I am no help to you. I have antenna television and have more on there than I can watch. I do not watch television in the daytime. Only when I go to bed. Hope someone can help you and I am sure they will.

Sue

I haven't bought a TV in a number of years so I can't help with specifics. I can tell you that you can connect your computer to a modern TV and use it as a big monitor to watch Netfix or do whatever else you do on the computer. I bought a 32" Sony Bravia ages and ages ago for DH to connect to his computer because his vision is so poor. He can switch between using it as a monitor for his computer or as a TV connect to cable.

What size to you want? I'll check for reviews on sources I trust.

Size? Probably not too big. I don't have a great place for one, so will kind of have to make do. If I have to get a certain size to get the features I want, then I'll make that work.

A Smart TV will include apps for streaming Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc. Choose a Smart TV that offers both WiFi and hardwired connection. If your internet is slow, a hardwired connection from your WiFi router to TV will give you the most signal for streaming.

That's helpful, thanks Michael.

We have a TCL, ROKU, MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE than you quoted. We have netflix & Spectrum. For our purpose it works fine.

What is TCL? I can't figure out what Roku is?? Do I need high speed internet for that? eta: Oh I just checked and you do need high speed for Roku. I cannot get that where I live, as I stated above.

You will either need a smart TV that has the Hulu, netflix apps etc. installed or you can by an Amazon Fire stick or a roku stick and put in you HDMI input. I would suggest Roku as it is simpler to use for most people. It is also the operating system used by smart TVs such as TCL and HiSense. TCL would be the better one out of those two. The TV needs to be connected to the internet. You can do that via an ethernet cable or wireless connection.

The Hulu and Netflix apps will adjust the quality of the video it is sending based on your internet speed so since you mentioned yours is slow I doubt you'll see HD quality. We used to have only 5MB/s and was able to watch streaming although not in HD quality, but good enough to entertain us. Sometimes it had to buffer some before it shows up. That is it would run and we'd have to wait a little and then it would start playing again. To improve on the speed when you are watching something make sure no other devices are also trying to request data at the same time.

Oh one more note. We can also do some streaming through apps on our set-top box from Directv so if Dish has the same thing you may just be able to use your current TV.

I bought a 32" smart Samsung tv about 4 yrs ago at W (black Friday) for about 250.00. I did have a 26" old tube tv. I quit Directv and bought a roku box (ultra) for about 100.00 (one time cost) and added hulu live (55.00 a mo). hulu live has most of the usual live tv channels like cbs, fox, abc, nbc etc for local news and network shows. it also has lots more to it. It gives me a list of westerns, home type shows, movies etc (you can check their website). I did need to add wifi (almost everyone had that before I did). my roku comes with a remote that will switch me from its programs to hulu (or starz, prime etc). it also allows me to verbally ask for a movie or show by title or by actor name. it will then show me a list of where that is available (on hulu, prime, starz etc and if it is free or a fee to watch). I love that feature. if by actor name it will list all of the shows that person was in that are available to view on the different options. I've add starz for a month or 2 to watch old westerns (tv series). then I'll cancel it. the hulu live comes with some hours of dvr time (maybe 20?). I don't use it that much so haven't added more time to it. most programs on roku are free. it has the church channels, shopping channels, a western channel and others. you can add whatever channels they have to your roku screen. if you don't like them you can delete them. I can also go to starz or prime direct from my roku screen/remote.

I cannot use roku. I have SLOW internet and no options for faster speed. But maybe that info will help someone else!

I really am hoping to get advice about what to look for in a TV to hook up to a Dish - trying to understand these things: "Class 6" "Class Q6D" "Class M series" 4K and "Smart" = all Greek to me. I took understanding Roku off my original list because of the info here that you all shared and I know I can't use it.

Although, I now see that Smart means it has it's own wifi capabilities?

What Michael said.

Here's a picture of the options on my TV. It's a Smart TV, like Michael mentioned, with the "apps" that I can choose from. When I turn on my TV, the apps appear - and I can select what I want to watch. You can add whatever apps you want. These are the ones I use the most. Smart TV's can be accessed via wi-fi, or by a hard-lined cable. But the cable needs to be able to attach to it. Mine is accessed via wi-fi.

I circled then in red to make them easier to see.

Our TV says TCL.Roku. Roku is a pay station, we don't get it. I have no idea what this means, 4K HDR. It was cheap & works for our needs. Oh there is a sub & HDMI (don't know what they are for). We have used the SUB for our wildlife camera.

Ok, thank you, Moxie...I guess I could have tried to research all that myself, but thought there might be some TV geeks here who would know. I appreciate you doing my work for me, lol. It's really helpful, though. I'm sure if I could shop Costco in person they'd answer all my questions but I don't see that available online. And I don't want to get the info from Best Buy then buy the TV at Costco, as that doesn't seem right.

