A TV is undoubtedly one of the most important devices in a home. While it was easy to choose a TV back then because they all looked a bit similar, choosing a smart TV in 2022 can be a headache. 55 or 85″, LCD or OLED, Samsung or LG, 4K or 8K, there are so many options to complicate things. Luckily, kwgeek has taken everything into consideration and put together this buying guide for you. Will give you everything you need to know about choosing a new smart TV.
We didn’t test Smart TVs, which means this article is not a selection, but a buying guide based on our research and articles from professional magazines seen online. The purpose of this article is not to get into the technical details, but to simplify things for you by focusing on the elements that really matter to choose the best smart TV for you. Of course, you’ve read a lot of articles about technical terms you don’t understand at all. So think of this buying guide as a bit of advice from a somewhat geeky friend who will give you advice before going to an electronics store.
Best Smart TV | Best quality price report | best low budget | |
---|---|---|---|
product | LG OLED 65G2 | Sony Bravia XR65X90J | Samsung CRYSTAL UHD 55BU8005 |
painting | |||
Screen | OLED 120Hz HDR 10, Dolby Vision IQ, HLG | Full Array LED LCD 120Hz HDR 10, Dolby Vision, HLG | LCD LED HDR 10 HDR 10+, HLG |
aspect | 1441 / 245 / 878mm / 22.8Kg | 145.2 x 90.5 x 33.8cm/ 22.9Kg | 1232.1 x 747.8 x 228.8mm/ 15.5Kg |
definition | 3840*2160 (4K Ultra HD) | 3840*2160 (4K Ultra HD) | 3840*2160 (4K Ultra HD) |
Connector |
4x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB, 1x Optical, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, ARC |
4x HDMI (2x 2.1 and 1x 2.0), 2x USB, 1x Optical, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1x headphone jack, ARC |
3x HDMI, 2x USB, 1x Optical, 1x RJ45 Ethernet port, 1x headphone jack, ARC |
connectivity |
Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 / AirPlay Google Assistant, Alexa, LG ThinQ |
Wi-Fi Certified 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.2 AirPlay, Home Kit Google Assistant, Alexa |
Wi-Fi 5 / Bluetooth 5.2 BixBy, Google Assistant, Alexa |
bone | network operating system 22 | Android TV | Tizen |
vocal | AC4, AC3 (Dolby Digital), EAC3, HE-AAC, AAC, MP2, MP3, PCM, WMA, apt-X |
Dolby™ Audio, Dolby™ Atmos, DTS |
Dolby Digital Plus |
price | 3299€ | 1190€ | 799€ |
supply |
Buy |
Buy |
Buy |
To summarize:
Smart TV, quesaco?
Before getting to the heart of the matter, let’s lay the groundwork, what is a smart TV? Well, a Smart TV or Connected TV is a TV that is able to connect to the internet to provide online services like watching series on SVOD platforms or listening to music on streaming apps.
Smart TVs have an optimized interface that gives you access to multiple apps to make your life easier, unlike traditional TVs where you can receive but also stream content. Today, a smart TV is thus a truly complete multimedia center capable of managing all the entertainment parts of your home.
Learn everything about the major smart TV brands and their ranges
You’ll find dozens of different brands on the market offering smart TVs, each claiming to be better than the others. The choice of brand will depend on your budget or the electronics you already have in your home.
Remember, it’s best to avoid brands that are unknown to the camp. The best brands are usually the most expensive, but at least you won’t get a TV with disastrous picture quality.
There are several brands on the market, Chinese manufacturers like TCL and even now Xiaomi, and major market references like Samsung, LG, Sony or Philips. These brands have established value and have proven themselves in terms of quality and reliability.
Understanding Smart TV Names
I dare say the name of that awesome 4K smart TV you saw on your way to the mall. It’s nearly impossible to remember a smart TV’s name, as it’s often a stranger’s reference to one more than another. With the exception of a few models such as Samsung’s The Frame, smart TVs have names that consist of a series of numbers and letters.
At Samsung, each number and letter represents specific information. To illustrate this, let’s take the Samsung QE55Q80AATXC model as an example. Here’s what the name means:
- This”ask“refers to the display technology, in this case QLED
- This”Second” Specify the destination market, here is Europe (N for the United States, A for Asia)
- This”55” means height in inches
- This”ask” Indicates the integration of a specific technology, here “quantum” technology
- This”80” is the serial number (for 8K TVs, this is a 3-digit number)
- This”Have” indicates the marketing year, here is 2021 (B is for 2022)
- This”Have” specifies the generation of the scale (in this case it is 1ʳᵉ)
- This”TXC“Refers to technical specifications such as tuner, design, etc.
