Question about Smart TV's an Apple TV

You're going to need Apple TV to do what you're talking about. It also already has the two most useful features of Smart TV, Netflix and Hulu+.

It has ethernet capability.

Most Smart Tv's are still useless. Apple Tv is better in my opinion. All the main features of Smart TV's don't come close. Save the money and spend 99 bucks on the Apple Tv and you will be much happier. Concentrate on getting a higher picture quality TV without the bells and whistles. Those bells and whistles are covered with the Apple TV.

I would skip the smart tv , save the money and buy a regular tv and $100 for Apple TV

At least here in the U.S., SmartTV doesn't seem worth it. Same screen, one pays a premium for having the "smart" on the TV rather than on an external box. If it's just another usd$50, I say go ahead, it doesn't hurt, but that's not the case. And if money is no object and/or you are mounting this TV somewhere where an external box would really cramp ur style then go4rit.

Otherwise an external box(es) is usually more cost effective and flexible.

If your laptop is already on ethernet then that's all u need. WIFI optional.

Che Castro said:

I would skip the smart tv , save the money and buy a regular tv and $100 for Apple TV

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i would do this as well, however it depends what level of TV you are looking to get as most have "smart" standard when you move higher up the ladder. personally if i were to get a new TV today i would look for a good deal on whatever size i wanted and throw in an ATV

I have both...Samsung smart tv and the Apple TV.

The smart tv? Friggin as dumb as a door stop! Voice commands...yeah, like that works. Gestures...about the only thing I do to this is flip the bird.

We do use the Skype feature though to talk to our kids OS. That's about it.

The Apple TV...it has its limitations....it's not smart for a start. But ours, and we have several, get a workout every day. Still got cable, but only because of things like live shows...news, and stuff we can't buy yet online. Oh yeah...and my footy!

Go the Apple TV.

CTay said:

It has ethernet capability.

Most Smart Tv's are still useless. Apple Tv is better in my opinion. All the main features of Smart TV's don't come close. Save the money and spend 99 bucks on the Apple Tv and you will be much happier. Concentrate on getting a higher picture quality TV without the bells and whistles. Those bells and whistles are covered with the Apple TV.

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Thats not really possible nowadays. Those TVs with good picture quality and high refresh rates usually come with Smart TV in them. TV manufacturers don't sell "dumb TVs" with good picture quality and high refresh rates, those are mainly your $200 budget TVs.

Most Smart TVs aren't as useless as they used to be a year or two back. I just bought a new Samsung SmartTV a few weeks back and it was easy as pie to use. It came with Netflix, Hulu+, HBO Go, Plex, etc... and they come with UPNP media sharing for streaming movies off my NAS.

I used to have an AppleTV do all that for me. Now its relegated to AirPlay mirroring.

linds15 said:

i would do this as well, however it depends what level of TV you are looking to get as most have "smart" standard when you move higher up the ladder. personally if i were to get a new TV today i would look for a good deal on whatever size i wanted and throw in an ATV

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60" or 70" sharp led >>>>>>

Mrbobb said:

Otherwise an external box(es) is usually more cost effective and flexible.

If your laptop is already on ethernet then that's all u need. WIFI optional.

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Plus an external box, be it laptop or ATV, can be upgraded a lot more cheaply than a smart TV.

I have a smart TV and Apple TV, rarely use the functions on smart TV, Apple is much better. Just make sure it has HDMI connection.

I found the TVs which had the features I wanted already had "Smart TV" in it; I occasionally use the app for catching up on ABC (Australia) shows, but mostly I use the Plex client for streaming my movies from a Media server. Apple unfortunately only supports a few formats, mainly MP4 and AAC files, not formats like DivX or Matroska files, for which I had found a workaround in case I went the Apple TV route. If not for that, I might well have gotten one, but instead I learnt that LG TVs had a Plex client by default (I guess others have too), and in combination with built-in Wireless, it made the Apple TV redundant as it offers nothing else I need. The Smart TV features are mostly not great, but Plex and iView are both extremely useful. The YouTube app in the TV is less than stellar, whereas being able to browse YouTube on my iPhone via my ADSL router and fling it to airplay is a nice feature.
If Apple started supporting 3rd party apps and would only include support for various popular formats because endusers want it rather than demand they only use the formats they sell, then I will take a 2nd look at the AppleTV.

I really wish that ATV had a PLEX client; the PLEX server is pretty awesome. iPad and iPhone has a client, but none for ATV (and yes I know you can jailbreak but that's not an option for everyone).

Don't get me wrong though, I still love my ATV (I've yet to see a smart TV that has a better UI).

Degece said:

Don't get me wrong though, I still love my ATV (I've yet to see a smart TV that has a better UI).

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Honestly I had much higher expectation from the ATV's UI. If it wasn't for the IOS remote, I'd say no better than anybody's else.

Jobs promised no more than than 3-click to get to my media. WELL?

Degece said:

I really wish that ATV had a PLEX client; the PLEX server is pretty awesome. iPad and iPhone has a client, but none for ATV (and yes I know you can jailbreak but that's not an option for everyone).

Don't get me wrong though, I still love my ATV (I've yet to see a smart TV that has a better UI).

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I don't know what PLEX is.

But if the ipad/iphone client supports Airplay... you're set.

Akin to how the AcePlayer app for DLNA servers, or the YouTube app behaves.

Save yourself the money you'd spend on a "Smart" TV and get a Roku 3 and/or an Apple TV for all the "Smart"ness. Smart TVs are notoriously slow and overpriced, at least mine is and it was top of the line 6 months ago. And don't bother with 3D either.

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Menel said:

I don't know what PLEX is.

But if the ipad/iphone client supports Airplay... you're set.

Akin to how the AcePlayer app for DLNA servers, or the YouTube app behaves.

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Okay?

CaptHenryMorgan said:

Save yourself the money you'd spend on a "Smart" TV and get a Roku 3 and/or an Apple TV for all the "Smart"ness. Smart TVs are notoriously slow and overpriced, at least mine is and it was top of the line 6 months ago. And don't bother with 3D either.

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Okay?

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And?

I don't use it, no interest in researching if dev supports AirPlay like so many others.

I have a Smart TV with Plex on it, it works ok but to be 100% honest i never use it as i prefer my ATV2 but then mine is jailbroken if it wasn't i would use Plex on the Smart TV to connect to my computer.

Choice between a ATV3 or a smart TV i would go Smart TV with Plex capabilties as you can then play other file formats & not just MP4

Macaroooon said:

Can we do this without buying a smart tv?

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Yes. A Smart TV doesn't give you any additional physical inputs. If you want to view videos from your laptop on your TV you just need a TV with the proper input and the associated cable(s). Smart TV's just give you apps and such on the TV itself. If you wanted to watch Youtube on your TV without a laptop a Smart TV would be beneficial (assuming it has Youtube support).

A Smart TV could be beneficial in your case if you wanted to watch videos downloaded on your laptop, assuming that you have a DLNA server on the laptop and your Smart TV has a DLNA client.

Macaroooon said:

Would we need apple tv to do this?

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No but see below.

Macaroooon said:

Would apple tv enable us to essentially mirror what I do on my computer on the tv screen?

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Yes and you'd have Airplay so you woudn't have to run a cable or cables from your laptop to the TV.

Macaroooon said:

With Apple TV do you NEED Wifi? The room we want to put the TV in won't have wifi, just ethernet :/

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Are you intending to use wired ethernet for the laptop as well?

scat999999 said:

It also already has the two most useful features of Smart TV, Netflix and Hulu+.

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Only if one subscribes to those. OP makes no mention of either. Most useful is going to be subjective. The two would be useless for me.