Christmas is just around the corner. Christmas colors are all around. From the lighted trees on the streets to the bright red sale signs in the malls. But most of the best deals have probably gone. From Black Friday to Single’s Day, the best tech deals have already been had. But for televisions, it’s only just begun. There are still some deals to be scavenged if you look hard enough.
And if you haven’t bought yourself a gift yet, maybe this is the best time to give yourself the gift of an upgrade to a 4K smart TV. The pure big screen streaming you get from it would be so much different from the one that your smartphone or tablet currently gives you.
But, buying a smart TV isn’t just about going to the store and pointing to the one you want right away. There are still things to consider.
First things first – the OS. The TV remote has practically been perfected over the years. But it wasn’t made with internet access factored into the equation. The operating system with which you’ll navigate internet streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and many other streaming sites are, therefore, still in its infancy.
Brands tend to create their own OS from scratch such as Samsung’s Tizen and LG’s WebOS. Sony is the only one with Android TV. Amazon Fire TV OS, on the other hand, is used in many other TVs.
If you’re confused on which OS to get then you’re in the same category as many others. They’re all pretty good at what they’re designed to do. After all, there are only a few mainstream streaming apps that you can use and most of them are in all of the mainstream Smart TV OS.
To help you decide on which smart TV to get for yourself this season I’ve compiled a list of the best of the best from each mainstream brand.
Sony X900F
When it comes to Android smartphone compatibility, Sony’s is one of their best. Their X900F is their mid-tier smart TVs. They come in 5 screen sizes – 49”, 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85”. All of them uses LED technology so you’re assured of that clear black.
The 4K resolution and the HDR make for a wonderful experience when streaming movies which you'll absolutely do often. What it’s got going for it the most is the great options for default apps because it’s powered by Android TV.
Another key feature on this Sony TV is the excellent gaming performance. You won’t feel any sort of input lag while gaming on these screens. It has AMD's Variable Refresh Rate technology which gives you tear-free gaming experience. Fast-paced FPS games that are currently gaining a lot of buzz like Fortnite and PUBG will surely be at its best on these screens.
For such a versatile TV, the sale price of $648 can definitely make it worth your while.
TCL R617
When it comes to non-mainstream TV brands, TCL takes the cake in a lot of the categories. It’s a great all around TV that does all the basics while charging just a fraction of the price of other brands.
The only gripe people have with this TV is that the screen uniformity. But you can live with backlight bleeds as long as you don’t play in extremely lit rooms. That’s basically a price that you pay when you don’t want to pay full price for a premium TV.
It comes in 55” and 65” which are perfect for bigger rooms.
However, when it comes to smart features, the TCL R617 does not make any compromises the Roku OS is a smooth and easy system to use. The apps available on the platform, specialized and default are just plain awesome. There are hundreds to choose from for a specific application you’d like to use your TV for. From Twitter clients to Netflix alternatives, it’s got a lot to offer to increase your viewing pleasure.
The built-in private listening feature is definitely a highlight as even more expensive smart TVs don’t have this. It allows you to transfer your audio to a Bluetooth peripheral which can increase your viewing pleasure especially if you like to crank the volume way up when you game or watch video but you don’t want to bother your housemates with it. At such a low starting price of $650, this is definitely a steal.
LG B8
The 55” and 65” B8 models are both the best of the best in the mainstream category. They’ve got all of the features of a great smart TV and do them all extremely well.
Both gamers and regular movie watchers are going to have the best experience with this TV as it has an extremely quick response time. Your games or movies would look as if they were really there because of the absence of screen tearing.
Even for experienced gamers, the input lag would not exist in this TV. So you can definitely game with the best on this TV and get that chicken dinner every time you play PUBG.
As for image quality, the extremely bright 4K screen can definitely be used in a brightly lit room. Every detail will surely have ample brightness. It will also work extremely well in dark rooms even when it's pitch black because of the OLED technology built-in.
The smart features are also excellent. Although it doesn’t have default Google apps installed, the WebOS that it runs on can definitely work just as fast. The selection of apps is also on par with the best of smart TV OS.
The only downside to this TV is that if you don’t consume a varied enough content, screen burn can occur. This means permanent marks can appear in spaces on your TV that often shows a particular color. At a starting price of $1,697, getting the burn-ins might be extremely difficult to cope with.
