Hey everyone
I have a Nexus player that I actually really enjoy. My dumb Samsung TV died today. I'm thinking about getting a new TV with build in android. The WAF (wife acceptance factor) is pretty high, because we saw recently one that had a dedicated Netflix button on the remote. What do you think? Should I invest a few bucks for a new "real" smart TV (can you recommend one) or should save a few bucks and keep the Nexus player around with a new "dumb" TV?
If you can find a non-smart TV for a good price, jump on it. It's tough to find one of those...I prefer something like a Nexus Player over a Smart TV though if only because once the technology becomes obsolete, I only have to shell out $100-$200 for a new device versus a lot more for a new television.
I would get another tv with good PQ and an Nvidia Shield TV. Much better specs than an TV with android.
It's hard to get a non-smart TV these days, so I'd say better to get an AndroidTV than a WebOS or other crap otherwise you'll not enjoy waiting for it to boot. But yes, if you can save a few buck, I suggest you get a TV that is just doing what a TV does best and leave the smarts outside.
Smart TVs have more than just smart. They'll have faster processing, better up conversion, typically better contrast and brightness, etc.
I've always bought Samsung, and I'm in love with the Sony Android TV's.
That said, Shield TV is pretty amazing, too.
Buy a TV for the picture quality. I forget what it was but a company recently went under and their dedicated button on a remote became basically useless. I'm not saying netflix will suffer the same fate but your'e better off separating the services.
Plus a little teaching goes a long way. My wife knows how to navigate our receiver settings to play Blu-Rays, get to the Nexus Player and Steam Link. All it took was a little sit down.
Get a Vizio and a Nvidia shield.
First, buy a TV based on picture quality. Attach whatever you want to it, and upgrade those devices when necessary. If you buy an Android TV right now, it'll work pretty well but what happens in 5 years? I guess if you buy a new TV every 5 years, it wouldn't matter. If you're expecting it to last you longer than that, then take a look at TVs from 5 years ago. Do any of them have "smart features" worth a damn today? Would you still gladly take a Kuro or high-end plasma from 2011 off someone's hands and plug a Nexus Player into it?
Second, rtings.com for recommendations. Good luck trying to find one that is "dumb". Even if selling a smart and dumb version of each model were reality, it would be more than just "a few bucks" apart. Besides, pretty much every TV above $200 has smart features these days. Don't actively try to search for a dumb TV. It'll open you up to much better displays.
Third, I'd love to think that Google and the OEM of every Android TV is working to keep the OS up-to-date and maintain the same experience across a wide range of devices, but that's wishful thinking. Some TV's are going to get left behind as time goes on. A lot of TVs are going to be behind in OS updates. The Nexus Player just got Nougat today. It's one of 3 devices to have the honor. I imagine these Sony ATV sets are going to take a while to see that version of Android.