Functioning similar to the Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV 4K, Roku devices are small streaming boxes or streaming sticks that connect to your television. They put streaming content from Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, Disney+ and more (subscriptions required) in one easy-to-search place on a TV screen. Roku Technical Support
A whopping number of new TVs claim to be Smart TVs in some way or another, no matter how stupid the built-in “smart” features really are. In fact, Smart TV is such a vague term that just about any TV with built-in Internet connectivity and a couple of incredibly lame apps can boldly claim the label. Thankfully, there are also quite a few highly deserving Smart TVs with amazing capabilities on store shelves, too. Of course, just because this or that function is “incredible” doesn’t mean that you’re going to use it. The best Smart TV for most people lies somewhere between the two extremes of dim witted on one end and misunderstood genius on the other. If you’re shopping for a new Smart TV, here’s a list of 10 of the most important, must-have features.
Fast User Interface
One of the most must-have of the must-have features in a Smart TV is one that you won’t give a second thought—or a second’s thought to—if you already have it: speed. If you have a Blu-ray Disc player, you know how annoying it is to wait for what seems like an eternity for the disc’s main menu to load and finally appear on your screen. Likewise, some Smart TVs take eons (okay, maybe it’s only decades) to switch from one app, function, or input to another. A blazingly fast interface that lets you do what you want to do almost before you know you want to do it is a must if you don’t want to find yourself endlessly irritated by how sluggish your Smart TV is. Roku Remote Not Working
Streaming Video Services
If all you do is watch movies rented from a red kiosk or tune in to the local nightly news broadcast, then you don’t need a Smart TV. Frankly, if that’s the case, you need to get a life. The other option is to get a Smart TV and sign up for at least one (but probably more) online streaming video service, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant, Vudu, Hulu Plus, Crackle, or even Funny or Die. There’s also Showtime Anytime, HBO Now, and CBS All Access. If you have a fast Internet connection, there are more movies and TV shows to stream than you’ll ever have time to watch—but, you can only stream them if your Smart TV has an app(s) that supports the online service(s) you want to use. Sling TV, for example, is an affordable alternative to your cable subscription, but it might as well not exist if your TV isn’t compatible with it.