Take a deep breath. It is very confusin, esoecially the need for two remotes!

I don’t watch too much either, but appreciate it when I do. Inhave a tech savy DH that handles all our needs.

That said, can you take a friend or relative to a store to help you weed through? Some of the features would be convenient. Streaming means you can watch something when you want.

You certainly don’t need all the whistles and bells.

No, you are not dumb. I had the same issue in buying a TV and being told about streaming and internet blah blah blah. Yuck. I have a satellite service and a DVR. Which is more than enough TV viewing for me. It would be hard to find a TV now without all those services. I just bought an OLED 4K and never turned on all those options. I added a sound bar to improve the sound quality. ( Translated...we are hard of hearing )

Streaming services are cheaper than cable or satellite service. I had 3, down to 2 now but even with 3 they were all cheaper than Dish when I had it. I don't use my tv in the livingroom anymore. It is there for when I have other people in the house. My tv is really old. I bought a Roku last year so all the other people in my house could stream Netflix and other streaming services on that tv.

There are Smart TV’s that connect to the internet. You dont need them for web surfing, but with them you dont need your firestick. You access your Amazon movies (which is streaming) from the tv using the internet directly and not through the firestick accessing the internet. Hope this helps a bit.

I hope our tv's don't die--I would be lost buying a new one. Do you mean we can't get the ordinary tv any more?

i'm right there with ya! i am not even close to being up to date with what's available, tech-wise. it's all just too complicated.

and don't even get me started on self-checkout at walmart. i rarely go there and when i do, i just want to go through the line, have my stuff scanned, pay for it and get the heck outta dodge. i was recently told by a checker there that ALL walmarts will soon be self-checkout ONLY. guess i'll either do without or go somewhere else. teaching this ole dog new tricks is an exercise in futility!

We have a Fire and it's nice for streaming, gives us more than just the Netflix and Prime we have. But, it's a confusing extra layer to go from broadcast tv to each streaming service to all of their options. I can't remember where each series or movie in watching resides!

Our small kitchen tv is analog, so it has a signal converter attached. It's actually my favorite tv because it's so simple for kitchen activities. And, it gets all the secondary channels of the broadcasters. There are 4 for NBC, 3 for abc, 4 for PBS, and the local stations have up to 7! Not that we watch them all of course.

I hope it lasts a long time. We returned a couple of small TV's because the sound was so tinny. The salesman said the manufacturers just assume people will do a sound bar or system so they don't bother with good sound on the tv. Ugh.

Even if a smart tv is the only option, you don't have to use all that stuff. You can still hook an antenna up if you want, and not even bother with cable, etc. We got rid of Dish and switched to streaming, but my 86 year old husband has no idea how to run any of it. You really need unlimited wifi to stream, in my opinion.

It is very difficult to find a "dumb" TV that is not connected to the internet -- you will likely just have to accept it is there, even if you don't use it or the streaming services. However, you can teach an old dog new tricks, and there are a lot of tricks out there you might find useful......and streaming is one of them.

Streaming services allow you to watch programming over the internet whenever you want to, and you can watch them in pieces if you want to (start now, stop for 3 hours, then start watching again where you left off after dinner). It's kind of like having memberships to a whole bunch of DVD libraries. Netflix is the best known streaming service, but there are many terrific other ones (better than Netflix, in my opinion), and some are meant to suit certain tastes. For instance, there are streaming services of documentaries, British TV and movies, old classic films, or horror movies. You subscribe by the month, so you can switch around - subscribe to Acorn TV for British shows for a few months, then cancel that and subscribe to HBO for a few months, then cancel that and subscribe to Amazon Prime Video for a few months. (All that joining and cancelling is done in a few minutes online). You could subscribe to them all at the same time, of course, but you can save some money if you cancel and re-join every now and then, since there's only so much you can watch. A great website called justwatch.com allows you to input a film or TV show name and see how you can stream it (on what service). Your local library might also offer some free streaming services (Kanopy and Hoopla) that you join with your library card.

Toronto Vet- you just made my eyes glaze over.

