My Cart - There are numerous set top boxes available for TVs to use in place of or in addition to smart TVs, but none so far deliver everything in one package. With the huge amount of competition around on demand TV there is still debate between companies over who will come out on top in the future.
At the moment there is a huge range of services available, but they come from a range of sources. You can view on demand services such as BBC iPlayer, 4OD and Netflix by simply buying a cheap smart TV, but then there are still gaps where other devices are needed.
If you want to watch movies from hard drives, streaming from other websites or even Blu-ray discs means connecting one or more devices to your TV. This can be in the form of a USB memory stick, connecting your PC by using the TV as an extra monitor or buying stand alone dedicated players. Either way it can result in extra cost, hardware and technical issues when you try and get it all working.
Nearly every model available misses on a key function. Streaming media, viewing programme guides, setting programs to record in the future, catch up TV or playing back your own media, nothing quite seems to tick all of the boxes. This can seem bizarre with the availability of technology that has been around for a few years now. Web based services that have been built into games consoles have been around for a while and have great popularity.
Perhaps this is the problem; with most people having at least part of the technology already, most just need the extra parts, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ model. Due to the competition it will seem that arguing will detract from consumer choice for a while. Luckily you can get a smart TV for cheap from Electronic World and start going in the right direction and get (nearly) everything in your TV set!
