Chromecast vs Smart tv

b.gud

Hey guys,

So I'm looking at buying a new TV within the next month or 2 and I'm looking for your thoughts about wether to go smart or chromecast.

So I have a chromecast at the minute and I use with Youtube, Play music and All Cast. I have an old low powered PC that I got for free that I use for XBMC to stream my movies.

So do you guys think that a Chromecast is going to be good enough that I can save a few quid and just go for a standard tvinstead of a smart one?

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

_Whimsical_

I don't have a smart tv and have yet to feel the need of one. The chromecast allows you access to most mainstream streaming tv apps and for those things it doesn't offer streaming support for I use an mhl supported cable that allows me mirror my phone to the tv and watch whatever is on the screen. That cost a tenner.

Basically these days if you can play it on your phone you can play it on your tv relatively easily and cheaply. I would save your money.

coldfire1x

b.gud wrote: »

Hey guys,

So I'm looking at buying a new TV within the next month or 2 and I'm looking for your thoughts about wether to go smart or chromecast.

So I have a chromecast at the minute and I use with Youtube, Play music and All Cast. I have an old low powered PC that I got for free that I use for XBMC to stream my movies.

So do you guys think that a Chromecast is going to be good enough that I can save a few quid and just go for a standard tvinstead of a smart one?

You should add another option - Tv + Android box

darragh o meara

coldfire1x wrote: »

You should add another option - Tv + Android box

Pretty good combination in my opinion, and its upgradable in the future too. I have a similar setup myself and find it excellent.

Tom Dunne

It depends on what you want to do.

Some apps are just simpler on a smart tv (catch up players, Skype, etc.) Especially for those less technologically inclined, as my parents recently demonstrated for me.

Dudda

Smart TV's shouldn't be called smart TV's as they aren't smart. They should be called bloatware TV's as that's about all they are. Very slow and awkward.
I have a smart TV and a 'dumb' tv and chromecast. The chromecast is the smart thing in the house, not the TV.

Looking forward to trying out an Android box sometime early next year when a few are available to chose from.

b.gud

Thanks for the replies guys, looks like I'll be steering clear of a smart tv, which is kind of which way I was leaning anyway

coldfire1x wrote: »

You should add another option - Tv + Android box

If I could edit the poll I would add it in, I'll def keep an eye out for it as it might coincidence with when I'm buying

Dman001

I've an LG Smart TV, and I accomplish a lot on it which I would with a Chromecast. It has a Netlfix App and a YouTube App (along with a billion and one other Apps), and a internet Browser with flash support. The TV has DLNA, Miracast and Intel WiDi support. For streaming media, it does a pretty decent job. I never got Miracast working with my mobile device (Nexus 4), but DLNA works quite well with mobile Apps such as BubbleUPnP. The Apps on the TV lack some panache, but it's handier than messing around with AV Inputs, etc.

irishpancake

Dman001 wrote: »

I've an LG Smart TV, and I accomplish a lot on it which I would with a Chromecast. It has a Netlfix App and a YouTube App (along with a billion and one other Apps), and a internet Browser with flash support. The TV has DLNA, Miracast and Intel WiDi support. For streaming media, it does a pretty decent job. I never got Miracast working with my mobile device (Nexus 4), but DLNA works quite well with mobile Apps such as BubbleUPnP. The Apps on the TV lack some panache, but it's handier than messing around with AV Inputs, etc.

This post I can identify with.....

my LG smart is pretty good, particularly by he Netflix App, BBC iPlayer, using Smart DNS, YouTube are OK, but mostly I use an unmentional app to cast newer stuff from USA, via AllCast or Bubble UPnP.

I use Homeplug to connect Internet, cos I found I needed a static IP set up to use Netflix, for whatever reason!!??

This LG also has a recording facility via connected USB drive, over 64gb....

and both Satellite FTV [not FreeSat epg] tuner and Terrestrial HD Irish Channels via aerial.

I also set up my old Panasonic Viera 37" non-Smart, but 1080p with HDMI ports, with a Chromecast.....and it is also brilliant, and a new lease of life, where I am sent by Mrs to watch stuff as she catches up on soaps etc....I have a separate feed from old Sky Dish Quad lnb.....so Sky got the bums rush.

