You have done plenty of research for a new TV, but with so many fantastic options, it’s hard to know what will last in the future; you want a TV that can keep up with your habits, retain its image quality in the years to come and one that won’t look old fashioned five years down the line. What you need is some expert advice to help you to make your purchase, which is why this article is all about explaining the pros and cons of Smart TVs, and what other options are available to you.
What is a Smart TV?
Before you start asking what your alternatives to a Smart TV are, you need to be sure that you understand what a Smart TV is, so in this section, we’re going to briefly summarise the typical functions and capabilities of a Smart TV.
For a TV to be truly ‘smart’, it needs to be able to connect to the internet. This connection affords you more freedom than any other type of TV on the market, making the Smart TV a very competitive one. With a Smart TV, you can download Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky and BBC iPlayer for all of your streaming demands, and unlike a buffering mobile device, a Smart TV is built to handle the amount of data flowing through it to give you a stunning performance every time.
Smart TVs are Getting Smarter
The prices for Smart TVs vary, with some of the newer models including voice control support – a handy feature which may add to the cost of your television. Some Smart TVs may even be able to act as a hub through which you can control other household appliances, such as lighting and a thermostat.
More and more, Smart TVs are becoming streamlined computer systems dedicated to providing you with amazing entertainment possibilities. As well as the commonplace streaming apps and the possibility of voice control, you can also browse the web on most Smart TVs as an aside.
Considering the Cons of Smart TVs
It’s true that not everyone will make use of all the features available on Smart TVs; if you are a devoted user of Sky TV and not sure that you would get much out of a Netflix subscription, then you might be doubting the extra money that a Smart TV will cost. Before you buy a Smart TV, you need to be sure that you have a good internet connection and decent broadband speed, otherwise, you won’t be able to use the benefits offered by going Smart.
On the other hand, many high-quality TVs nowadays are Smart by default, so you might struggle to find a high-quality TV screen that doesn’t also ask you to pay out for Smart services. In the following sections, we look at some alternative priorities that you might value more than a Smart TV when making your final purchase.
4K Screen Quality
You might be satisfied with a cheap LED TV, but it is certainly worth checking out the capabilities of a 4K screen before you make your final purchase. A 4K screen offers greater pixel detail than any screen that came before it – LED, LCD, CRT, HD – and just as those upgrades all built on the TVs that came before them, nothing quite compares to the 4K experience, with the exception of cutting edge 8K technology.
Cheap 8K TVs are already on the market, but these TVs currently lack any 8K content that could really show off their capabilities. Cheap 4K TVs used to be at a similar point, but currently, a 4K TV screen is the peak of entertainment because more and more series and films are streaming in fabulous 4K. You can enjoy reading about the Top 7 Ways to Make the Most of Your 4K TV if you aren’t yet convinced by their capabilities.
OLED and QLED
As well as the 4K revolution being well and truly underway, you have a choice to make behind the type of screen technology that you prefer. Like 4K TVs, you are unlikely to find cheap TVs using QLED or OLED technology that aren’t also Smart TVs, but you might want to factor it into your decision-making process.
OLED and QLED technology improves on previous TV LEDs by improving the life expectancy of your TV set, as well as the depth of colour and contrast available. We have an article explaining the differences between OLED and QLED TVs if you need more information.
Chances are that you will end up buying a Smart TV in order to enjoy the benefits of a clear and cutting-edge TV screen, which will open avenues of quality TV time that you’ve been unable to consider until now. If you have any specific questions regarding making a TV purchase with us, then please do not hesitate to contact us – we’re always happy to talk about televisions.
