The way we watch TV and movies have changed.
Gone are the days when the only way to watch the latest TV show or access on-demand content was to have a set-top box and an expensive subscription to either Virgin or Sky.
These days, most of our content is accessed via streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer, and TVs have evolved to accommodate this shift.
Much like the smartphone in your pocket, a smart TV is connected to the internet and offers access to a range of different apps. The apps available open up a whole new world of entertainment. You can stream videos, watch live content, access catch-up and on-demand services and even play games and check your social media.
Smart TVs also make streaming and casting from your smartphone, laptop or tablets a lot easier. So long as you’re sharing the same Wi-Fi connection, you’ll be able to wirelessly stream content, including videos, music and photographs, directly to your TV.
Of course, as technology continues to improve, so do smart TVs. Many have built-in voice assistant software like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some newer models even let you access and control other smart devices on your network, including speakers, lightbulbs, thermostats and plugs.
What kind of internet do you need for a smart TV?
Almost all smart TVs work via Wi-Fi, so you won’t need to worry too much about your router being close by. But if you’re planning to purchase one of these devices, you must consider your broadband speed. If you want to stream anything, you’ll need at least 25Mbps. It’s also worth checking to see if your broadband package offers unlimited bandwidth so you can avoid any extra charges or disconnection when streaming.
Do you need a TV license to watch a smart TV?
If you’re going to be watching TV and movies via video streaming apps such as Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV, you don’t need a television license.
However, if you plan to download and watch content on BBC iPlayer, you will need a TV licence that costs £159 per year.
You will also need to be covered by a TV license if you watch live TV on streaming apps including ITV Hub, Now TV, All4, My5 and Amazon Prime Video. But if you access their content on-demand only, you don’t need one. It does sound confusing, but it’s worth making sure you make sure you’re covered as it is illegal to watch live TV without a license.
Do smart TV’s need updating?
As with any software, eventually, it needs updating, and smart TVs are no exception, but the good news is that most brands offer an option to update automatically so you won’t even notice it taking place. It’s really important to make sure your smart TV is kept updated with the latest software as not only can this add new features, but they can also iron out any bugs.
Can you turn your current “dumb” TV in to a smart one?
If you’re not quite ready to upgrade to a brand new smart TV, then there are plenty of streaming devices, including Amazon Firestick, Google Chromecast, Apple TV and Roku, which will turn your regular TV into a smart one. Streaming devices plug into the back and, like a smart TV, offer a wide range of apps to allow you to access your favourite entertainment apps.
Almost every TV manufacturer now makes smart TVs. We’ve rounded up the best on the market from manufacturers including Samsung, Philips and LG and to suit all budgets.
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Panasonic JZ2000 OLED
Best for: overall
This 55-inch TV is the complete package. It has a 4K resolution and stunning OLED panel for crisp and vibrant colours. It also benefits from Dolby Vision® IQ, which automatically adjusts the picture depending on the light in the room.
Its automatic features don’t stop there, it uses AI to analyse what’s being shown and adjust the picture and sound levels to the required settings for music, sport, movies, TV, etc., for an overall better viewing experience.
The audio is superb on this TV, as it has side-firing speakers to belt out Dolby Atmos sound.
If you’re a gamer, there are four HDMI 2.1 inputs, two of which support high frame rates and variable refresh rates for a more realistic image. There is also a Game Mode Extreme which uses the impressive HCX Pro AI processor to halve input lag, ensuring you never miss a moment.
The processor also works well to upscale low-resolution content to fit it in the 4K pixels, so if you’re watching YouTube or sharing content from your phone, this will look so much better.
The smart capabilities on this model are outstanding with access key apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, BritBox and more from the central My Home Screen dashboard. There is also a voice assistant button on the remote, which upon the first use will let you choose between Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa depending on your preference and other smart devices in your home.
Buy now £1109.00, John Lewis
Hisense H43A7100FTUK
Best for: budget
This TV has a stunning 4K ultra-HD picture with pin-sharp clarity and a 43-inch screen. Built-in HDR enhances all the details and presents contrast and colour accuracy, making it an ideal choice for movies and gaming. It has DTS sound studio, including volume levelling, bass, and dialogue enhancement.
