Smart TV...

[Banana72]

My 42 inch flat isn't dumb..(ok can't resist...), but after about six years, time to splurge a bit. Now, this may not be an idea of splurging to some of you, but to me it is..anyway:

Thinking of upgrading to a 50 inch, and looks like pretty much every single 50 inch TV out there are smart TVs. LG seems to be like the popular choice, but RealMi 50 inch or Coocaa maybe TLC seems pretty good especially for the price.

I don't usually use my TV for browsing, but usually I plug in my external drive/USB and watch some movies. I noticed that recent downloads don't work as well, audiot cuts of randomly and once it's off, it stays off until for whatever reason after a few minutes and unplugging my drive, it's back again...and off again. Anyway I'm hoping it's just an outdated software on my TV.

Second thing is I use First Media for Internet...when it behaves, speednet clocks in at around 18-22Mb. I hope it's enough to watch whatever movies that Google movies/netflix has...I don't know if it's possible to connect the TV using wifi or does it have to be with a LAN cable.

Last but not least...any (simple) ideas on good movie services (and/or how to get Netflix in Indonesia or other similar service?) HBO/Cinemax usually just play the same thing over and over for a month.

 

[Balifrog]

I don't know if it's possible to connect the TV using wifi or does it have to be with a LAN cable.

Better use a LAN cable IMO.
Thats what I did. Router to DVD player by LAN, and player to TV by HDMI cable.
I go through my DVD player as my TV is not a "smart" type.

 

[LRB]

I have a 43 inch Xiaomi (there is a 55 inch I think). It's pretty decent and it has WiFi. I still connect external speakers to my laptop and just run everything through that via a HDMI cable. Although it can be used for browsing and has apps like NetFlix directly. Disney+ is decent here if you have kids. I use Amazon Prime as well with Surf Shark, a pretty cheap VPN. It's not perfect but it is fine for what I need. I suspect the Realme will be very similar. Not sure about Coocaa. My Realme phone is good so rate them as a brand. I can also stream directly from my phone to the TV with YouTube. If that is a feature you are interested in..

 

[Wisnu]

I have LG 65" smart TV, 6 years old, smart but slow (could be caused of poor internet connection) frequently loading and or restart to release the memory.
Very annoying.
So, I use Xiaomi Mi box, much better performance and no restart due to low memory.

 

[dafluff]

My 42 inch flat isn't dumb..(ok can't resist...), but after about six years, time to splurge a bit. Now, this may not be an idea of splurging to some of you, but to me it is..anyway:

Thinking of upgrading to a 50 inch, and looks like pretty much every single 50 inch TV out there are smart TVs. LG seems to be like the popular choice, but RealMi 50 inch or Coocaa maybe TLC seems pretty good especially for the price.

I don't usually use my TV for browsing, but usually I plug in my external drive/USB and watch some movies. I noticed that recent downloads don't work as well, audiot cuts of randomly and once it's off, it stays off until for whatever reason after a few minutes and unplugging my drive, it's back again...and off again. Anyway I'm hoping it's just an outdated software on my TV.

Second thing is I use First Media for Internet...when it behaves, speednet clocks in at around 18-22Mb. I hope it's enough to watch whatever movies that Google movies/netflix has...I don't know if it's possible to connect the TV using wifi or does it have to be with a LAN cable.

Last but not least...any (simple) ideas on good movie services (and/or how to get Netflix in Indonesia or other similar service?) HBO/Cinemax usually just play the same thing over and over for a month.

I have a 32" MI TV, and the picture quality is below average. But considering the price it is not bad.

I also have a 65 Sony 4k TV and a (theoretically) 50 Mpbs connection. Streaming 4k is possible most of the time, but there are times when the stream pauses. To be fair, there is also 15+ devices connected at any given time, so the TV is not getting full bandwidth. HD streaming is usually flawless. This is over Wifi, but if you can, you should use a wired connection.

Also, DisneyHotstar is cheap via Telkomsel, and many data plans include it. AmazonPrime Videos is about Rp 40k/mo via telkomsel app.

 

[Bad_azz]

Netflix is available in Indonesia now, I know because I have it- & yes I am that only person anyone knows who actually pays for N/f hahaha.
It can't have been hard to set up because I did it all by myself- shock , horror!

 

[Wisnu]

I also have a 65 Sony 4k TV and a (theoretically) 50 Mpbs connection. Streaming 4k is possible most of the time, but there are times when the stream pauses. To be fair, there is also 15+ devices connected at any given time, so the TV is not getting full bandwidth. HD streaming is usually flawless. This is over Wifi, but if you can, you should use a wired connection.

Indeed, wired connection is what LG told me when I complained to them. There's also another issue with unstable wireless internet connection; ie. sometime the connection to the router is interrupted; I need to connect again after resetting the router.
It is easier and cheaper for me to buy Mi Box than having wired connection.

 

[lifelongexpat]

If you're looking for a Smart TV without breaking the bank, try Hisense. Got a 65 inch last month and no complaints.

If you want to stream 4K content, Netflix advises at least 25Mbps. On the flip side of the coin, only a small portion of Netflix content is currently 4K. For regular 1080p HD, 5Mbps is ample.

A soundbar is also a great addition worth considering.

 

[Dharma Police]

Netflix is available in Indonesia now, I know because I have it- & yes I am that only person anyone knows who actually pays for N/f hahaha.
It can't have been hard to set up because I did it all by myself- shock , horror!

