ANALYSIS: SMART TV Home Entertainment
When it comes to true user experience,
Hisense uses the Android TV platform; whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t fault its simplicity. Starting with the initial set-up, all Android users have to do is log in through their Gmail account and everything from Wi-Fi to streaming apps is pulled from their Android phone.
The latest U7 Series includes all the standard streaming apps plus Chromecast for compatibility with phones, PCs or the Chrome web browser.
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Updating its latest line-up, LG has listened to customer feedback on last year’s webOS 22 and has since launched a more streamlined interface for 2023. The home screen is significantly less cluttered, with apps of the same genre organised into folders called “Quick Cards”, beneath which users will find a row of the most popular streaming apps they can arrange in their preferred order. Meanwhile, with webOS 23 on the brand’s new OLED G3 TV, sports fans can be kept up-to-date with real-time notifications so they never miss a crucial moment or score update.
Think FAST
One new content phenomenon dealers need to be aware of is the rise of FAST (Free Advertising Supported Channels), like Freevee, Pluto TV, Samsung Plus and LG Channels. The appeal of seemingly endless free content is easy to appreciate. “The success of FAST tells us a couple of things about how people watch TV,” says Roku’s Mr Halton. “Faced with the overwhelming choice of being able to watch anything anytime, sometimes consumers just want
June/July 2023
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the ‘lean back’ TV experience of a scheduled channel. It also tells us that for consumers, the best price point is free which is why AVOD and FAST are now growing faster than SVOD. There will always be an appetite for both, and Roku offers consumers the flexibility to pick and choose which services they want to subscribe to.” In a surprise move, Panasonic is covering all smart bases this year, with a range that straddles a variety of platforms, including Fire TV for the first time.
Interestingly, Panasonic’s incoming MZ800 and MZ700 OLEDS are available with Google TV in Europe, yet the UK iterations come with the Android OS. We’re told that’s because the DTG won’t yet certify Freeview Play with Google TV. It’s for this reason that Sony’s Google TV models actually come with YouView, rather than Freeview Play. Panasonic’s foray into Fire TV territory comes with the LED MX800 (pictured above). Not quite the cookie cutter Fire TV implementation we’ve seen elsewhere, it retains the brand’s trademark multi-buttoned remote control. When asked why Panasonic was backing so many smart platforms in 2023, we were told it was simply about offering consumers the widest choice: “If you have an Android smartphone, you might want to stick with that operating system when it comes to a TV.”
LG’s new OLED G3 TV with webOS 23 And another interesting feature is the
MultiView function, where users can watch two different sources simultaneously with the screen divided down the middle – so yet another way to keep an eye on the sports while also watching a movie at the same time! However, while displaying two separate HDMI feeds is supported, it has to be done by selecting the Dual PC option, which tops out at 4K 60Hz.
Its premium OLEDs (the MZ2000, MZ1500, and MZ980) are sticking with the brand’s home brew smart platform, My Home Screen. Now up to v8, this highly versatile OS combines a broad range of streaming service support, with an uncomplicated, customisable interface. It’s one of the few remaining TV smart platforms that doesn’t take over the entire screen when launched. For those that prefer not to be intimidated, it’s worth a strong recommendation.
Game on Arguably, the biggest change to smart TV platforms has been their pivot towards gaming. LG, Samsung, Sony, Philips and Panasonic all offer dedicated Game UI’s within their respective platforms. These typically offer quick access to gaming specific information, such as frame rate, VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), HDR and related presets. The gaming specs on LG’s OLED C3 TV are still very impressive, with four HDMI 2.1 sockets and Dolby Vision gaming, which is supported right up to that 4K/120Hz limit. The webOS 23 platform features LG’s Game Optimiser menu where users can see game-related information and make quick adjustments without needing to enter the full menu system. Elsewhere, the latest Panasonic models
feature a True Game Mode which aims to ensure colour accuracy, with source-oriented HDR tone mapping, and Game Sound Modes. It can even be professionally calibrated using Calman Color calibration software. >>
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