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Businesses The Almighty Buck

Amazon and Best Buy Team Up To Sell Smart TVs (cnet.com) 98

Posted by msmash from the all-fair-in-business dept.
Amazon and Best Buy want to sell you your next smart TV. From a report: The companies, which are two of the biggest electronics retailers in the US, on Wednesday revealed a new multiyear partnership to sell the next generation of TVs running Amazon's Fire TV operating system to customers in the US and Canada. Best Buy will be the exclusive seller for more than 10 4K and HD Fire TV Edition models made by Toshiba and Best Buy's Insignia brand starting this summer. Pricing on the sets has not yet been announced. These smart TVs will be available only in Best Buy stores, on BestBuy.com and, for the first time, from Best Buy as a seller on Amazon.com.
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Amazon and Best Buy Team Up To Sell Smart TVs More

Amazon and Best Buy Team Up To Sell Smart TVs

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  • Yes, but you won't ever catch me! (Score:3)

    by aglider ( 2435074 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @10:02AM (#56457737) Homepage

    I won't ever punch a security hole in my privacy!

    • Man did you waste a First Post.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      It's not even going to be a good smart TV. You would be much better off with Android TV, which supports everything rather than being locked in to Amazon's walled garden.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by sycodon ( 149926 )

        The only smarts I want my TV to have is automagically figuring out what device is sending the picture to it.

        Dumb TV > Smart TV

        • That can be a pain in the ass even. I would rather have to select input because auto sensing crap will switch in the middle of what you put on because the DVD looped in the player your kid forgot to turn off.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          There are lots of other useful kinda-smart features. ARC is the obvious example, it allows a connected sound system to get the right audio as the TV switches source. It also allows for stuff like an external DVR to turn on the TV and tune to the right channel without a janky IR blaster.

          CEC allows the remote control keys to be passed over HDMI too, so that a DVR or similar can use the main TV remote instead of needing a second one.

          Built in media players that support USB are quite handy too. Sure, you can do

        • The only smarts I want my TV to have is automagically figuring out what device is sending the picture to it.

          There is actually a standard for this, called CEC, which is implemented on some TV-connected devices. Unfortunately, TV receivers uniformly suck at implementing it. You won’t find a TV tech who even knows what CEC is.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by tlhIngan ( 30335 )

            There is actually a standard for this, called CEC, which is implemented on some TV-connected devices. Unfortunately, TV receivers uniformly suck at implementing it. You wonâ(TM)t find a TV tech who even knows what CEC is.

            CEC is implemented on a lot of things. Most TVs support it (usually under some branding, like LG's SimpLink, Sony BraviaSync, Samsung and others all have it as well). Most receivers do as well (the ones that don't generally are the boutique very high end ones - the ones you control wit

            • Additionally, Raspberry Pi's and Kodi support CEC as well (works out of the box with Open/LibreElec). Gone are the days of having to setup your own IR/radio receiver and having to get lirc working.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Jaime2 ( 824950 )

          Please don't ask for this. My typical horror story with CEC (the technology that does this): Watch something on AppleTV, TV switches over to the correct input... great. Switch back to cable box to watch something from my DVR. Four hours later, my TV spontaneously goes to static because the AppleTV went to sleep and the TV switched to it so that I could enjoy the new signal on HDMI2.

          In other words, even that level of intelligence is often worse than nothing. Totally dumb TV for me. Besides, why do I want my

      • I just want a dumb TV.

        I picked up a small form factor refurbished desktop for $150 recent. It truly does play everything. I tried an Android TV box, and despite getting lots of views on Amazon, I found it to be a piece of junk. A lot of basic apps I downloaded from the App store wouldn't even run properly. For a little more than the Android box cost, I got a full windows PC that can not only play any media I throw at it, but can also act as a PLEX server as well as run a few basic games. It could probably

  • Nope! (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    I hear Amazon are a bunch of bad hombres from Dear Leader Trump. There is no way I'm buying one of these things! No thank you!

  • No smart tv's in my house, no echo or google home either.

  • Does anyone still sell a "dumb" TV? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by guacamole ( 24270 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @10:11AM (#56457799)

    All I want is a screen, with HDMI ports.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mccalli ( 323026 )
      Alone in the universe, I actually still quite fancy having a 3D one too. I missed out on that fad, still think it could have been good mostly for gaming rather than casual watching TV & films with friends and family.

      Gran Turismo had a mode making use of 3D which actually showed different pictures to different polarisation. Meant you could do full screen two player, which each player seeing a different image. I suppose VR has taken this niche now, but VR is still damned expensive and seems to have wir

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Kenja ( 541830 )
      Yes, but they tend to cost more... they're used for things like restaurant menus these days.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      The ethernet/wifi connections are not mandatory, you don't have to plug them in.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by k6mfw ( 1182893 )

      I'd settle for just B&W standard def tube type TV set for excellent content delivered by broadcasters...

      Getting back to types of TVs, a recent issue of IEEE Broadcast Technology Society, https://bts.ieee.org/ [ieee.org] mentioned the three-legged stool of equipment needed for delivering television programs, equipment needed to receive television programs, and ***the content*** of these television programs [remove any one of these legs, the stool falls down]. It has been written as technology improves (it really

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • It'd be great of they had a module for all the smart functionality that could be physically removed and throw in a drawer. I would still need to verify that the TV has been rendered dumb, but being able to do this would at least provide some satisfaction.

    • All I want is a screen, with HDMI ports.

      And all my wife wants is to press the "Netflix" button on the remote and start watching Grace and Frankie.

      My seven-year-old son wants to toggle to the YouTube menu and start watching Minecraft videos.

