Smart TVs | The best of 2023
In this latest update we have examined the main features in detail that you should carefully observe, when choosing the smart TV to buy. Bearing in mind that choosing a similar device, also on the basis of preferences and the space required, can make a difference, we advise you not to miss even one of the points we have compiled in the guide.
The smart TVs available on the super market allow you to make the most of all your streaming services from Netflix to Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, as well as all the standard channels, in just a few steps. both sectoral or regional channels (for example dedicated to sport or children's programmes). Furthermore, technological progress has led to increasingly small but significant improvements, both for the actual quality of the image and the audio sector, and for convenience in daily use. So let's see below what are the most important aspects to consider before buying to ensure a smart TV that truly meets your wishes.
Having said that, we are ready to go into the details of what you should evaluate during the purchase phase, they also specify that what we will tell you will be an extract of the main characteristics of each smart TV model and which next to each you will have a link that will direct you directly to the dedicated Amazon and eBay page!
How to choose a Smart TV?
Let's start with a series of fundamental and updated features so as not to be unprepared for the vast television market and take home a model full of features, with the best possible resolution and, above all, avoiding spending a fortune.A brief overview
If you don't want to get lost in numerous technical features, here is a quick summary of what you should look for in a perfect living room smart TV.
Operating system: Android TV Resolution: Ultra HD 4K (possibly with HDR) Screen: 55 inches OLED/QLED or with good use of Local Dimming technology Gaming: game mode, 4K HDR, VRR, Low Latency Mode, low input lag (below 20ms)
Operating system: app store and interface
Let's face it, the TV is the main entertainment center in the house. It is useless to invest in a 90 inch with a crazy resolution if the TV store is reduced to having only the Youtube app. Precisely for this reason, the first thing to consider when buying a perfect Smart TV is its interface, which must be direct and functional, and the integrated application store. This must always be updated and capable of giving access to all available streaming services: Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Starz Play, but also the Ray Play app.Secondly, it is good that has a good internet browser for instant searches and perhaps the ability to connect the TV to the phone in just a few steps to play videos, images or games on the big screen. a boundless store of continuously updated applications is naturally Android TV, which can be found on Sony televisions (also equipped with Google Cast which sends content directly from smartphone to TV), Sharp and Philips. This operating system is a "hall version" of the well-known smartphone OS and is usually found on more expensive TVs. If you are looking for something like this without spending a fortune, a good compromise, also graphically beautiful to look at and above all fast, could be LG's Web OS, a proprietary system with a poorer store than Android but capable of guaranteeing access to all streaming platforms of the moment. Finally there is Samsung's Smart Hub (now Tizen OS), a real ecosystem in which there are also image editing and editing programs. a very complete operating system that remains a step below the service offered by Android.
Resolution: full HD, 4K or 8K
Most televisions on the market are equipped with Ultra resolution HD 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels), which means having 3840 pixels on the horizontal side and 2160 pixels on the vertical side. It is the most popular resolution and therefore it is also easier to find content compatible with this resolution. Many of the models also implement elaborate upscaling technologies, which allow you to play lower quality content so that there is no loss of quality. The Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) instead remained only for the lower-end models (under 300 euros). Finally, the Ultra HD 8K resolution (7680×4320 pixels) is the avant-garde of the sector, but it is still difficult, if not very rare, to find native content for this resolution.HDR support should also be considered ( High Dynamic Range), in order to have a perfect division between the shades of black and other colors, and a complete exaltation of the shadows. There are also various HDR standards: the most common are Dolby Vision for Movies and TV Series, and HDR 10 for gaming. Still with regard to gaming, keep in mind that there are TVs capable of completely skipping the calibration that is usually required within games and in the console dashboard, this is because Sony and other companies are joining forces to remedy the problem . For the moment, only the recent LG CX seems to be ready, but all the other HDMI 2.1 TVs, especially those of the best-known brands, could soon join.
