Roku

Charles wants to get a new TV. But he's confused. LED. LCD. OLED? Leo says there are really only two technologies OLED and LED. LEDs are less expensive and work better in bright ambient light. OLEDs are better image quality and color, but he will need to darken the room. Then there's resolution. Most TVs now are 4K. That translates to a sharper image and with HDR, there's bolder colors and better blacks. It also gives better detail in bright light or darker scenes. Leo recommends TCL, it has Roku built-in and they are very affordable. Another option is HiSense.

Gloria has a TV with a Roku stick. But her stick doesn't support Disney Plus now. So what should she get to replace it? Leo says to stick with Roku and get the Roku Ultra. That's $100, half that of the Apple TV. But the Roku Express will work too, and it's $30. 

Harold's father is tired of paying $200 a month to watch TV on cable. So he wants to cut the cord. He's looking at the FireTV with Sling. Leo says that the FireTV is fine, but they are engineered to encourage buying stuff from Amazon. Leo prefers the Roku player. There's also the Apple TV. Leo also recommends YouTubeTV for his local channels and other streaming options. Sling is another that's good; AT&T has one, but Leo's favorite is YouTube TV. It's $50. But that, on top of the internet, and you're already over $100.

Jerry likes to watch YouTube on his TV, but his TV browser isn't going to be supported anymore. Leo says don't use that browser. It's terrible. Look for a YouTube app available for the smart TV and install it. Better yet, connect a Roku Box, Apple TV, Amazon FireTV or even Google Chromecast and use their interface. They will also be updated regularly. Will Samsung spy on users like they do on a TV? Leo says no. And most malware isn't targeting TV sets. Leo also advises getting a Chromebook for those "sketch sites" and a Chromecast. Then he can cast to the TV securely.

Rich doesn't want a smart tv. Can he get a "dumb" TV anymore? Leo says not really. TV companies actually make money off the TVs online activity, and so they make all TVs that way. You can dumb down your TV by not connecting that TV to the internet. And use a third party box like Roku. Or even an inexpensive Chromecast. The best "dumbish" TV is Vizio, though. 

Bob wants to know if it would be faster to use a dedicated Roku box instead of the Roku on his smartTV. Leo says, yes. Smart TV apps are never updated, while your Roku box will be. He recommends the Roku Ultra. 

Marty got a message from Netflix that his Blu-ray player won't support Netflix anymore. Leo says that can happen when an upgrade can break connectivity. And it sounds like Netflix isn't going to support that anymore. The good news is, smart TVs have Netflix, as do players like the Roku and AppleTV. He can even get a $35 Chromecast and do it. Go with Roku!

Pat wants to watch Fox News on Roku, and he hates that he has to jump through hoops to unlock it by entering a password. It's a pain. Leo says that many are using activation codes that they can navigate on from a mobile device. But if he's truly cut the cable, he may be out of luck. The true problem, though, is this guilty-until-proven-innocent attitude on the part of the content providers. This kind of protection doesn't stop pirates at all. Just people who do the right thing.