All I watch is regular TV. I'm not interested in having 1000 tv shows/movies/documentaries at my disposal and trying to figure out how and where to find them.

Satine - I'm with you on this issue. By the way - have you tried to buy a car recently?

ETA - Toronto Vet - sorry if my comment came across as rude. Your explanation probably made perfect sense to many.

Wickipedia has a listing about the history of television. Drop down to recent years to read about Smart TV -- which you will need to stream programs via the internet. The very easiest way to stream, IMO, is via Amazon Prime or Netflix. Their on screen selection makes it easy. All but the lowest speed internet service will let you stream without buffering -- that's service interruption while a slow internet speed loads information.

We have Comcast cable for TV and internet. I love its voice-control remotes. (You speak the name of the 'channel' you want and it brings it up on the screen.) There are many different 'packages' for cable. Only the most basic provides *only* local, non-cabe programing. Unfortunately, you must choose a grouping, which may contain a zillion things you'd never watch! You can go through the packages online at a cable company's website to see which package include what you want.

One you know what you want to watch, you may be able to narrow down the monitor choices. We're still happy with our old Sony, one of the early 'Smart TVs'. Ask your internet provider what speed will let you stream without buffering.

I have 4 tvs of various ages and none of them are smart. But I have an Apple TV that takes care of streaming when I need it. I am on the verge of getting rid of my way overpriced DirecTV and switching to a streaming service like YouTube TV. I think it will give me the channels I watch now and if it reduces the amount of tv I watch, that's a good thing. I prefer to read more and watch less.

I don't know about getting dumber but we're all getting older. My car is 2004 and the last thing I want to do is think about buying another.

Read the reviews and order it on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DGCJ3KY/?tag=seniorsmobility-20#customerReviews

Gosh, I am probably older than most of you but all of this is really easy-peasy to figure out!! And I am seriously techno-challenged compared to my daughter and 99% of the younger generation. If I can figure it out, anyone can!!

And IMO, a TV that can offer streaming services is a requirement! Broadcast TV programming is mostly junk (except for PBS) so I stream almost everything I watch. I subscribe to 4 services and am considering a 5th.

I also stream on my laptop....nice to sit outside on a pleasantly warm summer evening and watch some excellent Brit mystery show or period drama :-)

Can you diagnose a broken toilet, change the oil in your car, replace a non-functioning breaker switch in your power panel, and on and on, with no prior experience? These are all incredibly simple things to do but someone with no information doesn't have a chance to understand what's needed.

You're not dumb, you're simply uninformed. You have a blank slate, no information. GET INFORMATION! Limitless articles readily available on the internet will get you started. Talk to someone in a store to explain options and how things work. Speak to family members, have them share what they know and understand and make recommendations to you. If you don't understand what your choices are to assess what's suitable for your own needs, it's unlikely you'll make a good choice.

Best of luck, think of it as a fun task and a challenge to bring your understanding up to date. None of this is that hard. It's as gardengal says.

Satine, I inderstand feeling like things were fine in the past, so why bother staying up to date, but I worry about that attitude being disempowering. It's as though you are saying you are not capable of keeping up, and besides, it's not worth the effort. First get up to speed. Then, if you still prefer the old ways, stay with them, but at least that will be a choice you made consciously.

Before you begin anything such as steaming, roku or a firestick make sure you have unlimited Wi-Fi. You will blow through your monthly data amount in days otherwise.

If you prefer, your new TV will be cable or satellite ready.

I seldom turn on my tv but my friends wanted to see pictures of my last trip to Hawaii because they knew I basically took plant pictures. With their help I connected my phone to their tv. It was amazing how beautiful those plants looked on a 54 inch tv.

I have been thinking of connecting my laptop to the tv so that I have a larger screen to put puzzle pieces together on. Larger than 280 pieces on my laptop the pieces look like dots.

