Smart TV or Chromecast/Amazon Fire/etc?

[rennigade]

I agree - we are actually debating at this exact moment whether to keep Prime or not, and we're leaning toward ditching it. Most local stores match amazon prices now.

Just find a friend who has prime and use their account. I ditched mine 2 years ago. I gave my friend $20 (even though he didnt want to take it.) He allows all of his family/relatives to log into his account and place orders. Everyone stores their credit card info...which no one else can use anyway (requires security digits from card whenever you select it.) And everyone stores their shipping address.

[DaveInPgh]

Just find a friend who has prime and use their account. I ditched mine 2 years ago. I gave my friend $20 (even though he didnt want to take it.) He allows all of his family/relatives to log into his account and place orders. Everyone stores their credit card info...which no one else can use anyway (requires security digits from card whenever you select it.) And everyone stores their shipping address.

That might not be the case with Amazon, but I know I have purchased things over the internet without using the security digits. What is to prevent someone from taking your card information and making a purchase elsewhere?

[phantom]

I believe it carried over to the Samsung washing machines too.

I can confirm. My Samsung washing machine was nothing but trouble for 7 years until I finally gave up and replaced it a few months ago. While I never saw it catch fire, but it was probably only a matter of time. My Samsung TV, on the other hand, is pretty nice.

Go with a good tv period...doesnt matter if its a smart tv or not...then get a chrome cast/android stick/apple tv/ etc etc. Those specific devices are constantly being updated...not to mention the fact that at the chromecast/android price point...you can always chuck it and buy the newest one if need be.

I agree. I'd get a TV with a good picture and plenty of ports and get a separate device to handle loading content on it. The TV should last a very long time relative to the ways in which people will come up with to put content on the TV.

[disneysteve]

The TV should last a very long time relative to the ways in which people will come up with to put content on the TV.

That's what I was thinking. The things we do with out TVs today weren't around 10 years ago, even though the TV we have was. Better for the content technology to get outdated and replace it but still keep the TV.

Thanks everyone. I think we'll start looking for a new TV and a Chromecast. Now we just have to decide how big of a screen we want in there. Part of the reason we're replacing the TV, even though it works, is that it is an old small tube TV and we're both finding it harder and harder to see it from bed. Plus it seems that broadcasters all assume that you are watching on a giant screen today and they fill the screen with text that is too small to read even if you get close to the screen. Last night, we had the ball game on and I had to get up and walk right up to the TV to see what inning it was in the teeny print down in the corner.

[mo0n]

I'm late to the party, but I was just going to affirm that it'd be better to buy a regular TV and get the peripherals.

I own a Smart TV, and have for the past few years. It was awesome in the beginning. Then the rokus and the apple tvs and whatever else came along and pretty much rendered my Smart TV to unnecessary!Smart.

The only drawback with roku and appleTV (I can't speak for chromecast) is the separate remotes With the Smart TV, the hub can be accessed with the normal tv remote, with the add ons, there will be another remote to keep track of.

[Tabs]

I'm later still, but I agree about keeping your TV and your smart streaming device separate. That way, if your device becomes obsolete, broken, or you just decide that you want to install it on a different TV, then it is easier to do so with a separate device.

Conversely, if you should be so unfortunate as to damage your TV somehow, there goes your built-in smart device as well.

Plus, as someone else mentioned earlier, some built-in smart TV features really are clunky. I have a smart TV, but I found myself never using it.

As for what to buy, if you are looking for a frugal option where you just want to stream Netflix or something basic on a 1080p screen, I think the Roku Streaming Stick is plenty. (That said, if you can somehow use wired ethernet cable instead, which I do personally recommend, then Roku2 is better, or if you really want to add voice search, get Roku 3, but they are all incrementally pricier.)

[disneysteve]

with the add ons, there will be another remote to keep track of.

True, but not a deal-breaker. In the family room, there are currently remotes for the TV, cable, Apple TV, DVD player, VCR, and controllers for the Wii, so no shortage of remotes. The bedroom is sparse by comparison with only the TV and cable remotes. This would just make three.

[feh]

We want to upgrade the TV viewing options in our bedroom. In our family room, we have Apple TV but I don't want to spend that much for the bedroom. However, we also need/want a new TV in the bedroom.

Is it better, both financially and technologically speaking, to get a Smart TV that has everything already built in (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) or is it better to get a regular TV and get a Chromecast or Fire device to plug into the TV?

I'd get an external device. Keep the functionality in separate devices - tv is for displaying a picture, chromecast is for providing the content.