New TV for mother with early onset Dementia (need easy to use).

norfbech

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Hi all.

My mother is in the early stages of dementia sadly (on top of this awful year).
She was quite active on her iMac until relatively recently but now technology is a definite no no.
However, she loves her TV but it's a tad old and small. The 32" is tiny from where she is sitting so thinking maybe 42" (45" tops?) would be better. Probably make her month when she sees a new big tv (just as it would me to be fair...).

However, at the moment she literally turns it on via standby and it's on either BBC1, 2, ITV, CH4 or Ch5 and she can click up/down or press 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on the remote to find the channel (she often goes off piste and ventures into those NCSI level channels...).

Are there any TV's you can do this with still without getting lost (for her) in a rabbit hole of Smart Features? Other than that, is there (yet) an option to dial in a 'take over' someones set like Team Views on computers?

Her current set is (at least) 15 years old and is a Samsung - perhaps sticking to Samsung won't throw her too far off.
Presumably it's going to be easier to stick on the SD channels only (she's using Freeview only).
If I have a reference to the remote control I can usually walk her through getting back to the TV source (she sometimes presses AV source and ends up down her own rabbit hole).
Unfortunately we live quite a distance from her. A recent brain scan suggested she has early onset dementia but it it's stable at the early stages.

Otherwise maybe just pick up a dedicated remote after the TV has been purchased (still, the TV need to have straightforward UI).

Thanks.
 
A One For All URC6810 or similar "zapper" style should sort it. It has no buttons for menus & smart features, so she should never see them.

Might be a very good idea.
Could I essentially pick up any set then program this to merely respond up/down (for example) the SD channels (or HD channels if I went that route) and bypass the guide/interface?
Ideally I'd program all the main HD channels as a new 1, 2, 3, 4 etc but not sure if that's possible (it will always have to revert to the numbers 1, 2, 3 etc otherwise she'll just get lost rather quickly - this may mean HD is not an option unfortunately (given the picture would be sharper for her eyes too).

I'm trying to recall how she currently gets her digital Freeview - presumably via the aerial and into a receiver in her set (the set is so old I'm surprised it has a digital receiver....but of course, it has to).

Thanks!
 
...just to clarify as I look into it, I guess my question would be whether I can program these controllers to map 1 to HD BBC1, 2 to HD BBC2, 3 to ITV HD etc (and the linking the up/down channel button to those same HD buttons.

Not a deal breaker tbf (would be nice) but a new set with this remote would be ideal even if SD only.

Thanks.
 
The one I linked to doesn't have a numeric keypad, you would need the next model up (6820) for that. It has a learning feature so you may be able to replace button 1 for channel 101. But not sure if the learning could cope with the three button presses to actually select 101. You'd have to clarify that with One For All.

It may also be possible to reorder channels on the TV itself or select a default power on channel. But I can't help with what manuafacturers may do that. Also some have voice control remotes, would she be able to cope with that?
 
The one I linked to doesn't have a numeric keypad, you would need the next model up (6820) for that. It has a learning feature so you may be able to replace button 1 for channel 101. But not sure if the learning could cope with the three button presses to actually select 101. You'd have to clarify that with One For All.

It may also be possible to reorder channels on the TV itself or select a default power on channel. But I can't help with what manuafacturers may do that. Also some have voice control remotes, would she be able to cope with that?

I'll maybe drop them an enquiry in that case (both one for all and perhaps Samsung too).

Not sure the voice control tbf. We were also thinking of an Alexa for bits and bobs but I still think a lot of this tech is in its infancy when it comes to true accessibility. Worth looking into however.

Thanks mate.
 
I have a fairly basic 55" Samsung & you can't renumber or reorder the digital channels on that. But it doesn't have the voice remote so no idea how well or otherwise that works. If Samsung is close to the top of your list then maybe ask in that owners forum.
 
