To think that modern TVs with all the "apps" are not great?

[comoatoupeira]

I just got a modern TV where you turn it on and it offers you all these different apps. It bothers me that iPlayer is just one app, when the BBC is so much better quality than most of the crap that is on there. I think it's a shame that while we are in the UK the TV doesn't put the UK channels front and centre. I worry that no one will watch the stuff that's usually really good, because now it's quite hard to find and buried in all this other stuff that is mostly from America.
Also I don't like how you do a search and it shows you lots of stuff you have to pay for, it's like asking you to make purchasing decisions and engage that part of your brain when you just wanted to switch on your TV which you already paid for to watch TV which you already paid a licence to have!
BTW I am not very old (34) so it's not because I'm 'out of touch'. I really think the decision choices aren't the right thing for the media options there are now.
Thanks! sorry bit of a ramble.

The UK channels are front and centre aren't they? My TV has BBC1, BBC2, ITV and then Channel 4 right at the front, I have to physically click on APPS to get those.

Not mine, mine shows everything all jumped together, Prime, Netflix, something called "Rakuten" (?), Disney, none of which I am subscribed to. Then there's always an autoplay thing at the top where a video is playing silently, that distracts my kids. In order to find the normal channels, I have to go into the search bar and "search" by typing on a clunky keyboard "BBC 1" for example.
If you haven't been brought up with those channels, who's going to do that? You're just going to click on the fancy banners on the home page. It will kill the content.

Bloody hate it. It's a visual mess. I can get back to my Freeview display though, which my kids are used to.

Have you looked at the settings to uninstall the things you don't want? Or send it back and get a non smart TV. Seems daft to buy one and then complain about it

Hate to tell you they have all just monetised the time when you pick up the remote and scroll betwen channels to targeted ads.

It's not in the UK yet it's all about spend spend spend.

I'm with you 100% just wanted to buy my elderly mum a bog standard TV but took me most of 2 hours to set the bloody thing up with all the apps and logins.

Yes I will, for myself.
I'm just concerned about what these do to the market though. More of a long term wonder.

I like it. I love the remote that has a prime button, a Netflix button etc. Perfect for us

Can't you just reorder the apps? Just because you don't want choice doesn't mean other people shouldn't get it.

I meant 'jumbled together'

I hate the TVs with "Rakuten" on them- always find them in holiday cottages. They always seem to default to Gordon Ramsay swearing at top volume, and I can't work out how to get the TV to work as I am too flustered trying to stop the kids hearing! I just end up watching iPlayer and prime all week as I can't find a normal channel.

I hate ours. But it has Rakuten on it, whatever the f that is. Now I know to avoid it when I replace the TV

I do want choice, I just don't want the choice to be pushy and biased in favour of TV services that are not the ones that we all contribute towards having in our country, and which creatives here, in our community, think very hard about how to make content for us that reflects living in Britain.
I don't want things to take up all the space and make you want to watch them (especially the kids) and that you then have to pay for, I don't want to go shopping, I want to watch TV.

Weird thing to get worked up about. YABU.

Do you not have a live tv option and then you can use as a normal tv?

On mine I reordered the apps so that iPlayer was first, channel 4 next etc, I watch netflix but don't subscribe to anything else, I got rid of the other apps like ratuken etc. I also put live TV as the first choice.
I'm old however, still have a proper newspaper at the weekend and make a decision what to watch, I don't just put it on randomly.
I love smart TVs and catch-up services, I think they are a great invention because you can watch things when it's convenient for you and there are excellent programmes and films from years ago which I missed at the time.

What annoys me is it takes longer to switch on and get to a channel than it did for my parents B&W TV to warm up back in the 60s.

Exactly. It tried to distract you to watch something else than what you intended to watch.

@ThoroughlyModernNotMillie thank you I will try this!

@ChorizoDog thanks I’ll have a look. Didn’t know this was possible.

Your point is entirely subjective. IMO British TV is crap and I’d much rather watch American and other shows on Netflix, Amazon, Disney & AppleTV. I open iPlayer maybe twice a year. I also find the smartTV easy to navigate but some are better than others. You may be a ‘young’ 30-something but the fact you only just got your first smartTV shows you are way behind the times.

Ours has a Guide button that brings up a list of channels that are on now, with BBC 1 at the top.

You don't have to use the apps at all though. Press whatever button you need on the remote for free view and away you go. You never have to see an app again.

Ours has a ‘Live TV’ icon in the row of app icons (might even be the first or second one) which takes you straight to ‘normal telly’.

I am 57 and I love my smart TV. I have it set up.so only the apps I use are there, job done. It isn't rocket science.

If you have an aerial plugged in, you should be able to go to 'antennae' or 'channel list' or 'TV guide' to take you to normal Freeview liveTV, which has the 5 'original' British channels numbered 1 - 5 and then HD versions starting from 101.

You should also be able to rearrange the apps so I-player and the apps for ITV, channels 4 and 5, and Freeview appear at the front of your list.

We don't have any paid subscriptions so I've moved all those apps to the back of the list.