It benefits from a quad-core processor, which means switching between applications is super fast. Its smart TV OS is called Hi-View Engine, and it offers intuitive and personalised access to all your favourite entertainment - Netflix, Prime, you know the score.
This TV also has Freeview Play which allows you to watch live TV and catch up on the last week of programming across apps such as BBC iPlayer, My5, All4 and ITV Hub.
This Hisense model also has Alexa built-in, so you can use the voice assistant to control your TV, search for programs and take advantage of all her skills.
Buy now £279.00, Very
Samsung 2021 55 inch AU7100 UHD 4K
Best for: 4K
This TV is great no matter what content you enjoy watching. It has Samsung’s PurColor so provides true-to-life, vibrant and crystal clear pictures as nature intended on its large 55-inch screen. And for content that isn’t 4K, this TV will upscale the images so you can watch anything in ultra-high-definition. The images will also be smooth and jitter-free thanks to Samsung’s clear motion rate algorithms, which automatically adapt the pictures based on what is being watched.
The sound is fantastic with this TV, thanks to the auto-adjust setting that will ensure you’re getting the proper audio levels in conjunction with what is being streamed.
We also love how it has a built-in cable management system, so you don’t have to worry about seeing messy cables hanging around - no doubt an advantage to maintain carefully curated interiors.
This TV has plenty of apps which can be found via the home screen. It also has Samsung Plus which has a range of live and on-demand content ready to watch straight out of the box. It uses a full home screen interface so you can easily select what you want to line-up on your next binge-watching evening.
Mirroring from your smartphone or tablet is extremely easy, just click the AirPlay or casting button, and so long as you’re on the same Wi-Fi network, it’ll instantly start playing on the big screen.
Buy now £479.00, Very
Philips 50PUS9006/12 50" Smart 4K Ultra HD
Best for: ambilight
The Philips 50PUS9006/12 smart TV has a 50-inch screen and combines stunning picture quality with Dolby Atmos for a deep, rich sound. It has a P5 engine processor making images look realistic and blur-free.
The best thing about this TV is the Ambilight feature, which projects coloured lights onto your walls from each of the four corners. These lights also react to whatever is playing on your TV for added atmosphere. Samsung uses the Android TV system for its smart TV capabilities. Android TV has plenty of apps, including Netflix, Apple TV and Disney+. It also has built-in Freeview Play so you can catch up on any shows you’ve missed over the last week and watch live TV.
It uses Google Assistant, and you can control your TV and smart home devices such as light bulbs direct from your remote control. It also lets you ask questions and set reminders as well as working with all smart speakers, including Amazon Alexa.
Buy now £549.00, Currys
LG C1 (OLED65C1)
Best for: sports
This TV offers a crisp 4K HDR picture across its 65 inches. It has an all-glass screen which can cause a few issues when it’s daylight and the sun is shining in, but that is a small price to pay for such a good set.
The smart capabilities on this TV are fantastic. It uses WebOS, which has support for all the major streaming services. The device is also really easy to update and add new channels as soon as they surface, which is good news if you’re waiting for Paramount Plus to drop.
If you’re a sports fan, you’ll love the integration feature, which works by you telling the LG C1 who your favourite sports teams are, and the WebOS will give you score updates and remind you when the next matches are due to be played. AirPlay and casting are supported and are quick and responsive to use. The good news is that Samsung doesn’t pick sides, and you can choose between Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, which can be accessed via the remote.
Buy now £1699.00, AO
Sony XR-65X90J
Best for: mid-range
This is one of the best 65-inch, mid-range TV’s you can buy. It has a wonderful colour balance with an ultra-HD 4k resolution. The device benefits from a Cognitive Processor XR, which optimises the images for better contrast and depth.
It also has XR motion clarity, ensuring that fast-moving pictures are smooth and blur-free; this makes it an ideal choice for watching sports or gaming. The Dolby Atmos sound offers a cinematic experience, producing a deep, immersive sound. The devices uses Google TV to give you access to your favourite content with over 6,000 apps available and smart home services. There is Youview catch-up built in to share content from across BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, My5, All4 and a range of other Freeview channels and radio stations.
