Why aren't smart TVs very clever?

[Commentary] Turns out that smart TVs can be, well, pretty dumb. Even moderately priced sets can now connect to the Internet and run Netflix and other apps — that's the "smart" part. Yet many people are ignoring the built-in features and turning to Apple TV, Roku and other stand-alone streaming devices that often do a better job. None of that is slowing down TV manufacturers like Samsung, though, as they continue to tout their newest and smartest models at the 2016 CES gadget show in Las Vegas (NV).

In a way, putting brains in a device that most people replace only every five to seven years isn't the brightest idea. Chips get faster every year, so by the time you're ready to buy a new set, its brains will be really, really old, at least in technology terms. The software, though, can present an even bigger problem. Smart TVs are frequently plagued with confusing interfaces, buggy functions and inconsistent updates. They are sometimes mysteriously unable to run new streaming services and may never be updated to add new features to the ones they do run. Worse, some TV makers focus on bringing new features only to their latest models in an effort to persuade people to buy new sets.