Now, you’re a little bit more ready to purchase one. All you’ve got to do now is to go to the store, see them for yourself, and buy them!
And if you haven’t bought yourself a gift yet, maybe this is the best time to give yourself the gift of an upgrade to a 4K smart TV. The pure big screen streaming you get from it would be so much different from the one that your smartphone or tablet currently gives you.
But, buying a smart TV isn’t just about going to the store and pointing to the one you want right away. There are still things to consider.
First things first – the OS. The TV remote has practically been perfected over the years. But it wasn’t made with internet access factored into the equation. The operating system with which you’ll navigate internet streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, and many other streaming sites are, therefore, still in its infancy.
Brands tend to create their own OS from scratch such as Samsung’s Tizen and LG’s WebOS. Sony is the only one with Android TV. Amazon Fire TV OS, on the other hand, is used in many other TVs.
If you’re confused on which OS to get then you’re in the same category as many others. They’re all pretty good at what they’re designed to do. After all, there are only a few mainstream streaming apps that you can use and most of them are in all of the mainstream Smart TV OS.
To help you decide on which smart TV to get for yourself this season I’ve compiled a list of the best of the best from each mainstream brand.
Sony X900F
When it comes to Android smartphone compatibility, Sony’s is one of their best. Their X900F is their mid-tier smart TVs. They come in 5 screen sizes – 49”, 55”, 65”, 75”, and 85”. All of them uses LED technology so you’re assured of that clear black.
The 4K resolution and the HDR make for a wonderful experience when streaming movies which you'll absolutely do often. What it’s got going for it the most is the great options for default apps because it’s powered by Android TV.
Another key feature on this Sony TV is the excellent gaming performance. You won’t feel any sort of input lag while gaming on these screens. It has AMD's Variable Refresh Rate technology which gives you tear-free gaming experience. Fast-paced FPS games that are currently gaining a lot of buzz like Fortnite and PUBG will surely be at its best on these screens.
For such a versatile TV, the sale price of $648 can definitely make it worth your while.
TCL R617
When it comes to non-mainstream TV brands, TCL takes the cake in a lot of the categories. It’s a great all around TV that does all the basics while charging just a fraction of the price of other brands.
The only gripe people have with this TV is that the screen uniformity. But you can live with backlight bleeds as long as you don’t play in extremely lit rooms. That’s basically a price that you pay when you don’t want to pay full price for a premium TV.
It comes in 55” and 65” which are perfect for bigger rooms.
However, when it comes to smart features, the TCL R617 does not make any compromises the Roku OS is a smooth and easy system to use. The apps available on the platform, specialized and default are just plain awesome. There are hundreds to choose from for a specific application you’d like to use your TV for. From Twitter clients to Netflix alternatives, it’s got a lot to offer to increase your viewing pleasure.
The built-in private listening feature is definitely a highlight as even more expensive smart TVs don’t have this. It allows you to transfer your audio to a Bluetooth peripheral which can increase your viewing pleasure especially if you like to crank the volume way up when you game or watch video but you don’t want to bother your housemates with it. At such a low starting price of $650, this is definitely a steal.
LG B8
The 55” and 65” B8 models are both the best of the best in the mainstream category. They’ve got all of the features of a great smart TV and do them all extremely well.
Both gamers and regular movie watchers are going to have the best experience with this TV as it has an extremely quick response time. Your games or movies would look as if they were really there because of the absence of screen tearing.
Even for experienced gamers, the input lag would not exist in this TV. So you can definitely game with the best on this TV and get that chicken dinner every time you play PUBG.
As for image quality, the extremely bright 4K screen can definitely be used in a brightly lit room. Every detail will surely have ample brightness. It will also work extremely well in dark rooms even when it's pitch black because of the OLED technology built-in.
The smart features are also excellent. Although it doesn’t have default Google apps installed, the WebOS that it runs on can definitely work just as fast. The selection of apps is also on par with the best of smart TV OS.
The only downside to this TV is that if you don’t consume a varied enough content, screen burn can occur. This means permanent marks can appear in spaces on your TV that often shows a particular color. At a starting price of $1,697, getting the burn-ins might be extremely difficult to cope with.
Now, you’re a little bit more ready to purchase one. All you’ve got to do now is to go to the store, see them for yourself, and buy them!