I Just Need a Dumb TV [TVs]

Hey, so remember when building VCRs into TVs gave the look of a good suggestion? And then how it turned out it is wasn’t? Yeah, connected TVs are basically similar to that.

A TV is a large purchase. People spend thousands of bucks on an item that they’ll keep for years, look forward to hours a day, and display prominently in their homes, just like a chunk of furniture. It’s less like buying a section of electronics, and more like buying a car.

It’s hard to seek out a TV o n the CES show floor that doesn’t have apps, or widgets, or some form of software layer between the viewer and the content. And to be fair, there are lots of good ideas on display here: Netflix, Hulu and YouTube streaming is something people will actually use, as is local network playback. And likely, weather widgets! Why the hell not.

But here’s the difficulty: All that stuff is ephemeral, and mostly disposable. The little computers inhabiting new TVs live in a component of the tech world that moves at a distinct speed, where hardware and software are born and die inside the span of several years. Call to mind it this fashion: The HDTV you purchased four years ago probably still looks great. The smartphone you purchased four years ago lives in a landfill, next to the netbook you obtain in 2008.

I don’t mean to imply that connected TVs don’t have value, or won’t be a fulfilling purchase within the near term-they do, and they probably can be! But paying extra for a TV with a shitty App Store that probably won’t exist in two years just feels silly. You’ll still be using that TV in a couple of years, but a serious chunk of it-a bit that you just paid a premium for-will likely have died, or fallen into utter disuse.

So, here’s the concept: Just buy dumb TVs . Buy TVs with perfect pictures, nice speakers and and tasty finish. Let set top boxes or Blu-ray players or Apple TVs care for your entire amazing connectivity and content afforded to us by today’s best internet TVs. Invest in what you know you’ll still want in a couple of years-an excellent screen-and let your A/V cabinet host the changing cast of disposable accessories. Besides, interface like Apple TV’s or Boxee’s are miles better than the clumsy, underdesigned connected TV interfaces turned out by companies like LG and Samsung.

And TV manufacturers: Don’t just make more dumb TVs. Cause them to dumber.

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This post is tagged: blu-ray players, connectivity, internet tvs, local network, SmartPhone, software layer