I would advise against a smart TV. Some of them have O.K. interfaces but some of them are terrible. Most people own their TVs for 5-10 years. In 5 years (and definitively 10) the streaming box options will be much better than they are now. The AppleTV is a great set top box you can pick up for $150-$200. First gen boxes go for $50. Roku comes out with a new device every year or two and they are great also. The user interfaces on both the AppleTV and the Roku are awesome and very intuitive. Plus they are continually supported and they manufacturers are always pushing out updates.
I have heard of new boxes that will have HD antennas integrated into them and DVR capabilities. I personally can wait for these.
It doesn’t make sense to me to spend a couple thousand dollars on a smart TV and then be stuck with the integrated “smart” capabilities for the life of the TV when we are just in the infancy of this new era.
You are better off to buy a nice TV and then add on a $100 Roku or $200 Apple TV. In 2 or 3 years when a device comes out that is light years better, you can buy it and move the Roku to another TV.
You make great points. We may go a different route when our smart TV dies. I wouldn’t spend $2000 on a TV either. We bought a 50” Vizio from Amazon for $450. We needed a new TV at the time anyway, the price was great, and the setup was super easy. The Vizio has been flawlwss so far. Fingers crossed.
Thank you for the advice. One day we’ll have to buy again:)