Another issue you may have is finding a TV that does a decent job of scaling up SD. HD are rare beasts these days & scaling SD to 4k may well look worse to her than her current TV.
 
Yes...another pitfall, which is why it would be good to nail the HD programming of channels.
Perhaps even further issues can be found by whether the internal tuner is Freeview or Freesat (she doesn't have a dish and there's no way she'd have one tbf). Have to be very careful nothing is really altered from her routines.
I had a really quick look at the newish 42" Samsungs and, so far, they're mostly FreeSat.

I'll ask a few questions on the Samsung threads.
 
Hi there. I'm in a similar spot with my mum. I bought her a remote called a Flipper. It has 6 buttons on the surface to keep it simple for oldies that are now struggling. The lower portion slides down to reveal the programmable section. Essentially you can tell the thing to scroll fwd or back through channels that you specify. It's good and solves your problem, in the near term anyway. Regs Rob
 
All Samsung TV's sold in the UK have Freeview tuners, that includes one's with built-in Freesat.
Hi there. I'm in a similar spot with my mum. I bought her a remote called a Flipper. It has 6 buttons on the surface to keep it simple for oldies that are now struggling. The lower portion slides down to reveal the programmable section. Essentially you can tell the thing to scroll fwd or back through channels that you specify. It's good and solves your problem, in the near term anyway. Regs Rob

Thanks mate and sorry to hear that.

Have you looked into programming the HD channels so they're easily accessible?
I'm definitely looking at one of those remotes (I'll search out those flippers you mentioned) but if I'm upgrading the set to something bigger then SD will look pretty poor on the larger screen so would prefer to link the HD channels (via Freeview HD) to run along the the normal 1 - 9 buttons if this is possible.
She struggled the other evening when she hit the SOURCE button and lost the TV and was difficult to talk her through the process of getting the TV channels back on.
 
I'd go for a 4K Freeview TV, they're cheap enough these days. Just check to see if you need a new aerial for HD.

On most (all?) modern TVs you can disable channels that you do not want, or set a priority list. These would prevent your mother going off-piste. You may also be able to preset volume levels within fixed levels.

You can also set auto power off times, subtitles (if getting hard of hearing), etc.

Good luck.
 
I'd go for a 4K Freeview TV, they're cheap enough these days. Just check to see if you need a new aerial for HD.
All aerials will pick up HD signals. There is no such thing as an 'HD Aerial'. It's just an advertising ploy.
 
I'd go for a 4K Freeview TV, they're cheap enough these days. Just check to see if you need a new aerial for HD.

On most (all?) modern TVs you can disable channels that you do not want, or set a priority list. These would prevent your mother going off-piste. You may also be able to preset volume levels within fixed levels.

You can also set auto power off times, subtitles (if getting hard of hearing), etc.

Good luck.
That’s really good to know. I’m going to have a good look this weekend and get one ordered for her. Had a couple of suggestions on the other threads on here.
Possibly look at panny models but nothing over the top.
If I can program the HD channels in sequential order on a remote for her then I’ll be pretty content.

All aerials will pick up HD signals. There is no such thing as an 'HD Aerial'. It's just an advertising ploy.

Thats really good to know too (I’ve had cable for over 20 years so a bit out of the aerial loop!)
 
Was looking at something like this Samsung (reviewed on here as overpriced).

What I could get cheaper I'm not sure but the 'general' reviews seem favourable and Samsung tend to be quite easy to navigate (this shouldn't be an issue anyway - she'd literally turn it on and have the channels go up or down...and that's it).

Samsung 2020 43" Q60T QLED 4K Quantum HDR Smart TV

Edit - also spotted the much cheaper Samsung UE43TU7100

Wondered if there was a wealth of difference between the two given this is for my mother and she won't be fussed about finer details?
 
Last edited:
I've moved this thread to the correct section.

