A smart TV only has internet connection when it is provided by an internet provider. To use more than one internet device (for example, a smart TV plus a computer), you will need a router. This is the way it works for me: I have Cox Communications for cable TV, internet, and phone. They provided an internet modem (mine is a combined internet and phone modem). To get wireless internet all throughout my house, I bought a Linksys router. The router is connected to the modem. That gives me wireless internet for my smart TV, laptop, ipad, and iPhone.

Re the smart TV. I have a Sony smart TV. I found it very cumbersome to use the online keyboard. For example, trying to find a youtube video using the online keyboard. I just don't have the patience for it. (Some smart TV's have wireless keyboards that you can use). Because it was cumbersome to use, I bought a Google Chromecast for $35.00. I use it to cast videos from my laptop to my TV. It can also be used with a smartphone or ipad or tablet.

I have the exact same set up as Lucy. Works well for me, but it doesn't eliminate anything.

chisue, not being fully aware of the type of cable system (there are several) Spectrum has via your condominiums, but since they give you 2 cable boxes per owner, I would say you need a cable box no matter if you're tv is smart or not. We have 3 tv's, one is not a smart tv, the other is what I call semi-smart (meaning it doesn't have as many features and is an older smart tv) and the other is a newer model smart tv. We require cable boxes for all 3.

Our smart TV's can stream also, but do so via app's installed on them. You must then use an internet service provider, or roku, or something along those lines (i.e. you must still connect via wifi or other technology) to access what is streamed. You'd have this with the Spectrum boxes. Some apps also work in connection with our smart phones and the boxes (you type in a given code to stream). So yes, you still need the cable box (or something similar, but you're getting a good deal on the Spectrum boxes).

Whether or not your tv is a smart tv (or a 'stupid' tv, as our first one) you can still connect to the internet with your laptop and view it on the tv - which is called mirroring. You need an extra HDMI port on your tv (smart or not) in addition to the HDMI port that you connect to the Spectrum box, and another HDMI cable, and you need to connect them and set your laptop and tv to communicate. Or, you could go wireless with Roku or any other wifi streaming device and mirror. Same thing as connecting with an HDMI cable, just wireless.

Hope I've helped : )

Internet signal--> Modem --> Router (offering wired and wireless wifi signal) -->

Connected devices= PC and/or Smart TV and/or Blu Ray disk player connected to TV and/or tablet, and/or Chromecast dongle or Roku dongle and/or other dongles plugged into a TV's USB socket offering apps.

Sometimes the modem and router are in one unit, sometimes separate. It doesn't matter. All means (smart tv, disk player, dongles) are usually connected to the internet source via wifi and all offer the same capabilities (if having the same signal source apps).

What everyone said. You need the internet connection from Spectrum. Think of your "smart TV" as another computer that can connect to the Spectrum internet, like the laptop, desktop, tablet, smartphone. If you have a "smart blu-ray" (another computer that can connect to the internet) connected to your non-smart TV, then you don't need a separate/new smart TV.

Thanks, all. Now I know more than I bargained for! haha

I don't know if I can even buy a non-smart TV today. We're looking because we're told we need a BIGGER TV. Living rooms here are only 17 feet wide, but our competition (other owners who rent to vacationers) have HUGE TV's. This means we'd have to eliminate our armoir and buy different furnishings. Oh well.

I believe we are stuck with Spectrum's cable box just to have TV reception. I don't think we are permitted to buy our own router/modem, and the internet and TV cable are paid for by our condo association dues anyway. (The $5.50/mo. is supposedly for "Guide and Music". )

If we must by a smart TV, I presume we would use its control for streaming. The Blu-ray would be DVDs-only? We'd probably disconnect and store that ...and its control. (Another thing not to 'go missing'.)

I'm happy typing on my laptop. Would I have to use a keyboard to operate this smart TV? (Hope not.)

You are all such a help. I won't feel *entirely lost* when we shop. Thank you.