It is very difficult to find a "dumb" TV that is not connected to the internet

I have 2 in a back bedroom. 1 is free to anyone who wants to come get it. they both work. My sister got a new flat screen tv and gave me her old type tv in case mine died. Mine I bought for 10$ at a local 2nd hand shop. It was a step up from the old 19" that a friend had given me. It also worked fine (great picture) but at the time (about 5 yrs ago) during one of those holiday sales I decided I should get a bigger one (for my old eyes)and a flat screen would take up less room and I could move it to clean (I couldn't the big old style), I had the $s so I jumped at one of the sales. It's a smart TV but I didn't even have that wifi stuff yet. I do now. but I also don't understand all this new technology. I use to work in it but it's changed a ton in 20 some yrs. I don't keep up with it anymore. I love my new TV (even think of getting a bigger one), my Hulu live and roku. I'm sure there's lots of 'things' to the smart tv I don't use (and don't want to). If I was buying one today I'd probably get one with a slightly curved screen. When I got the new TV I also got a new computer screen - 24" with a curved screen and I love it. I didn't know if I would but I really do, so I'd do that with a new TV too if I could. look at the tvs online. read reviews on Amazon for different ones to get an idea of how people like them and what they don't like about them. My roku remote has the option of searching shows and actors by voice - and I love that.

I had planned to use my old TV in the back bedroom as a tv room, but I probably won't ever do that now and I forgot about my sister's TV back in that room. I seldom go back there but recently I did and for a minute or so was confused seeing 2 tvs back there. I thought they were multiplying! lol! until I remember that my sister had given me one. Either would be good for someone's spare room tv, a kid's room etc. They're just taking up space here.

We have two Samsung TVs, and with them we get 150 extra channels (streaming for free) beyond what we get from our antennas. In L.A. we have cable with DVR - it came bundled with our internet, and we would not save much if we got rid of the cable and only kept the internet. In Cathedral City, we get the Palm Springs channels through the antenna, and it is nice to have the free Samsung channels, which we watch frequently. Since we have Amazon Prime, that streaming service is available with a selection of free movies, but some movies require an extra charge, and so we do not watch them. We still watch a lot of shows on discs.

The newest Samsung TV will switch the input to the disc player when that is turned on, and the input switches back to TV when we turn the disc player off. My brother works at Sony in the Bluray disc development and distribution department, and he gets free Sony movies, but they have to be streamed through his Amazon Prime account. He used to get free discs, but Sony stopped giving those away. While discs are not as popular as they used to be, the market is not diminishing anymore, and people are still buying and watching discs.

Definitely get someone to help you - you should not have to do this by yourself. A friend of mine is still trying to figure out how to use his cell phone, and so he seldom makes any calls. I told him that he needs to find someone with patience to help him.

I have not read other reaponses. Do you have a child , grandson or trusted neighbor kidnwho could help you choose? I am 50 and while I think I am with it I would call one of my sons before buying a new tv. Some things you might not know you would like and some are unneccessary.

I am definitely not tech savvy. When we moved here, we subscribed to Direct TV. This is so far in the boondocks, you get about 2 channels with an antennae. I care nothing about TV, but my husband was an invalid and he liked to watch tv. I agree with Bunny....it is so over priced. I am going to drop it. I don't watch it enough to make it worth it. I got internet, put my computer in the office in the barn, because I plan to build and with wifi, works in the house trailer and all over outside. The tv in the house is a ROKU tv, and I wanted to mainly watch YouTube, but there are also several free movie channels and tv...although not recent shows...that you can watch. I had a little trouble hooking it up. It really was simple. I am just stressed by things I have no knowledge of, when I try to do them, but I was able to figure it out. Believe me...it was very simple.

I bought a ROKU tv for here in the office, because I spend a lot of time in there. It is a Phillips ROKU tv. A 32", because it is a small room...12 x 24....or actually, probably 12 x 19, since there is an adjoining bathroom. The tv cost $128, plus tax, at Walmart. When I went to buy it, there wasn't a big selection, and I was told it was because the stimulus checks had just been received and a lot of people bought tvs. Still, what I bought was adequate for me. I haven't even hooked it up yet, because my computer is out here and I watch videos on YouTube, and I like Rumble and BitChute. I don't watch a lot of movies....I have a hard time getting one to hold my interest and if I lay down to watch, I fall asleep in about 5 minutes or less.