    • https://www.newegg.com/Product... [newegg.com]

      Newegg, 55"+ 'monitors'

      Curiously, since these are targeted at "business" uses like conference rooms and trade displays, they're more expensive than TV's in the same size/format/quality with a tuner, etc. aimed at the consumer.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      Computer monitors. ;)

  • Why do we need "smart" TV's? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by XxtraLarGe ( 551297 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @10:14AM (#56457817) Journal
    It's nearly impossible anymore to find a regular TV. When I went to Best Buy last year, they had exactly one 32" TV model (Westinghouse) that wasn't "smart". That's the one I bought. Most people these days have a console, or can get a Chrome Cast, Roku or Fire Stick for cheap enough to make their TV smart if they want. A "smart" TV is just one more point of failure for your TV, especially for the off brands. Does anyone really think Netflix, Hulu, etc. are going to be pushing updates for the HiSense you bought 3 years from now?

  • Comment removed (Score:3)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @10:14AM (#56457827)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion

    • How well does the Raspberry pi do with 1080 (at least) h265 content? I have an android box that I got because it technically could do this and run Netflix and other apps. Unfortunately, Netflix only allows the TV version of their app on certain devices so it's almost useless (no scrolling on TV shows so I can't select any episode after 10 or 11.)

      I have a qnap file server which runs great except that it's able to use hardware transcoding for 265 so I have to access it directly (via Emby).

      I have a stronger

  • smart TVs are too bundly (Score:4, Insightful)

    by FudRucker ( 866063 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @10:19AM (#56457855)
    i dont want an arm processor computer with android bundled in to my TV, like the other poster said, sell dumb TVs with 2 or 3 or 4 HDMI ports, maybe those rca jacks for audio & video too, i can always hook up various arm or x86 computers to my TV if i want to do that, and besides, what if the computer inside my TV gets a little old, what then? throw out the whole TV because the computer in it is obsolete???
  • Eric Schmidt: Google TV on 'majority' of new TVs by summer 2012 [theverge.com] - I bet Apple would like successes like that for change instead of failures like Home Pod.

  • What about dumb displays? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @11:02AM (#56458049)

    What I want is a big dumb display, like a computer monitor. I don't want anything smart, I don't even want a tuner. Give me something simple with lots of inputs such as composite, S-video, components, DVI and multiple HDMI. I don't even want a remote.

    Is that too much to ask?

    • I agree with all but the lack of remote.. Some tv's and monitors are s pain in the ass to change input on without a remote. I have a small ASUS monitor with one of those touch sense button panels on the bottom. If carbon paper, even receipts gets near it it senses input and fucks off.. Remote please with all those inputs. And don't for get DP, it is the future of connections just needs time like HDMI.

      • Ah yes of course. Let's just ask for proper buttons instead of touch panels (problem solved, no remote needed and buttons should cost less than a touch panel) and multiple DisplayPort instead of HDMI. Well, maybe one HDMI or two.

        • I agree, but something has to make them "different" from the rest. And always need HDMI ports. Too much stuff has only HDMI and converting cables and adapters normally suck and sometimes older devices will refuse to use them.

        • A touch panel can be implemented by sticking a couple pieces of foil on the plastic. It's probably going to be less expensive than mechanical switches.

      • Carbon paper? WTF?!?

        Did you for that post on an Olivetti and fax it in?

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Won't buy unless:

      1) Matt screen. No glossy screen. No exceptions
      2) At least one HDMI input. More maybe but not necessary.
      3) Must not require connection to network for anything at any time.
      4) No camera
      5) No microphone
      6) No Tuner
      7) No Sound

      This means I will probably be stuck with my current 80" Sharp for the quite a long time ...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Jaime2 ( 824950 )

      I actually want less. One HDMI input is plenty. Life is better if you run all your sources through an AV receiver and real speakers. Even better, an up-converting receiver so the picture never flickers when changing sources.

  • Create a meme for the average person (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Wednesday April 18, 2018 @11:45AM (#56458303)

    It's time to start seriously promoting the truth among the non-tech-savvy that 'smart TV's are a dumb idea'. Folks still have the Facebook debacle in the backs of their minds - maybe it's time to bring it back into the foreground and make clear the relationship between Facebook spying on people via their computers, and TV makers / sellers spying on them via their TV sets.

    I have lots of hope, (but very little optimism), that it's possible to wake Joe and Jane average from their shiny-induced stupor.

    • I agree wholeheartedly with this. I've started seeing a lot of Google Assistant ads on Hulu lately that advertise letting Google "lock that" or "watch this" or "turn on the lights". How about NO to all of the above.

      What happened to the massive backlash pointed at Microsoft over the Kinect being an always-on camera and microphone? Are we really so quick to forget about having something always listening and watching in our homes?

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • best buy signed its suicide letter (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    there is only one way this "deal" can end up...

  • ...to sell devices that are just waiting to be abused as 'telescreens'.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story... [usatoday.com]

  • I find it interesting that a company as big as Best Buy decided to use Amazon as a source of revenue. I've heard of small businesses and entrepreneurs being sellers, the wisdom being that it doesn't have to be their only income stream.

    I think Trump has it wrong: the future is adapting, and right now it looks like running a business through Amazon isn't a bad idea, despite Amazon profiting from it without much effort (unless one spends a bit more to take advantage of their ability to store, handle, and ship

  • Yay! let's all buy Amazon's security risk with built in obsolescence!

    The OS will stop getting patches in a few years so you'll have to either disconnect it from the network - losing the smart TV functionality you're buying - and/or buy another one if you want that wonderful 'smart tv experience'!

    Isn't that just grand.

    Plain old screen with ports (HDMI/USB) + smart box (android/pi/whatever) is the only sensible way. Anything else is Dumb TV.

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