Smart TV's have a picture of a keyboard pop up on the screen. Then you have to use the up/down arrow on your TV controller to put the cursor over each letter to type out anything. You can plug in a key board with a long cord....and sit maybe 10' away from it. Honestly....we don't use the SMART part of our TV's very often. You could stream movies or videos, so it's worthwhile to have.

Even with a Smart TV (which just means it has Wifi/wired internet connectibility and has the same apps in it you have in your disk player), it doesn't mean you have to use it that way. If you'd rather continue using the apps in the disk player, that's fine. Use the smart TV as a dumb TV.

I also have a dumb TV (purchased to fit a particular piece of furniture a few years ago) and use a Sony Blu-ray player for the apps. It works fine, having a smart TV would be no different. I suspect some smart TVs can be controlled from a PC or tablet/phone (as can dongles) and some not, but all should operate from the remote control (as your disk player presumably does).

The only time I had to type in anything on our smart TV was when I had to connect it to NetFlix and Amazon Prime during the initial setup. (One time only.) it wasn't hard, just takes a few minutes longer to use the remote and arrows then typing on a keyboard.

You won't need a keyboard to operate a smart TV. You can use the remote. However, I found it near impossible to use for youtube videos. Arrowing up, down, and right and left? Forget it! Plus, I have all of the youtubers that I follow saved in my computer Favorites. I wasn't about to try to find them by arrowing on a remote. I don't use any of the other TV apps, so I can't address those.

If you have a somewhat newer laptop and a somewhat newer smart TV it's easy to stream anything from a laptop to the TV screen. I use Samsung Share to stream laptop to TV. You can also use PLEX.

Lots of geek tech available out there.

An even better combo is a smart phone and smart tv....very easy to stream and control the tv from the phone.

So, they are giving you internet service, boxes, and programs, or just internet and cable boxes (modems)? Do you have cable channels included, or do you have to pay extra for actually getting a cable package of channels from Spectrum? Having a smart TV will allow you to offer Netflix and other paid streaming channels to your guests (which can include a service for live/cable stations); you could do the same with a Playstation or a Roku and a not smart TV.

The more you use the keyboard, the easier it becomes. I watch a lot of YouTube so I get plenty of practice.

I do have a question some of you might be able to answer... I would like to get rid of cable and just keep internet. My concern is hubby's golf channel (which we pay extra for). If you dump cable, does your provider have the capability to disable you from streaming? I've tried half-heartedly to download the golf channel app on my tv. If that's possible, i haven't figured it out yet.

OK. Got it. I was thinking people used the TV monitor in lieu of a laptop for internet.

Our existing dumb TV is so dumb that we now have to use the Samsung remote to change the volume. The Spectrum cable remote does everything else; not that. So, we now have THREE remotes: Cable box remote; Samsung remote; Blue-ray remote.

Remember when people had a basket full of remotes for each individual gizmo? Back when the VCR flashed 12:00 because people couldn't set the clock?

We bought a SmartTV (55" and should have gone even larger in our 16x14 room) a couple of years ago, but we don't use any of the built-in apps (Netflix, YouTube, etc.). We access everything through our Amazon Prime box. Picture quality and streaming speed are both much better through the Amazon box.

Wow, chisue - frankly, if I were to go to Maui, I doubt I'd ever be inclined to turn the tv on, much less care about its size!

chisue, the cable remote SHOULD control the volume on the TV and if it doesn't, the cable remote was setup (installed?) incorrectly.

Write down the model number of the TV and call the cable provider, ask them how to input or fiddle with the remote to get it to control the TV's volume. It should be relatively easy to do (on your end) and the desire to have it work correctly is not unreasonable. I'd be shocked if it's not possible, this is a basic function for TV service remotes (no matter what the nature of the TV signal provider is, Sat, Cable, Telcom, etc.).

Yes, the cable control should be programmed to control all the devices. There's a booklet included with cable remotes that explains how to set up. Back when I had DirectTV, the master remote was the main switching device,on/off, volume, input, etc., the others were stored away.

