Best Smart TV Buying Guide: Welcome to TheIndianSubcontinent's round-up of the best smart TVs and smart TV platforms you can buy in 2017."Whats the the best Smart TV I can buy" Its a familiar question, especially if youre looking to replace your TV.
A new flatscreen isnt exclusively about sharper pictures or better sound.
The user experience is important too.
These days, connected sets have become ubiquitous.
An internet-connected smart platform is the norm, not a luxury; indeed its central to how the set works.The good news here is that TV platforms on offer have matured dramatically over the past few years.
TV makers no longer try and emulate the tablet experience on a bigger screen, although you will still see holdovers from that early smart phase on cheaper models - no, you really dont need Facebook and Twitter on your TV.Today, the best smart TV platforms actually enhance the viewing experience.
They help you access streaming content services and curate your viewing.
If you want viewing recommendations, your smart TV should provide them.Similarly, if you need to simplify streaming from your mobile device, or want to share images quickly and conveniently, your connected set should facilitate that too.
And when so many of us have content elsewhere on our home network, be it video files, music or JPEGs, offering seamless access to that through DLNA should be a given.Most smart TVs give access to leading streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer and YouTube (although some are inexplicably absent on some sets - were looking at you Amazon Video).
Beyond that, there can be a bewildering array of second (or third) tier streaming apps available to download from the resident portal.
These might serve particular interests, such as the subscription-based UFC Fight Pass app, or offer VoD pay movies, such as Wuaki.tv.Todays Smart TV ecosystem is split between proprietary platforms tied to a specific manufacturer, like LGs webOS and Samsungs Smart Hub, or a generic alternative such as Android TV, as found on Sony and European Philips TVs.All are usable, functional and most of the time downright enjoyable to use.
But while they may look similar on the surface, under the hood there are a plethora of differences between them.So, what's the best smart TV platform you can buy We've ranked the the world's major connected TV platforms, putting equal emphasis on ease of use, functionality, stability and content support.Plus, once you've decided on a smart TV platform, we've included our favorite TVs that use it that way you'll have a good starting point when it comes time to finding the perfect TV for you.Just want to know to know the Best Smart TV on every platform Here you go!Best Smart TV with Samsung Smart HubThe Samsung Q9FN is the best Smart Hub/SmartThings TV on the planetSpectacular HDR picture qualityGood smart systemCutting-edge gaming featuresLimited viewing anglesWhile the 65Q9FNs Smart TV system is based closely around the Eden platform Samsung has been busy refining for the past couple of years, expect a few tasty new morsels that add to the experience without taking anything away.For starters theres now compatibility with Samsung's SmartThings platform, which provides an onscreen hub for monitoring and even controlling other smart devices (fridges, washing machines, lights etc) on your network.Theres also much better integration of the TV listings and live broadcasting into the TVs content searching features: There are now hour-by-hour show recommendations, for instance, as well as TV shows getting much more prominence in the content browsing menus.Samsung has delivered enhanced interactivity with your smartphones and tablets too, as well as some seriously cool new gaming related features.Overall, a slick, easy to use and helpfully customizable interface belies the impressive sophistication and comprehensiveness of Samsungs latest smart TV engine.
Read the full review:Samsung Q9FN QLED TVBest Smart TV with Android TVThe winner is the Sony 65-inch A1 Bravia OLEDStunning image qualityOutstanding audio systemLean back designInevitably expensiveThe Bravia A1 OLED combines innovative engineering with stunning design making it easily one of the best TVs to sport Android TV.Not only does it look great, but it sounds great, too, despite not having a soundbar.
Instead, it uses a pair of sonic actuators, positioned on the rear of the panel which vibrate, creating stereo sound.
Bass comes from an 8cm subwoofer in the stand.The sets Android smart platform has Chromecast built-in, making it easy to cast content from a compatible mobile phone.
Apps include Netflix and YouTube in 4K.Picture quality is drop dead gorgeous.
A Triluminos wide colour gamut display, colour vibrancy is high, while a 4K Reality Pro picture processor maximizes image detail.
Integral to the sets image success is Sonys new 4K HDR X1 Extreme image engine.
Object-based HDR remastering does a great job making regular SDR TV look like HDR.If youre looking for the top Android TV display, the A1 is the model to beat.Read our full review:Sony Bravia A1 OLEDBest Smart TV with My Home Screen 2.0The winner is the Panasonic TX-65EZ1002 OLED TV (UK only)Unprecedented colour accuracyStraightforward smart TV systemNo Dolby Vision supportThe 65EZ1002s smart TV system is pretty to look at, easy to use, and effortless to customise - everything, in other words, that a smart TV interface ought to be.Its not the most content rich system in town, perhaps, but I dont actually think thats a bad thing.
Most of the key TV-centric apps are there (Netflix in 4K HDR, Amazon in 4K HDR, the catch up TV services for the main terrestrial broadcasters via an integrated Freeview Play app), and its actually kind of nice not to wade through mountains of dross just to find all the good stuff.Its worth adding that since the 65EZ1002 uses Freeview Play to provide its broadcaster catch-up TV services, you can search for shows youve missed via an intuitive electronic programme guide that scrolls back as far as seven days.Read the full review:Panasonic TX-65EZ1002 OLED TVBest Smart TV with webOS 3.5The winner is the LG OLED C7 Stunning contrast-rich picturesGorgeous ultra-thin designExcellent operating systemLacks brightness vs LCDLGs webOS smart TV interface was the first one that really felt like it had been developed from the ground up for TV rather than smartphone or PC users: Its graphically rich, incredibly straightforward and logical in its layout, easily customizable, slick to navigate and sensibly focussed on the sort of TV-centric apps most users actually want a TV to deliver.These apps include (4K/HDR-capable) versions of Amazon and Netflix, Youtube, NowTV, plus all of the catch up services for the main terrestrial UK broadcasters courtesy of the Freeview Play service, which lets you search for shows you might have missed via an electronic program guide that scrolls back through time as well as forwards.The latest version of webOS built into the OLED55C7 only really delivers a couple of relatively minor enhancements over previous versions: support for 360 VR clips navigated by waving LGs magic remote control around; and the option to use the number buttons on the remote control to directly access favorite apps.
But theres no need to fix something that isnt broken.Read the full review:LG OLED C7Best Smart TV with Roku TVThe winner is the TCL P-Series 55P607 (US only)Bright, colorful HDRRoku TV is amazingSupports Dolby VisionUpscaling isnt world-classThe smart TV version of Roku both looks and acts like the platform used on streaming video devices like the Roku Ultra and Roku Premiere+: The Home section contains all the apps in your library, while My Feed tracks movies and TV shows youre interested in and shows you where they can be found.
We're also pretty big fans of Roku's universal search feature that rifles through 300+ apps to find movies and TV shows and displays them with the cheapest option first.Overall, Roku TV is simple, efficient and straightforward enough for most people to pick up and use without a problem.New for platform in 2017 is the ability to label inputs (labeling one input as Xbox or DVD Player instead of Input 1, etc), some additional smartphone features and, for the first time, Dolby Vision support.
Dolby Vision allows you to get the absolute most from the TV in terms of performance and while tracking down Dolby Vision content is a bit of a hassle, Roku does a good job highlighting all the available content in a new row in the 4K UHD Spotlight app.
Read the full review:TCL P-Series 55P607aaacf65308be58fe357a09da8727b4a3.jpg#