Smart TVs often provide recommendations based on your viewing history, while innovative payment platforms let you purchase apps, games, movies and more from these devices.
Smart TVs may come equipped with popular voice assistants to allow for search functionality across the web and to help switch over to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu or YouTube TV.
What Is a Smart TV?
Smart TVs provide easy access to popular streaming services without needing an additional set-top box or streaming stick. Their apps for music, video, and social media are tailored specifically for television use and easily navigated by remote control.
Smart TVs also include voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung Bixby that make searching and watching content simple using spoken commands. Furthermore, these TVs can control other devices around your house via dedicated dashboards.
Things to consider before Buying a Smart TV
One of the many great features of a smart TV is its ability to project smartphone images onto its display, enabling you to share pictures, videos, and more from your phone directly onto the television screen. Make sure the smart TV you select supports this capability to take full advantage of all its smart features. Operating systems vary but most provide access to popular apps as well as connectivity to Wi-Fi networks for internet streaming – as well as regular updates with new features and functionality.
1. How Much Should a Smart TV Cost?
Smart TVs can be found at many retailers, including Amazon, Currys PC World, John Lewis, Very and AO. Some also have price-match promises so that if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere online they will match it.
When shopping for a smart TV, keep this in mind: focus on picture quality rather than features alone. For maximum value for your dollar, focus on screen size and resolution before adding extras like HDR support or Dolby Vision compatibility.
Smart TV technology has been around for some time, so older models remain affordable options. Just keep in mind that older sets may not provide as much functionality as more modern units.
Trying to surf the web on your television? Be sure to choose a device with an integrated browser already preinstalled; these may differ slightly from desktop versions but should work fine for most people. Furthermore, many TVs can still pick up local channels over-the-air with an antenna for additional streaming options if necessary.
2. What Size Should My Smart TV Be?
Size should depend on your room – larger screens require more room while more portable models offer greater portability. You should also keep resolution in mind as higher-resolution screens offer superior picture quality.
Smart TVs typically feature 60Hz refresh rates; however, many are available with 120Hz or even 240Hz refresh rates to provide smoother visuals and reduce motion choppyness.
Smart TVs often include voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that make navigating content and features much simpler. These voice assistants allow for faster content discovery while giving access to additional features.
Some smart TVs come equipped with accessibility features that are helpful for people living with visual impairment, including magnifying text on-screen. HDMI ARC support also helps save you from connecting multiple cables – something many older television sets were incapable of doing.
3. What Resolution Should a Smart TV Have?
A TV’s native resolution refers to the number of pixels displayed on its screen. Higher resolutions generally result in better image quality; however, other factors also play a part. Refresh rate plays an essential role – for optimal results look for one with 120Hz or above as this will ensure crisp and smooth images are displayed onscreen.
An additional consideration when searching for the ideal smart TV is support of high-resolution media. If you plan on streaming content through it, make sure that it supports either HD or 4K resolutions.
Smart TVs often come equipped with built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet internet connectivity, making them easier to integrate into a wireless network than standard models. If you don’t want to buy new, there are set-top boxes and streaming sticks that can convert any standard television into smart television. But for optimal streaming content enjoyment, a fast Internet connection is needed.
4. Should a Smart TV Have HDR Support?
Although it’s possible to find smart TVs with only standard HD resolution, more and more models now support high-dynamic range (HDR). Your decision on this matter lies solely with you – whether or not HDR features are desired is completely up to you.
HDR technology enables a TV’s image to become brighter and more colorful by adding extra information, known as metadata, to its original video signal. This metadata instructs the television on how to display each scene – such as which colors should be brightest and how much contrast should exist between light and dark areas.
Most new smart TVs are HDR capable, supporting both HDR10 and HLG formats as well as Dolby Vision. To future proof your purchase, it is wise to purchase an HDR-capable model.
Before purchasing an HDR-capable smart TV, be sure to research what content is available. Most HDR content is currently accessible through streaming apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu; additional UHD Blu-ray releases featuring Dolby Vision or HDR10+ will become more widely available soon.
5. What Refresh Rate Should a Smart TV Have?
Refresh rate is an integral component of smart TVs as it enables them to display motion without blurriness and thus make sports and fast-paced action movies appear more fluid onscreen. A higher refresh rate may help minimize motion blurring for improved picture fluidity and fluidity.
However, it should be noted that no broadcast television shows or films currently produced are actually produced at 120 frames per second (fps); most play at around 24fps due to older technology limiting us to 30fps playback and most major content providers not updating their production methods to support native 120 fps production methods.
Many smart TVs utilize frame interpolation or black frame insertion techniques to increase refresh rates, which may improve motion clarity but could potentially cause flicker effects and cause headaches for certain viewers. Therefore, it’s wise to read reviews and test different models before making your final purchase decision.
6. What Integrations Should a Smart TV Support?
Before purchasing a smart TV, be sure to consider which features are important to you. Some come equipped with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice assistants for easy searching of content using just voice-recognition technology, while others integrate with smart home devices such as doorbells and thermostats so they can be controlled via an interface on your television screen.
Additionally, many smart TVs allow easy connectivity between mobile devices and the big screen, enabling you to enjoy videos or pictures stored on your phone on a large display screen. Furthermore, some models feature far-field microphones which can hear commands spoken anywhere in the room; eliminating the need for additional remotes or devices in order to voice control the television with voice command alone.
If you’re shopping for a smart TV that supports online streaming services, make sure to research its available subscriptions before making your decision. Some television models only support certain apps while others may provide access to many popular services; some even support cable replacement services so you can watch local broadcast channels over Wi-Fi or Ethernet instead of traditional cable.
More Tips for Buying a Smart TV
Before purchasing a Smart TV, measure the cabinet or wall space you intend to install it in. Not only is this important in terms of aesthetics and eye health; you also want to ensure you’re sitting far enough from the screen to be safe from eye strain and injury.
Resolution is also something to keep in mind when purchasing a television set, and research should be done to understand its meaning. 1080p and 4k refer to the amount of pixels present on screen – 1080p typically has 1920 vertically and horizontally while 4k provides around 3840 horizontal and vertical pixels respectively.
Finally, look for a TV with an intuitive user interface. Many brands like Vizio, LG, and Samsung provide an easily navigable interface featuring simple bar icons on-screen to access apps; however, poorly designed apps can still cause issues as they might have convoluted interfaces or don’t function as expected on mobile phones. Also ensure your virtual assistant of choice supports it!
