Speaking of which, I got an email from Sky today reminding me to set this up…
1 Like
Cobra! Is season 2 out yet! I’ll buy a month of Now TV for that!
Dunno 
This is where it links to and it lists some programs that are available now and upcoming, but Cobra isn’t one of them…
1 Like
Done some googling! Apparently the entire season will be binge-able this Friday on demand, whilst it streams weekly on Sky Max over the next 6 weeks! So not long to wait!
1 Like
Personally I can’t see the point of this over your choice of any TV plus a Fire Stick / Chromecast.
But that’s not to say there isn’t a market. And fair play to Sky for tackling the streaming apocalypse head on and not just sticking its head in the sand.
3 Likes
This will depend on the content though. Not everything is streamed in 4K. And also, depending on your TV size and viewing distance it can make surprisingly little difference. You need a very big screen (by my standards anyway) quite close to really notice 1080p resolution. I have a 49 inch TV at about 1.5 - 2 meters and I notice a small uptick when it goes to 4K but it’s a long way from mind blowing.
Especially true on QLED TVs like this one. More noticeable on OLED where every pixel is distinct.
1 Like
Definitely notice the difference on a 65" screen, mind gets fully blown for the duration of whatevers playing.
Most suck! That’s point enough for me.
Because they are dreadful!
Fire stick is great for me 
We’ve yet to see extensive consumer testing in this to prove it is an ‘improvement’
1 Like
And plenty don’t! 
1 Like
Out of interest, which manufacturers don’t make crap adware filled TVs with solid build quality, good built in sound system, and good software support for more than 5 years?
No idea.
When buying a TV I’m personally looking for a dumb screen with the best possible picture quality.
I’d want a sound bar at minimum as inbuilt speakers are unlikely to be better than mediocre.
If you’re bothered about privacy, there’s nothing stopping you from ignoring any smart feature and using an Apple TV.
3 Likes
Smart TVs are always clunky in my experience, with the remotes a hash of menus versus dedicated buttons.
Prefer to run everything through my Virgin 360 box.
1 Like
Throw in best possible sound quality and some connectivity smarts (HDMI CEC that actually works, Bluetooth audio, AirPlay, HomeKit, etc) and that’s all I want too. With solid hardware build quality that will last and proper software support. I don’t care about smart tv software and apps. My boxes do that stuff.
Loewe is the only manufacturer that comes close to fitting those ideals, and they’ve gone into administration a number of times and no longer sell their products in the U.K.
Sound should never be an afterthought in my view. I shouldn’t need a sound bar or home cinema system for good sound. My iPhone sounds better than most tv speakers I’ve heard, and that’s not right.
Aside the fact most TVs require an internet connection in order to take advantage of smart home connectivity. I don’t like remotes, my iPad controls everything.
1 Like
What’s actually better, QLED or OLED? Or are they just different. QLED is supposedly better if you’ve got a brightly lit room right?
Not sure, but I don’t think the tech much matters so much as the actual quality of the display.
I’d take a good LCD/LED over a poor OLED any day. Better/newer tech isn’t always quite so objective in my view.
Best possible sound quality and internal speakers don’t really go together. If you’re happy with iPhone sound quality than it doesn’t feel like the bar is too high though.
Definitely would want some HDMI 2.1 ports for 120 FPS VRR goodness.
Given that I’m only looking for a dumb screen, I’m not bothered about software support either. As long as the ports keep working I’m good.
AirPlay / HomeKit could be added via a box / stick, but I know LG already support this and I’m sure some others must.
Build quality is interesting. I think TVs are much of a muchness these days in terms of looks and build. Mine sits in one place and is never touched, so durability isn’t that much of a concern. I’d obviously want it to look nice, but we’re generally talking huge screen with minimal bezels these days.
1 Like
In fact, this is the whole point of the best dumb screen. Does its one job incredibly well for as long as possible with no worries about ancillary tasks
I can swap in and out sound outputs and smart tv boxes to keep that stuff up to date separately.
I don’t want my screen becoming obsolete because it doesn’t have native support for some feature which could otherwise easily be added externally.
2 Likes
Loewe proves otherwise. Even on their low end range, sound quality rivals, and arguably beats many of the sound bars I’ve heard, and that’s without Atmos. The bar isn’t high at all, yet most TVs are way below it. The trade off is a slightly thicker tv.
You’re missing my point here. If only the boxes support HomeKit/airplay then I can’t control the actual tv (volume, ports, brightness, night shift options, Bluetooth, etc.) without an actual physical remote. LG support these things on new TVs. So do Samsung and others. But that’s my issue. Only new TVs get those features. If you were unfortunate enough to buy a tv just a year prior, you won’t get that update.
Contrast this with Loewe, where HomeKit and airplay support will be rolling out to decades old TVs via a firmware update at some point in the future, assuming they stay afloat long enough.
I think this is something Sky will do better than most manufacturers.
This matters when you have pets (or children!) and move around a bit. I’ll never forget the LG tv my grandma bought a few years back. It was barely held together. A plastic frame with the screen sort of just resting inside it, unsecured to the bezels. Again, my Loewe TVs are built more like an iMac, and that’s the sort of build quality I’m wanting. Sky look promising here too. I said earlier in the thread that I was lucky enough to actually see one of these in person a little while back. The hardware is Apple through and through. It’s very well built for that price.