Choosing the important smart TV is not easy. To make this decision easier for you, you can work your way along 11 simple questions.
Regardless of whether your TV is broken or you simply want a larger or technically better model, sooner or later you will need a new Smart TV. However, this is a fairly broad generic term, because every manufacturer equips its own models with different operating systems, panels, functions and often generally different technology. As a customer, you are then faced with a difficult choice.
In line with the term “smartphone”, smart TVs are first and foremost televisions that have smartphone features such as app support, an Internet connection and a generally significantly higher level of functionality and operation. Otherwise, the manufacturers throw a lot of marketing terms around. Choosing a suitable Smart TV is not that difficult if you pay attention to a few things.
Buy, connect and set up a TV
This is how you find the perfect Smart TV for you
In this guide we will help you find the right TV and connect and set it up after purchase. Here you get the most important information.
So that you can definitely find the ideal device for you, you can use a few important questions as a guide. More precisely, these are 11 questions that will bring you one step closer to your dream model.
How big should the screen be?
Before buying a new Smart TV, the first step is always to unpack the folding rule: What is the maximum size of the device? How big should it be minimum? And is the seat pitch correct? Finding the right TV size is not easy.
First of all, the only important thing is whether the desired screen size fits in the desired space, because nothing is more annoying than having to repackage and send away a huge TV set for exchange. That happens quickly, because 65 inches sound better than 40 inches, of course – stupid only when the device suddenly gets in the way or there is no more space for family photos on the TV wall.
What screen type and resolution is ideal?
Next, you should choose the type of panel you want. UHD or 4K is of course better than good, old Full HD: 4K televisions are slowly becoming the standard and are also becoming affordable in principle, which is why this question should be answered quickly. The desired panel type is more important: There are significant differences between classic LED, OLED and, as an “intermediate class”, QLED televisions with particularly high-quality color reproduction.
Although OLED is currently the measure of all things when it comes to color rendering, the corresponding panels are expensive. And the television can age prematurely due to burn-in effects and wear and tear of the OLED cells. If you want premium, you can’t avoid OLED, for everyone else QLED might be a better choice. Classic LED lighting is used only rarely and in very cheap devices.
Should I go for a curved model?
Some manufacturers now offer so-called curved panels, i.e. televisions that are slightly concave. The advantage of this technique is that the image is easier on the eye and it creates the illusion of depth. Unfortunately, corresponding TV sets are often very bulky, and such displays cannot be seen equally well from all viewing angles.
In addition to the operating system, the available apps and internet speed are also important. (Source: Image: LG)
Windows and other light sources can also cause annoying reflections. And curved displays also add to the space because they are deeper. As a measure for the Curved purchase, you can simply check your TV and streaming behavior. If you mainly watch alone or in pairs, curved TV is definitely a good alternative. If you’re more likely to be hosting video nights with family or friends, a flat panel might make more sense.
What should you watch out for with the sound?
Incidentally, in addition to the panel, the sound should play a decisive role: the flat construction of many modern TV sets leaves no room for large loudspeakers and resonance chambers. The result is often a very modest sound, which necessitates the use of a soundbar or stereo system.
This drives up the costs and is annoying in everyday life. Sure: If you need real surround sound, you have to use the sound system anyway. Still, it’s always a good idea to check the sound quality before making a purchase, because in practice it can be a constant annoyance.
How important is the operating system?
Smart TVs have small “computers” built in to bring all functions and apps under one roof. Here several TV operating systems compete for the favor of customers: Android TV is used by Sony, Philips, Sharp and many other manufacturers. Samsung, on the other hand, uses Tizen. With webOS, LG uses its own operating system. Panasonic relies in part on Panasonic My Home Screen.
The current market leader is Samsung’s Tizen, by a clear margin. Some smart TVs are also equipped with internal cameras.
What all systems have in common is that apps and functions can be retrofitted. Android TV is naturally best positioned here, but the system is more a matter of personal taste than the functions. Standard apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or simple Internet browsers are usually on board, as are video recording functions.
What should be considered regarding the updates?