Screen: inches and panel
Resolution is not everything, and above all it is not synonymous with quality. This only indicates the number of pixels available, i.e. the individual light units that make up the image, but says nothing about the final quality of the image which changes depending on the panel/screen technology. There are various nomenclatures on the market, some even proprietary, to define the technology of each screen. However, they are all divided between LCD, which is the most widespread and of which several valid exponents can be found in every price range and OLED, which is instead the technology dedicated to high-end televisions. The image quality of an "economic" OLED is equal to that of the best LCD, to be clear, however the OLED has a higher contrast guaranteeing deeper and clearer blacks. Furthermore, changing the viewing angle with the OLED does not reduce the quality of the images while it does with an LCD, a feature that should also be evaluated to better position the TV.Finally, if you want something in between you can focus on the QLED, or the version close to the OLEDs of which LG has made it a real pride. This technology is especially recommended if you are a gamer and want to get ready for the new generation of consoles since QLED also offers good HDR control.
As for the size of the TV, this depends on the space you have at home and the distance from which you will be watching TV. To better appreciate all the qualities and high resolutions described above, I recommend going to 60 inches with an OLED or QLED and at least 4 meters away from the TV. If, on the other hand, you have less space in the living room, it is useless to take a panoramic screen, it is better to focus instead on a good LCD and stay around 40 inches.
There are also plasma televisions and those with curved displays but the former are now children of a fairly dated technology (even if still on the market) while the latter only make sense above 50 inches. In fact, the curved display offers optimal involvement only at large dimensions. It is currently a "test" type of display that is not struggling to establish itself as a standard. Recommended only if you have a lot of space and a good viewing angle.
Gaming
Last but not least, we should closely evaluate all the features not to forget if you intend to buy a smart TV to be used also or mainly for video games. First of all, the importance of a smart TV that can keep up with the many qualities of the next-gen consoles from Microsoft and Sony must be considered, which is why it would be crazy not to focus on a 4K HDR TV that ensures you realistic and intense colors. Quality aside, however, don't forget that, in addition to letting yourself be impressed by the interlude sequences, pad in hand, you'll also have to check your ancestor.It is therefore important to choose a model that has a response time of less than 20ms. To further improve your games, make sure that the display also supports Variable refresh rate and Low Latency Mode , so as to completely eliminate screen tearing problems and enjoy all those titles that have many fluctuations in the frame rate to the fullest. Finally, especially if you want to make the most of the new consoles and NVIDIA 3000 Series cards, focus on a model equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports, so as to take advantage of 4K at 120Hz and have a full bandwidth capable of handling HDR, RGB and 10 Bit for color directly in 4K and without necessarily having to reduce the color space to YUV 422, as happens in TVs equipped with HDMI 2.0 ports.
Audio compartment
The audio compartment should also be carefully considered, since not everyone is interested in installing an additional system or a soundbar to make viewing even more immersive. Especially since it would require an additional budget. This is why we advise you to carefully evaluate products that have at least 2 speakers supplied, in order to operate in stereo mode, with adequate power. Furthermore, if there is at least one subwoofer, the guaranteed quality rises further! This is an observation that must be implemented especially on smart TVs smaller than 40" and 50" as often, for a simple practical matter, the company has to "save" on the audio sector given the limited space available . On the contrary, however, the more the thumbs of the smart TV rise, the more the probability of speakers and subwoofers rises drastically. Also because the required budget is decidedly more demanding than the smaller options, 30″ inches, for example.Applications
A more than important part of your smart TV is the one dedicated to the numerous application at your disposal. Depending on the operating system used by the model you decide to buy, you can download different applications, the number of which is closely linked to the store integrated into the system. Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube are supported by virtually any smart TV but other apps may not be available in the store, so we advise you to carefully evaluate this information. For example, some models don't allow you to download Disney+, others Rakuten, or more.So, you'll need to make sure you buy a device that supports all your streaming services without having to find workarounds and spend money on top of that. cost of smart TV alone. This is a decisive factor for those who do not want to miss the opportunity to enjoy their favorite programmes.
The best smart TV brands
We would like to clarify this section. When we talk about "best brands" we are referring to brands that make devices with the best operating systems, given that the quantity and type of apps available to you can vary drastically based on it. The most important factor linked to a particular brand, as we have seen, is the operating system. In this case, you will not necessarily have to prefer a brand but Android TV which offers the most applications ever.Instead, if you are looking for the best from a panel point of view, among the features that change the vision the most of any content. Given the excellent LED, OLED and QLED technologies of Samsung, LG and Sony products, these are undoubtedly the brands on which to focus more. Obviously, to have the best features, we always talk about models belonging to the medium/high range.
