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In every CNET TV review, three or more similar TVs are compared side by side in various lighting conditions playing different media, including movies, TV shows and games, across a variety of test. If you buy a new TV today, chances are it'll be a smart TV. This means it connects to the internet without an extra set-top box or streaming device, and allows you to access all your favorite apps, catch-up services, and streaming platforms.
However, in the same way that phones run on Android and others run on iOS, there are different operating systems built into many of the best smart TVs. Although many of these smart TV platforms have similar features, they can vary a huge amount in how the interface looks, which apps are supported and generally how intuitive everything is to navigate. Even big services, like Disney Plus, or Freeview Play for you UK readers , can be missing from certain platforms, so it's important to know what you're getting in for with your new TV purchase.
LG 's webOS and Samsung 's Tizen are often considered to be the best smart platforms — they're fast and fully stocked with the latest apps — though there's still plenty of reason to give other operating systems a look in. Read our guide to the best streaming service to figure out which you need to look out for when you're choosing the best smart TV platform. Or, if you want smart features on an older TV, check out our guide to the best streaming devices.
Each platform has its pros and cons, which is why we've put together this guide to help you navigate the smart platforms out there, and decide which is the best for you. Find out more about how we test. LG rewrote the rulebook for smart platforms with its webOS, starting the trend for minimal, simplified user interfaces back in These days, it's still an exceptional smart platform that truly leads the pack.
In recent years, webOS has seen some major overhauls with the sixth iteration of the interface replacing its traditional overlay of apps for a full-screen view that's more spaced-out. Boasting an updated home screen which has been overhauled to be more intuitive, webOS 6. Now webOS 22 is rolling out on newer models, too. TV, plus all the main channel catch-up services. Samsung is another brand keen to keep things simple — its Tizen OS clearly owes much to LG's webOS interface, in so much as it consists of icons, apps and shortcuts all accessible via icons held a horizontal strip across the bottom of the screen.
For now, we like the fact that on-screen icons can be changed: a sense of identity is welcome when it comes to some AV inputs and key apps you use everyday. The OS cuts down on clutter, although this sometimes works against navigation — there are plenty of occasions when it's necessary to go hunting for a specific app. Higher-end models will get Bixby built-in too.
Best smart TV platform of 2024: WebOS vs Tizen vs Roku
But all Samsung sets come with Samsung SmartThings — which allows your TV to act as the center of your connected home. As a platform, Roku TV borrows the interface and feature set from the company's popular media streamers, like the Roku Streaming Stick. What that means is that you'll find a universal search function able to scan over 30 different apps like Netflix, Google Play TV and Movies, Amazon, VUDU and more to find you the lowest price on the TV show or movie you want to watch, as well as around 4, channels of content to watch.
Add to that some neat features like a dedicated app that helps you keep track of upcoming movies and TV shows via the My Feed section, a free TV streaming service built into the platform, and a private listening mode via headphones that plug into the remote when you want to watch TV without disturbing the whole house. Android TV is the nearest thing to a standardized operating system there is, but there are still variations between brand executions.
Sony, however, has the most comprehensive Google solution. This YouView app ensures that all the main catch-up services are provided, and accessible via a roll-back 7-day EPG. Controllers from Logitech and Razer also promise gaming without needing a console. The latest Android version 9. You'll find this latest iteration on all new Panasonic TVs, though it will run fastest — and display its apps and content in the best light.
While the app support is generally good, you are missing out on both NOW TV and Disney Plus — the latter of which feels especially odd, as the biggest TV streaming service to launch in the past year. We can't talk about the best smart platforms without mentioning Amazon Fire TV — the proprietary OS used in the Amazon Fire TV streaming stick, and an increasing number of televisions too. You'll largely find it on streaming sticks, like the Fire TV Stick Lite or Fire TV Stick 4K, where it offers a comprehensive catalogue of apps and services — even if it's quite heavily populated with Amazon Prime Video content and channels — as well as a capable voice remote, with volume and AV controls varying between each model.
Best smart TV OS 2024: which TV platform is best for you?
Alexa is one of the if not the best voice assistants out there, while the Fire TV platform as a whole is fast and versatile. Some of these TVs are OK, but many aren't, undermining the strengths of the operating system they make use of. If you're interested in the speed and versatility of Amazon's smart TV platform, we recommend buying an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K instead — which you can plug into any dumb or smart television anyway if you aren't happy with your current interface.
Hisense makes use of quite a few different smart platforms — Roku TV and Android TV among them — but a number of mid-range Hisense sets instead use an in-house operating system called Vidaa U. Why is it called that? We're never quite sure. But Vidaa U has been a consistently stable smart platform throughout our various tests.
It's not the flashiest OS, but is well laid-out, and largely copes well with the demands of a modern smart TV — though there is the occasionally frustrating quirk, such as the O8B OLED's persistent and unwelcome screensaver. You might see Netflix given pride of place, too — likely in a lucrative deal with Hisense — it's impossible to move or delete the app from your home screen on Vidaa U sets in the UK.
We'll be keeping an eye out to see how Vidaa U changes and improves — hopefully by removing or fleshing out some unnecessary features, like the 'Vidaa Free' that packages together YouTube videos rather than dedicated free content. SmartCast, on paper, is a great idea. It's all the fun extras of the Android TV platform — including the ability to Cast content to your screen — with a more logical layout.