As far as LG is concerned, the situation is very similar.So, for example, the meaning of the name LG OLED 75C8PLA
- This”OLED” means series
- This”75” means screen diagonal
- This”VS” indicates the model number (letters B, C, E, and W for 4K TVs; R for rollable TVs, Z for 8K TVs)
- This”8” indicates the year of development (this number corresponds to the last digit of the year)
- This”phosphorus“Indicates TV refit and sales area
- This”large” indicates the type of digital tuner (here DVB T/T2/T2HD/C/S/S2 for Europe, Turkey and Russia)
- This”Have” Indicates design features
For other manufacturers, the principle is almost the same, only the choice of letters or numbers is different. Clearly, smart TV makers should work to simplify their product names.
Range of Samsung Smart TVs
Samsung is the world champion in all categories in the TV market. The brand offers its own QLED technology, which has been developed over the years and is now being improved with Mini LEDs. Long reluctant to OLED, the brand has only recently started. To find our way through Samsung’s vast range of offers, we’ve sorted the manufacturer’s range of smart TVs by price range, namely: entry-level, mid-range and high-end.
Samsung’s entry-level smart TVs offer Crystal UHD LED and QLED 4K screens. These include Samsung BU8005, BU8505 and Q60B models.These are smart TVs under 1000 euros
Samsung Frame/©Samsung
For the mid-range, these models offer Neo QLED 4K technology. In this category we can find models of the Samsung Lifestyle range such as The Sero, The Frame, The Serif as well as the Samsung Q70B, Q80B, QN85B and QN90B. Prices start from around 1000 euros.
At the top of the basket we naturally find the top top from Samsung, with an OLED and Mini LED 4K or 8K screen. The main references in this price range are the Samsung QN95B, S95B, QN700B, QN800B and QN900B. Then you have to pay at least 2000 EUR.
Range of LG Smart TVs
Ranked second in the world in the TV market, LG is also a South Korean giant that offers very high-quality smart TVs. LG is known for being a great champion of OLED technology, so much so that it even supplies OLED panels to rivals like Philips and even Samsung. The brand’s impeccable support for HDMI 2.1 as well as FreeSync and G-Sync standards is especially popular with gamers. We can also mention the integration of artificial intelligence AI ThinQ.
There are also three main smart TV series at LG categorized by price. At the entry level, LG offers models in the UHD LED range. These smart TVs provide the essentials for a great viewing experience with LED-backlit LCD screens and 4K. We found in this range the LG UQ75006LF, UQ81006LB, UP80006LR and even the UQ70006LB. The base model starts at less than 500 euros.
LG NanoCell TV / © LG
Regarding LG’s mid-range offerings, these are the models of the LG NanoCell series. The range offers very nice Smart TVs with LCD LED screens, but above all also models with Mini LED screens. Some of the models in the range are part of LG’s QNED TV range, which includes smart TVs that combine NanoCell, Quantom Dot and sometimes MiniLED technology. The most expensive model in the range even offers 8K. The main references are LG NANO766QA, NANO826QB, NANO956NA and NANO756PA. You will need to pay at least around 1000 euros to buy a TV from this range.
Finally, for those who want the best, the LG OLED range is worth a look. This series mainly includes 5 Smart TV series of A, B, C, G, Z series, as well as Signature series, especially the rolling screen. You’ll find the best smart TVs LG has to offer right now in these rows. The models that stand out are the LG OLED BX6, GX6 and even ZX9. For a nice model with a good diagonal, calculate at least 1500 to 2000 euros, maybe more.
range of sony smart tv
As an iconic entertainment brand, Sony is not third in terms of sales, but certainly third in terms of perceived value. The Japanese manufacturer has chosen to make the quality of its smart TVs the main argument. As such, it offers a fairly premium model, often more expensive than the competition. The manufacturer’s models also offer particularly good sound.
For small budgets, at Sony there are models with LED LCD screens. These smart TVs bring together the main elements you need to enjoy content without being too expensive. You can look at the Sony X70 and X80. Decent models start at around 1000 euros.
Sony Bravia XR X92J / © Sony
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