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TEC331: Big TVs, smart features, and endless streaming options promise convenience—but what’s the real cost? Dom Bettinelli sits down with Joanne Mercier and Leo Devick to examine how TVs and streaming boxes shape privacy, longevity, and everyday use and how and when to choose one over the other.

Is 8K worth it—or just another abandoned upgrade cycle? Why are smaller TVs disappearing from the market? And does combining everything into a smart TV actually make your setup worse over time?

The panel weighs the tradeoffs between all-in-one smart TVs and dedicated streaming boxes, highlighting performance, software updates, ecosystem lock-in, and data collection. They also tackle sound quality—when a soundbar makes sense, when home theater is overkill, and how smart speakers can fill the gap.

Beyond hardware, the conversation turns ethical: pirate streaming boxes flooding markets, the true cost of “free TV,” and why conscience matters in tech choices. The episode closes with a look at a new Catholic AI trained on Vatican archives—and the pastoral risks of treating AI like a spiritual authority.

Practical, thoughtful, and grounded, this discussion helps you buy—and use—technology wisely.

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Links for this episode:

• The TV industry finally concedes that the future may not be in 8K
• Sony and TCL Are Teaming Up to Make TVs
• The best smart TVs for streaming in 2025: QLEDs, OLEDs and Mini-LEDs
• Best streaming devices 2026: smart TV sticks and boxes chosen by our experts | What Hi-Fi?
• How a Canadian in Rome is building a Catholic AI from Vatican archives
• Magisterium AI
• Everyone is stealing TV

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Picks of the Week:

• Leo: Zotero | Your personal research assistant
• Joanne: Apple HomePods
• Dom: Panasonic BQ-CC63SBA Advanced eneloop 8-Position Individual Rechargeable Battery 5-Hour Quick Charger

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Disclaimer: Hosts, panelists, and guests may have a financial interest in the companies discussed through investments or other means. Their opinions and recommendations are not affected and do not present a conflict of interest. We offer this statement in the interest of full disclosure.