Do yourself a favor and get HBO GO. 160k for 3 months and their series alone is well worth the subscription.

 

[Banana72]

Thanks all for your replies....I am actually not that interested in 4K...a decent 1080p (or even 720) WITHOUT buffering is much better than 4K with issues.

How do I get HBO GO? Through First Media? And how do I get Netflix?

 

[Banana72]

Indeed, wired connection is what LG told me when I complained to them. There's also another issue with unstable wireless internet connection; ie. sometime the connection to the router is interrupted; I need to connect again after resetting the router.
It is easier and cheaper for me to buy Mi Box than having wired connection.

I checked out the price at tokopedia...damn it's quite pricey...is it worth it for me to try my TV without it first?

 

[Dharma Police]

Thanks all for your replies....I am actually not that interested in 4K...a decent 1080p (or even 720) WITHOUT buffering is much better than 4K with issues.

How do I get HBO GO? Through First Media? And how do I get Netflix?

In your Smart TV, go to the 'Apps' menu. You should see HBO GO. If not, search for it. Then just follow the subscription.

 

[Jaime C]

I’ve had Indonesian Netflix for years. I’ve had no problem with their service, as long as the local provider didn’t block it. (I think Indihome used to.)

Plus, when I’m out of Indonesia, it works fine, and is cheaper. You get content from whatever country you’re in.

 

[Wisnu]

I checked out the price at tokopedia...damn it's quite pricey...is it worth it for me to try my TV without it first?

yes, here the price of Mi Box or similar gadget is not cheap either. We live in company housing - can't simply connect 20 m cable from router to TV. Any modification shall be done by approved contractor - this mean very costly.

The nice thing with Mi Box or similar gadget, we can carry while travelling and install into non-smart TV in the hotel.

 

[gemima]

Hey, lots of great advice already - I'll add mine - I use a firestick (used to use android boxes before).
It's great because I can bring my TV with me anywhere I go (when I used to be able to travel - sigh) - makes any TV with a USB connection smart. It's tiny so easy to bring.
It has apps for Netflix/ amazon prime etc but I use KODI and add-ons with a real debrid account to watch TV shows / Movies (it's tricky to set up so not for everyone). I also subscribed to TVMucho (there is a firestick app for it) for access to UK/ Irish channels but hardly use it.
Have had the same firestick for over 3 years now and it's working perfectly still.

 

[Ruserious]

I use an LG smart tv with the built in apps for HBO go, Amazon Prime tv and netflix. I have also used before firesticks (i find them a pain to use), Mi box's, and now i also have an NVidea shield tv box. The shield box is definitely the best and also allows access to IPTV and Disney+ (which is not available on the LG store) but is quite a bit more expensive.
An LG, hisense, mi or other tv is good. I dont believe 4k is needed now and i dont think even the best connection here handles it well.

For paying apps Netflix is definietly king for me as they have so much more content than the others. Second best value is disney as its 200k per year, then the others. I liked HBO but ran out of things to watch on it and it doesnt add new shows often enough. I wish one of my tv boxes would let me get Mola for football but they dont.

 

[LRB]

I use an LG smart tv with the built in apps for HBO go, Amazon Prime tv and netflix. I have also used before firesticks (i find them a pain to use), Mi box's, and now i also have an NVidea shield tv box. The shield box is definitely the best and also allows access to IPTV and Disney+ (which is not available on the LG store) but is quite a bit more expensive.
An LG, hisense, mi or other tv is good. I dont believe 4k is needed now and i dont think even the best connection here handles it well.

For paying apps Netflix is definietly king for me as they have so much more content than the others. Second best value is disney as its 200k per year, then the others. I liked HBO but ran out of things to watch on it and it doesnt add new shows often enough. I wish one of my tv boxes would let me get Mola for football but they dont.

I think Bein sports has some soccer. For rugby, I use Premier Sports Asia. Before, it was Rugby Pass but their prices went up and they lost the European license here I think.

Bein: https://www.beinsports.com/id/

Premier Sports: https://www.premiersportsasia.com/

Not sure about EPL. Not watched a game of that for years really.

 

[lifelongexpat]

I dont believe 4k is needed now and i dont think even the best connection here handles it well.

Theres also the issue of the viewing distance for 4K. You need to be really close to your TV to notice any difference over 1080p HD. For a 65 inch screen 4.25 to 6.5 feet is considered the optimum distance.

 

[Banana72]

I tried to find xiaomi/realmi TV on tokopedia...almost hard to find...so my next two choices would be either Hisense or TCL. We'll see. TCL seems to be more popular though. I see A8 and A10 with not too much difference (except A8 has two remotes and A10 has one...but I've seen some reviews where stores only deliver A8 only with one remote, claiming it's TLC's policy.)

 

[Banana72]

Hey, lots of great advice already - I'll add mine - I use a firestick (used to use android boxes before).
It's great because I can bring my TV with me anywhere I go (when I used to be able to travel - sigh) - makes any TV with a USB connection smart. It's tiny so easy to bring.
It has apps for Netflix/ amazon prime etc but I use KODI and add-ons with a real debrid account to watch TV shows / Movies (it's tricky to set up so not for everyone). I also subscribed to TVMucho (there is a firestick app for it) for access to UK/ Irish channels but hardly use it.
Have had the same firestick for over 3 years now and it's working perfectly still

Technically if the TV is already a smart TV, no need to use firestick or boxes anymore, no..since the TV is already 'smart'/android based..right?