Android TV +2

Which TV is better - a Smart TV or Android TV?

17 ANSWERS

Sathish Reddy, Exploring Android TV platform

Answered Feb 5, 2018 · Author has 57 answers and 183.4k answer views

A “Smart TV” also called as “Connected TV” is a TV set which is connected to internet to use
online services and access internet directly in TV.

Android TV is the Operating system among few other OSes available in TV platform; like Web
OS for LG TVs, Tizen OS for Samsung TV. However, most of TV operating systems are based
on Linux based kernels, so that apps they develop has better integration with hardware used
in those TVs.

Many OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) like Samsung, LG are releasing models have
either their own OS or Android to give few choices for their users depending on their
preferences. They still adopt Android OS for their TVs, because it has better UX, vast
developer support, major apps availability (from Google Play store), better google services
integration for seamless sync between your Google apps. Users can side-load Android
package files (APK) with many file managers where TV optimized app is not released in TV
play store and many apps can be used with TV remote (but not all).

So, Choosing a Smart TV os is purely depends on user preference (when compared with UX,
apps availability in their OS and extra features integrated into TV by manufacturers). While
buying a Smart TV, go to a retail store and compare each Smart TV OS and check above
points.

Trust me, it’s not difficult to select right OS for your TV viewing needs.

Let me give you an advice if you want to purchase Android based TV. Many mid/low-tier
brands are providing android TVs for less price. Be sure to operate those TVs before buying as
they may loaded with mobile OS rather than TV OS. Because TV OS and their pre-loaded apps
like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video needs licensing and mobile OS don’t need one. They
just make a custom app launcher optimized for TV remote navigation, but apps and app store
in that OS is not optimized for TV remote. Further they use cheap hardware (memory
modules, storage units, processors) in their TVs and they feel like sluggish and slow when you
operate. So, when you purchase Android based TVs, check for it’s configuration for decent
amount of Storage/RAM/ good processor and check it’s OS type.
92.3k views · View 93 Upvoters · View Sharers · Answer requested by Arpan Chakraborty

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Kaamana Trehan, Senior Auditor. TV Series Fanatic. CA. Home Lover. Indian.
Answered May 23, 2019

Short Answer:-

See, when it comes to purchasing a television, the distance between the screen and the
seating arrangement, known as viewing distance plays a pivotal role in deciding how large a
screen one can decide on that would impart an immersive viewing experience to the viewer.
For an HD Ready display, the maximum screen size is calculated by dividing the viewing
distance (in inches) by ‘2.5’. Whereas, for a Full HD display, the maximum screen size is
calculated by dividing the viewing distance (in inches) by ‘2’. For an Ultra HD display, the
largest screen size is calculated by dividing the viewing distance (in inches) by ‘1.8’.

For illustration, for a viewing distance of 8 feet, i.e. 96 inches, the maximum screen size that
would impart pleasurable viewing experience in an Ultra HD display would be approximately
55 inches.

Now, the source of information that gave me the insights on what one should know before
buying a television and helped me take the buying decision was a post written by the son of a
consumer appliance manufacturer. I found the content to be quite lucid and detailed, and
hence after gaining sufficient knowledge from the post, I went on to purchase one of the
televisions he had recommended in the post. Those who are looking forward to buying a
television, I am providing the link of the post here, you may find it useful - Vibhor Shergill’s
answer to An explanatory guide to buying a Television

(You may copy the above mentioned highlighted text and paste it into the address bar of your
browser.)

Detailed Answer:-

See, when considering to purchase a television, there are particularly two areas one needs to
pay utmost attention to. They are:-

Display Resolution

There are particularly three display resolutions one has to choose among. Those are - HD
Ready, Full HD and Ultra HD.

Display resolution is denoted as ‘A x B’, where A denotes the number of pixels along the
width of the display screen and B denotes the number of pixels along the height of the
display screen. The product of A and B gives the total number of pixels in the screen.

As a thumb rule, the larger the screen size of the television, the higher should be the
display resolution.

