How to know if it's a Smart TV

All electronics stores and large distribution chains offer televisions of all types and diagonals, boasting great multimedia capabilities also thanks to the Smart TV component. Unfortunately it is not enough to insert the word "Smart TV" on the packaging or on the technical sheet to be sure that the TV supports all the apps and all the Internet services we want: for many Chinese or low-cost models Smart TV could only mean access to Internet or a slow and clumsy Web browser!
To avoid buying a Smart TV that is not a Smart TV, in this guide we will show you all the checks to be carried out on the new TV (before purchasing) to check if it is really a Smart TV or a simple TV with limited access to the Internet .

How to recognize a Smart TV

Before buying any TV we carry out all the checks provided below, in particular if we buy the TV in a physical store (we can therefore check many things). If we buy the TV online we will have to trust the technical data sheet offered, but we strongly advise you to insert the model on Google to get the official technical data sheet of the product.

Internet connection check

If we have physical access to the TV, we check if there is an Ethernet socket on the back: it is not synonymous with Smart TV, but at least we will be sure of being able to connect it to our home network via cable.

We also check the label and the information provided on Wi-Fi connectivity : its presence is almost always a sign of a Smart TV device, since we can quickly connect it to our modem both by using the 2.4 GHz network and the 5-network GHz (the latter to be preferred, as seen in our guide Differences between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks; which is better ">
In order to be truly Smart on our TV, the following apps must be present or downloadable:

• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Prime Video
• Netflix
• Infinity
• Now TV
• DAZN

If among the already installed apps we do not find them immediately, we try to open the integrated store and look for them (maybe they just have to be added manually to the system, as is done for example on smartphones). If even just one of these apps is missing, we are faced with a low quality Smart TV or one that uses too customized Smart components (modified versions of Android or slow and little known systems), to the point of not having received the certification to reproduce the protected content (DRM).
Many of these systems do not support the installation of third-party apps, so the main apps must be all there, since we will not be able to install them in any other way (unless we have an Android system with APK support ).

Operating system check

Some operating systems for Smart TV are definitely more supported than others, thus offering a better guarantee in terms of support for the most famous apps; this parameter is vital, especially if we are evaluating a TV in the store without an Internet connection (therefore without the possibility of checking for the presence of the required apps).

Currently the best operating systems for Smart TV are:

• WebOS : this operating system can be found on modern LG Smart TVs sold from 2015 onwards. On WebOS we have many useful apps already installed and we will also find one of the richest stores of apps of all kinds, so as to be sure of being able to play any streaming content. If we focus on the WebOS TVs of the AI ​​ThinQ line we will also have the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants, excellent for being able to control the TV with your voice.
• Tizen OS : this is the operating system that we can find on Samsung Smart TVs (from 2015 onwards). On it there are many useful apps already installed and the custom store allows you to install practically any app produced for a TV. SmartThings series TVs have support for Google Assistant and Alexa voice assistants, so you can control everything with your voice.
• Android TV : this is one of the newest and most promising operating systems, being the version of Android designed for televisions. In fact, we will find all the functions of our Android smartphone but with an interface designed for use with the remote control, while at the app level we will find both smartphone apps and apps optimized for TV (we can install both). On Android TV we can install the APKs of the apps that we do not find, we can send the Cast streams to the TV without Chromecast (it is integrated) and we can also control the TV with your voice through Google Assistant. This system is present on many modern televisions produced by Sony, Hisense and Philips, but it is spreading wildly among all manufacturers that do not have their own operating system.

If the TV chosen for purchase does not have one of these operating systems, absolutely avoid it : at best we will find ourselves with an old version of Android (not optimized for TV) slow, ugly to look at and without support for the apps that we try (or they look very bad).
To avoid scams we always try to focus on known systems and famous brands (even from previous years, just do not take models produced before 2018 ) and which support all the apps that a user wants to use on the TV.
READ ALSO: Best Smart TV for app system from Samsung, Sony and LG

Conclusions

If the price of a new Smart TV is too low and does not convince us, we immediately make these checks in the data sheet or we look for the writing in the TV packaging: very little is needed to buy a valid and long-lasting product, but it is equally easy to take large ones disappointments!
If we also want to check other parameters to choose between various Smart TV models, we invite you to read our guide How to choose and buy the best Smart TV .
If, on the other hand, we want to make Smart a rip-off or very old TV, we can read our insights Add Netflix, YouTube and the apps on the TV with Amazon Fire Stick and Chromecast Guide with 16 tricks and applications to use it better .