Smart TV OS - Long term usage comparison

[rufreakde]

Hi all,

I tried to look online to have some more detailed comparison for Smart TV OS. My goal is to buy a OLED TV in the near future and I like quick and responsive UI in an OS and mostly freedom to configure it? (Maybe to much to ask in the TV space)

 

So there are some big competitors:
Android TV - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_TV

Google TV - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_TV_(operating_system)
Samsung Tizen OS -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tizen (I find it slow and the adds annoy me as hell)
LG webOS - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebOS

You can find a lot of comparisons in picture quality of TVs and sound and looks but the OS is so important to me and it is very hard to find anything about it.

 

Things to compare:

1. how fast is the startup time between different TV models and OS.
2. how quickly do they respond if you switch between Apps like Netflix Twitch etc
3. is it possible to have your own apps running
4. what is the usually update support length
5. is there a lot of bloat installed from the start
6. if the have voice support is it easy to use? Does it work? Is there a lot of delay?
7. is there anything in day to day use that annoys?

and ofc the usual, pixel response time brightness etc but this is often not OS specific. Does anyone have some sources to find some similar OS comparisons?

 

PS: I would love to have a video focusing only on the OS comparisons (also between same OS but different models of TVs even)

[rufreakde]

I will edit this post with sources and comparisons I find during my search
Videos Comparing OSs

• Smart DNS Proxy (comparison)
• Cord Cutters News (comparison)
• 9to5Google (App extensiveness of Google TV)

[Dedayog]

Roku.  No need for those underpowered and weak ass "Smart" whatevers.  Let them make TV's, not the O/S or parts that power it.

 

Similar to TV sound.  I've never used a TV's speakers or OS yet, and don't plan to. They're screens, nothing more.

[jaslion]

7 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

Roku.  No need for those underpowered and weak ass "Smart" whatevers.  Let them make TV's, not the O/S or parts that power it.

 

Similar to TV sound.  I've never used a TV's speakers or OS yet, and don't plan to. They're screens, nothing more.

Also helps that these os's basically are dead out of the water or at best get a year of support before being abandoned and things get really crap really soon (if they werent at the start).

 

I've stopped connecting smart tvs to the internet basically since 2013 and its been the best idea.

[Dedayog]

4 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Also helps that these os's basically are dead out of the water or at best get a year of support before being abandoned and things get really crap really soon (if they werent at the start).

 

I've stopped connecting smart tvs to the internet basically since 2013 and its been the best idea.

Can we form an LTT Roku Club?

[jaslion]

1 minute ago, Dedayog said:

Can we form an LTT Roku Club?

I dont even have a roku I legit went back to just having one of those keyboard mouse trackpads + a random pc hooked up to the tv and I couldn't be happier. Allows me to view content in every way I like.

[Dedayog]

18 minutes ago, jaslion said:

I dont even have a roku I legit went back to just having one of those keyboard mouse trackpads + a random pc hooked up to the tv and I couldn't be happier. Allows me to view content in every way I like.

Yeah< i can see that just being a way to cut out the middle man.  

[BiotechBen]

My now 6 yr old Roku tv is just starting to slow down, nothing serious, but just noticable enough. 32in 720p budget tv at that, 32s301. And it's had a few updates to OS since I got it. Apps are regularly updated as well.

[Dedayog]

1 minute ago, BiotechBen said:

My now 6 yr old Roku tv is just starting to slow down, nothing serious, but just noticable enough. 32in 720p budget tv at that, 32s301. And it's had a few updates to OS since I got it. Apps are regularly updated as well.

This is good info, as I have 2 Roku TV's and family have another 4 more.  I went with the Roku Ultra as I needed the fiber optic audio aspect, since I wasn't going to replace my AVR any time soon.

 

Yeah, I have 3 remotes but it's worth it.

[BiotechBen]

25 minutes ago, Dedayog said:

This is good info, as I have 2 Roku TV's and family have another 4 more.  I went with the Roku Ultra as I needed the fiber optic audio aspect, since I wasn't going to replace my AVR any time soon.

 

Yeah, I have 3 remotes but it's worth it.

I think it's had major OS revisions about every other year. And the weird behaviour where YouTube would play between 37-48seconds of a video and then fade and end it is gone as far as I can tell.

[rufreakde]

Isn't Roku similar to Android? Can it also be extended with many Apps or custom apps (sideloded)?

[tikker]

webOS on my C9 works smoothly and fine. Samsung's Tizen I like less. On my old basic entry-level MU6400 model it's also very slow, but I can't speak for how it is on high-end new units. I don't interact much with the TV's OS anymore, however, as my media device is the Nvidia Shield Pro 2019 which runs Android TV. I also like it and don't consider it much better or worse than LG's webOS. The way it's set up on my Shield with the home screen is more convenient in my mind though.

[dalekphalm]

I have a Sony A80J OLED that runs Android TV. The UI is pretty smooth and responsive, but I don't use it much. My primary interface is an Xbox One S for all my media consumption.

 

TBH if you're that concerned with your TV Interface experience, as others have suggested, your best bet is to get a dedicated media device. Depending on what exactly you use it for, two of the most recommended options are an NVIDIA Shield or an Xbox One S (or a newer Series S/X if you needed the additional performance for gaming).

 

Modern Apple TV's work great as well, if you're fully in the ecosystem. Roku boxes work well enough - I have an older Roku 4K Premiere and it's a bit sluggish in places but still works quite well for my bedroom TV. I've heard fairly mixed reviews about Amazon Fire based media boxes.

 

I would also personally heavily avoid any of the generic/no name Android TV boxes.

[rufreakde]

Thanks for all the replies I decided to get a Sony A80J and if the UI is not to my liking will get a dedicated box!