I think, if you can get a good bargain Smart TV, its worth it, particularly with dlna, internet even WiFi built in, the infernal Miracast, which I too have given up on, but it did work with my Nexus 7 Cast Screen....but not consistently.

Really, CC is such a cheap option, if you are replacing an old model, which has HDMI, I'd go for the Smart TV in a sale, and get new life outta the old TV.

Krusty_Clown

I love my Chromecast, but still use some smart TV features also. My Samsung TV has a native Synology app which I can use to stream from my Synology NAS, with full controls all from my remote. The Synology android app also has Chromecast support, but sometimes you just want the convenience of using a single device (plus it doesn't offer media controls, like pause, fast forward, etc.).

Muahahaha

Can I just ask those with knowledge of it... I'm thinking of buying a NowTV box as they do Sky Sports day passes and 4 days passes for £6 and £11, even cheaper than that on Fleabay.
Does the Chronecast have any support for Sky sports with these days passes? Or is it exclusively NowTV if I want to get access by streaming.

Also wondering are any of the tv apps available on Chromecast actually any good, like would you use them regularly or are they just a load of shopping channels and other crap?

vienne86

Muahahaha wrote: »

Can I just ask those with knowledge of it... I'm thinking of buying a NowTV box as they do Sky Sports day passes and 4 days passes for £6 and £11, even cheaper than that on Fleabay.
Does the Chronecast have any support for Sky sports with these days passes? Or is it exclusively NowTV if I want to get access by streaming.

Also wondering are any of the tv apps available on Chromecast actually any good, like would you use them regularly or are they just a load of shopping channels and other crap?

No sure about the Sky. I have Sky and put Sky Go on an android tablet. I have a Miracast dongle on the TV (bit of a bugger to get working), but when I tried to cast the Sky Go from the android to the TV, I got a message saying that you can't cast Sky Go. So I would not be surprised if it does not work with Chromcast.

Muahahaha

vienne86 wrote: »

No sure about the Sky. I have Sky and put Sky Go on an android tablet. I have a Miracast dongle on the TV (bit of a bugger to get working), but when I tried to cast the Sky Go from the android to the TV, I got a message saying that you can't cast Sky Go. So I would not be surprised if it does not work with Chromcast.

Yeah I used Sky Go last footie season but the person whose password I was using stopped their Sky Sports sub over the summer and aren't reinstating it :mad: I ran a HDMI cable from the tablet to Tv a few times and the Sky Go app knows what you're doing every time and won't allow it. I researched the problem online and although some people claim to have found workarounds it looks pretty complex and no guarantee of success, even then it might not last more than a few weeks till it's closed off.

I've been looking online to see does Chromecast support Sky Sports streaming in any way and I don't think it does. So it looks like I'm gonna have to get both a NowTV box and a Chromecast, still though at €55 for both it's not bad and I can get day passes for Sky Sports for around £3 per day which is a good way for me to watch the 10-15 games I want to see every season rather than having to pay Sky €40 a month for a sub which is just insane IMO.

dahat

Where do you buy the passes for the nowtvbox?

Mr Keek

Don't see any need for a Smart TV, I have a Samsung with Smart Hub and I never use it.

I've a Nexus 7 tab and Chromecast, with Nexus devices you can simply mirror your screen so apps that's aren't Chromecast compatible like RTE Player I simply Cast/Mirror the Screen.

Love the fact that all photos and videos I take on my phone syncs to my Tablet Gallery, so they can be viewed easily on my telly.

the_syco

Dman001 wrote: »

a internet Browser with flash support

A smart TV without flash support can really suck. Was troubleshooting a TV that couldn't stream videos online, and looking back, this was probably the reason.

Personally, I'd stay clear of smart TV's, as you can't install apps onto it, and only have a limited set of branded apps that you can install.

Or look for a cheap Android mini-PC. Although if you have a full 7.1 surround sound system, I'd advise going for a slightly dearer option that has the SPDIF/DTS output (I went cheap, and regretted it a bit afterwards). Other benefit of the Android device is that it'd be usually the latest Android version, so you can install apps from the playstore. Best of all, no matter how silent your low powered PC is, most of the mini-PC devices are totally silent!

Muahahaha

dahat wrote: »

Where do you buy the passes for the nowtvbox?

