this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2024
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IMHO, people should avoid looking for TVs that have apps, and they should just get a TV that supports CEC, and consoles / streaming boxes that support CEC. That way you don’t need lots of stupid remotes, inputs automatically change, and you’ll have something that is performant.
That would be so much easier if companies weren't dedicated to making CEC confusing as all hell through naming schemes:
So for the vast majority of these manufacturers, you can't just look up "CEC," you have to know what their branded version of it is called, and each company has named it something different.
I'm all for easy compatibility and interoperability, but this is an example highlighting how hard these companies work to make these things not obvious and not consumer friendly.
EDIT: One final complaint from the tech-nerd sphere: I run everything via a Plex server, and while I have one Amazon FireStick, I'm mostly using HTPC's and the amount of hoops to have to jump through to get CEC working with a PC is kind of fucking maddening. I shouldn't have to be a Powershell wizard to get it to work.
The fact that a PC can't make an HDMI-connected TV wake up and go to sleep out of the box is fucking maddening.
Oh don't get me started!
Can you give an example of one? Last time I looked it seemed like all the major brands only had smart TV options. So I end up using streaming dongles on smart TVs to avoid the lag, but I would much rather just have dumb TVs.
I heard projectors don't have any smart garbage. I might try that next time I need a new large TV.
Don't connect it to the web. Keep it stupid.
Steer clear of Samsung. Sometimes I needed Internet to connect devices in a specific way.
Specific integrations:
Xbox 360 with no internet at TV: Just the HDMI source Xbox360 with internet at TV: Specific xbox panel to connect (with naming and branded color) + ability to wake up the device.
Google CC with Android TV (no web): Connects as HDMI CEC device. Audio pass through was at times flakey.
Google CC with AndroidTV (web): Connection with a CC panel and I felt like it integrated the source better (HDMI CEC + Passthrough through a soundbar).
So Samsung probably has some specific ways to integrate a device better with internet. Basics work OOTB but internet partly makes it better.
Hear me out:
cheap computer: all of those but better, get a 20USD keyboard with touchpad also everything you watch is free
It’s going to be hard to find a TV that doesn’t have apps these days… unless you just buy a monitor.
My point is that you shouldn’t get hung up on the app ecosystem. Get something where power, inputs, and volume can be controlled by CEC, and just use the thing like a dumb monitor.
For example, I have Samsung QLED that connects to an Xbox and Apple TV with CEC. If I want to stream, I turn the Apple TV on, then the TV turns on and the inputs change over to it. Ditto for the Xbox. And turning off the streaming box or console that I’m using powers down the TV. Everything is super fast because I’m never ever touching the TV UI, and the Apple TV and Xbox both have very fast processors.
They’re coming for the projectors too