Smart TV and BluRay player

[zapper]

New member. Great forum! Thanks in advance. Am replacing my old DLP TV with probably a new Samsung 60" "smart" unit. My system already contains a Sony BluRay player and is Ethernet wired to my network. I particularly want the above TV or something similar as I need digital audio out from TV to receiver (Yamaha HTR-5063). Samsung non smart TVs don't seem to have digital audio out. Can I have 2 devices in my setup that are "smart" or will they somehow conflict with each other? Can the smart function on one be turned off?? My search hasn't yet yielded quite the answer I'm looking for. Appreciate any thoughts!

 

[j_garcia]

Having the TV connected to the web and having it connected to your receiver have nothing to do with each other or any other device. You do NOT need to connect the TV to the web.

Nearly all TVs these days have a digital out; only the lowest models I've seen do not but irrespective of that, looping to the TV first is not the best method. I'm really not sure how people are getting that idea, but your HDMI should go to your RECEIVER first, not to the TV first, since your receiver has HDMI.

 

[brabus]

Does your AVR have an ARC HDMI port? If it does you can connect the Smart TV, provided it also has an ARC HDMI port, to the ARC port on your receiver thus negating the need for a Toslink cable. However, if you do not have a ARC port on both devices, and want to use the features of a SmartTV over those provided by the BD player, then you will need a Toslink cable connecting the digital out from the TV to the AVR.

Having both devices, a SmartTV and 'Smart' BD player, will not cancel each other out. Personally I moved my BD player into our sons bedroom since he does not have a smart tv so he can watch Netflix Youtube etc. Our living room TV is internet connected as well.

I believe the newer Samsung SmartTV's have HBO-Go, and if you want to use that feature then you will want to use the internet connected TV over your internet connect BD player. There may be over differences in the apps available between the two as well that may influence which you prefer using if both are located in the same room.

Also, if you do not want to spend extra for a smart tv, I believe Google sells the Chromecast for about $35. You plug it into a USB port on your TV, connect it to your home's wifi, and boom, you have a 'SmartTV' with HBO-Go, Netflix, Hulu etc etc etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[j_garcia]

If you don't want to spend more on the "smart" featuers you are screwed actually. For the features that I wanted I had no choice but to buy a Smart model from Samsung. They typically do not offer the same panel with and without the same functions like Vizio does and even then, the Smart model usually still has a few more features that the "dumb" one does not. I opted for the non Smart Vizio in the second system.

I agree on the apps, check both devices first and see which app you like better. The ones that come on most TVs aren't very good typically. The one on my Panny BD player is pretty good actually, but still not as good as Roku or PS3/4.

 

[brabus]

What features do the Samsung SmartTV's offer that Chromecast does not? I have all panny smartv's and no chromecast, but am looking to buy either a samsung smartv for my son or a vizio and chromecast.

 

[j_garcia]

Haven't used a chromecast, but I'll wager the features are more similar than not, with the chromecast probably having somewhat more features and more updates going forward than the TV will.