Sephia, thanks. I think the "apps" connotation is helpful to me as I understand that concept a bit. I think I am a connect by cable kind of gal, so I'll make sure the tv has that capability for sure.

Moxie another question, since you don't have smart TV is it still possible to stream Netflix, Hulu from your computer? Do you have to cable between them to do that? Or do you just not do it at all?

I just wanted to say that there are many shows, but not all, that you can pre-download on Netflix. So maybe you could download some overnight and watch the next day.

How new new is your computer? Are you running windows 10?

The simplest low tech way to get your computer screen onto your TV is to run an HDMI cable from your computer to TV. If your computer has an HDMI output that will be easy and new TVs have HDMI inputs.

Thanks, Robo, I have a Macbook Pro from 2017. It has 4 ports not sure what they are all for. They all seem to be able to be used to charge it, lol. I'll check the users guide later to check.

Roku is a pay station

roku isn't a pay station. not sure what you would call it - maybe a service, like hulu. an option to use to get many stations/channels. it does have some that are 'pay', but most (that I've found) aren't. they are free. it is an optional to use to get cbs, abc etc for pay if you don't have another service such as hulu live. I don't think you get those with the basic hulu (something like 5.99 a month). I have hulu live which costs more but also has so many more channels that are included. I have more that I can watch than I'd ever want to watch or have time to watch. I can watch shows the day after it was on tv if I missed it for some reason (like I fell asleep in the middle of it). I can go out and watch old episodes if I missed them or just want to see them again.

olychick, have you checked with your internet provider to check that out? I thought I probably didn't have the speed for it either. but I do.

If you can’t get decent internet or cable then Dish is probably your only option.

If you have a slow internet connection, that may be the root of the problem for streaming video. The type of hardware used, the signal path (wire vs wifi), would be all irrelevant. All the normal streaming services - Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube TV, Sling, etc. - travel over your internet connection. If it's inadequate, these may not be useful to consider.

Basic TV streaming needs a sustained 6 meg connection or more. If it's less, expect it to stumble and hesitate. What does a speed test report using your normal means of internet connection from a tablet or PC?

Where is the wifi signal source (the router) located relative to the TV equipment? To be sure, if the hardware capturing the Netflix signal uses wifi and is a TV, a dongle of some kind, or some other hardware, put a PC, phone, or tablet next to it and see the wifi signal strength. Or even run a speed test from that location. If the location checks out to be comparable to other places in your home, then no change to the connection type within the home would make a difference.

Dish and cable services are comparably priced, with a low introductory price for the first period and then higher rates thereafter. If watching TV is important to you and the internet connection can't be relied upon, then a satellite signal may be your only choice. It is more expensive than the services that offer streaming basic TV.

We recently bought this TV and love it. All the services are built in and the setup is very easy. All the menus are easy to understand and in no time we were sailing through all the options. Beautiful picture and sound.

https://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-OLED65C9PUA-oled-4k-tv

Thanks for more hints, ideas.

I don't have a tv and am just trying to figure out which one to buy to
work with dvr and Dish how to stream Netflix from the tv, if I needed a
special tv to do that or could I hook up my computer.

Desertsteph, I could write a novel about my problems with internet connections! So, I've explored every possibility. I even got Hughesnet satellite internet for a while and what a joke that was. Since no one near me has any other options either, we all suffer and compare notes. Everyone hates Hughesnet service. It's awful. My phone line is not digital, so it's called a DSL, but is just slightly better than dial-up. And if lots of people in the neighborhood are on it, I can't even open my email, let alone get on the internet. Comcast would run cable but we'd all have to split the 10's of thousands of $$ it would cost and then pay Comcast to use it! And people who hadn't contributed to the cost could then join with all the $$ going to comcast and not back to us. Before I go the tv route, I'm going to look at the more comprehensive Hulu packages and see what I could get. I just don't like having to sit in front of the computer to watch something...I'd like to be able to be walking around and still see/hear a program that didn't need rapt attention.

Elizabeth, that's a little bigger than I need but I'll look at their other models.

You can get a digital antenna for your local networks that would be free of charge, That is if you live near enough to the broadcaster.

No signal here for any stations strong enough to watch. Luckily it's a beautiful place to live and I'm a bit of a Luddite, or it would be even more frustrating.

Desertsteph, I went to the hululive website and it doesn't show that you can watch things other than live, but you said you can watch the next day. I have regular old hulu and I can stream any time, but the shows they have are very limited. Can you access other shows other than when they are being broadcast? Is there any way to skip commercials (why I like a DVR).

