What Smart TV Brands do I choose from?

Smart TVs are available from all the major manufacturers - including Samsung, LG, Panasonic, and Sony - but each has its own strengths and weaknesses with BlingStallation recommending Samsung as our preferred Brand. We will review Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic for you;

Samsung Smart TV

Almost all of Samsung's newer televisions are 'smart', starting with the 5500-series models and expanding upwards. You get Samsung's 'smart hub' homescreen, plus a good web browser and a wide range of apps.

Samsung's smart-TV platform is easy to use, although getting around is a bit more of a challenge on TVs with just the standard remote. Samsung also offers a 'smart touch control' remote with a laptop-style track pad for your thumb, but it's only available on more premium models. 

What apps do you get on Samsung smart TV?

LG Smart TV

LG now offers two flavours of smart TV - its legacy 'Netcast' platform and its new generation of smart TVs powered by webOS technology, previously used on mobile devices. The legacy platform has a rather cluttered home dashboard. The pages are packed with icons and it's confusing to get around at first.

LG’s new webOS smart-TV service is better designed. You get a ‘launcher’ bar at the bottom of the screen that allows you to quickly jump into things like the TV guide, apps or the web browser. You can customise the launcher with your favourite services by simply dragging and dropping them into the order you want.

Just like Samsung, LG offers two types of remote control - a standard version and a 'magic' remote. The latter works a bit like a Nintendo Wiimote, with a moveable cursor on screen. It's great with the smart-TV functions, but it’s only included free on the pricier TVs, otherwise you’ll have to buy it separately, while some models don't support it at all.

What apps do you get on LG smart TV?

Sony Smart TV

Sony offers a good range of apps but the continued absence of ITV Player and 4oD remains an issue. However, you do get Sony’s own Video Unlimited service pre-loaded, offering films and other video content to watch.

Sony's smart TV service is hard to use when compared to the other brands. Navigating the smart-TV features with Sony’s standard remote control can be a pain. Sony has an extra remote featuring a laptop-style trackpad, but poor navigation on the smart-TV platforms means it's still not that easy to get around, and using the web browser is a source of frustration.

What apps do you get on Sony smart TV?

Panasonic Smart TV

Panasonic’s smart-TV service was a bit of a late developer compared to LG and Samsung, but it's now competitive with the other brands. Panasonic's big feature is homescreens that you can personalise to your tastes with your favourite apps, shortcuts and even decoration. 

Some Panasonic sets come with TV Anywhere, an app service that lets you remotely watch TV channels or stored PVR content on a smartphone or tablet, even while away on holiday.

Panasonic's smart-TV service is OK to use, although there's definitely room for improvement. The navigation can be unintuitive at times, particularly if you're using the standard remote rather than Panasonic's smart version with a trackpad and voice control options.

What apps do you get on Panasonic smart TV?