EntertainmentStreamingIf Smart TVs are so smart, why aren’t we using their built-in apps?More than half of us are using consoles, set-top boxes and streaming sticks insteadWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentStreamingIf Smart TVs are so smart, why aren’t we using their built-in apps?More than half of us are using consoles, set-top boxes and streaming sticks insteadWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
More than half of us are using consoles, set-top boxes and streaming sticks instead
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
Whenever we test thebest TVs, we pay a lot of attention to their Smart TV operating system and features – so for exampleSamsung TVshave their Tizen OS,LG TVshave WebOS,Sony TVsrunGoogleTV and so on. But it seems that for more than half of you, that doesn’t matter: you’re using dongles, streaming sticks and other devices instead.
A newsurveyof 16 to 74-year-old streaming TV users found that over half were using separate media streamers instead of built-in apps. And I think I know why, because I do that too.
Why aren’t people just using the streaming apps in their TVs?
One reason is that they’re not always there. Last year’sSonyTVs launched without a lot of key UK streaming apps, so if you wanted to watch those services you needed a separate device. And another reason is that sometimes the built-in apps aren’t brilliant, or the interface isn’t, or you can’t quite customise it the way you’d like to.
I think the main reason, though, is that a streaming stick or set-top box – I currently use anApple TV 4K, although I’ve previously used and likedFire TVsticks too - tends to be ad-free, expandable and consistent across services, and it tends to be updated regularly too: so while I’ve had apps such as iPlayer just give up on previous TVs after the manufacture decided not to keep updating them, that’s never happened to me with my streaming devices. MyApple TVjust got a pretty big software update, and I don’t expect them to dry up in the foreseeable future.
There are other reasons too. For me, a big part of it is privacy: I trust Apple with my viewing data much more than I trust the manufacturer of my TV; for others, it’s the ability to play games, use Google Cast or AirPlay, use a specific personal digital assistant, support multiple family members or take advantage of features such as Apple Fitness+.
Last but not least, you can afford to upgrade to the latestbest streaming devicesfar more frequently than you can afford to upgrade your TV. The new Apple TV 4K starts at £149 andAmazon’s best Fire TV stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, is currently £54.99 and no doubt much cheaper comeBlack Friday.
I think using a TV without an external streamer is a bit like using one without asoundbarorAV receiver: the experience is fine, but it could be so much better. And it looks like an awful lot of Smart TV owners feel the same.
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