To use your TV as a large monitor for your PC you have to connect them. The easiest way to connect a TV to a computer is via an HDMI (High-Definition Media Interface) cable. Your computer has to have an HDMI output port. On a desktop computer, it will look like a slighthly larger USB port. If you're lucky it will even be labeled. A laptop may have a micro-HDMI port, which looks like a mini-USB port. You can buy an adapter that will connect the micro-HDMI port to a standard HDMI cable. If your computer doesn't have an HDMI port, it may be possible to connect it to a TV, but it won't be easy.

So now you have the computer connected to an HDMI input port on the TV. The DISH box is connected to whatever port they use. You need a way to switch back and forth between the ports. The specifics will depend on the TV. It can be easy or a real pain. Once you decide which TV you want, find the manual online to research how it works before you buy.

I also looked at the DISH site. Apparently, their Hopper 3 device can access Netflix. There's no mention of a similar relationship with Hulu. I don't know what Hopper uses for internet connectivity. It isn't clear if you are supposed to have your own internet connected to the box or maybe it uses DishNET satelite internet. You might want to call them and have them explain how it works.

Thanks, Moxie. I will definitely talk with them but was just trying to gather enough info so I'd know what my real questions are. If I get Dish, I realized I probably don't even need Hulu. Or could just watch the few things I want from the computer and not try to get it onto the tv. You've been very helpful and I appreciate it.

I used to have a Dish system. They come with Netflix and Amazon prime, if you are a member of those services separately. But they require a good internet connection, as I recall, with a separate wifi or hardwired connection. But with the programs recorded on your Dish Hopper you should have no lack of content.

Note both Netflix and Prime allow you to download offline, if you so choose to. This can overcome the slow connection by just taking more time, and then playing it back later. You can use Airplay on your Mac or Tablet to cast video to certain TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung and Vizio. The latter is a value brand available at Costco (or other major retailers) with a decent reputation for performance to price.

the hululive website and it doesn't show that you can watch things other than live, but you said you can watch the next day

yes, shows that are on live (like NCIS, SWAT, Chicago fire etc) if I miss them at the regular time (live) are sometimes not available to watch until the next day (I think the time varies - but probably within a day). tho, I have found if I have it on for several min (maybe 5-10) and then change to another channel to watch something else, the 1st show will then appear in my options to 'keep watching' and I can go back and watch it sooner. I do that when 2 shows I want to watch are on at the same time but different channels. I have a few out there now from last week that I haven't watched yet. on a series show you have the option to watch past episodes (as long as they aren't scheduled soon as a rerun on the regular channel, but it will tell you when you look at the episode icon that it is scheduled to replay and gives the date for it). I've been watching old westerns on Starz and prime and now Hulu has added a heading for Westerns and gives a list available to watch on Hulu. last year when I was laid up after leg surgery I watched ER from season 1 - I had never watched it before but heard people talking about it over the years. I did the same with NCIS since I only started watching that show around season 10.

I can also get past news shows if i missed one. If I'm not awake in the early a.m. for our local morning news I can watch it later and i've done that a few times to check the weather here. I've set it to dvr but i find it is often now listed under the 'news' heading. It knows what you watch (don't they all?) and tailors its headings (by type - news, movies, tv series, kids shows, home type shows) pretty much to your usual viewing.

i can also watch it on my computer. I've done that before, that might have been when I couldn't figure out how to turn off the closed caption on the tv. it's distracting to me. I think I can't hear and read at the same time!

Olychick what is your internet speed?

lyfia, what they claim and what it tests oftentimes are very different. Sometimes it's ok, other times it slows so much (when many neighbors are all on at the same time, I suspect) that i can't even open a website, let alone stream something. Often when trying to stream it will just kick me off and say the video isn't available, try later. Sometimes when trying to check gmail, I'll get a "no internet' pop-up, even though I am connected.

I have to connect directly to my modem to test it and I no longer have a computer with the correct cables to do that, so I can't tell you what it actually is. I tried their website (which took forever to open) to see what they claim it is, but when I put in my address all it says is there is no internet service available in my area (they have maxed out their equipment and so will not add any new customers - they assumed my inquiry was a new customer checking on what's available).

oh, i just looked at my account online and it says I have 1.5 Mbps - in theory.

Gooster, I didn't know you could download Netflix and play later. I don't know what Airplay is but will investigate. I doubt I have enough bandwidth to do that, but I might be able to try it at someone else's house who has faster speeds. I can never update my computer at home, always have to go somewhere with faster speeds in order to download anything of decent size.