My vote if a VA panel is suitable would be the Hisense B7120 model that still may be available from Argos.
It's a 2019 model, well priced and has Roku as its interface which is by far the most logical and easy to use. The main drawback perhaps is the remote control being quite small.

Samsung models like the TU7100 are also not bad value, but the Q60T is indeed overpriced. Their OS is good, but a bit more 'smart', so perhaps intuitive, but not as logical as Roku imo.

A bit of general advice:

All the best buys from 2020 ranges are in my guide here: New My best value TVs, 2020-2021 Edition

Make sure you are aware before picking out specific models that there's big differences between one LCD TV panel type and another, therefore take the steps in the opening post to determine which panel is best suited to her viewing environment before picking a specific model. The Hisense B7120 and Samsung TU7100 are VA type panels, but other TVs like LG and Sony at this size will be IPS.

Also worth noting that if the TV is mainly going to be used for general broadcast TV and catch up services, an UHD model may not have the best picture quality. You may be better off buying a HD TV instead, possibly even one second hand.
 
I've moved this thread to the correct section.

My vote if a VA panel is suitable would be the Hisense B7120 model that still may be available from Argos.
It's a 2019 model, well priced and has Roku as its interface which is by far the most logical and easy to use. The main drawback perhaps is the remote control being quite small.

Samsung models like the TU7100 are also not bad value, but the Q60T is indeed overpriced. Their OS is good, but a bit more 'smart', so perhaps intuitive, but not as logical as Roku imo.

A bit of general advice:

All the best buys from 2020 ranges are in my guide here: New My best value TVs, 2020-2021 Edition

Make sure you are aware before picking out specific models that there's big differences between one LCD TV panel type and another, therefore take the steps in the opening post to determine which panel is best suited to her viewing environment before picking a specific model. The Hisense B7120 and Samsung TU7100 are VA type panels, but other TVs like LG and Sony at this size will be IPS.

Also worth noting that if the TV is mainly going to be used for general broadcast TV and catch up services, an UHD model may not have the best picture quality. You may be better off buying a HD TV instead, possibly even one second hand.

Thank you.
When it comes to getting my new set I'll do some really good research on here (as I tend to do).
This is a tricky one though. I just want my mother to have a bigger set with the main HD channels programmed to 1, 2, 3,4 etc. I'd like it to be bigger and sharper than her current 32" Samsung (10 years old plus) is all.
She won't be using catch up or any form of smart feature - she's way past this unfortunately.
Literally the main broadcast channels only.
Bearing that in mind it might be best looking for a HD set but then I'm back looking to find decent models which they may or may not sell any more.

Cheers.
 
I'd like it to be bigger and sharper than her current 32" Samsung (10 years old plus) is all.
What kind of viewing distance are we talking? Most people view so far from smaller TVs that it probably doesn't matter which type to go for between UHD/HD because they view too far to discern any difference.

Broadcast TV, even the HD channels can look good on smaller TVs provided you don't view too close, the problem with UHD models is more upscaling has to be done making broadcast TV look a bit soft.

For some context, my in laws have an old 52" Philips FHD TV, and they view very far from it (around 3-4m). HD TV looks great, so much so I forgot how good it can look if you view so far away, and also if you are watching it on a HD TV.

By comparison, at home we have two UHD models. A 43" and a 65". They both are pretty poor when watching regular TV, the 43" is a bedroom TV and we sit quite far away but the picture isn't as sharp.

This also complies with what I thought years back when I first moved to an UHD model, albeit a 65". Regular TV is best viewed on smaller, native HD displays where it can be shown without any upscaling.. I went from watching broadcast TV on my UHD model back to using my old 42" HD Plasma because it looked so much better.

If however you view quite far away, it may be a non issue just getting an UHD model...and may be an improvement over an older 32". Just don't make the same assumption many do and assume a newer model is going to be sharper. It doesn't quite work that way, the more pixels the TV has, the more the picture has to be stretched and the more impurities you'll notice.

