Installing a Smart TV as we speak... what next?

We have Amazon Prime and have no problem using our Roku to stream it. I also know, because my son is a computer scientist who designs this stuff for a living, that the streaming device has no role in determining the quality of the stream. That is entirely up to the content provider (Amazon, Netflix, etc). The device just opens a "pipeline" between you and the content provider.

The perceived video quality varies dynamically as you watch the stream. The resolution is varied as the speed of your internet connection goes up and down. This minimizes the number of times you will see the dreaded "loading" message. Amazon actually displays the quality level using the little dots that appear next to the loading bar.

The suggestion of a Roku is a good idea, HOWEVER, before getting a Roku I'd suggest you check out the Amazon Fire. Functions similar to the Roku but I find it easier and better to use ESPECIALLY if you are a Amazon Prime user and can access a lot of the free stuff. I personally think the picture is sharper on the Amazon Fire. Frankly, I use mine primarily for Netflix and due to the small size of the unit (about the size of a large deck of cards)and a single HDMI hook up, plus power. Also, it has a remote with it that can use voice control for finding movies, actors, etc. Still need good wifi to do proper streaming. Any speed of less than 1.5 to 3mbps will make it VERY hard to watch videos on a smart tv, a Roku, or Amazon Fire. Check the speed of the wireless each time you make a new 'camp'. I use speedtest.net but on smaller displays you might want to try www.bandwidthplace.com

The suggestion of a Roku is a good idea, HOWEVER, before getting a Roku I'd suggest you check out the Amazon Fire. Functions similar to the Roku but I find it easier and better to use ESPECIALLY if you are a Amazon Prime user and can access a lot of the free stuff. I personally think the picture is sharper on the Amazon Fire. Frankly, I use mine primarily for Netflix and due to the small size of the unit (about the size of a large deck of cards)and a single HDMI hook up, plus power. Also, it has a remote with it that can use voice control for finding movies, actors, etc. Still need good wifi to do proper streaming. Any speed of less than 1.5 to 3mbps will make it VERY hard to watch videos on a smart tv, a Roku, or Amazon Fire. Check the speed of the wireless each time you make a new 'camp'. I use speedtest.net but on smaller displays you might want to try www.bandwidthplace.com

For those who haven't already purchased smart TV's I would like to offer the suggestion that it is far more cost effective to purchase a "dumb" TV and then to purchase a Roku. The Roku is a far better streaming device than is built into TVs and Blu-ray players because its software is continually updated and there are hundreds of available channels to choose from. Smart TVs cost quite a bit more than their dumb brethren and offer a far more limited number of streaming choices. Furthermore, once a TV is no longer a current model few, if any, of the manufacturers continue to update them.

If you want to add the additional feature of mirroring a computer screen onto a TV, just add a Chromecast to your network.

Thanks for the responses... I think I will be mainly using it to stream movies from the IPad and then use the blue tooth feature to play the movies sound thru the stereo/speakers.

Smart TVs are great if you live in a stick house with good wire-line INTERNET but.... If you live in an RV you have a choice of park Wi-Fi, SAT or Cellular internet.

Park Wi=Fi you will not make friends if you use Smart TV internet features since you will be a BANDWIDTH HOG. Video can easily suck up 1 gig per hour if it is high quality, I've seen some at about a quarter of that but the quality was not good.

Likewise if you use Sat you are going to bang up against the company's fair use policy,, This, depending on the company, may get you shut down to watching grass grow speeds (not enough for video) likely half way through your first hour By the way I think its down to Hughes net classical (NOT gen 4) for RV use, I know Excide is the old Wild Blue and not RV friendly, I think GEn 4 from hughes is like Excide but.. till I get accurate feedback on it, not sure.

Cell plans.. Well T-Mobile you get a few hours worth (6.5 gigs on my plan) then they shut you down to dial up speeds. No additional charge but frustrating if you do anythign graphic.

Verizon.. They do not throttle you but you may throttle whomever wateched all that internet TV when the bill or should I say BILL!!!! arrives.

Do not know about AT&T or Sprint. Though Sprint used to have a Unlimited plan (500/month) that was really unlimited. Coverage they are not long on but they had a true unlimited plan (Verizon has best coverage).

So I'd not be using the internet features of the TV less you are at home on a wire-connection.

If your smart tv is at home connected to your home wifi network then you are good to go. If it is in your RV you are going to need to set up a network. Basically, the smart tv streams media and data sent by wifi from a computer on the network, a smartphone on the network, or a tablet on the network. All of these devices need to be dlna capable and there are many apps - often ones included with the device that will make the connection. Here is an explanation of DLNA (which is actually an organization and standard set up to do all of this)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEEQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techradar.com%2Fus%2Fnews%2Fdigital-home%2Fhome-networking%2Fdlna-what-it-is-and-what-you-need-to-know-1079015&ei=Y_OPU4qeOozUsAST_IHABA&usg=AFQjCNE5M0AwepUpntxjrXO3M17L7dq-QA&sig2=dP7RgwZs9W2LNNwEE3H6ow&bvm=bv.68235269,d.cWc

Since the Smart TV is on the network, it can also access the internet, run TV apps - installed into the TV by the manufacturer of the TV and sometimes updated and added to, and play files from a usb stick drive or portable hard drive connected into a usb port on the TV.

Anyone without a Smart TV can do the same thing with a Roku box or a BluRay DVD wifi or network wired player connected to a regular TV.

For most of the "SMART" part you need an internet connection
Although you should be able to connect the tv to a networked hard drive and play movie files from there, without the need of an internet connection, a pc or other device

Other than playing media that is stored on your smartphone or tablet on the TV the "Smart" features are mostly wasted in an RV scenario. A high capacity, high bandwidth Internet connection is needed to "feed" the TV. Neither of which is readily available in a camping environment...

If you use a smart phone or any wireless plan for data be VERY careful as a Smart TV use can eat up your total allotment of minutes VERY FAST, especially if you use a service like Netflix etc. Data plans can get expensive, especially if you go through Verizon or AT&T.