Should you buy a smart TV?

When I cut the cord a dozen years ago, I didn't have a smart TV.

Well, I did, but I didn't. Let me explain.

At the time, my TV was a Sony Bravia, which had an option to add on a piece of hardware that gave it smart TV functionality. Of course, that was a dozen years ago, and the smart TV functionality was nothing like you find today.

Adding a Roku box and an Apple TV box gave me what I needed to stream, and I still use Roku devices today. I bought smart TVs in the intervening time, running various platforms, but always put a Roku device on them, as that was and is my platform of choice. I didn't buy them because they were smart TVs. I bought them because they were TVs, and I didn't care what platform they ran. I got a smart TV because that's what they're selling these days, not because of the platform. I just wanted a good picture and sound. As I said, I put a Roku on them, and I was good to go.

Recently, I bought a Roku TV. I wanted a new TV for the guest bedroom, and Roku TVs were on sale, so that's the one I got. Good picture, decent sound, and that's all that mattered. The fact that it has built-in Roku is a bonus.

But, that may leave you wondering if you need to buy a smart TV if you want to stream. The answer is no, but you may end up with one anyway. Just because it has one platform on it doesn't prevent you from putting your own favorite platform on it. I always put Roku on the Google TV or Fire TV devices I had.

Recently, Melanie Mayberry from TV Answer Man answered the question about if a smart TV was needed:

Do You Need a Smart TV to Cut the Cord?

The short answer is no. You don’t necessarily need a Smart TV to cut the cord. While a Smart TV offers convenience by eliminating the need for additional devices, it is not the only way to access streaming services. There are alternative methods available to transform your regular TV into a smart one...

I added a Roku to my TV, and my son added an Xbox to his, when he started streaming. He now uses Apple TV. The bottom line is you can add whatever you want to a TV if it doesn't have the platform you want.

My Streaming Life is mostly Roku, because I want Roku. And while I do have one Roku TV, I have Google TV devices with a Roku attached. But I could easily have an old fashioned TV with no built in smarts, and be just fine.