What is Smart TV?

One of the biggest developments in home entertainment, over the last couple of years, has been the appearance of Smart TV. Previously these have been called Connected TV or Internet TV but now, latching onto the latest buzz words, they seem to have settled on Smart TV. It's something that will feature on 80% of this year's Panasonic TV range, but what exactly is it?

Put simply, Smart TV transforms your TV from being something to watch Eastenders on, into something that can itself provide the entertainment.

How do you get Smart TV?

To be able to use Smart TV, the first thing you have to do is connect it to your broadband. You can do this with either a LAN cable, or if your TV has Wi-Fi you can use this instead.
Once connected to your broadband, your TV can if you want, also link to your PC. To do this you'll need to make sure the PC is set-up to run as a media server. Newer PCs tend to have this software built-in but you can download & install third-party software from companies like Twonky.

A common misconception is that you have to connect it to your PC. You don't!  The vast majority of things that these TVs can do have nothing to do with your PC at all, but we'll come back to this later on.

What can Smart TV do?

Once your TV is talking to your broadband, you'll be able to access a wealth of online entertainment. Commonly this will come from well known brands such as Facebook, twitter, YouTube or BBC iPlayer.
These are accessed via apps on your TV screen & bring you information that historically you could only get via your PC, SmartPhone or tablet. This means that from the comfort of your sofa, on a large screen, you can catch up with friends via your social networks or watch catch up TV.

Smart TVs can also provide some more practical features such as Skype. By attaching a USB Skype camera, you're able to make videos calls to anyone in the world (free of charge via your broadband connection) that also has Skype. This gives you two big advantages over using a PC.

• Firstly, you can make calls in a more comfortable environment than most studies or home offices allow.
• Secondly (& perhaps more usefully), your friends and family can see you're on-line whenever you're watching TV. This saves them having to phone you first and ask you to turn the PC on.

Some of Panasonic's new generation of Smart TVs allow you to watch TV and use Skype at the same time. This is a great feature if you want to watch the TV & discuss it with your friends simultaneously. 
You can also use Facebook or twitter while watching TV, allowing you to read all the latest tweets or status updates about the show you are watching. This is particularly useful as more TV shows are encouraging viewers to take part in the show through these social networking sites.
There's also a host of other apps that are available on Smart TVs. You'll find that some of these  are already listed in your Smart TV menu. If not, you'll be able to add them via the app store which on Panasonic TVs is called Viera Connect Market. Some of these apps will be free of charge, whilst others will have to be purchased & will vary in price.

You'll find apps that allow you to stream movies direct to your TV, link to a treadmill to help your fitness routine, let you watch your favourite bands in concert or catch up with world news and sport. You can even play games directly on your Smart TV using additional controllers. 

Browse the internet on a Smart TV?

Over that last couple of years, various manufacturers have had apps which let you browse the internet on your Smart TV. This year, on some sets, Panasonic joins them with a full internet browser. Some browsers let you do almost everything that a normal PC or tablet device does, including streaming videos that use Flash, reading your e-mails or using a catch-up TV service.

To help make using your Smart TV easier to use Panasonic have developed a completely new remote control. Coming with their higher end sets, the touch pad remote control lets you scroll through web pages or navigate the menus quickly & easily. You can also connect a USB keyboard to your Smart TV allowing you to type in web addresses or login details with less hassle than a normal remote. Alternatively, you can now control your Panasonic Smart TV with your SmartPhone or tablet device.

What else does a Smart TV do?

New features are being added to Smart TVs all the time. These apps basically act as doorways to internet based services.

If a new service is created the TV simply uses the app to access it. Because the services are not stored on the TV, there are fewer restrictions on what can & can't done with them.

Panasonic recently opened up their system for outside developers to create apps to work on their TVs. One of the more interesting services is from RED Karaoke whose app lets you access & sing along to over 45,000 songs. These songs are played through your TV and you have the words displayed ready for you ready to embarrass yourself in front of friends!

As well as the continuous development of Viera Connect Market, Panasonic is also changing the way we interact with our TV. The 2012 Panasonic range now has two-way communication with your SmartPhone or tablet. This exciting development means that with some TVs you can send websites you're visiting, YouTube videos you're watching or photos on your handheld device directly to the TV screen, making sharing media with the family incredibly easy and enjoyable.

In reverse, you can also send whatever you're watching on TV to some handheld devices. This means you no longer have to miss the crucial moment in the big game or the end of the murder mystery you've been waiting to see if you have to leave the room.

Connecting a PC with Smart TV?

As mentioned earlier, your PC does not necessarily need to be connected to your Smart TV, but there are advantages in doing so. Your PC probably has a lot media stored on it, some of which you've probably forgotten about. This could be home videos, photos, your music collection or downloaded movies.
By connecting your PC to your Smart TV you can liberate this media and see, watch or listen to it in your living room. This is ideal for playing your photos as a slide show when you have a family get-together or to fill the night with music for a party.

One thing that needs to be stressed is that your Smart TV is not a PC. A lot of people assume that once connected they can use all the software and programs on their PC on the TV screen and control it with their TV remote. This is not the case. If you do need to see your PC on the large screen you can do this by simply connecting it to either a HDMI socket or VGA connection. In this situation the TV screen simply becomes your PC monitor.

And Finally

Most 32"+ sets have Smart TV built in, but if you don't want to use them, you don't have too!

Smart TV is not really something to be concerned or worried about. 

Smart TV is not complicated ,you can't press the wrong button and break the TV or the internet!

If you get really stuck you just press the exit button or switch the TV off and start again.
It's something to play with and not to be feared!

We hope this blog has helped you understand a little more about Smart TVs but if you have any queries that you need answering before you buy a new set from us, please feel free to pop in or give us a call.

To see our range of Smart TVs, please visit our website

www.HickmansOldTown.com or come & visit us in store.

You can also keep up to date with our offers & promotions through www.facebook.com/HickmansOldTownLtd

or @HickmansOldTown on twitter.

At Hickmans we provide straight forward advice and information both in store and over the phone. We can demonstrate and advise on all aspects of Smart TV as well as Home Cinema, Blu-Ray, DVD & Hi-Fi. We also now supply domestic appliances from most well know manufacturers. We normally deliver & install most items over £300 free of charge in the local area. We have a dedicated service and repair department and can repair most brands of home entertainment equipment. We are also an authorised Panasonic service centre.