Smart TV for watching youtube and streaming files from PC over wifi?

[IronWing]

To be honest, the last time I hooked up a TV to an external source, the Intellivision console screwed into the coax cable connector and I flipped to channel 4. It would be a fair statement to say that I don't know squat about smart TVs. My reading suggests that if I want a TV that can 1) play youtube videos independent from any attached device, I need a smart TV and 2) if I want to play video files and DVDs from my Windows 10 PC, I need a TV that supports screen mirroring (miracast). Is this correct? I really don't care at all about streaming services beyond youtube, OTA broadcasts, or other stuff, just youtube and playing local content. With that in mind, does anyone have recommendations for TV sets in the ~43" range? Thanks.

 

[BoomerD]

A decent smart TV should play youtube videos just fine...depending on your wi-fi connection. You could always just get something like an Amazon Fire Stick...but that would allow you access to other, darker parts of teh intarwebs...

As for casting from PC to TV, Does your PC have bluetooth? Your smart TV will also have to have bluetooth. (not all do)

How to cast your Windows desktop to a smart TV without a cable, and mirror your desktop display onto your TV

You can cast your Windows 10 desktop to your smart TV to view your computer display on the big screen.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[Commodus]

To be honest, the last time I hooked up a TV to an external source, the Intellivision console screwed into the coax cable connector and I flipped to channel 4. It would be a fair statement to say that I don't know squat about smart TVs. My reading suggests that if I want a TV that can 1) play youtube videos independent from any attached device, I need a smart TV and 2) if I want to play video files and DVDs from my Windows 10 PC, I need a TV that supports screen mirroring (miracast). Is this correct? I really don't care at all about streaming services beyond youtube, OTA broadcasts, or other stuff, just youtube and playing local content. With that in mind, does anyone have recommendations for TV sets in the ~43" range? Thanks.

Finding a particularly good 43-inch set may be tricky, as brands tend to reserve sub-50-inch sets for budget lines these days. With that said, virtually any major smart TV brand offers a YouTube app, and Miracast support appears to be commonplace (LG and Samsung offer it, for example).

What's your budget? If it's a fairly wide one, my pick would be the 42-inch LG C2. You haven't been spoiled on picture quality until you use an OLED set. That and I generally prefer LG's interface to Samsung's. With that said, I wouldn't turn down comparable Samsung LCD sets like the QN90B, particularly if I tended to watch in bright daylight most of the time.

 

[deustroop]

As explained, a Smart TV is one that connects to the internet through Wifi.
Your modem provides the Wifi. Get the TV home and turn it on and it locks into the wifi and calls home ( Samsung, LG). The TV then downloads a set of app shortcuts for the latest snorefest like Netflix, You Tube, etc to the desktop. Some require fees to view.

As for viewing desktop files like movies on the TV (not DVDs) or playing locally stored music on the big screen, ensure the PC and TV are connected to the same Wifi network . Look at the settings page in the TV menues which identities available networks and ensure yours is selected. Go to the file you want to play, say Mike Tyson"s Greatest Hits, right click and select Cast To Device.

For actual mirroring of the desktop showing the desktop and whatever is playing, like a DvD , Cast To Device may do that too, not sure and can't check on this machine. For that detail, look at projecting under Windows settings. Bluetooth is not available on many desktops.
Edit
There is a neat Samsung app called Smart View that improves on Cast To Device. Open the app on your desktop and load in the files.Then go o the TV and open Sources and there is the Desktop. Select it and the files are there so you can play one after another without going back to Connect To Device for your next choice.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Now I want to be clear this isn’t meant to be a thread crap. This is meant as a warning and something you already know but haven’t thought about it in the TV sense.
First smart TVs are a huge privacy breach for various reasons. I absolutely would never buy a smart TV with a camera or microphone built into it.
Second and less speculative, remember the YouTube app is just that an app. Ultimately YouTube will require some kind of update to keep functioning and you will be relaying on the TV Manufacturer to update their app on the TV which may or may not happen, particularly as the TV gets older.
A better plan imo is getting a Roku which does YouTube just fine, has a remote that works great and will be supported for a long time plus is pretty affordable to replace if needed.

 

[MrSquished]

Now I want to be clear this isn’t meant to be a thread crap. This is meant as a warning and something you already know but haven’t thought about it in the TV sense.
First smart TVs are a huge privacy breach for various reasons. I absolutely would never buy a smart TV with a camera or microphone built into it.
Second and less speculative, remember the YouTube app is just that an app. Ultimately YouTube will require some kind of update to keep functioning and you will be relaying on the TV Manufacturer to update their app on the TV which may or may not happen, particularly as the TV gets older.
A better plan imo is getting a Roku which does YouTube just fine, has a remote that works great and will be supported for a long time plus is pretty affordable to replace if needed.

Smart TVs have cameras and microphones? I bought two last year and read a ton of reviews about all different models and absolutely zero had those.

 

[Muadib]

Smart TVs have cameras and microphones? I bought two last year and read a ton of reviews about all different models and absolutely zero had those.

Samsung tvs were found listening to conversations.

Your Samsung TV is eavesdropping on your private conversations

Samsung's SmartTVs are transmitting your voice commands to a third party.

money.cnn.com

 

[IronWing]

I went with a 43" TCL Roku set. It's cheap and does what I want, mostly. It has an analog audio out to feed my old school receiver. Youtube is fine. Plugging in an external drive loaded with my music works. Streaming DVD movies from the PC works fine with miracast though I can't convince Win 10 that the display is 4K and it only sends 1920x1080. I'll work on this.

The only issue I have is home videos (wildlife cam) from my hard drive "pulse" or stutter about once per second, making them unwatchable. I'm not sure what is going on as they play fine from the drive attached to the TV. I tried VLC and MS Photos with miracast with the same result. The TV doesn't support Chromecast as Roku and Google are in a pissing match at the moment.

 

[Oyeve]

My TV is wired to the net via ethernet. It can do wifi but my router and hub are behind the TV anyway so I prefer a hard connection. WIFI still has issues IMO.

 

[MrSquished]

I went with a 43" TCL Roku set. It's cheap and does what I want, mostly. It has an analog audio out to feed my old school receiver. Youtube is fine. Plugging in an external drive loaded with my music works. Streaming DVD movies from the PC works fine with miracast though I can't convince Win 10 that the display is 4K and it only sends 1920x1080. I'll work on this.

The only issue I have is home videos (wildlife cam) from my hard drive "pulse" or stutter about once per second, making them unwatchable. I'm not sure what is going on as they play fine from the drive attached to the TV. I tried VLC and MS Photos with miracast with the same result. The TV doesn't support Chromecast as Roku and Google are in a pissing match at the moment.

I have the 43-in TCL in my bedroom. Good quality for the price. I do have a Chromecast on my 65-in TCL in the living room and it works fine. Both have the Roku OS.

 

[MrSquished]

I have the 43-in TCL in my bedroom. Good quality for the price. I do have a Chromecast on my 65-in TCL in the living room and it works fine. Both have the Roku OS.

Oh now I think you meant Chromecast working within the Roku OS. I have a Chromecast stick on the big TV so obviously it works there in a different input.