Internet TV
 

I have a basic flat screen TV with HDMI input amongst others - not a 'Smart TV'. I am seeing more and more channels appearing requiring an 'Internet connection'. Is it just a case of feeding my internet from the router to 'something' and into the set - like a raspberry PI = or is some sort of networking card/chip necessary inside the TV???. If I got to this point, will it be worth it - will I have access to all Internet streamed TV? I'm not at this point bothered about PC to TV

Apologies for the 'simple' questions - I cannot find any comprehensive guides.

We are beginning to see "dongles" that fit into the HDMI socket on a tv and act as a mini (usually Android based) computer for watching all things web.

They are powered from a USB socket, or a USB mains adapter.

Could be just what you are looking for:

I doubt channels would require an Internet connection, but they might offer it as an option for accessing more content. Like mine, your TV probably doesn't have a means of selecting the Internet link at all by itself, so something else would be needed.

I suppose it's possible to add on another box for that purpose, but your TV company would know more about that. Personally, it's not the kind of thing on which I'd be inclined to spend much money, if any.

I always presumed it was so that you could set up an account with them and then they could charge you to watch a programme, i.e. instead of a prepaid smart card

Still not really much wiser as to whether it is worth bothering with - I have seen a long list of TV that streams on the internet and thought I might like to watch some.

Budgie - that is interesting - around £37 in the UK.

Yep, but read the first review. You get what you pay for it seems.


I got tired of the PC being in the living room - it wouldn't quite fit in the cabinet:( So a small device would be wonderful. Small being anything up to the size of a brick.

I do miss not being able to get a break from the abysmal American programs and adverts on terrestrial broadcasts, and it's frustrating, cos I get a fantastic picture from an antenna on a short pole. Frustrating too, that some of the best pictures I've ever seen, and I've been looking, are adverts. They seem to spend money on ultra high quality kit.

I must not get hooked into hours of TV watching. Cable etc., is therefore unacceptably too greater cost for the odd hour or so a week.

I have never found a solution.

Maybe you should think about Apple tv. Then when you have it jailbreak it and the world is your oyster. You can stream what you like from your PC to your tv with an HDMI link.

Apple - Apple TV - Play your favorite HD content on your HDTV.

Sadly not the latest version. Get version 2 and you're OK but you might have to pay £200 for it!

Get instead. It should do all you need instead of an Apple TV.

We watch Freesat through a Humax box, this has an Ethernet input and we can watch BBC & ITV iplayers, it's a bit slow to load but once going it's OK.

maybe hardware reviews help?
http://www.reghardware.com/2012/08/0...r_t1000_iptv_f
reeview_pvr/

BOAC
I have a "basic" flat screen Samsung in the "family room" as SWMBO calls it. (It used to be the play room, but the kids are a bit old for that now).

It is my theory that when channels suggest they could do more with an internet connection, they are just suggesting either that you might like to shovel money their way, or that they might give you a "red" button to get more than one channel on one channel.

I wanted a gadget so I could both use the internet in the "fanily room", and see BBC iplayer type programmes. As I recently bought a new pana from Richer sounds, I got a "free" pana dvd player with it. I didn't want the one they offered as it did no more than my current gadget. For an extra £30 they gave me a pana dmp-bdt 320 which is a blu-ray player with internet access and iplayer via the Ancient wi-fi.
It works fine. It is "Smart" and enables the tv to appear as though it is smart.
Be careful of some of the pana Viera offers. Viera connect is s'posed to be lots better than its predecessor - "Viera Cast". Ditto be wary of Apple and Sony tv "offers". The older products are allegedly dodgy, and not all get iplayer.

Thanks all. AO - do I understand that your super-dooper Blu-Raty thingie renders the old flat screen 'Smart' ish? If so, what benefit do you see on those channels which need an internet connection. Yup - I'm still confused!

BOAC,
Maybe a trip to Richer Sounds or somewhere with an intelligent sales person might help better than I can?
I am not aware of any channel that "needs" an internet connection. In my simple mind , I see a programme and either do or do not want to watch it. I'm not persuaded that it will enhance my viewing to have the internet connected.................may be I'm wrong and/or simple and/or daft.

What a "Smart" tv does for me, (and SWMBO, and elder daughter) is to give me access to Internet stuff, and BBC iplayer on my tv. (Plus a bunch of things - BBC news, BBC sport, Netflix, you tube, are set up on the Viera connect screen.)
The pana options are one possible set of options, the other tvs might give you something different.
What the Blu ray thingie does (and only certain models do this) is bring this capability to the old tv. It doesn't do any more than that, but for me the addition of iplayer is helpful. I would also like 4 od, but can't find that.

Terrain Safe suggested the WD TV live media player
 

I bought one of these and have not been too happy with it.

Unstable in operation with freezing up a lot of the time.

I updated the firmware to the very latest version and this just made matters worse. In the end I managed to 'roll back' the firmware which restored the device to its previous less unstable state.

Tried netflix on it which worked some of the time. After a couple of reasonable films we were of the opinion that the rest of their content wasn't worth wasting our time with.

I suspect the somewhat variable broadband speeds here (B.T. internet with a very old exchange) did not help the WD TV Live deliver its best. However I have to say that the BBC Iplayer generally works well on our Humax and the device doesn't crash everytime the broadband turns itself into 'narrow band'.

These media player devices are still in their infancy and I would wait a year or two before wasting good beer money.


Kind regards
Exeng

BOAC,
I have a theory about why you might have formed the impression that programmes and tvs need internet access. Some of the "set top boxes" require internet access - such as the Humax Youview box. Apparently it needs internet access to get info about the programme................not to get the actual broadcast programme. It also needs access for the 4OD etc stuff that it carries.

A good theory indeed, but what prompted the enquiry was my cycling through the channels and being told '"Your TV does not have an internet connection" and wondering what I might be missing. It sounds like not a lot!

Just to repeat my earlier post; with the Humax box and ethernet connection we can get all the programs from BBC and ITV iplayer - the whole program not just program details. So it's great for catching up with stuff we missed.
..and it's free.

...problem is there is still very little worth watching. Have just dumped Sky for that reason.

Thanks all - decision made. I shall continue to 'wonder'.

I am now deprived! The older (digital) distinctly un-smart tv in our bedroom never tells us that it is not connected to the internet. Am I missing out on something, er, that I am missing out on?? Or, am I missing out by not being told that I am missing out?
I won't wonder........ When those Youview boxes come down in price, and gets a wi-fi capability, rather than needing yet another wire, that older tv can have one of those.