Of course if broadcast TV was more up to date (like it was when HD TVs first came out) then a new TV would be a great increase in quality. But much the same in the days of the first HD models, the foretee of current TVs are when displaying their native format, not lower resolution content.
 
Agree with all that.
In fact my kids still use a panny 42” plasma from ten years ago that produces a stunning picture.

I’d say she sits around 3-4 metres away too. Pretty sure the set is a Samsung HD ready rather than Full HD. Never thought it was a great picture tbf but I do think it’s more like 15 years old now.

had a quick look for Full HD 42/43” sets and thus jumped out:

SONY KDL43WG663BU 43" Smart Full HD HDR LED TV

Reviews seem favourable and price has jumped down a fair bit.
Might this be a suitable candidate?



What kind of viewing distance are we talking? Most people view so far from smaller TVs that it probably doesn't matter which type to go for between UHD/HD because they view too far to discern any difference.

Broadcast TV, even the HD channels can look good on smaller TVs provided you don't view too close, the problem with UHD models is more upscaling has to be done making broadcast TV look a bit soft.

For some context, my in laws have an old 52" Philips FHD TV, and they view very far from it (around 3-4m). HD TV looks great, so much so I forgot how good it can look if you view so far away, and also if you are watching it on a HD TV.

By comparison, at home we have two UHD models. A 43" and a 65". They both are pretty poor when watching regular TV, the 43" is a bedroom TV and we sit quite far away but the picture isn't as sharp.

This also complies with what I thought years back when I first moved to an UHD model, albeit a 65". Regular TV is best viewed on smaller, native HD displays where it can be shown without any upscaling.. I went from watching broadcast TV on my UHD model back to using my old 42" HD Plasma because it looked so much better.

If however you view quite far away, it may be a non issue just getting an UHD model...and may be an improvement over an older 32". Just don't make the same assumption many do and assume a newer model is going to be sharper. It doesn't quite work that way, the more pixels the TV has, the more the picture has to be stretched and the more impurities you'll notice.

Of course if broadcast TV was more up to date (like it was when HD TVs first came out) then a new TV would be a great increase in quality. But much the same in the days of the first HD models, the foretee of current TVs are when displaying their native format, not lower resolution content.
 
Yep, that is a good option.

Thanks mate - didn’t want to overthink this but at the same time would like her to have a decent set. Apologies fir the bombardment of questions too...wanted to get this right for her.

Given the distance is around 3 metres would you still say this Full HD set over the UHD now?
Unlikely to use anything approaching a 4K feed tbf.

many thanks.
 
3m is beyond the scope of noticing 4k on even a 65" TV, let alone 43".

I think you'll be better off from a picture quality point of you going for a HD TV like that Sony. From a usability point of view for smart apps, probably better with the Hisense Roku TV.

If the TV isn't going to be used for streaming then it doesn't really matter so much about usability. All will be similar and once set up shouldn't need changing.

The only thing you may want to do is change the remote to a universal one so you can make sure she doesn't accidentally hit something by mistake.
 
3m is beyond the scope of noticing 4k on even a 65" TV, let alone 43".

I think you'll be better off from a picture quality point of you going for a HD TV like that Sony. From a usability point of view for smart apps, probably better with the Hisense Roku TV.

If the TV isn't going to be used for streaming then it doesn't really matter so much about usability. All will be similar and once set up shouldn't need changing.

The only thing you may want to do is change the remote to a universal one so you can make sure she doesn't accidentally hit something by mistake.

Thanks mate - absolutely zilch chance of her using smart apps, sadly.

I’ve been looking at some universal remotes too (v simple buttons but one I can program for her).

Wouid love to invest some time looking at my next set. Looking at 50” and the majority of stuff I watch on a streaming (lots of Netflix4K content).
That’s for another time however...

Really appreciate your time and advice on this.
The Sony looks like a good choice for her.
Thanks v much.
 

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