What Smart TVs have the best support for NZ streaming services?

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BaronGrivet

66 posts

Master Geek

#138676 13-Jan-2014 10:15

A family member has asked me what Smart TV they should get. They hardly watch TV but would like access to TVNZ and TV3 On Demand and are not technologically experienced or confident.

A bit of Googling suggests that native support for TVNZ/TV3 On Demand is patchy at best with not all TV brands capable of connecting to these services (even with their internet browsers).

Has anyone got any experience on which brands work best with TVNZ/TV3. As I mentioned the prospective user isn't technologically experienced/confident so a good UI is a bonus.

Just to clarify - the TV will be hooked up to the internet (Wifi) and possibly a DVD player but I don't think it will be attached to an aerial or cable/satellite TV.

Thank you in advance

lxsw20

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#965941 13-Jan-2014 10:19

Samsung have apps for both TVNZ, TV3. I think the TVNZ one is exclusive to Samsung, not sure about 3.

sdavisnz

809 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#965960 13-Jan-2014 10:34

Samsung. TVNZ is preloaded and 3now can be downloaded from samdung app store.

Voice gives context

trig42

Banana?
4958 posts

Uber Geek

Subscriber

#965969 13-Jan-2014 10:41

Samsung.

I don't think any of the others have a native TVNZ App yet.

steve98

1228 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#966003 13-Jan-2014 11:11

This is where TVNZ's and TV3's online strategy is failing them (and the public). No doubt they're exclusive to Samsung as Samsung has developed the apps for them for free (just a guess) but both broadcasters should be making efforts to get them onto all platforms, including LG, Sony, Panasonic etc.

Even TVNZ's PlayStation app is pathetic (video quality is horrible, and the whole app itself is just a link to a website rather than a native app).

They advertise the heck out of this serivce, indicating that they are serious about it, but it's been very poorly executed so far.

bongojona

246 posts

Master Geek

#966007 13-Jan-2014 11:16

lxsw20: Samsung have apps for both TVNZ, TV3. I think the TVNZ one is exclusive to Samsung, not sure about 3.

TVNZ has a exclusive deal with a Television manufacturer for their online content (via smart TV) ?

they are moving further and further away from their State owned model I see

Govt may as well just sell them off and have NO State TV at all at this point

BaronGrivet

66 posts

Master Geek

#966009 13-Jan-2014 11:18

Thank you everyone. It seems like the choice is Samsung, or... Samsung

Totally agree with steve98 - the Playstation3 "app" is clunky to use and has a tendency to crash with memory errors.

lxsw20

2400 posts

Uber Geek

#966030 13-Jan-2014 11:29

bongojona:
lxsw20: Samsung have apps for both TVNZ, TV3. I think the TVNZ one is exclusive to Samsung, not sure about 3.

TVNZ has a exclusive deal with a Television manufacturer for their online content (via smart TV) ?

they are moving further and further away from their State owned model I see

Govt may as well just sell them off and have NO State TV at all at this point

That is my understanding, yes. Same as the Android TVNZ can only be loaded officially via the Samsung App store on some Samsung phones.

bongojona

246 posts

Master Geek

#966590 14-Jan-2014 09:15

The TVNZ PS3 "app" is really just a link to a browser - clunky, slow and unreliable

tehgerbil

689 posts

Ultimate Geek

#966609 14-Jan-2014 09:45

I use the TVNZ samsung app on my 40" Sammy.

It works very well, is very easy to navigate and the quality is quite good too. Plus the basic "play/pause" controls built into the remote make it very easy for even techno-iliterate people to quickly pick it up and use it.

One thing I will mention is they must keep up to date with the TV firmware releases, a couple of times the TVNZ has stopped working until I upgraded the TV's firmware. (This is either performed via a USB stick - predownloaded from the Samsung website, or OTA using the Settings menu.)