Of course, it is unpleasant that most manufacturers stop maintaining the systems relatively quickly. After three years at the latest, there are no more updates, neither functional nor in terms of security. Here, devices with a frequently used operating system such as Android TV are more vulnerable because they are more promising for attackers. In recent years, however, manufacturers’ update policies have improved.
However, you should stay away from devices that only provide additional features via iOS or Android apps: Nothing becomes obsolete more easily than a device that depends on an unkempt smartphone app. However, since all manufacturers without exception demonstrate this catastrophic update policy, ultimately only switching to devices without smart functions is an option. But now they are hard to find.
Which ports are important and what about the frame rate?
In addition to the operating system, the connections are of course also important when choosing a Smart TV. Modern devices usually have at least three HDMI ports, which can be used to connect a Blu-ray player or a set-top box, for example. “Old” connections such as VGA, component or composite are dying out, but it’s definitely good to have them if you want to connect an old game console or a classic video recorder, for example. USB slots are practical if the television is to be used as a recording device or if photos and videos are to be played back from the stick.
The CI+ slot is only relevant if Sky or HD private television is to be received. An optical digital output becomes important when connecting to a stereo or sound system. Of course, the antenna is more important: Modern devices usually support DVB-T2 (antenna), DVB-S/S2 (satellite) and DVB-C (cable connection), which is completely sufficient.
What should I watch out for when connecting to the internet?
An Internet connection should be established via integrated WLAN: Simpler devices usually only have an Ethernet socket or, conversely, only WLAN. The supported LAN and WLAN bandwidth should also be questioned: some devices only come with a 100 Mbit socket and lame BGN WLAN without 5GHz support. Unfortunately, the manufacturers often remain silent here. In principle, 100 MBit on the LAN socket is sufficient for streaming 4K content, but with WLAN it can quickly become tight at such values due to the connection overhead.
The result is problems with streaming. In addition, it should of course be checked in advance whether the desired streaming service is also available as an app for the smart TV – and which streaming protocols are supported by the smartphone or tablet. There are currently only a few devices that fully support Apple’s AirPlay, and you often look in vain for apps for more exotic streaming services.
An active Internet connection is required, for example, to access smart TV functions such as apps, the built-in web browser or streaming services. But at the same time, an active Internet connection also leads to some inconveniences. This includes frequent advertisements, which you can deactivate on your smart TV.
TV streaming sticks tested: Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku and Apple TV compared
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How important is the smart TV processor?
Just like with smartphones, PCs and any other computer, the processor of the TV also plays a not inconsiderable role. Cheaper Smart TVs usually have simpler processors that are slower. The hardware performance is not as relevant for smart TVs as it is for smartphones, for example: the performance of all devices is usually sufficient for the normal functions of the device. Differences arise where pure computing power is required, for example when running 4K videos or upscaling content from older sources such as Full HD Blu-rays. A “lame” processor can often be recognized by a sluggish menu.
Are there differences in the remote controls?
By the way, it makes sense to take a look at the remote control before you buy it. Some smart TVs no longer have a remote control, but a highly complex controller. This, in turn, is not only expensive but, if in doubt, difficult to obtain even after a few years.
That’s why it makes sense to find out about the price of a new remote control in advance: dogs like to chew on the devices, children throw them around, and experience has shown that remote controls also tend to disappear. Therefore, it makes sense to find out in advance about the cost of the original remote control and the possibility of using third-party remote controls. Basically, the simpler the remote control, the cheaper and easier it is to get a replacement.
Why are the pictures in the electronics market different?
Finally, a note for everyone who shops in the electronics market: the large selection and the enormous differences in the form factors ensure that significantly more expensive devices are quickly selected, which are apparently much better than the one originally selected. However, that doesn’t always have to be the case: the price-intensive presenters are often set to 4K content, while the “cheap ones” are played with normal SD TV programs, which unfortunately always look awful on the large panels.
In addition, you stand directly in front of the device in the electronics store, but at home there is a distance between the seats. That’s why it makes sense to look with an open mind – and also to take the time to take a look at the menus or retrieve 4K content from a USB stick or from the Internet. Of course, test reports also help with the selection of the right device.
More buying advice on Smart TVs
These are just the most important tips, of course there are numerous other factors that play a role when it comes to buying a TV. For a complete guide to buying, connecting and setting up your TV see the linked article.
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