The Sky Sports ones are here http://www.nowtv.com/sports costs £7 for 24 hours access which is a bit cheaper than it did last season. If you want to get cheaper again then the day passes trade on ebay for around £3 each, just make sure you use Paypal and the seller has good feedback though.

ionapaul

Mr Keek wrote: »

Don't see any need for a Smart TV, I have a Samsung with Smart Hub and I never use it.

I've a Nexus 7 tab and Chromecast, with Nexus devices you can simply mirror your screen so apps that's aren't Chromecast compatible like RTE Player I simply Cast/Mirror the Screen.

Love the fact that all photos and videos I take on my phone syncs to my Tablet Gallery, so they can be viewed easily on my telly.

Yeah, I'm the same as you and Captain Morgan - I have a Smart TV (think it is Samsung) and a Chromecast and don't ever use any of the TV's 'smart' functions. Even before the Chromecast we barely used them, they aren't very intuitive and the UI is extremely clunky in my opinion. Wouldn't bother getting a Smart TV again.

Muahahaha

ionapaul wrote: »

Yeah, I'm the same as you and Captain Morgan - I have a Smart TV (think it is Samsung) and a Chromecast and don't ever use any of the TV's 'smart' functions. Even before the Chromecast we barely used them, they aren't very intuitive and the UI is extremely clunky in my opinion. Wouldn't bother getting a Smart TV again.

It always amazes me how technology companies launch products that their own design engineers must be unhappy with. I used a mates Samsung 'Smart' TV a while back and it was woeful, I couldn't believe how bad the UI was. Back in 2009 I bought one of Samsungs first ever smartphones, I think it was the s2000...same thing with that, they hadn't perfected the UI but they still launched the phone anyway. The touch screen was unresponsive after a month and it was a chore to use the thing. I sold it and have never bought another Samsung product since.

I reckon if Steve Jobs was still alive he would of entered Apple into the full TV market by now, it surprises me that they still haven't done so given how Apple UI in general is well received, plus having their ready made ecosystem of iTunes to sell music and movies directly through a TV interface must be attractive.

The_B_Man

I have a SmartTV and have no use for a Chromecast.
The best part about it, is if I choose the source, I can choose HDMI, AV, laptop...

If i select my laptop, I can browse videos which will stream over my wifi.
Theres a youtube app built in but you can also cast directly from your phone. Handy for when you're in the jacks and wanna freak out whoever is in the living room. Especially handy if you're into rickrolling people.

It also supports miracast apparently. I suppose thats handy if you want to play Angry Birds on a 46 inch screen.

So in summary, Chromecast is probably a decent option if u have a non-smart TV and want to try convert it to a smart TV. IF you have a smart tv, i dont see the point in it (assuming u have a new enough smart TV with a decent feature set), even if it is only 30 euro or so.

b.gud

The_B_Man wrote: »

I have a SmartTV and have no use for a Chromecast.
The best part about it, is if I choose the source, I can choose HDMI, AV, laptop...

If i select my laptop, I can browse videos which will stream over my wifi.
Theres a youtube app built in but you can also cast directly from your phone. Handy for when you're in the jacks and wanna freak out whoever is in the living room. Especially handy if you're into rickrolling people.

It also supports miracast apparently. I suppose thats handy if you want to play Angry Birds on a 46 inch screen.

So in summary, Chromecast is probably a decent option if u have a non-smart TV and want to try convert it to a smart TV. IF you have a smart tv, i dont see the point in it (assuming u have a new enough smart TV with a decent feature set), even if it is only 30 euro or so.

What if you already had the Chromecast?

Would you pay ~€350 for a good quality 32 inch full HD standard tv or ~€500 for a good quality 32 inch smart tv. I already have the Chromecast and am trying to decide if I need to spend the extra.

_Whimsical_

The_B_Man wrote: »

I have a SmartTV and have no use for a Chromecast.
The best part about it, is if I choose the source, I can choose HDMI, AV, laptop...

If i select my laptop, I can browse videos which will stream over my wifi.
Theres a youtube app built in but you can also cast directly from your phone. Handy for when you're in the jacks and wanna freak out whoever is in the living room. Especially handy if you're into rickrolling people.

It also supports miracast apparently. I suppose thats handy if you want to play Angry Birds on a 46 inch screen.

