture quality of their tv and got one of our own when we got home. (LG OLED 12/2016) All has been fine until a little while ago. We got new Iphones and there was a come on of a free year of Apple TV. Tried to get the app to download on the tv, no dice. I got ahold of customer support and they told me that the tv was too dated, their newer models are Apple compatible. I left it at that since the desktop and the IPad get the app.

Last week we went to watch something on HBO and I noticed the menu had changed. Today I called the cable provider and got instructions for half to download the HBO MAX app. TV is not HBO MAX compatible either. There is a procedure that you can start on your Apple device and send the signal to the TV. It sounds like you have to perform this every time that you want to watch something not supported by the “smart” TV.

Is this just planned obsolescence? What is the nuts and bolts reason that a tv that has internet access isn’t compatible with either of these two platforms?
Click to expand...

Yep, welcome to the world of “smart” things were the latest software will run only on the latest hardware. To make matters even worse, many software packages auto-install updates (unless a feature to disable that wonderful feature is present and user selected) resulting in what worked yesterday no longer does today.
 
Rexedgar said:
A few Christmases ago we went to the missus’ family for the holiday. I was impressed with the picture quality of their tv and got one of our own when we got home. (LG OLED 12/2016) All has been fine until a little while ago. We got new Iphones and there was a come on of a free year of Apple TV. Tried to get the app to download on the tv, no dice. I got ahold of customer support and they told me that the tv was too dated, their newer models are Apple compatible. I left it at that since the desktop and the IPad get the app.

Last week we went to watch something on HBO and I noticed the menu had changed. Today I called the cable provider and got instructions for half to download the HBO MAX app. TV is not HBO MAX compatible either. There is a procedure that you can start on your Apple device and send the signal to the TV. It sounds like you have to perform this every time that you want to watch something not supported by the “smart” TV.

Is this just planned obsolescence? What is the nuts and bolts reason that a tv that has internet access isn’t compatible with either of these two platforms?
Click to expand...
My daughter used to hook her IPad or IPhone to her TV with a lightning cable. It worked pretty good for a long time, but within the last few months got glitchy and laggy. (technical terms lol)

She ended up buying an Apple TV device for about 150$. Comes with its own tiny remote that controls volume and on and off for the TV as well as the device. Works great.
 
You're really better off with a plug in device (Roku, Tivo Stream, Apple TV, etc...). The built in software in Smart TV's doesn't allow most of the apps to be added because it's limited to the contracts the TV manufacturers have with the app providers.

I have a Tivo Stream plugged into my TCL Roku TV. It's faster than the Roku software and it's essentially an Android box which allows me to install Android apps from the store (I had HBO Max when it wasn't available on Roku).
 
Rexedgar said:
A few Christmases ago we went to the missus’ family for the holiday. I was impressed with the picture quality of their tv and got one of our own when we got home. (LG OLED 12/2016) All has been fine until a little while ago. We got new Iphones and there was a come on of a free year of Apple TV. Tried to get the app to download on the tv, no dice. I got ahold of customer support and they told me that the tv was too dated, their newer models are Apple compatible. I left it at that since the desktop and the IPad get the app.

Last week we went to watch something on HBO and I noticed the menu had changed. Today I called the cable provider and got instructions for half to download the HBO MAX app. TV is not HBO MAX compatible either. There is a procedure that you can start on your Apple device and send the signal to the TV. It sounds like you have to perform this every time that you want to watch something not supported by the “smart” TV.

Is this just planned obsolescence? What is the nuts and bolts reason that a tv that has internet access isn’t compatible with either of these two platforms?
Click to expand...

Get a Chromecast.. problem solved. Costs like 35 bucks, and you can use your iPhone/iPad/Android as a "remote". The newest Chromecast, which is 60ish dollars has its own remote and uses Android TV or whatever they call it. I find it easier to choose stuff on my phone than using a remote.. but that is me.
 
Rexedgar said:
A few Christmases ago we went to the missus’ family for the holiday. I was impressed with the picture quality of their tv and got one of our own when we got home. (LG OLED 12/2016) All has been fine until a little while ago. We got new Iphones and there was a come on of a free year of Apple TV. Tried to get the app to download on the tv, no dice. I got ahold of customer support and they told me that the tv was too dated, their newer models are Apple compatible. I left it at that since the desktop and the IPad get the app.

Last week we went to watch something on HBO and I noticed the menu had changed. Today I called the cable provider and got instructions for half to download the HBO MAX app. TV is not HBO MAX compatible either. There is a procedure that you can start on your Apple device and send the signal to the TV. It sounds like you have to perform this every time that you want to watch something not supported by the “smart” TV.

Is this just planned obsolescence? What is the nuts and bolts reason that a tv that has internet access isn’t compatible with either of these two platforms?
Click to expand...
Get a Roku, they don't cost much, and you can get all the apps you need. My new TV has Android (Sony), so it gets all the apps, but I still use Roku from time to time, I like that you can plug your earphones into it and listen that way, and not wake anyone up that is sleeping. The new TV has bluetooth output which is good, but my bluetooth earphones are ear plugs, and they get itchy after a while!
 
LG Smart TV's use WebOS, which is only compatible with what LG offers in their 'store'. It's not apk compatible, so unless HBOmax, AppleTV, etc. release a version for WebOS, you're out of luck. Get a Roku or Firetv cube or stick. I recommend Firetv because it's easier to sideload Apk/android apps.

But Roku's are great too. Anyway both are inexpensive and plug right into a HDMI port.
 
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