# Smart TV Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-tv-question/704034>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 8, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-tv-question/704034 "2014-11-08T01:05:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-tv-question/704034/1 "2014-11-08T01:05:45Z")

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What is a smart TV and why do I want one? I understand cable boxes are not required. True?

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-tv-question/704034/2 "2014-11-08T01:17:29Z")

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A cable box isn’t required ONLY if you have another device within your entertainment system (including the TV) that has a cable card\*. But if that’s the case, make sure your “display panel” says that it has a tuner, most don’t.

Having said that, a Smart TV generically means a TV that connects to the internet and has apps. But for all intents and purposes it means it can stream Netflix, and to a lesser extent Amazon/Hulu/YouTube. It’ll probably also have a bunch of other crappy apps that you’ll never use as well. I think mine has about 30, I don’t think I’ve ever used any of them other than Netflix, and the only time I’ve used the Netflix app is when my TiVo was acting up.  
\*If you don’t have a cable box, you’ll also need a Tuning Adapter to go with the Cable Card.

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**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smart-tv-question/704034/3 "2014-11-08T17:03:28Z")

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If connected to the internet, a Smart TV will let you watch Internet TV from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube etc or from a local network or hard drive.

If connected to an antenna you can watch local broadcasts.

If connected directly to a cable outlet in the wall, it _might_ let you watch shopping and a few local channels. Increasingly though, all channels are scrambled and you need a cable card to unscramble them.

It used to be possible to buy a TV with a slot for a cable card but I have not seen one for years. There are a few set top boxes (with cable card slots) you can buy but usually you must rent one from the CableCo.