Satine: Walmart carries TCL brand TV's. They have Roku, streaming...pretty much everything mentioned...at an affordable price. The employees working at Walmart most likely can help you.

I have been thinking of connecting my laptop to the tv so that I have a larger screen to put puzzle pieces together on

You should - even if it's smaller than 54", LOL. TVs can be used like computer screens, and vice versa. I haven't watched "TV" in over 5 years, but I do watch TV shows and movies on my TV set all the time -- streaming from my Apple TV or via cable from my laptop. All you need to know is the input and output types (probably HDMI, but it will vary with your brand and age of laptop), and then order a cable from Amazon.

Well I reject the idea getting old and being dumb are somehow related and always say "old doesn't make one dumb you had to born that way". With newer technology I often can find a Kid or teen to help me if I ask.

There are a number of ways to get signals from a PC or a phone using wifi to a TV that don't involve physical connections. No wires needed.

If you really just want a basic TV, there are still several brands that make them. It seems that they mostly come in the 32" size.

But, as others have said, if you end up with a "smart" TV because that was your best choice for size + price, don't stress - you truly do not have to connect it to the internet, pay for cable, or use any of the smart features. If you are happy with over-the-air channels, attach an antenna, let the TV go through its channel search (You can call the TV maker's customer service to walk you through that if you need to) and enjoy!.

Thanks for all the suggestions and advise. I will take someone with me who understands the technology but I really just want a tv that has a good picture and sound. I can't imagine using it for other purposes. I have DirecTv but might look into other options. Anyone old enough to remember when you bought a tv, paid for it, took it home and plugged it in? I know there were only a few channels but you didn't have to pay to watch it. OMG I really am old.

I remember black and white TVs, and I also remember early TVs in the 1950s that had round screens, although we never had one - I just saw them in other places as a child.

Our newest TV (in Cathedral City) did not have great sound by itself, but the sound was okay for regular TV shows. It was inadequate for watching movies, especially action movies that my brother likes, and so we got a basic surround sound system for $300. It has a very good subwoofer, the the speakers are not wireless, and so we had to buy a roll of wire to get to the speakers behind the sofa. The wires run along one wall (that holds the TV) at the floor, then turn a corner for the adjoining wall and then turn another corner for the back wall.

We mounted the front speakers and the back speakers on walls, which was very easy, but we had to use drywall anchors, since we were not mounting into studs. I really like listening to music through the surround sound system, as it automatically converts stereo music to surround. Instead of connecting wirelessly, I store my music (and music videos) on thumb drives and plug those into the Bluray player.

I remember the rounded screens, and the tv repairman having to come to fix the tv. Usually it was a tube(like a bulb) that needed to be replaced. I always had to be right there with my kid nose in the middle of his work.

Satine, thank heavens our 12 year old grandson loves electronics. Hubs and I are 82. Grandson connects all our items. During football season, we were so frustrated, broadcast were in Spanish for several stations. We could not figure out, GS walked in flipped a button, no more Spanish. When we were playing around with controls we had set Spanish for stations that offered. I have no clue how to use electronics. I always plead ”old age”. Hubs and I are ”old school”

I hate it when you end up with 3 remotes for the TV or have to push strange buttons to get to live tv or the dvd player.

We've found the simplest TV to be a ROKU TV. It was 1 remote and a very simple menu. Can get to live tv, dvd player, other plug ins, and streaming services from the main menu. Just plug it, your antenna, dvd player and you are set.

I have 2 dumb tvs. I bought rokus to turn them into smart tvs so we could cancel satellite and be able to watch prime, you tube and Netflix on them. And really once you look a little bit into it it is very easy. If you have your TV hooked to the internet you can stream. I explained streaming to my mom as just like satellite or cable. It just uses the internet instead of a satellite. And the terms are better compared to cable or satellite. No contracts with most streaming services. If you want to cancel you just cancel. No run around or trying to change your mind. If you want to start back up it takes a few.taps in your phone and poof its back on. No waiting for service people to set it up or repair it. And they are typically way cheaper.