Desertsteph, thanks for that info. Hulu has the worst website. Because I'm already a customer, I can't seem to access info about new services. I finally got on with a private window and see that there is some dvr capability. I might just try this before paying for DISH. They have a free trial for Hulu + Live, but I'll have to buy a tv first.

Assuming you download from Netflix, you'll want to use a HDMI cable to TV DVI connection. Airplay may cause buffering.

Thanks, it's figuring out what cables to get that will fit my macbook and the tv. I did think of a new cable I had to get for my printer to connect to the computer when the wireless quit working. It might have the right connections. Usually, I'd just show up at Best Buy and tell them what I'm trying to do and they give me the right thing. But maybe I can do it via phone or online with apple.

This may help.

Apple Connections

Yikes. Didn't realize you have an Apple product. My description of ports is correct for PC not Apple. (The general ideas are applicable to either.) A competent help desk person will be able to walk you through this via phone.

Alas, I just use my iPad as an e-reader. I'm a dinosaur. My specialty was recovering dead mainframes back when the earth cooled. If phone support doesn't work out, message me. I'll have a learning curve, but I can probably figure it out.

Thank you both...I haven't been able to find a TV I want on the Costco website, so I may wait...or first I might put out a call to some of my friends who've upsized their tv's. Might be an extra hanging out in someone's basement or spare bedroom.

Current TVs use HDMI ports, but are you expecting to directly connect your laptop to the TV? That's awkward. If you have an Apple TV device (Apple TV) the device plugs into the HDMI port of the TV and you 'airplay' from your laptop wirelessly to display on your TV

So in purchasing your TV be aware of the number of HDMI ports. You might need at least 2 or three - one for your Apple TV device, one for a Roku or Amazon Firestick, or any game devices. I think you'd be happier using an Apple TV to be able to broadcast on your TV. Apple TV also makes a non-smart TV a smart tv in that it allow you to stream from Netflix and Amazon as well as hundreds of other sources. Apple TV is also not dependent upon your laptop running if your source is already on Apple TVs choices.

If you truly want to wire your laptop directly to your TV, here are some possibilities depending on your laptop ports. How old is your MacBook? Depending on its age and its ports, there are adapters available. The possible connectors on a MacBook are as follows, according to Apple.

Connect to HDMI from your Mac

• HDMI port: Connects directly to HDMI using an HDMI cable.
• USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) port: Connects to HDMI using an adapter, such as the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.
• Mini DisplayPort: Connects to HDMI using a third-party Mini DisplayPort to HDMI adapter or cable.

Thank you, I just had an anxiety attack reading your post, lol.

I can't have roku, I have low speed internet. I don't know what an apple tv device is. I don't think I want a smart tv, I might just try Hulu plus, instead of a Satellite dish, thus the need to cable to my laptop, if no smart tv, right?

I really appreciate you taking the time to write all that for me. I don't know how to tell which of those ports I have on my computer, I have 4 that look identical and I seem to be able to charge the computer on any of them. I need to look at my user's manual I think to determine.

Just go back to dish. I have struggled with internet from day one and that was the most reliable and available TV service. I recently managed to improve my internet service and can now stream, but my dish never relied on it unless I was trying to access my receiver remotely...

Olychick you can have a Roku TV (not a Roku stick). It is an interface sort of like an operating system similar to Windows/Apple for the TV as well as has streaming apps. It is an easy to use TV and available for good deals from both TCL and HiSense. Even if you can't stream now - We used to have the same speeds until we got Fiber recently. We were able to stream at times when the internet usage around us was low then having the TV to just be able to do it is helpful and you don't need the computer. Sometimes it would stop to buffer, but we were still able to watch albeit with a lesser quality picture and we'd be at less than 1Mbit/s 100% of the time. Actually you'll probably find that the TV might be better at playing your streaming content than your computer as it will use less bandwidth and adjust better most likely unless you use a specific app on your computer and then they should be equivalent if up the app is up to date.

A Roku TV from HiSense or TCL for example will also plug in to the cable box and any other equipment you may wish to connect such as a DVD player. HDMI ports are good for this, but you will also be able to connect with regular old cables too.

You could also just go and buy a digital antenna and pick up the regular broadcast channels as well. I believe the Roku TV's supports showing a TV guide and both HiSense and TCL allows you to use a USB stick to plug into the TV and record live TV onto it for a limited amount of time, but it allows it to work as a small DVR for broadcast TV.

Thanks Lyfia, I didn't pick up on that there is Roku TV and Roku stick. Good to know your experience if I should need that.

There are no broadcast TV channels available to me. Maybe one, which would be Fox, but I'd never watch that!

Anyone have advice about what TV to buy? Now I'm looking online and there is LED, OLED, QLED, HDR, resolution differences, etc. Is Smart the same as Bluetooth enabled? Gah!