smart tv for old lady - with access remotely?

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

unwashed potato!

Soldato
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needing a new tv for an old old lady that has zero ability to learn new tech.

she's missing out on things like netflix and smart functions so looking to find a way to get her access.

first i'd like to know if anyone can confirm, is it possible to control a chromemast that's in her house, while being in a totally different location? if i add her chromecast to me google home app, could she for instance call up and say can you put xxx show on, and i can just simple say "ok google, cast xxx to old lady tv" while i'm home?
 
I am a old person and have just updated my trusty 10 yr Sony Bravia for a Samsung "smart" TV - Had it since Sat and just 20 min ago I found the terrestrial channels- Up till now I had no channels from about 23 to 250 - Then I found the icon for "live TV" - sounds easy doesn't it but I can assure you the wife and I were cussin and blinding over different functions and i can tell you it's not funny - What I thought would be easy and logical isn't until you "know"
Give your old lady a TV that you just turn on and start at BBC 1 and just scroll up or down the page - You youngsters have been bought up with all this so it's second nature but we haven't - I built my own PC at 70 which was easy and I am now just getting to grips with a smart phone and now have to start again with smart TV. :D:D
 
Apex said:
needing a new tv for an old old lady that has zero ability to learn new tech.

she's missing out on things like netflix and smart functions so looking to find a way to get her access.

first i'd like to know if anyone can confirm, is it possible to control a chromemast that's in her house, while being in a totally different location? if i add her chromecast to me google home app, could she for instance call up and say can you put xxx show on, and i can just simple say "ok google, cast xxx to old lady tv" while i'm home?
Click to expand...

Be worth trying to add her Chromecast before trying anything else out - I have a feeling it might need to be connected to the same WiFi network as your google home.

I've added some extra smart functionality to my smart TV so i can switch it on from my PC, and change the channel. I should in theory be able to do everything that the remote does. I've not tried it from outside my network, but if i set up access to my smart home controls then i see no reason why i couldn't control it remotely.

It's quite a bit of a faff to set it up mind, and by the sounds of things you're more after a plug-and-play solution rather than something to tinker with.
 
you may be able to do it with a vpn
though how complicated it is i dont know
only had a quick google but some one mentioned companies
that do it if you pay
so my guess would be a vpn is involved to make you appear to
be on her network perhaps?
 
Semple said:
It's quite a bit of a faff to set it up mind, and by the sounds of things you're more after a plug-and-play solution rather than something to tinker with
Click to expand...
I'm OK to tinker but not until once it's done. I don't want to have to keep tinkering.

I've seen a simple solution being put a cheap android in her house leaving it on charge hidden away, then install a remote access app like team viewer and remotely control that phone to then cast to her TV.
 
Yeah leaving an android device /old mobile phone etc or laptop etc constantly on with all power saving features disabled would work
As long as it doesn't go to sleep or she doesn't turn it off at the wall etc
 
Ewww Apex are you just using this as an excuse to spy on an "old lady"?

bad enough you want to cast dirty movies onto her tv :(

Serious answer, get a now tv box. She can access Netflix and I believe the new ones come with voice function so she can just say what she's after.

Trust me, if I can get my 74 year old mum to use a normal now tv box then the voice one should be fine :p (and any time she has an issue she texts me and then sends me pics of things If needed lol)
 
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