HD Ready is commonly known as 720p resolution and such a display has least number of
pixels among all the three resolutions, thereby translating to not so great picture quality.
The next display resolution, i.e Full HD resolution, also known by numeric name 1080p has
1920 pixels along the width and 1080 pixels along the height. Such a display is denoted by
1920 x 1080. This display resolution translates to a decent picture quality when viewed
from a distance. But for enthusiasts and gamers who prefer to have the absolute best
picture quality with vibrant colours and crisp looking content, it is the Ultra HD resolution
that works the best. Ultra HD i.e. 4K resolution numerically translates to 3840 x 2160 pixels
along the width and the length of the screen. With greater number of pixels, both along the
width as well as the height, the resultant viewing experience can literally be compared to
that of a cinematic one.

User Interface

The facilities and the choice of content one can enjoy on one’s television depends entirely
upon the user interface one opts for. Primarily, three major user interface options are
available for a user to choose from. Those are:- Non-Smart, Smart and Android.

Non-Smart televisions serve only limited, basic functionalities such as displaying content
 provided by one’s set-top box provider and/or allowing the user to cast content from one’s
mobile phone or PC to the television screen by connecting a plug-in device like Google
Chromecast to the television, but the experience is often not up to the mark.

Smart televisions provide the user with the functionality to connect the television to one’s
Wi-Fi network and install all the desired applications and online services made available in
the manufacturer’s installed app store in the television. Smart televisions also have built-in
voice search feature that allows the users to search for their preferred content by simply
speaking the name/description of the content.

Android televisions outshine both Smart and Non-Smart televisions in terms of

availability of content for the user to choose from. Android televisions open the world to a
whole new level of Android specific content such as Google Play Store which houses tons of
applications and popular games, Google Play Movies and TV which lets one stream the
latest movies and popular TV shows, some of which are exclusive to Google Play Movies
and TV.

Okay, I have a confession to make…

The information that I have provided above is not my findings but of someone else. I was
looking to buy a television for my room since the past nine days and had researched both
Quora and Google for an answer that could help me take a buying decision.

As a potential buyer, it was very essential for me to get answers to questions like:-

What should I look for when buying a television.

What display size should I go for considering the dimensions of my bed room are 20 x
16, and the television has to be installed on a wall along the breadth of the room.

What display technologies do televisions come manufactured with and which one
among them should I purchase considering that I do not wish to compromise much
upon the image quality.

What are the different resolutions available in television displays and what impact
does display resolution have on the image quality.

Unfortunately, most of the answers here focus primarily on the product and the features that
are on offer. (No offence). I had almost lost all hope to find a satisfactory answer, but then…
Then, I came across a post that answered most of my queries. I read in the post:-

What are the different types of display technologies televisions are produced with
and how to decide which one to opt for along with the Pros and Cons of each.

How various user interfaces that televisions come manufactured with differ from
each other in terms of functionalities offered and which one among them should one
choose depending upon one’s requirements.

What is viewing angle. Which display technology in televisions offers the best
viewing angle and what impact does a smaller range of viewing angle have on the
image quality.

What are the best televisions available in the market for every screen size, and based
upon the viewing distance how should one decide what screen size one should go for.

So, on 22nd May 2019, at 11:42 AM, I placed the order for my television, keeping the
knowledge gained from the post into perspective.

Those who are looking forward to buying a Television, luckily, I have bookmarked the link to
that post for future references, if need arises. I can post the link here, you may find it useful -
Vibhor Shergill’s answer to An explanatory guide to buying a Television

(You may copy the above mentioned highlighted text and paste it into the address bar of your
browser.)

Thanks. Good day.

5k views · View 9 Upvoters
 Vikas Jha, studied Bachelor of Commerce at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha
University (2018)
Answered Jan 17, 2018 · Author has 126 answers and 104.9k answer views

Originally Answered: Which TV is better Android TV or smart. TV?

Android Tv offers a lots of features than Smart tv. Android TV is Upgrade over a Smart TV but
at the same time a little bit costly too. A TV is meant for viewing purpose whether alone or
with family, Obviously it is enjoyed with friends and family. So before buying Smart TV or
Android TV,its better to know whats your expectations & requirements from it.

