Buying a new TV these days involves choosing a ‘smart’ model, because few retailers now sell ‘dumb’ sets – meaning those that don’t connect to the internet.
However, your current television – whether it’s the screen in your living room, or a secondary TV in your bedroom – may still be in good working order, and only seems dated because of its lack of support for streaming services. After all, the average TV reportedly lasts for seven to 10 years (www.snipca.com/49263), but it’s not unusual to own one that’s considerably older.
Even if you already have a smart TV, you may be considering a replacement because of performance or quality issues – see our Cover Feature in Issue 661 (get it from www.snipca.com/49268) for examples. But with big-screen sets from trusted manufacturers costing several hundred pounds, a new TV is far from a casual purchase.
The simplest solution to this dilemma is to buy a streaming device instead. These tiny gadgets are not only significantly cheaper than full-sized TVs, but also even smarter – and not just because you can take them on holiday.
In this feature we reveal all the benefits of choosing a streaming device over a TV, help you decide the best model to buy from the many options available, and explain how to tweak their settings to make them faster and safer.
FIVE REASONS NOT TO BUY A NEW TV
Smart TVs are expensive
Smart TVs cost considerably less than they did a few years ago, with Currys and Argos selling 24in sets for as little as £120. But that’s still a lot of money if your current TV works perfectly well, and you merely want access to streaming services.
Streaming devices can transform any old ‘dumb’ television into a smart TV for a fraction of the cost. As we’ll explain later, you can buy a streaming stick from a reputable brand for just £30, which is a quarter of the price of the cheapest TVs (which are typically made by lesserknown manufacturers). This affordability means you can even combine a smart TV with an external streaming device, to get the best of both worlds in terms of features, flexibility and performance.
Some TVs limit your choice of apps
Many smart TVs use the same operating systems as streaming devices, such as Google/Android TV, Fire OS and Roku OS. However, this isn’t true of all brands – Samsung TVs use the company’s own Tizen operating system, while LG sets use its Web OS ‘smart platform’. Other than the services that come installed on the television, this means you’re reliant on the manufacturer’s own app store to expand your entertainment.
Neither the Samsung Smart Hub store nor the LG
