Do SMART TVs need a cable box?

[rodion15]

I’d like to know what you need and need not with a SMART TV.

Please correct where I’m wrong: I guess a SMART TV has an HDMI port so you can connect it to your TV box.

It also has an Ethernet connection, so you can connect it to your home router to the internet. You can also connect it with WIFI.

So if I’m right, you can choose not to connect it to the router (I.e.: not use Ethernet nor WIFI) and just use it as a display, by connecting it to the cable box with the HDMI cable only, in which case, it’s the cable box that does “the smarts”, instead of the TV itself.

What do people usually do at home? What’s recommended?

Any help much appreciated

 

[Kshipper]

Everything you said sounds correct to me. A Smart TV has apps that let you connect to streaming services. That means you can avoid the cost or expense of other ways of streaming like Amazon Firestick, Roku, Google's Chromecast ...

I personally use a Playstation 3 so I can use my Blu Rays too =)

The TVs do not have a TV tuner, so you still need the cable/satellite box

 

[Mark Fuller]

There are some also with the option of screen mirroring, which means that you can do what is called cast the device, either a smartphone or a pc, to the tv via wireless or bluetooth to transfer files or watch what's on the pc or smartphone.

 

[rodion15]

Many thanks, great answers!