Cheers!
20.9k views · View 8 Upvoters

Sai Sharan, Product Trainer at Sony India

Answered Oct 21, 2017

Originally Answered: Which TVs are better, Android or Smart?

In this answer would like to elaborate on the capabilities of AndroidTV or how it has an
upperhand over usual smart TV.

Android TV comes into play when we consider the fact that nowadays we watch more on
our mobile screens than on bigscreen . AndroidTV bridges that very gap between your
phone and TV. It also gives the option when it comes to personalised viewing experience.

Bundled with various apps for photos,music,games,movies etc, not only does it have a wider
variety in each selection,but also provides an option to enjoy content available on your phone
onto the big screen. This is possible through Chromecast-builtin (basically chromecast but
comes built in with android TV).

With chromecast almost everything you can think of in your phone can be casted onto the TV
screen, be it photos, music, videos, netflix,hotstar..the list goes on. You can even cast
powerpoint, excel sheets and even a few chromecast supported games (the game will be
shown on TV, the controls on the phones). You can also easily screenmirror your laptop
wirelessly via chromecast.

Android TV is also very much in sync with your mobile phone (do not worry, i mean iOS
users also). Google play store on Android TV has enough number of very useful apps
supported android and iOS (ofcourse an upperhand for android phones).

Some examples could be remote control apps on your phone to control the TV(TV sideview
for Bravia), apps for recieving mobile notifications on TV (Notify Bravia), Haystack news to
view news based on your choice instead of listening to Arnab Goswami asking what the
nation wants to know.

In this era of binge watching and unlimited online content, people like to discover new
content, know whats happening and all use their TV as an all in one device capable of
customisation and personalised content.

Coming back to the question, smart TV generally has Wi-Fi connectivity and basic internet
functions like Youtube, Internet browser… In sony internet Tvs they come with Netflix, Sony
Liv and Amazon prime( recently launched). So, it completely depends on how far you will be
using it.

Hope this helps!!

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Shailendra Kumar (शैलेंद्र कुमार), Tech Reviewer & Financial Expert

Updated May 28, 2019 · Author has 448 answers and 242.6k answer views

Before we talk about which one, let’s understand the difference between smart TVs and
Android TVs.
 1. Smart TVs: A smart TV is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and
interactive "Web 2.0" features which allows users to stream music and videos, browse
the internet, and view photos. In a nutshell, smart TVs are basically a synergy of
laptops and TVs. There are different variants of smart TVs such as LED TV, OLED TV
etc.

2. Android TVs: When the internet giant Google shut down Google TV; it was replaced
by something equally innovative yet strikingly different - the Android TV. The cool
thing about it is, an Android TV gives access to Google Play store and all the apps
available there. In a nutshell, it is basically an Android smartphone with a TV size
screen which can't be used to make voice calls, but doing anything else an Android
smartphone can do can be done using Android TV.

Which one should you buy?

Well, this is a completely personal choice - you want features only Android TV offers then you
buy an Android TV. But, if you are happy with internet streaming and access to YouTube on
your TV, smart TVs are good enough.
3.7k views · View 3 Upvoters

Anup Kumar, Experiment with various OTT boxes, casting devices

Answered Nov 27, 2017
Originally Answered: I am planning to buy a TV. What is the best to buy, an Android TV or a smart TV?

It’s better not to buy a SMART Tv, because of the following reasons:

1. Limited apps connectivity: The connectivity to download apps from playstore is

limited.

2. Limited Hardware configuration. Most of the smart Tvs use 1/2 Gb of RAM with 8 GB
of storage with limited apps. Trust me this is not enough.

3. The UI Sucks - Most of the smart Tv UI looks good and “easy to use” during demo
only. I have tried with Samsung, sony, LG. On Actual use it’s very difficult to use.

