Do you just need to upgrade your telly every few years?

[Wigeon]

Got first smart TV in 2014. Bloody thing just keeps freezing when we watch anything not live, ie on demand, or YouTube. Do older TVs just not have the software to cope with modern streaming? And you have to get a new one every few years? It’s a Samsung, so a proper brand, although it was probably one of the cheaper models when we got it.

AIBU to expect a TV to last more than 7 years?!

I have a 12 year old non Smart Samsung which works perfectly with a Firestick for streaming.

We got ours in 2012 and it still works fine now. I don't think its a smart tv but it works with netflix, youtube and all that. I'm really hoping to chose to replace it before it breaks, I'd be really annoyed if it only lasted seven years.

Ours is about 8 or 10 years old. We got a roku stick and we can now stream everything we want to on it.

I’ve never bought a tv, I’ve inherited both the ones we own from relatives who’ve died
We’ve had them all 5 years plus and I’ve no idea how old they were before that. They’re all fine 🤷🏻‍♀️

We solved this with a Now TV stick. £25. Job done!

Have you been updating the software?

@BIWI Yes I think so? There’s somewhere in the menus where you can choose “update now” or something like that, so we do that from time to time. Have also tried resetting all the channels.

Can you use one of these stick things that you’ve all got with a smart TV? So get it to do internet/streaming via the stick? Or are the sticks only for non-smart TVs?

@wingsnthat - how would I know if I can update the firmware? Is that the same as when I press buttons on the menu to do some kind of update?

Yes that’s right, it’s a software update. I’m guessing you’re up to date then? That’s a shame as was hoping that would be an easy fix for you!

It’s worth a shot contacting their live chat here? maybe they have a bright idea

I won't buy a smart TV again, the "smart" functionality dates incredibly quickly and it isn't long before it's no longer supported. Save money by investing in the TV and upgrading the additional tech for "smart" functionality instead. We switched to fire sticks when our smart function went shite, but now have sky q boxes on all our TVs as they have most of the apps we like now (except Apple TV!)

Is it possible to buy a non smart TV these days? I hope so! Ours is 8yo and going strong despite being in toy chucking range of two small children for most of that time😂 we have a firestick and I'm very comfortable with that. When we do upgrade we need a slightly bigger screen but other than that I wouldn't change anything.

My TV is about the same age as yours and also a Samsung. I think it was £800 in 2014. I had the same problem, starting about 2 years ago with apps becoming useless and not being able to update so no longer had YouTube etc (“not supported on this device”).

Got SkyQ like pps and it’s back to normal and more now and I forgot there was a problem until now!

We've got a 12yo LG tv but we stream everything through the PS4 so Disney+, Netflix, prime, etc all work perfectly.

I have a Samsung smart tv in the bedroom. Probably a bit older than yours and was a cheap £150 one, it’s still fine.

The LG tv in the front room is at least 15 years old, not even a smart tv, and that’s also fine. I keep wishing it would break so I could get a smart tv but my head tells me the roku stick does the same thing.

Can you just plug an amazon fire stick or roku stick in for apps?

We have a Samsung which is older. No problems. Sounds like an issue with your internet or maybe the apps. I would definitely contact Samsung as they’re very helpful.

We have a Roku stick, cost about £40 one off, which I would strongly recommend. It’s the main reason we haven’t upgraded our tv and probably won’t for some time.

Streaming sticks, like Roku or a Firestick are much better as the software is upgraded much more frequently and make themselves available for all the apps. Whereas Samsung older TVs have fewer and fewer.

We can get everything (AppleTv, Disney+, Netflix, Amazon, NowTV) as I believe Roku is one of the few devices to offer all the most popular apps. You still of course need to pay subscription fees to each streaming service. I like that the remote also controls the TV so need for various remotes.

Our Samsung smart television broke within five years - very disappointed as I would have expected it to last much longer. The sound became fuzzy and there was a shadow on the screen. When we researched new ones it became clear that the software dates very quickly.

@ExponentiallyDepleted I wanted to buy a 36 inch TV recently. No one makes them anymore. It's either 32 or 40 inches.

Our 2014 Samsung is going strong. Freeview, iPlayer, Netflix, prime, all 4, YouTube no problem at all. Have you tried streaming from iPlayer or Netflix on your laptop? Might give you an idea about the wi-fi. Our 2006 Samsung in the kitchen is fine with a Freeview box (similar vintage) and fire stick.

Already paying £57 a month for that, which feels extortionate! Maybe I need a different thread on whether you can expect decent internet for £57

Our provider sends us letters every now and then to say the usual shite "cost of internet increasing by x to ensure you get the best service". Every year I phone up and threaten to leave. Every year they either reduce the increase or remove it altogether.

I assumed everybody did this.

Ditto car insurance, home insurance, breakdown cover and all that

YANBU to expect more than seven years life. Same with a PC or tablet.

SMART TV's are shite, they don't have enough investment in their software to keep them going because all the money is already been got by the manufacturer, they'll get some more revenue from their tracking of everything you watch, but that's tiny.

Forget the smart features of the TV, get as dumb a panel as possible and use an Amazon Fire / Apple TV / Chromecast / Roku even dongle for the smart features.

The reason TV sizes is now less choice is all about how they're produced, there's no benefit to making to making a 36" one as it just means waste.

Just buy a Roku/chrome/firestick

We bought one for 20 quid, because the apps on our Sony TV are so crap. The two older smart TVs we have are fine.

Ours was bought in 2014 or 15 and is perfectly fine but I can’t get the Disney plus app- which I just don’t understand because obviously other apps on it update it’s just that Samsung don’t put the Disney plus app on their TVs made before a certain date.
It’s very annoying because other than that it seems brand new.

Ours is old but small but works really well. It automatically updates itself to the newest software when available so I guess that helps.

Maybe yours needs a hard reset and a software update?