Fire TV, Roku, WebOS, and More: A Guide to Smart TV Platforms

Most individuals now use video streaming companies as a substitute of bodily media to look at films and TV reveals. Others have ditched conventional broadcast, cable, and satellite tv for pc TV suppliers for streaming dwell TV. Whether or not you subscribe to Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, or Netflix, you must discover a gadget that allows you to entry these companies in your TV, or a TV that helps them natively.

Media streaming gadgets are versatile, inexpensive, and able to displaying each 4K and HDR content material. You probably have a current TV or are looking for a brand new one, nevertheless, you most likely don’t even want a media streamer, as virtually all present TVs characteristic a built-in platform that means that you can entry in style streaming companies.

However not all sensible TV platforms supply the identical apps and options. Most massive companies can be found on nearly all of platforms, however you would possibly discover a number of exceptions. And different features like voice assistants and streaming out of your cellphone or pc range by system.

We break down what each in style sensible TV platform gives under, and share a few of our favourite TVs and media streamers in every class.

Amazon Fireplace TV

Amazon Fireplace TV interface

Amazon’s Fireplace TV platform is among the massive three licensable sensible TV interfaces, together with Android/Google TV and Roku TV. Which means that many third-party TVs, notably ones from Insignia and Toshiba, use Fireplace TV. Amazon additionally gives a number of first-party Fireplace TVs as properly.

You should use the Fireplace TV platform on every other sensible TV by plugging in an Amazon media streamer, akin to a Fireplace TV Stick 4K or Fireplace TV Dice. The interface prioritizes Amazon’s content material, although to not an overbearing diploma—it options the Prime Video service on the high of the house display, however aggregates content material ideas from different main companies as properly.

Apps

Amazon and Google supply essentially the most full picks of media streaming apps amongst sensible TV programs. The most important companies work on each platform, however area of interest companies like Crunchyroll for anime followers and Twitch for avid gamers are much less constant. Fireplace TV helps each.

Native Casting

That is Fireplace TV’s weakest side. It really works with Miracast/WiDi for some telephones and most Home windows PCs, however it does not help Apple AirPlay or Google Chromecast.

Voice Assistant

Amazon’s Alexa is among the strongest voice assistants—it helps 1000’s of third-party abilities and sensible residence gadgets. Its syntax necessities are a bit stiff in contrast with these of Google Assistant, however it nonetheless works properly. At the moment, hands-free Alexa is offered solely on the Fireplace TV Omni and the Fireplace TV Dice. For each different setup, you must communicate into the distant or preserve a suitable sensible speaker in the identical room.

Android TV and Google TV

Google TV interface

Google’s sensible TV platform has gone via a number of id shifts through the years. Within the early days of media streamers, Google TV was a very completely different system. Then, the corporate ran with Chromecast and the thought of solely streaming out of your smartphone or pill to your TV with none on-screen interface. Later, Google rolled out Android TV, a full sensible TV platform.

Now, Google TV has principally outdated Android TV—it is primarily the identical system, however with a extra streamlined interface. You can too add Google TV to any TV by buying a Chromecast With Google TV.

Apps

Like Fireplace TV, Android TV and Google TV cowl all the most important streaming companies, together with Crunchyroll and Twitch.

Native Casting

Google by no means stepped away from Chromecast, so each Android TV and Google TV allow you to simply stream from any Android gadget or Chrome browser tab. You may’t use AirPlay or Miracast/WiDi, although.

Voice Assistant

Google Assistant is each bit as highly effective as Alexa. It helps loads of sensible residence manufacturers and you should use it to seek for content material throughout a number of companies. It doesn’t have Alexa’s wealth of third-party abilities, however it responds to pure language instructions extra reliably. Larger-end Hisense, Sony, and TCL TVs have far-field microphones that allow you to make use of Google Assistant hands-free.

LG WebOS

LG WebOS interface

Way back, earlier than the age of smartphones, an organization known as Palm made private digital assistants (PDAs; ask your dad and mom) known as PalmPilots. They ran on PalmOS, which Palm renamed WebOS shortly after the iPhone first launched and about when PDAs began to lose their luster. HP purchased WebOS after which finally bought it to LG. After realizing that Apple and Google dominated the cellular gadget market, LG determined to make use of the expertise for TVs as a substitute. Thus, WebOS is now LG’s sensible TV platform.