So in summary, Chromecast is probably a decent option if u have a non-smart TV and want to try convert it to a smart TV. IF you have a smart tv, i dont see the point in it (assuming u have a new enough smart TV with a decent feature set), even if it is only 30 euro or so.

I'm not sure if it's true of tv's or not but I have found that all of the apps that offer chromecast support will cast to my blu-ray player(which is only minimally smart,was just 40 euro) so I can watch streaming apps that shall remain nameless stream from my phone to my blu-ray via allcast.

Maybe everyone already knew that about blu-rays and tvs etc but it was new to me .

antodeco

I have a Logitech android box for one TV and a chromecast on the other. Both very very handy things. Saying that, Ive started using the xbox as my media viewer through websites

irishpancake

b.gud wrote: »

What if you already had the Chromecast?

Would you pay ~€350 for a good quality 32 inch full HD standard tv or ~€500 for a good quality 32 inch smart tv. I already have the Chromecast and am trying to decide if I need to spend the extra.

will you be keeping/using your present TV??

if so, I would go for a good HD TV and another CC, rather than buying an expensive Smart TV.

Or, if you can wait for sales, there are usually good Smart TV's available for around the same price as non Smart.

this is what I did, and very happy, old TV with CC in "my room"...... Smart in the sitting room, good compromise

b.gud

irishpancake wrote: »

will you be keeping/using your present TV??

if so, I would go for a good HD TV and another CC, rather than buying an expensive Smart TV.

Or, if you can wait for sales, there are usually good Smart TV's available for around the same price as non Smart.

this is what I did, and very happy, old TV with CC in "my room"...... Smart in the sitting room, good compromise

Moved from furnished apt to unfurnished house and am currently borrowing a tv so will be starting from scratch, minus the chromecast of course

The_B_Man

b.gud wrote: »

What if you already had the Chromecast?

Would you pay ~€350 for a good quality 32 inch full HD standard tv or ~€500 for a good quality 32 inch smart tv. I already have the Chromecast and am trying to decide if I need to spend the extra.

You already have the chromecast?

I dunno, I'd stick with the standard telly, unless the smart telly offered some really smart features.

I also actually like the built in wifi on the smart telly. Allows for auto updates and native netflix etc.
It comes down really to what type of person you are. I'm big into tech and would have to have a smart telly with 3D and all that. I'd prefer to have the option and not use it, than not have the option in the first place, and I'm willing to throw a few hundred quid extra on it for the privilege. A few hundred over a number of years is nothing.

TBH, the main thing I use is playing video files directly off my laptop over wifi. If the chromecast cant do that, then I'd pick the smart telly. If it can, I'd go with the chromecast.

gzoladz

I'd for standars. We bought last year a standard 50' Full HD Led for eur 650. A similar model but smart was around eur1200/1400.

We made it smart for eur 50 by buying an android tv stick, which is much more flexible and easily upgradable and mobile than the software of any tv.

And last month we got the chromecast (for other tv) for eur 39.

Imo either combination is a better option than just a smart tv.

Banjo String

I have a 7year old 42" plasma non smart TV, Samsung in the living room with chromecast.

I have a small 22" Lcd smart Samsung in the bedroom.

The only thing better about the smart TV would be picture quality Imo. Streaming to chromecast is a much easier task than that of the smart TV, which is clunkier, and doesn't always get things flawlessly.

Best 35€ I ever spent was on my chromecast tbh.

b.gud

The_B_Man wrote: »

You already have the chromecast?

I dunno, I'd stick with the standard telly, unless the smart telly offered some really smart features.

I also actually like the built in wifi on the smart telly. Allows for auto updates and native netflix etc.
It comes down really to what type of person you are. I'm big into tech and would have to have a smart telly with 3D and all that. I'd prefer to have the option and not use it, than not have the option in the first place, and I'm willing to throw a few hundred quid extra on it for the privilege. A few hundred over a number of years is nothing.

TBH, the main thing I use is playing video files directly off my laptop over wifi. If the chromecast cant do that, then I'd pick the smart telly. If it can, I'd go with the chromecast.

Ya already have it, got it as an xmas present last year. The only thing I realy use it for is Youtube and play music. All my media goes through a separate box that runs xbmc, controlled from my phone

AlanS181824

Chromecast can now be gotten for £20 or €29.

Get it now!

You won't regret it, at all.

Highly highly recommended.