I have not had a TV since about 2009 and have been watching stuff by streaming with an internet connection and an IMac desktop. I am getting a little tired of watching from a desk so I think I would like to buy a TV so I can sit on a sofa and watch instead. I only want an internet connection and no cable TV service. My internet is Spectrum. If I buy some sort of TV and connect that to my Spectrum WiFi, do I need to pay for something like AppleTV also? ( I do not understand what it actually does) I watch Youtube, Discovery+, Acorn and occasionally Netflix and Prime. Things have changed so much in 14 years, sorry if I sound clueless, because I probably am.
Most “smart” TVs today have all of the apps you use and more built in. But in a strong personal opinion I do not trust the TV brands to deal with security issues except in extreme cases. But I’m a minority.
But if you want Apple TV shows/subscription you’ll need either a smart TV with the AppleTV app as an option or an AppleTV box. You can also get a Ruku box/stick/whatever and get everything but AppleTV subscription.
For the same security / privacy reasons I don’t use Google TV products.
One reason TVs have gotten so cheap is they charge the various services to put on their apps or get a cut of the action when you watch via the built in apps.