Smart TVs, also referred to as hybrid or connected TVs, are television sets with the inbuilt capacity to connect to the internet. This capability allows users to access online services such as instant messaging, video on demand, web browsing, social media and many others. Smart TVs are becoming an increasingly popular option for many households, and a Nielsen report shows that 29% of people with an income of over $75,000 annually owned a Smart TV. Smart TVs have many benefits to offer including easy access to the internet, the ability to perform multiple functions such as watch videos, play games and chat with friends without having to change devices, and many others. However, Smart TVs’ basic features make the reality of owning one of these devices a lot harder than you would expect. In fact, many users of Smart TVs are discovering that these seemingly high tech devices are a lot dumber than you would expect due to the following reasons:
1. Poor Interfaces
Your Smartphone or computer works well thanks to interfaces such as typing and the use of a pointing device that allows you to select the functionality you want. However, current Smart TV technology does not provide the option to type or use a pointing device, and instead relies on the use of remote controls which require a lot of typing and navigation before you can get what you want. As a result, more and more people prefer to use streaming set top boxes if they want to watch movies or listen to music, or simply seek these functionalities on their phones or laptops.
2. No software updates
Even if you have purchased the latest Smart TV available on the market, lack of updates means that your device will soon become obsolete as time goes by. This means that you will not then be able to access video or other services that require up to date software updates and your TV will then revert to being a regular model that simply plays videos similar to older, analogue types.
3. Security risks
Users of Smart TVs are susceptible to various security risks such as hacking, having their private information such as viewing habits stored and shared with a third party, getting eavesdropped on via the use of inbuilt microphones, and even being spied on through video cameras that come with the television sets.
4. Useless additional features
Purchasing a Smart TV will require you to fork over extra dollars in order to access special features such as TV Apps, Internet access, games and 3D viewing. However, poor interface and performance make these extra features virtually useless, and certainly not worth paying anything extra for unless you have no other option.
5. Embedded Ads
Major Smart TV manufacturers, in an attempt at maximizing revenue from the devices they sell to you, are embedding more and more ads into the televisions they sell to you. This means that you may find your viewing interrupted every 30 minutes or so and you then have to sit through whatever advertisement has been embedded before you can resume regular viewing.
Smart TVs were supposed to revolutionized the way people watch TV and videos, play games and access the internet, allowing users to access all these services without having to invest in multiple devices. However, until manufacturers address the problems with the current models, a Smart TV is actually a pretty dumb choice for most users.
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