Apps

Good TV platforms from first-party producers are likely to have a lot smaller libraries than Fireplace TV, Google TV, or Roku TV, however often supply all the most well-liked streaming apps. LG’s WebOS isn’t any completely different. It notably has a Twitch app (one thing Samsung, Vizio, and even Roku lack), however you may’t use Crunchyroll on the platform.

Native Casting

Like Roku and Samsung, WebOS helps Apple AirPlay and Miracast/WiDi, however not Google Chromecast.

Voice Assistant

WebOS integrates LG’s ThinQ voice assistant for direct management of the TV and any suitable LG ThinQ home equipment, however you don’t must rely solely on it. You can too set your LG TV to work along with your alternative of Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Far-field microphones for hands-free management can be found on higher-end LG TVs.

Greatest LG WebOS Gadgets

Roku TV

Roku TV interface

Roku was one of many first massive names in media streamers, and one of many driving forces behind the transfer for all present TVs to incorporate streaming performance. Roku turned its media streaming platform right into a full sensible TV interface known as Roku TV, and made it accessible to any TV producer that needed to license it. Now, loads of finances manufacturers can present entry to apps they merely could not earlier than. In fact, you may nonetheless use Roku with any TV through a Roku Streaming Stick 4K or different Roku gadget. Roku TV’s greatest benefit is that it is some of the intuitive sensible TV interfaces to make use of, even when you aren’t very tech-savvy.

Apps

Roku gives a formidable collection of apps and streaming companies, which it calls Channels. The Roku Channel specifically is in style, however you can even use many free ones. Nonetheless, it at present lacks a Twitch Channel, and has been with out YouTube for some time up to now.

Native Casting

Roku TV helps each Apple AirPlay and Miracast/WiDi, however it doesn’t work with Google Chromecast.

Voice Assistant

That is one among Roku’s greatest weaknesses. Whereas Roku TV has a voice search perform that’s pretty highly effective for locating one thing to look at and for controlling your TV, it could actually’t management sensible residence gadgets or present common data just like the climate. You should use it hands-free with the non-compulsory Roku Voice Distant Professional, not less than.

Samsung Good TV

Samsung Good TV interface

Samsung has all the time gone its personal method with sensible TVs, and its present iteration, merely known as Samsung Good TV, runs on the corporate’s Linux-based Tizen OS. It’s very Samsung-centric, with options like SmartThings help (Samsung’s sensible residence platform), DeX compatibility (Samsung’s phone-as-workstation characteristic for Galaxy telephones), and Bixby (Samsung’s voice assistant). Thankfully, it’s opened up considerably in the previous few years and is far more accommodating to customers who aren’t totally invested in Samsung’s merchandise.

Apps

Like each different platform, the mainstream companies are all accessible. Nonetheless, Crunchyroll and Twitch will not be.

Native Casting

The platform helps Apple AirPlay and Miracast/WiDi, similar to Roku TV and WebOS. You probably have a suitable Samsung smartphone, you can even solid your display wirelessly to your TV to make use of as a workstation monitor.

Voice Assistant

Samsung was Bixby or bust, however that’s fortuitously not the case. Bixby continues to be accessible, and helpful if you wish to management Samsung SmartThings gadgets, however you can even use Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, similar to with WebOS. Larger-end TVs even have far-field microphones for hands-free use.

Vizio SmartCast

Vizio SmartCast interface

For a short while, Vizio was dedicated to the Google Chromecast thought of streaming no matter you need out of your smartphone or pill with out an on-screen interface, and even bundled an Android pill with some TVs particularly for this objective. Thankfully, Vizio realized that most individuals need menus they’ll browse on their TV, and the present Vizio SmartCast platform displays that concept and even helps a lot of the massive names in streaming.

Apps

Vizio has one of many smallest app libraries, however once more, all the greatest names from Amazon to YouTube can be found. Crunchyroll and Twitch are absent, although.

Native Casting

Vizio’s SmartCast is the one platform with each Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast, plus Miracast/WiDi, so you may simply stream something out of your cellphone, pill, or PC.

Voice Assistant

There is not one. Like Roku you should use voice search, there is no full voice assistant current on the TV itself.

Construct the Greatest Dwelling Theater

After you resolve on a streaming platform, take your viewing expertise to the subsequent degree by following our information to constructing the very best residence theater system for beneath $1,000. We additionally clarify methods to calibrate your TV.