If we going to have smart TVs, can we at least have keyboards and mice for them? Do I have to type everything in through a slow janky arrow button interface for the rest of my life like an idiot?
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No problem, there are small portable KBs - I have one for my tablet, because I don't like a touch interface any more than I do a TV remote control "mouse" interface.
Besides, it's somebody else's TV, why should you expect to plug your KB into _their_ TV? If they wanted it, they would have one.
No, no, I understood and agreed with you. I just realized afterwards that phone remote apps actually do exist. But somehow I've just never been exposed to them.
Take no shame from this. Your post really took off and as a result: 1) a lot of people got to be really helpful for a bit and feel good about it, and 2) a lot of people had the same question as you and didn't even know to ask.
I knew someone who had their phone set up to control their tv, but the problem was if they were watching tv, they couldn't do anything else with their phone without messing up what the tv was doing. Seemed like a bad system!
That's odd. I use my phone as my TV remote, and I can still do anything else I want on my phone. For me, it's a really good system. Maybe it depends on the TV and its apps?
There's no Roku where I live now, but when I was in America Roku Smart TVs were the best for that, since they had on-screen keyboards and audio streaming to phones for most apps, so I could watch movies with headphones in after my wife went to bed. Worked surprisingly well even like six years ago.
You can get small keyboards with a USB receiver to use on your TV. They're very portable and handy if you find you need to do a lot of typing using your TV. I have one but haven't connected it to my current TV because I just don't need it that much. 🤷🏻♀️
That's what virtual wlans are for. I understand your concern, but things were never under your control (and if you're going to get paranoid about something, I'd rather suggest your router).
Actually most of the processor overhead is going towards image processing - sometimes they have a dedicated SOC for the smart features but, I imagine that the cheapest TVs which aren't cheap enough to not have image processing, share function.
(Image proc. being upscaling, smart sharpening, etc.)
My first smart TV had a remote with a slide-out keyboard. I haven't seen a TV come with one since (not that I shop for TV's daily) and I consider it a great loss to mankind.
no man VOICE - you gotta talk to it like a toddler and hope it doesn’t throw the carrot mush and definitely doesn’t draw on its baby sister with a sharpie
Through the power of an hdmi I have turned my TV into an oversized computer monitor. Now I can use a mouse and keyboard and it doesn't lag when I try to open YouTube
I just get a little flashback to entering high score on Donkey Kong at the pizza joint with a joystick every time I have to sign in to something or search.
Get yourself an Apple TV, you can automatically use your phone as input device. Even better than a keyboard in my opinion because you don’t need an extra device.
Always have a wireless mouse & keyboard EVERYWHERE you go! A usb drive is always handy too. I'm just passing this on from my grandma. Gotta go, gotta pickup some batteries!
If you think it’s bad using them, try building UI for them. Especially bringing UX designers on board who only know how to make websites, and telling them: no you can’t “hover”, tooltips don’t work, all navigation is via keyboard, all elements have to be specifically focused to have interaction…
I get that. Makes sense. I see you pluralized mouse. Did you stop for a minute and think about it? Because we always think of using the "mouse" and rarely would we ever need more than one. I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested.
I have purchased bluetooth wireless keyboards for our smart TVs (both Android), they use a small dongle (receiver) that plugs into a USB socket on the TV. They are not expensive and work seamlessly with the TV just like a PC keyboard.
The best UI for logging in on a tv is showing a barcode that lets you authenticate with your phone. Makes a lot of this discussion moot. Then use voice search and you don’t really need a keyboard.
Yes, we are all impatient for the days of Kirk to Computer;
do this, don’t do that, what’s for breakfast ,
when will Scotty ever give me the Power I need?
Booking line: 'Which cinema are you looking for?'
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Exeter"?
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Lowestoft"?
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Inverness"?
Me: Fuck off!
An Apple TV with iPhone keyboard is amazing. Better yet just hook up an actual computer to the TV. Get a wireless keyboard/trackpad. Then you can use Brave with uBlock Origin to watch YouTube (with no ads!) and the web experience of streaming services is usually better than the smart TVs too.
They’ve been an option… there’s been television interfaces for LG tvs and others. They just… never took off. The world said… “I look like an idiot using this keyboard with this tv. I’d rather actually punch myself in my metaphoric face.”
It’s true for so many things, honestly.
If Roku, download Roku remote. You may type through your phone on your Roku.