I am using a Sony SMART Tv, but also using EzePc Android TV box, which will convert any
normal TV to Smart Tv. You can download any apps from the playstore and use it as a PC
connected to a TV than limiting yourself to only streaming. You can buy a Normal Tv and an
Android Box, that will be cheaper and effective deal for you. You can get more details here.

Hope it helps!!

Cheeers,

Anup
10.2k views · View 8 Upvoters

Chandler Scarborough, I watch TV

Answered Apr 22, 2018 · Author has 217 answers and 303.2k answer views

I would choose the Android TV for several reasons.

There are far more apps available. Want to listen to Spotify or Watch CNN on your
smart TV? Good luck. more services have created apps for Android because it has a
larger user base

Chromecast is built in. So you will be able to stream content from you phone or tablet
without buying an extra device.

You will be able to control your TV with your voice using your phone or Google
Home.

You will be able to use the Google Assistant to search the web.

Google does a better job than most TV manufacturers when it cone comes to software
update updates.

There is not a huge selection of TVs with Android built in. Most manufacturers seem to push
their own oppressin operating system.
I'd recommend getting an external streaming device like the NVIDIA SHIELD . You get all
the features listed above, plus:

You have the option of adding a Samsung SmartThings adapter to turn your TV
into a hub that can control smart devices like light bulbs, web cameras, and
thermostats.

The Shield is capable of serving as a Plex Media Server, meaning you can attach an
external hard drive and stream video from that drive to other TVs in your house.

Plus, this enables you to search for the TV with the best picture and sound quality without
worrying about the quality of its smart features.
23.2k views · View 7 Upvoters

Ankit Mishra, Digital Marketing Analyst (2019-present)

Updated Nov 7, 2018 · Author has 176 answers and 36.4k answer views

Android TV i s a version of the Android operating system designed for digital media players.
As a replacement for Google TV, it features a user interface designed around content
discovery and voice search, surfacing content aggregated from various media apps and
services, and integration with other recent Google technologies such as Assistant, Cast, and
Knowledge Graph.
Smart TV : Aside from lacking productivity functions, such as email and word processing,
a smart TV is a lot like a computer. It enables you to browse the web, watch YouTube and
catch up on social networking. Some of the TVs (such as Samsung) currently support Flash as
well, which means a better web browsing experience.

See it depends on the requirements .Both are good in their own place.

But I would personally prefer smart TV.

4.1k views · View 2 Upvoters

Sharath Krishnan, B.E., Electrical and Electronics Engineering, PSG College of

Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India (2019)
Answered Nov 25, 2018

None of them. The same things that can be done using a Smart/Android TV can be achieved
by connecting a Chromecast for Rs.3k to any TV.

Always buy a TV that has..

1. Good Contrast Ratio (Choose OLEDs)

2. Good Sound Output

3. Good Brightness and Black Levels (OLED again)

4. Lots of HDMI ports and Sound Outputs.

5. Choose an Optimum Resolution , depending on the content you will be watching.

Buying a UHD TV and watching Full HD content most of the time makes no sense.

Conclusion : Buy a “Good TV” and the smart part can be added on easily using “chromecast"
or “amazon fire tv stick".

4.8k views · View 9 Upvoters

Shardav Lad, B. Tech Information Technology, Manipal University Jaipur (2021)

Answered Feb 21, 2017

Originally Answered: Which TV is better Android TV or smart. TV?

Android TV would be a better choice than a Smart TV if you want more functionality from
your TV.

13.2k views · View 7 Upvoters

 Anvadya Khare
Answered Feb 24, 2017

Originally Answered: Which TV is better Android TV or smart. TV?

Android TV is an advanced form of smart TV. It adds Many more functions. An Android TV is
better than a smart TV.

7.3k views · View 9 Upvoters

Leslie Smith
Answered Nov 25, 2017 · Author has 160 answers and 45.2k answer views

Originally Answered: I am planning to buy a TV. What is the best to buy, an Android TV or a smart TV?

