Are You Smarter Than Your TV Set?

Back in the late 1950’s when it was still in its infancy, Television was referred-to as “The Idiot Box”. No amount of research that I’ve done has come up with who coined that phrase. However, it was probably someone with a degree in Philosophy. That term remained a part of our vernacular into the 60’s and 70’s. And while I would never disparage a show like "The Beverly Hillbillies" (which was the number one show in the land for several seasons), I have to admit that shows like "The Flying Nun” and "My Mother the Car” had some pretty dumb premises.

Then, along came the 80’s and TV suddenly got educated with shows like "Hill Street Blues”, "St. Elsewhere” and "L.A. Law”. As time and technology (read HBO) moved on "Oz”, "The Wire” and "The Sopranos” became critic's and viewer's darlings. The idea of television being an idiot box was a thing of the past. Oh, sure there were plenty of shows to easily lower your I.Q. such as "The Jerry Springer Show”, "Jackass” and "Joanie Loves Chachi”. But, with the advent of cable TV and streaming services like Netflix, we are now in a new golden age of programming where anyone can choose to go highbrow or play in the gutter.

Today, television programming is no longer the "Vast Wasteland” that FCC Chairman Newton Minnow referred to back in 1961. But beyond the programming, think about the technology that sits inside your TV set today versus back in 1961. In those days if you were lucky (and rich), you owned a 21-inch color TV set which would set you back $350. That would be $3,300 in today’s dollars. For that dough, you'd get a nice wood cabinet, and this handy space-age remote-control.

That’s about as far as technology went back then and even at that, only the most expensive sets came with a remote.

Today, you can buy a TV set called, "The Wall” which is 292 inches in diameter! But while size matters, it’s also what’s inside that counts. TVs are basically computers, operating on the same systems as our PCs, laptops, tablets and telephones. As TVs have become "smart”, it seems like the consumer has had to get a degree in order to keep up with things. I recently purchased a Sony Bravia 4K TV. It was a highly educational experience. I’m not ashamed to admit that I paid extra to have the TV mounted on my wall, interface it with my sound system and have someone program a new remote so that I didn't have four different ones sitting on my table. But after that, I was on my own. Oh, sure I knew how to do the basics like turn it on and off or switch from cable to DVD, but at that point, I had to admit that my TV was smarter than I was.

It was at that moment that I decided that no TV was going to out I.Q. me. So, I turned the set on and with all the confidence of a sixteen-year-old asking someone out on a date, I hit the "Settings” button. With that one button-push, a new world opened to me. I could not believe how deeply you could dive into the morass. Among the many items on that menu, I taught myself how to change Wi-Fi settings, how to add different Google accounts to the system and how to upgrade applications that were built into the set. I even learned about "Samba TV”. Now I have a dog named Samba. For a quick moment, I thought that the Bravia was so smart that it actually had programmed the TV set so he could watch "The Puppy Bowl”. Alas, it’s not that smart. It turns out that Samba TV is a way to personalize TV viewing for humans. No dogs allowed.

One of the most important things that I learned was how to add applications to the TV. Back in the days when I still had cable, one of the ways that I had been saving money was by using a Roku, Chromecast and Fire Stick (I had to try all three) in place of my cable TV boxes. As of January of 2023, replacing a Comcast box with a streaming device saves you $10 a month for each box that you replace. At one time, I had six boxes. I had already replaced five of my six TVs with either a Roku, Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick and the last remaining box was connected to the new Bravia. When I learned how to download applications to that smart TV, it spelled the end of my cable boxes or a savings of $60 every month. While I no longer have cable, that there was some real savings.

These days, most TV sets sold are "smart”. The only caveats are that you have to be as smart as that TV and that each set has its own ecosystem as to how to download Apps. and use them. That’s why streaming devices such as Roku, Fire Stick and Chromecast are popular, despite TVs having the ability to do most of the things that those streaming devices can do. For now, in my opinion, streaming devices are just less “clunky” and easier to use than the TV’s built-in system. In addition, costs for streaming devices continue to fall. You can purchase a good 4K streaming device for $30. That’s why I advise people to stay with one brand of TV and/or streaming device. In that way, you don’t have to learn multiple systems in order to receive the programs that you want. It’s hard enough to learn just one.

With all of these multiple ways to watch multiple channels, it can be a daunting task to switch from one program or system to another. For example, while things are beginning to change, it’s still difficult to move from ESPN to Netflix without going back to your home screen. It can also be challenging to switch from Xfinity to YouTube TV or from Roku to a Smart TV. Some of us only have so much bandwidth in our brains to be able to absorb all of the new technology out there. But in the long run, it will make your viewing experience better.

So, until things get easier or if you don’t have access to a Millennial, Lower Tech Bills is here to look at your TV, Internet and Cellular bills for no-charge and to speak about choices for you to save from hundreds to even thousands of dollars. Please visit lowertechbills.com or email hmwellsradio@gmail.com. It will be easier than going back to school.