I have not had a TV since about 2009 and have been watching stuff by streaming with an internet connection and an IMac desktop. I am getting a little tired of watching from a desk so I think I would like to buy a TV so I can sit on a sofa and watch instead. I only want an internet connection and no cable TV service. My internet is Spectrum. If I buy some sort of TV and connect that to my Spectrum WiFi, do I need to pay for something like AppleTV also? ( I do not understand what it actually does) I watch Youtube, Discovery+, Acorn and occasionally Netflix and Prime. Things have changed so much in 14 years, sorry if I sound clueless, because I probably am.
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Most modern 4k TV have all the apps built into the TV., including Apple TV+. You might not need to buy any additional hardware. The advantage of having a dedicated Apple TV box is not having to connect the TV to the Internet which would no doubt report back to the mother ship everything you watch and scan your LAN.
That is something I think about. I don’t get any targeted ads through my computer so I don’t know if Spectrum even tries that with computer streaming. Does this require the Apple TV subscription?
The Apple TV box is a one time purchase. The Apple TV streaming service is a monthly subscription that you only sign up for if you want to watch their programming. The Apple TV box lets you install the apps you need (Discovery, Acorn, Youtube, Prime, Netflix) free of charge.
If your TV is a smart tv, chances are that a lot of the streaming services have an app on your tv and you wouldn’t have to buy a separate box.
One thing I always recommend is a soundbar because the quality of LCD/OLED tv speakers is ass.
Thanks. I haven’t figured out what brand of TV I should buy. Today I read an article in Consumer reports about data gathering and what can be done to stop some of it but it is all very disheartening.
Most “smart” TVs today have all of the apps you use and more built in. But in a strong personal opinion I do not trust the TV brands to deal with security issues except in extreme cases. But I’m a minority.
But if you want Apple TV shows/subscription you’ll need either a smart TV with the AppleTV app as an option or an AppleTV box. You can also get a Ruku box/stick/whatever and get everything but AppleTV subscription.
For the same security / privacy reasons I don’t use Google TV products.
One reason TVs have gotten so cheap is they charge the various services to put on their apps or get a cut of the action when you watch via the built in apps.
You can use the LG interface for the short term. It has casting, airplay compatibility and all the apps you already watch. If you want the streamer box, the Apple TV or Roku is a good place to go… If you’re all in on apple, the appletv will give you the best experience.
My personal suggestions:
- TV
- AppleTV
- soundbar
- (or instead of soundbar, home theatre if you have the space/finance/desire to dedicate to it)
Disable tv speakers, and don’t t use apps on the tv itself: it’s a display unit: it sucks at everything else.
Thank you