5 Best Smarts TVs of 2019
RTingsLG B8: A Premium OLED TV With Excellent Smart Features
Type: OLED | Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch
SHOP NOW: $1,597 The best smart TV we’ve tested so far is the LG B8 4k OLED TV. Just like all OLED TVs, this one has wide viewing angles and a remarkable picture quality that really shows off when in a dark room. It can deliver perfect blacks thanks to its emissive technology. It has a wide color gamut and decent HDR peak brightness, and when in HDR it’s full of rich colors and bright highlights. Unfortunately, OLED TVs have the risk of experiencing temporary image retention or permanent burn-in, which, however, we do not expect most people to experience with normal varied content. Like all of the latest high-end LG TVs, this one runs the latest version of LG’s smart platform WebOS. It’s an interface that’s very intuitive and easy to use. You can use your voice to control certain things and the TV, and it can interface with a variety of smart consumer electronics, like Google Assistant. The interface gives you access to LG’s Content Store, which is one of the most versatile app stores available with a very large number of apps; you’ll surely find what you need. Overall, the LG B8 is an excellent TV with great smart features.
Sony X900F: An Impressive LED LCD TV
Type: LED | Sizes: 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 85-inch
SHOP NOW: $998 If you find that the risk of permanent burn-in is a concern and you want a great TV with good smart features, then check out the Sony X900F. It does not have the perfect blacks or the good viewing angles of OLEDs. On the upside, it’s an LED TV that does not have the risk of burn-in. It can deliver a great picture quality and an impressive performance in almost any use. It’s excellent for watching movies and HDR movies in a dark room, and it delivers crisp motion for sports fans. Finally, it’s a bright TV that can fight glare and has a low input lag for enjoyable casual gaming. This TV has been upgraded to the Android TV Oreo 8.0 that makes content very easy to find. The interface is easy to navigate, runs well on the TV’s hardware, and gives you access to the Google Play Store where you’ll find what you’re looking for. Like many modern TVs, the remote has a microphone so you can use your voice with the TV’s Google Assistant voice control feature.
Samsung RU8000: A Very Good TV With Excellent Gaming Features
Type: LED | Sizes: 49-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, 82-inch
SHOP NOW: $649 If you’re looking for something in the same price range as the Sony X900F but also want more advanced gaming features, then check out the Samsung RU8000. You won’t get the dark room performance of the Sony, and HDR content won’t have the same impressive performance. However, this is a very good TV for most uses, with good picture quality. It’s a good choice for watching sports and TV shows, but movie or HDR movie enthusiasts might want to look elsewhere. This is an excellent TV for playing video games. It has a remarkably low input lag, even with motion interpolation, it supports FreeSync variable refresh rate technology for nearly tear-free gaming, and has an Auto Low Latency Mode to detect when you’re gaming and switch to the lowest input lag mode. This TV has a smart interface which is based on Samsung’s Tizen OS. It’s very easy to use and is very intuitive. It comes with a large number of preinstalled apps and gives you access to Samsung’s app store where you can find lots of other apps to meet your needs. You can easily use your voice to perform certain tasks, as this TV integrates well with Bixby, Samsung’s smart voice assistant. Overall, this is a good TV with great smart features.
TCL R617: A Very Good Budget TV With Premium Performance
Type: LED | Sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch
SHOP NOW: $529 The TCL 6 Series R617 is a very good TV for most uses that has great smart features and won’t break the bank. It doesn’t have the gaming features of the Samsung RU8000 nor the dark room performance found on the Sony X900F. On the upside, this TV delivers an impressive performance in most uses, and if poor screen uniformity doesn’t bother you too much, you’ll enjoy the performance of this TV. This TV has great smart features. It runs the latest version of the Roku OS that’s easy to use and is very smooth. The interface gives you access to a multitude of apps and streaming channels. TCL’s remote app is very powerful and has a ‘private listening’ feature that transfers audio from the native apps to your headphones; this is great for watching TV at night without bothering the rest of the family. Overall, this is an impressive TV and is great value for your money.
TCL 4 Series S425: A cheaper alternative with the same great smart features
Type: LED | Sizes: 43-inch, 49-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch
SHOP NOW: $240 If you like the Roku TV interface found on the TCL R617, but picture quality is not your primary concern, then get the TCL 4 Series S425. You will not get the same impressive performance found on the TCL R617. This is a Roku Smart TV that delivers decent performance in most uses. It doesn’t support any advanced features like local dimming or motion interpolation, making it a little less versatile. Furthermore, it can’t get very bright and it’s more suitable for average-lit rooms like a kitchen or a garage; there is little advantage to using HDR with it. On the upside, it runs the same Roku TV interface found on the R617 with the same features, just slightly less advanced. Through the interface you get access to a very large number of apps, which Roku calls ‘Streaming Channels,’ where you’ll find what you need. The remote app that controls the TV is very versatile; it can act as a remote, lets you stream files to the TV, and even allows some limited voice control of the TV. Overall, the TCL S425 is a budget TV that will keep you happy if picture quality is not your primary focus. This guide may have been updated. To see all measurements and the current recommendations for smart TVs, please go here.
We’ve got you covered if you’re looking for different kinds of TVs. Whether it’s the best budget TVs of 2019, the best LED TVs of 2019 or the best 55-inch TVs of 2019, Forbes Finds has a guide for it.
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