RV TV cable

[DonTom]

Perhaps I have the names confused. This is all new to me. I just found the manual for my TV. It calls it as a "FireTV".

Perhaps I was using the incorrect name. What is the difference between a Smart TV and a FireTV?

-Don- Tifton, GA

 

[Ex-Calif]

I think "generically" smart tvs have "apps." Like a phone or tablet they have some sort of processor that runs the apps. Gary nailed the description of various inputs pretty well.

Don also appears to be describing the ability to watch broadcast TV over a Verizon cell tether. Some TVs (like my latest) also have cable tv "apps" like my xFinity (comcast app) - of course this also requires a comcast main account which makes sense as Don probably has cable in his sticks and bricks house.

I have been "streaming only" for years now. Like many folks I did cycle through apple tv, roku, firestick and Chromecast. The TV makers are building more and more of this stuff in natively.

I have a subscription to F1TV for example. I can watch on the PC & tablet or I can cast the stream to a "smart" tv as long as it has a matching protocol with the sending device (Ios, Apple, chromecast, Roku etc.) Clearly the three main casting protocols are Apple, iOS and chromcast.

But Larry's point is well taken. It's important to be specific when explaining these feeds and technologies. The only time it's probably critical is when you are actually buying the receiving equipment (tvs etc.)

Yesterday my kid brought like a Gen1 LCD (or plasma) flat screen tv. He asked me if I wanted it. It was a "dumb" tv (Coax/cable/OTA and HDMI). I told him I was done plugging boxes into tvs to make them work - LOL. We decided to take it to the county dumpster dump. It was like a 50 inch tv and while one guy could have muscled it it was heavy enough to make it a two man job to haul it. I remember when I finally tossed my 2 X 32 inch CRT TVs - those were beastly heavy. I sort of hung on to them too long due to some sort of nostalgia. Tossing this 50 inch plasma was a no brainer.

Like all tech that was probably a $1500-$2000 tv when new - I can pick up a 42 inch smart tv that weighs like a feather for <$400 all day long - LOL...

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

What is the difference between a Smart TV and a FireTV?

Fire TV is an Amazon-brand product that adds "smart tv" streaming capability to a tv that was not originally equipped to be "smart". It contains the "smart" part and plugs into an HDMI port on the tv to deliver the resulting streaming content to the tv. Other well-known brands of smart tv device add-ons are Roku and Apple TV.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Doesn't work OTA in areas where there no TV reception, such as in the Everglades. Besides that, my amplified antenna was turned off. I only lose the TV signal when my portable Hotspot is turned off.

BTW, I was surprised how well it worked the very first time I tried it with my Verizon hotspot. It couldn't work any better.

-Don-

OK, I wasn't aware that you were never going anywhere OTA is available. Whether you use it or not, your TV is equipped to receive both OTA and cable TV when available. A FireTVstick does not turn your TV into a smart only TV. Even integrated smart TV's include tuners that accept OTA and cable. I have four FireTVsticks that get used regularly, and the TV's they're connected to are also used for OTA, satellte TV, and cable TV when available.

 

[DonTom]

OK, I wasn't aware that you were never going anywhere OTA is available.

In my RV, I never even checked for OTA. I figure I am usually out of range, and I usually don't even bother to check.

-Don- Tifton, GA

 

[CharlesinGA]

It sounds like Don has a TV that has the FireTV built into it. I have one in my shop, It has a crazy number of inputs on it, but the fire stick is built into the circuitry (Its a Toshiba) and I have it plugged into a ethernet cable supplied from my router in the house. I think the TV has standard cable and antenna inputs and will function as a regular TV if connected properly. I never do anything with it but Youtube and a little bit of internet so for me its easy.

Charles

 

[DonTom]

It sounds like Don has a TV that has the FireTV built into it.

Yep, three of them (FireTVs) in this RV. Something I didn't even know about before I purchased this RV. Sure is handy for watching TV where there are no TV signals.

-Don- Tifton, GA

 

[CharlesinGA]

Yes, there is actually a lot of free stuff you can see from Amazon, movies, stuff like that. I have not "watched" a TV or a movie in many years, my attention span has shortened to the length of a good Youtube RV or war video, in the 15 to 30 minute range.

I have everything on a network (desktop, laptop, tablet, phone and FireTV.) Amazon apps suck, they don't work well but if I find a Youtube video on the phone I want to see I can "cast" it to the TV with the touch of an icon. I know what it does but I don't fully understand the technology. I did add a keyboard and mouse to the FireTV however using Logitech components with a common receiver that plugs into the USB port. Much easier than typing with the on screen crap and the hand held remote.

Charles