My smart TVs are now dumb

[drummerjohn]

What is the point of SMART TV functionality when it doesn't work after 5 years?
I have 3 TVs all over 5 years old and none of them now have on demand playback due to lack of support.

 

[Sloppy Bob]

Manufacturers have part of the blame, some of them just not updating apps anymore, however as technology advances the apps the content creators use can be updated beyond the capabilities of the TV.
As new video codecs are used, older TVs may not be compatible or offer poor performance with them so all the blame doesn't necessarily lie with the manufacturer.

A firestick can sort all your problems out at a cheap price.

 

[dts]

The biggest problems are the licensing costs...it costs a small fortune for the manufacturers to have the apps on their various platforms..so the cheaper tvs don't have the amount of support...the premium tvs are supported for longer...so a firestick or roku device will solve the problem.

 

[larkone]

TVs are no different to any electronic device that relies on software. Sooner or later the cost of licencing, the capability of the processor/memory and the advancement in features in apps will mean the device can no longer support or run the current apps. The only option, as suggested, is to upgrade the TV with an external device. To add to the suggestions there is also Chromecast with Google TV

 

[RealityDysfunction]

Perhaps the best idea is just to spend money on a high quality but dumb monitor. Smart functions and sound systems can then be added and replaced as they need to be updated by the user.
However, I'm not sure that the market works like this, you will probably find that a smart TV is cheaper than a monitor with equivalent picture quality.

 

[next010]

What everyone else said in addition there is a degree of forced obsolesce.

 

[larkone]

What everyone else said in addition there is a degree of forced obsolesce.

........as with any mass market device