We have YouTube TV as our main streaming service, lots of channels. Once it's set up, its pretty much exactly like watching regular tv.

I think it won't be to long before cable and satellite companies fold completely are will be largely unavailable. Probably best to get used to it now.

ETA: I would call you old or dumb. You want what you want and it doesn't really match up with the majority. I am not and never have been on Facebook or any other social media and I often get annoyed at businesses that only use those platforms for customer service. There was an app i was having trouble with and their only contact options were Facebook and Twitter. So I just deleted it. When a new business opens up and i see their only "website" is a Facebook page I am not interested. I can't stand how every 2 seconds it tells you to create a Facebook profile to view the page. But most people are into those things so businesses obviously cater to the bigger group. I'm not old or dumb. I just don't want what most people seem to be obsessed with.

Good grief, I wish someone made a tv for alzheimer's patients -- something with one power cord you plug into the wall, rabbit ears to adjust the picture, one dial to change the channel, and second dial to turn it on or off and change volume. My dad *might* be able to handle that. As it is, he has a flat screen tv and a simplified remote ("Flipper" -- highly recommend) and a simplified channel list (thanks to Flipper) ... and he not only unplugs the tv instead of using the remote to turn it off, he unhooks all the cables, and there's not a chance in h*** of him being able to get tv/Flipper working again. Oh well.

I can sympathize, satine100, because I don't really care about how tech stuff works so long as it works. I rely on DH to keep us up to date. On the occasions where I want DH to explain the hookups to me, I have to ... slow ... him ... down ... until he answers my question in a way I understand it ... then slow ... him ... down ... for my next question. Starting with, "okay so the signal USED TO come over the air, THEN it came over a cable which plugged in the back, NOW it sometimes comes in over the same cable but includes our computers, and now with this thingy it can come in over your phone ...." Okay, whatever. Set it up, tell me what button to press.

"I know there were only a few channels but you didn't have to pay to watch it"

Ah, but you did -- you paid in time, while they broadcast commercials......but a lot of people don't want to put up with commercials, so they're willing to pay $5 or $10 a month not to have to. There are still places where you can set up an antenna and watch the few channels that you get "for free"......Digital antennas work well, if your home is geographically well-placed.

I remember the rotating antenna on the roof. My father was one of the first people to install cable TV, so we didn't have to rotate that antenna and hope the weather was good.

We have a newer smart TV, and it never occurs to me to turn it on. During the winter DH and i did find some documentaries to watch, but essentially we find way too many things that are not worth watching. I greatly dislike smut and coarse language, so that eliminates a lot. I am always open to suggestions to check out.

We finally broke down and installed Netflix and wish we'd done it earlier. There is very little that interests us any more on free to air TV, since reality TV (gah) pretty well dominates the airwaves now.

We didn’t own a TV at all until last year. There was no point in the past because there was never anything we wanted to see at times that suited us. Once the internet began if we watched anything it was on a computer with a projector because you can watch what you want when you want to and there are no adverts. You are not at the mercy of the schedules and you will never ’miss’ a programme. Now we have a Samsung frame which is basically a big computer screen hung on the wall. We have the same choice of viewing but on a much bigger screen. We use Amazon, Netflix, BBC and sometimes ITV. We share subscriptions with family. Satine, the store should offer a set up service. You don't need to understand anything. You're using a computer to talk here and I’m sure you use the internet for other purposes. A smart TV is no different. I think you'll wonder why you waited so long.

Nothing is "basic" anymore. For us older folks there are so many learning curves to the new techno world. The truth is that we become illrelavant to the world and the world will move on and become what it is to become and we will be left sitting at the table reading a newspaper, if newspaper still does exist in the near future.

I have a photo taken that has hubs and grandson having breakfast out on the deck . Just a casual photo, but grandpa is reading teh paper and grandson has the ipad. When I looked at the photo I thought that it really exemplifies the tech divide between the generations.

The smart TVs can be outdated, too. Our Samsung smart TV will not download the new HBOmax app, so we can no longer watch HBO on it. We are looking at getting a Roku streaming stick.