Amazon, Samsung, etc also have complimentary smart TV apps which include widgets for you to favorite your movies, apps, and control your smart TV from your smartphone device. 🦘
In my experience, Roku is the most intuitive smartphone remote in terms of features and personalization of your remote.
While the UI of the more expensive brands seems to be developed for simplicity in compliment w the higher quality hardware whereas Roku is cheaper, intuitive, ultra customizable.
I definitely leave a combo USB mouse/keyboard plugged into one of the USB drives on the back of my Xbox, so I never have to use the controller and dumb interface to enter passwords and shit.
I'm a Boomer so I just hook my TV up to my laptop as a second screen and use the laptop as normal.
But my Gen Z daughter still happily struggles along with some kind of Xbox controller thing which takes about 30 times as long to type anything and has no backspace!
me: search for the video or search phrase i want in youtube on phone. now that's the most recent result on my tv. good ol yankee ingenuity (i have recently realized too that people...shudder..... readily use voice search)
It was actually a problem for a while. All the smart TVs started coming with a remote that had microphones in them, and it started freaking people out because of privacy concerns.
Then Alexa kicked off and people decided they *wanted* Amazon to have all of their info.
The best product for multiple devices, receiver, console, PC, etc I found was Logitech Harmony Hub. Sadly the stopped producing them. Can still find some here and there though.
Unfortunately, depending on the amount of devices, there can be an overwhelming amount of options that don’t always play well together. If you are just using a smart TV then only purchase one that has an App. My LG’s do (LG ThinQ) and I can control both and use the keyboard.
It's amazing because even if you do have android TV and everything seems like it'd work, there are still some mainstream apps that don't actually accept the keyboard's letter keys input within their search interface
I want to say as someone who is into home theater A/V tech [also was in the business for a while]...
Every Single Solution for this issue which people have come up with in the comments... Already exists, or, was already implemented and irritated/replaced by a better solution.
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Besides, it's somebody else's TV, why should you expect to plug your KB into _their_ TV? If they wanted it, they would have one.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atharok.btremote.gplay
You can use your phone or use the mic on the remote. Easy.
AppleTV will prompt on an iPhone if a text/password field is entered.
I really don't like this low-cost blackbox hardware
I won't buy an expensive large monitor as TV
Not that they will find any useful but the idea that everything is getting "smart" and fully out of your control is wrong
I have never seeing a smart device being smart btw,
(Image proc. being upscaling, smart sharpening, etc.)
Q2: yes
2. Yes
And then I use my phone app.
gonna check this out ig. tyy
password for Netflix and now it takes an hour to input if needed 😂
Why the hell is it called a fire stick?
Not perfect. But better.
do this, don’t do that, what’s for breakfast ,
when will Scotty ever give me the Power I need?
Booking line: 'Which cinema are you looking for?'
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Exeter"?
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Lowestoft"?
Me: Merthyr Tydfil.
Bot: 'Did you say "Inverness"?
Me: Fuck off!
I bought the ticket at the box office.
It’s true for so many things, honestly.
If Roku, download Roku remote. You may type through your phone on your Roku.
Amazon, Samsung, etc also have complimentary smart TV apps which include widgets for you to favorite your movies, apps, and control your smart TV from your smartphone device. 🦘
Where innovation and "just because" 🤹🏽♂️ find its charming way into the Roku experience due to Wood's influence on the product.
Whereas Samsung/Apple is sleek.
While the UI of the more expensive brands seems to be developed for simplicity in compliment w the higher quality hardware whereas Roku is cheaper, intuitive, ultra customizable.
I used one for an apple TV box.
It had a keyboard.
Or at least number keyboard back.
Call me old school
If I’m streaming it’s off my computer via hdmi
I'm a Boomer so I just hook my TV up to my laptop as a second screen and use the laptop as normal.
But my Gen Z daughter still happily struggles along with some kind of Xbox controller thing which takes about 30 times as long to type anything and has no backspace!
Sometimes I culture shock myself because I have time travelled into the future I read or watched in old sci-fi.
Whats the keyboard for? I have one on the computer.
You can then use your phone keyboard :)
It was actually a problem for a while. All the smart TVs started coming with a remote that had microphones in them, and it started freaking people out because of privacy concerns.
Then Alexa kicked off and people decided they *wanted* Amazon to have all of their info.
Most smart TV's have Bluetooth tho so you csn hook up a cheap BT keyboard to them
Every Single Solution for this issue which people have come up with in the comments... Already exists, or, was already implemented and irritated/replaced by a better solution.
Read your manuals.
Is the joystick remote and type of TV you have.