Smart TVs are not really that smart. The only real advantage is that everything comes in one
box and saves having an additional piece of equipment to connect plus the usual extra remote
control etc. The biggest downside is probably the firmware rapidly becoming out of date. TV
manufacturers seldom seem to update the operating system, if at all, as newer models are
constantly being introduced and there is little incentive so to do. As a result some newer
features and services may not be available even after a few months. Overall it is really a matter
of personal choice. A smart TV is neater but there is no doubt Android gives more versatility
and makes it easier to keep everything up to date.

4.9k views · View 1 Upvoter

Richard Widman, CEO at Widman International SRL (1997-present)

Answered Nov 25, 2017 · Author has 1.6k answers and 2.7m answer views

Originally Answered: I am planning to buy a TV. What is the best to buy, an Android TV or a smart TV?

I don’t know anything about Android, but I’m sorry I wasted money on a “Smart TV” , as it
really isn’t. It constantly wants to be in TV mode, even though I don’t have antenna service. I
have a cable box, an Apple TV box, and a Blue Ray. But it defaults to the antenna. And it is a
three screen selection to change those. And for some stupid reason, it constantly flashes a
message that the soccer mode is turned off. Of course it is. I don’t watch soccer. The only
thing smart about it is it lets the Apple remote adjust its volume and turn it off.

In my other house, with a normal TV, I just plug in the Apple box and have the cable box and
DVD player plugged in, and choose the source.
5.2k views · View 2 Upvoters

Jonas Ben, App Developer

Answered Sep 5, 2018 · Author has 60 answers and 170.7k answer views
We can’t justify that a Smart Tv or Android Tv is the best the user can only justify it by its
performance and usage how the user use it and what all benefits and latest technology he is
getting as all the smart tv are connected to a internet and some advance technologies also but
a Android Tv work differently from other smart tv a Android tv is developed on a platform like
A Samsung tv is developed on a different platforms like Tizen OS for Samsung TV and many
more A smart TV sometimes referred to as connected TV or hybrid TV because it is a
television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features. Smart TV is a
technological convergence between computers and flatscreen TV sets and set-top boxes.
Besides the traditional functions of TV sets, these devices can also provide Internet TV, online
interactive media, on-demand streaming media, and home networking access and many
more and we can’t tell that Android tv or a Smart tv is the best it totally depends on the user
view and performance and i am just Android Tv in my house and it has better performance
other then smart tv also…
6.1k views · View 2 Upvoters

Padma Singh, Consultant

Answered Nov 25, 2017

Originally Answered: I am planning to buy a TV. What is the best to buy, an Android TV or a smart TV?

See if you want to purchase a new tv then buy something else other than a smart tv as the
performance of these are not good. And to enjoy all the features of an android tv, you can get
it from just having an android tv box.

A detailed explanation is given here for your reference : Android TV : The Next Generation TV

3.3k views

Nathan Wallace, Coffee Shop Owner

Answered Sep 6, 2018

I think it actually depends on your purpose, android tv has more a lot of things to do with
while smart tv is particularly for watching in great quality. Why not get a tv in one where your
connect apple/android tv. Check out this smart tv.
1.8k views

Dave Martin, A guy just trying to make sense of the world

Updated Mar 15, 2019 · Author has 503 answers and 50.4k answer views

First of all, Android TV is simply a brand of smart TV software; manufacturers who use it pay
a license fee to Google to include this software “platform” in their sets.
Since all smart TVs and streaming boxes run the same popular apps, the real differentiators
are platform speed, ease of use (e.g, if you’re an iOS user or have a large library of movies and
TV shows you purchased on iTunes, you’ll probably be happiest with an Apple TV box, which
will keep you in the Apple ecosystem) and whether or not a certain app is available on that
platform. The last two, of course, are subjective, which is why it’s hard to say any one platform
is “the best”. When you’re shopping for TVs, don’t forget to compare user interfaces —
remember, you’re the one who has to live with the set and there’s no point in having a set you
hate using.

1.8k views · Answer requested by Marcus Reeves

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IN OTHER LANGUAGES

En français : Quelle télévision est la meilleure : une TV connectée (smart TV) ou une
Android TV ?

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