Google Assistant can be accessed from the remote and you can use voice commands to search for TV programs, movies or even control your smart home devices via your television
Buy now £1079.00, John Lewis
Samsung QN95A Neo QLED
Best for: colour
This 55-inch TV comes with the ultimate QLED 4K screen. It has a mini LED backlights, which produce amazing SDR and HDR images that are extremely colour accurate. It boasts a 4.2.2 channel sound system which give a fantastic audio experience, and you won’t miss the Dolby Atmos one bit. There are four HDMI which can all handle 40Gbps, so whatever you’re plugging in will benefit from 4K resolution.
When it comes to connectivity, this TV has it all, with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Apple AirPlay 2. This Samsung set uses the Tizen-powered smart TV platform, which is more responsive and offers way more functionality than other brands in the same price range. There is comprehensive app support with all of the top streaming apps available, including Netflix, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
When it comes to smart assistants, you can choose from Bixby or Alexa, and with Apple AirPlay 2, you can even summon up Siri.
Buy now £1599.00, Currys
LG 65QNED996PB QNED MiniLED HDR 8K
Best for: 8K TV
This Ultra-HD smart TV has a 65-inch screen that offers native 8K resolution. Although at the moment there isn’t much content available in 8K, things are progressing quickly, so it’s always good to be prepared.
This TV also benefits from LG’s upscaling system thanks to the Alpha 9 Gen 4 processing engine. This means that even if you’re not watching something that’s been made for 8K, it will automatically upgrade the image, so it looks just as crisp and sharp as if you were.
It uses mini LED lighting, and thanks to LG’s Nanocell system, which absorbs any unwanted light, it delivers a more accurate and richer image.
The device uses WebOS 6.0 for a full home screen dashboard that will let you access all of the major entertainment apps and give you updates on your other smart devices, the temperature outside, and other functions you need to access.
It has a magic remote that works via voice control and is very comfortable and responsive to use.
Buy now £2899.00, John Lewis
Toshiba 32WK3C63DB
Best for: small set
Surprisingly 32-inch TV’s are classed as small screens these days, and this Tosbia set is one of the best. It is only 720p which is fairly common on smaller sets, but it does support HDR images. There are plenty of pictures pre-sets, including natural, cinema, sports, and dynamic, to get the best colour possible. If you don’t want to be responsible for choosing the right pre-set, a very basic AI function will review the metadata and auto-select the appropriate setting.
When it comes to smart capabilities, this TV has a simple and easy to use interface. It has a great selection of apps, including the big players Freeview Play, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Rakuten TV, YouTube and more. It even has its own brand app store with some more unusual video apps and radio stations. For a budget TV, we were surprised by the integration of both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which can be voice-controlled via the remote.
Buy now £189.00, Very
LG OLED55G16LA 55" Smart 4K Ultra HD
Best for: mounting on wall
This TV is perfect if you’re looking for an ultra-slim, lightweight 55-inch screen. It doesn’t come with a stand as it has been designed to be wall-mounted. However, you can purchase a stand separately if you’d rather it not be on the wall.
It has 4k resolution and offers impressive visuals and audio thanks to the presence of Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos®. The OLED screen means the colours are bright, clear and unlock HDR images.
If you’re a gamer or sports fan, the special game optimiser function will provide you with a smooth, responsive image. It operates on the LG webOS platform with a full-screen home interface to easily access all your favourite apps.
Aside from streaming applications, there are plenty of gaming and sports apps on offer as well as web browsing capabilities.
Buy now £1489.00, AO
Verdict
If you stream your content, it is worth investing in a new smart TV. Most of the newer models come with OLED screens, so you’ll get improved brightness, contrast and wide colour range alongside lower power consumption and faster refresh rates. Our top pick is the Panasonic JZ2000 OLED which is an amazing all-rounder. It has excellent smart capabilities with plenty of apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, BBC iPlayer and BritBox. It also gives the option of choosing between Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa so you can choose which one you prefer and match it with other smart devices in your home.
The Philips 50PUS9006/12 is another top buy. We love the Ambilight function, which makes things feel cosy and warm and builds an atmosphere as the lights react to whatever you’re watching. It also uses the AndroidTV system, so there is plenty of choice when it comes to apps.
