What the heck is the Smart Hub on a smart TV?

[John Schmidt]

We have a Samsung smart TV about 15 months old, works great but can't use the remote that came with it. It will do everything but change channels and the cable company, Spectrum, says I have download their TV app and run it off that. Then the guy tells me to go to the Smart Hub and starts to explain to me which turns into blahblahblahblah babbling. He makes the assumption I know what he's talking about. We have an old generic remote that works....after a fashion. Anybody have any idea how to do what they're talking about, guess it only applies to Samsung for trying to watch normal broadcasting, we don't subscribe to anything extra.

[Robert]

Simply put, Smart hub is the internet connection and apps in the tv. You have to go there and it does require you to make sure you have an internet connection to your tv. Its kind of like the home screen on a computer or your phone. You can choose what you want to do like surf the internet or view a site.

 It seems you need to download an app to make the channel selection for the tv. So its a program for the tv that most likely will make it work.

Do you have an separate box for the stations?

Samsung remotes have a the ability to be programed and it needs to be set to the tv. So you cannot take a remote from another tv and use it on your current tv unless it syncs to the tv.  Even a new remote will need to be synced to the tv. Samsung remotes are somewhat universal also which means you can program them to use many devices. But you will more than likely have to go to the Smart Hub choose the app for the provider and make sure the tv goes to that every time its turned on.

I dont recommend it but try setting the tv to a different input and see if you can surf the channels even if there is no internet or cable. If you can then its not the remote or the tv its the Spectrum setup.


Method 1

To program your Samsung universal remote control, follow these steps:

http://support-us.samsung.com/cyber/popup/iframe/pop_troubleshooting_fr.jsp?idx=1038&modelname=sirt351

or


https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00050204/

Did find this one caveat that you may be interested in.

Note: After creating a new Spectrum.net username, you'll need to wait 24-72 hours before you can use it to sign in to any TV apps. The Spectrum TV app will not work internationally.

https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app-samsung-smart-tvs-get-started/


https://www.spectrum.net/page/spectrum-tv-app/

https://www.spectrum.net/support/tv/spectrum-tv-app-samsung-smart-tvs-get-started/

I have never used Spectrum so I hope any information here helps.

[scooperhsd]

No cable box from Spectrum ? It maybe be easier (but not necesarily cheaper) to get one. Use HDMI output from the cable box to your TV.

If you want to use the SmartHub feature -

You need to get the original remote for this TV (the Original Samsung one). Somewhere / somehow, there will be a way to get to the "Home Screen" where you can find the Smart Hub (or it might be the SmartHub).

Then I'd start by going to Samsung's support site on your computer and download the manual for your particular model, and read through it.

FWIW, all my TVs get their intelligence from the boxes connected to them, so this is about as much help as I can give you.

[Robert]

On the Samsung remote there is a home button, hit that and choose the apps selection that will get you to the Smart Hub. You will see Netflix, Google, Prime as icons and you can click on any one of them. Also on the home screen there is the choice for which input and how to hook each connection up. You can also scroll to the source screen which has a remote icon for changing how your controller works with the tv and the settings for the tv. It has choices on how to setup the remote like a universal remote.   

[Jess from VA]

Probably any 12yo in the neighborhood can fix you up.  

(Seriously, I'm as challenged as anyone.  It took me a good while to get everything set up on my FIOS years ago, and now I pray it never takes a dump, because I can't remember any of it.  Same deal on my computer.)

[Andy Cote]

Don’t let the smart hub confuse the situation.  All SAMSUNG did was split the TV into two pieces.  If you have a cable line, an Internet feed (for smart TV), a DVD player, a gaming system, etc,, you would normally run all these wires to the TV and then select which one you want  to display.  With the SAMSUNG, you run all those to the SMART hub and then run one cable from the hub to the TV.  Easier and cleaner if you have the TV mounted on the wall and the other gear on a cabinet below it.  It really doesn’t have any practical difference than a “normal” smart TV from some other company.

On your SAMSUNG remote, there two bars for channel up/down and volume up/down.  Ignore the channel button for now.  There is also are a set of buttons on the top with a center bullseye and four compass buttons around it.  Think of the compass buttons as tools to move around the menus and choices (like a computer mouse) and the bullseye as the select/enter or left click mouse button.  Usually the selection you are on is highlighted yellow or has a yellow box around it.  Enter will do whatever is highlighted.

Below those are three other buttons.  Right one is a pause or play button.  The left button is the backup button - like a back button on your internet software.

The bottom middle button is the important one.  This is the fun one.  It allows you to change which input is showing on the screen.  Push this and it displays all the input devices (DVD player, cable TV box, Xbox, etc.).  It also shows what you have available for internet “stuff” which like your smart phone are called “APPS.”  SAMSUNG comes preloaded with some.  One of the choices allows you to go to a store and add more.  Some things in the store are free.  Some come free with other things like Amazon Prime.  Some come free from your cable provider.  When you are connected to another device, the control for that device does its normal function so if you are connected to the cable box, you would use the cable remote to change channels or show its menu or guide.

Your cable provider has an APP that feeds you all the same things that your regular cable box gives you.  The menu and guide might look a little different but basically they are the same.  You can certainly choose to install this APP and use that method to view your favorite TV shows.  It is possible that when you use this APP, the SAMSUNG channel button could allow you to change channels or you could use the guide, then mouse up and down and then select.

One last thing to consider.  How often does your cable go out?  How often does your internet go out?  No internet means no APPS so you may end up back with the cable remote anyway if the neighbors are using all the bandwidth.  If you don’t use any APPS, just put the SAMSUNG remote on the shelf and use the cable remote like you have been for the last ten years.

[Bighead]

I wish we could go back to a knob you turn on the tv. One for uhf and one for vhf and then the knobe for stations. And if the knob brone off you get a pair of pliers to turn it

[Pappy!]

I wish we could go back to a knob you turn on the tv. One for uhf and one for vhf and then the knobe for stations. And if the knob brone off you get a pair of pliers to turn it

It all started with that thing that made the "boinggg" noise that you pointed at the TV from your easy chair to keep from having to get up and turn those knobs......

[John Schmidt]

Ok, after reading all this I've decided to leave it alone and use the universal remote provided by the cable company. The only way that will work is if I leave the TV hooked up to the digital convertor and use an HDMI cable from that to the TV. We also have a disc player hooked up to it but haven't used it in years so not really interested in getting that going. The universal remote is a big cumbersome thing and difficult for my wife to use. The remote that came with the TV is quite small and works great except it won't change channels, that's the only problem. Guess I'll leave well enough alone until my daughter visits with her 12 yr. old daughter, that should take care of the problem. 

[Robert]

John if the size is the problem and you are ok at the computer then these Logitech universal remotes are pretty good and may work for you. Programing is fairly easily by the computer when you plug them in via usb and pick your equipment and it guides you through the setup. They are fairly inexpensive and are at Best Buy so you can look at them. The 650 has a small screen on it and the reason for the screen is sometimes there is a problem turning something on, you can go to the screen and choose the option you want and it asks is the thing on. Sometimes you can even find them on sale for around 40.00.  Just another option for you.




https://www.logitech.com/en-us/harmony-universal-remotes

https://support.myharmony.com/en-us/665?utm_source=logitech.com&utm_medium=global%20support%20link&utm_campaign=getting%20started%20-%20665


https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAH8W9074460&Description=logitech%20harmony%20universal%20remotes&cm_re=logitech_harmony_universal_remotes-_-80-111-037-_-Product