I agree with artemis that personally I would probably not turn on a TV if I were on vacation in Hawaii, except maybe to check the weather, and certainly wouldn't care about the size. I wonder who it is that is saying that you need a larger TV. Is it guests that have stayed there? or is it a local rental management company? If it is the latter they may be trying to make their jobs easier by having all of the nits they manage as similar and interchangeable as possible.

I can't offer any specific advice about a "Smart TV" since I don't have one, but I've encountered many situations where many of the extra features in a higher-end TV essentially being negated when the TV is connected to cable, especially when the cable setup requires its own decoder box.

Additionally I recall stories from the last year or so about Smart TVs being able to be easily hacked by broadcasting a carefully encoded TV signal, and about the camera or microphone in the Smart TV being used to spy on users, or manufacturers tracking what is being watched.

Moonie asked:

• If you dump cable, does your provider have the capability to disable you from streaming?

The Net Neutrality Rule made such actions by Internet Service Provider illegal. However the government morons just repealed that rule meaning ISP's can now block, or slow down, or charge extra for certain kinds of traffic. So while it may not be the case yet as sure as cable companies are uncaring, monopolistic, weaselly scumbags, it is sure to happen.

Last year the then-Oceanic/Time/Warner cable box could be controlled for volume by its remote. Before we arrived this month, new owner Spectrum (Charter) rewired with "digital" cable. They provided a new box and matching remote for the BR box, but left the old box and its remote in the LR. When we couldn't get that remote to control for volume, Spectrum provided a new remote, but not a new cable box. Nope. Still couldn't change volume.

Today we will unhook the LR HD-DVR cable box and take it and the new-style remote into the Spectrum office. We are dropping the DVR service. We will get a non-DVR cable box -- and, I hope, a remote that will control volume. (Yeah, sure.)

I foresee that we will have to re-do ALL of this if/when we replace the current TV. (sigh)

artemis and Bob -- Most of our guests are like you. They are here to enjoy the island, not sit and watch "Days of Our Lives" (or whatever soaps exist today). We rent both via VRBO and an agency. (We can bump their bookings.) I see other people's ads that stress the GIANT TV setups; evidently a larger daily requirement than I'd have thought.

You can see our condo and our competition -- 1BR 2Bath Ocean View at Maui Kamaole in South Kihei. I want to get the TV situation settled before calling a photographer for new photos of the condo. (We are the "Many Happy Returns" ad.)

raee -- We are getting programming as part of the deal. At one time we had to pay extra for HD; not now.

chloecat -- What is an Amazon Prime Box, please? I think we need cable just to get reception here; no OTA signal, and we are prohibited from installing a dish.

Amazon Prime box is a streaming television service. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you buy the box ($99) and get LOTS of good, original programming, plus other programs and movies they've "bought" to stream. We added the Netflix and HULU app to our box, plus other apps.

Here's a link: https://www.amazon.com/Prime-TV-Shows/b?ie=UTF8&node=7613705011  

The so called Prime box is now called Fire and it's just a competitor to Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, etc., for people who don't have app capability through other hardware, a disk player or TV. You don't need any hardware from Amazon to stream its content, just any kind of hardware that has an Amazon app.

Thanks for explaining, chloecat -- and Elmer. We stream via our 'smart' Sony Blu-ray, including watching via Amazon.

We are currently giving Netflix another 'free trial', primarily to watch two seasons of "The Crown". We are not finding much on Netflix that we'd want to watch -- or haven't already seen. I doubt we'll continue with it, although I read that Netflix is investing a lot in new programming. Remains to be 'seen'. haha

Spectrum snet several techs to iyr condo complex yesterday. One was able to program our remote to 1) control volume, and 2) switch inputs between cabe reception and the Sony Blue-ray. The 'fix' was not something we could have done on our own; he inserted a code we didn't have to 'relate' the remote to the TV set and the Blu-ray. He could have been in and out in five minutes, but lingered to 'talk story' with us.