Smart TV: Technology, Features and Why You Need One in Your Living Room

Smart TVs have revolutionized the traditional TV viewing experience. Their metamorphosis from being a limited piece of entertainment to a fully functional multimedia access tool is nothing short of a modern technological marvel.

Let's delve deeper into the global Smart TV phenomenon and whether you need one for your living room.

What is a Smart TV?

Simply put, you can easily access your home internet connection through wireless or ethernet cables on a Smart TV. Once connected, such TVs allow the users to access various services such as video streaming, internet surfing, or gaming.

Smart TVs have an OS system that is capable of letting the users access popular OTT apps like Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc., and enjoy the content on the big screen.  

What Does a Smart TV Do Which a Regular TV Doesn't?

1. Access to OTT Content

Smart TVs are based on the Android operating system with access to Google Playstore. You can download the OTT apps like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, etc., from the Playstore and watch the OTT content right on your TV without plugging any external devices. 

2. Flexibility

Since a Smart TV is connected to the internet, you can watch your favourite programs online at a suitable time without worrying about missing the actual show timings.

3. Less Reliability on Smartphones

 Long hours of staring at the tiny smartphone screen can negatively affect your eyesight and body posture. Smart TVs can help you cut hours of watching online videos on your phone as you can watch them from a safer distance on the TV.

4. Operating Systems

The most popular, Android TVs are powered by different versions of the OS, like Android 9.0, 10, 11, etc. Android 9.0 offers better functionalities than the previous versions like automatic brightness adjustment and more colourful icons in the setting menu.

Apart from offering new features and better functionalities like improved sound and picture quality, Android TVs give you access to unlimited applications through the Google Play Store.

5. Access to a Large Amount of Content

While a Smart TV provides access to different channels like any regular TV, you can also access unlimited online content on a Smart television. The latest shows, YouTube videos, live streaming, access to recorded videos, on-demand videos, and a lot more content are just a command away on a Smart TV.

6. Use Smart TV as an IoT Hub for all Your Other Devices

You can use your Smart TV as a connecting point to all other internet-based appliances in your home and control them through a universal remote.

7. Access to a Large Variety of Games

Smart TVs are not just limited to watching movies or TV shows, these entertainment systems are highly capable of providing an unforgettable gaming experience with unlimited options to choose from.

8. Superior Picture and Audio Quality

The High Dynamic Range (HDR) provides incredible colour, enhanced brightness, and outstanding contrast details. Smart TVs are equipped with Dolby Digital Decoder providing high-quality surround sound that is way better than the TVs of the previous generation.

9. Software Platform

Android-based TVs have become extremely popular due to their user-friendly interface. This OS is very easy to customize and navigate. But there are other OS (operating systems) too in televisions, like WebOS and Tizen.

WebOS is a smart TV OS that was first used in 2014 and it is known to have an easy-to-use interface. Over the years, WebOS-based TV makers have refined the operating system to offer better functionality to the users.

Tizen is a Linux-based operating system that takes inspiration from WebOS in terms of design and functionality.

What Are the Different Types of Smart TVs?

Smart TVs can be categorized into three types.

●Based on Resolution

Resolution means the number of pixels that make up the display vertically and horizontally. You may have seen stickers on the TV like 720p and 1080p. It represents the number of lines your TV can display at once.

HD (High Definition) Ready TV sets offer a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. In Contrast, a Full HD set offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, resulting in better picture quality than the HD Ready TV. UHD stands for Ultra High Definition and the UHD TV quadruples the resolution to 3840 x 2160, which is why these TVs are also referred to as 4K TVs.  

●Display Technology

Smart TVs can come with either OLED or LED displays. The LED displays use LCD, which has LED backlights. On the contrary, OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes) displays separately and illuminates each LED to create the display image.

OLED displays provide superior quality, realistic images with a high level of colour accuracy compared to LEDs. OLEDs also offer a wider viewing angle and have slim, aesthetic-looking screens.

Factors to Consider Before Buying a Smart TV

●Size

One of the important aspects you must consider while buying a Smart TV is the size. Based on the room size, you can purchase TVs in different sizes ranging from 32 inches to 98 inches. The maximum number of people in the room watching TV and the viewing angle ideally play an important role in determining the best viewing experience from your TV

You must also consider the viewing distance. You can use the below formula to make the right decision

Viewing distance (in inches) divided by 2 = Recommended TV size

For example, if you usually sit 10 feet away, i.e., 120 inches/2. So, the recommended TV screen size would be 60 inches.

●Software Platform

Ensure that your Smart TV has an updated and popular software platform to enjoy technology at its best. You can consider an OS like Android which is widely used globally and if you are looking for easy compatibility across different home appliances.

●Cost

If you are on a tight budget, you can consider buying a Smart TV with full HD, HD, and UHD resolution. On the contrary, if you want to experience the most realistic and high-quality viewing content and budget is not a constraint for you, Smart OLED TVs can be your best option for an uncompromising viewing experience.

Final Thoughts- Should You Buy a Smart TV?

Like smartphones, Smart TVs are quickly becoming very popular in many households. As more people keep ditching their traditional TVs and favouring Smart TVs, the conventional TVs are likely to be less preferred given the preference of users is shifting towards smart appliances. It is better to embrace the future of television with arms wide open and bring home your Smart TV for an immersive TV viewing experience.

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2.Haier Android Smart TV: The Next Big Thing

3.Quarantined With Haier's Smart TV

4.What Is An OLED TV, & Should You Buy An OLED TV In 2022?