Hisense, a Chinese-based electronics manufacturer that distributes their products through retailers like Best Buy, Costco, and Walmart, has redefined the. Smart TV FAQ - The Pros and Cons of Smart Televisions. Wondering whether all those so- called smart TVs are really that smart? Or perhaps you're skeptical about dozens of apps littering the screen when all you want to do is watch TV. Not to worry — we've got the answers to the most frequently asked questions about smart TVs. Photo: Nick Bush/Tom's Guide, Guteksk. Shutterstock. 1. What is a smart TV? Originally called . Smart TV technology and software is still evolving, with both proprietary and open source software frameworks already available. These can run applications (sometimes. A few important things to note: 1) Sharp TV was bought out by Hisense. 2) They bought the manufacturing plant, not just the name. So they are still built in same. Best 40 Inch Smart TV (2016) For a little bigger living room or bedroom, people are going after a 40 inch television instead of a 32 inch one. Your source for the latest gadget news and rumours, as well as the hottest new releases from the world of technology. Shop for smart tv at Best Buy. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or in-store pick-up. The information and content in this site has been released in the past by Rovi Corporation and TiVo Solutions Inc. Which companies make smart TVs? Virtually every major TV manufacturer makes a smart TV today, with the trend toward making every set . A partial list of the biggest smart TV makers includes Hisense, LG, Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TCL, Toshiba and Vizio. MORE: Our Favorite 4. K (Ultra HD) TVs Available Now. How do smart TVs connect to the Internet? Smart TVs use either a direct, wired Ethernet connection or built- in Wi- Fi to connect to a home network for Internet access. Most models today have built- in Wi- Fi, but check before you buy. For streaming movies, some sets support the latest and fastest 8. Wi- Fi standard. If you plan on cutting the cord, the faster Wi- Fi hookup will help. Photo: Nick Bush/Tom's Guide, ABB Photo/Shutterstock. People with larger homes should also double- check their Wi- Fi coverage. If the Wi- Fi router is on the second floor and the smart TV is going to be in the basement, the set may not be able to stream video from Netflix or other providers without experiencing hiccups. Furthermore, in our testing, most Wi- Fi receivers in TVs are not as sensitive as those in set- top boxes, such as Roku. When your router is more than three years old, a new Wi- Fi router that supports 8. There are also Wi- Fi range extenders available from companies such as Netgear, but these devices require some time and patience to set up and install. What services do smart TVs offer, and how do they differ from one another? There is no standard operating system or interface for smart TVs. Nearly every smart- TV maker uses different software and a different graphical presentation. Some companies install different operating systems and interfaces on their low- end versus their high- end sets. The manufacturers also offer different assortments of online services and apps. However, some sets offer only a handful of apps that rarely change, while others deliver several screens of offerings ranging from MLB to Facebook to Stitcher. The lower- priced models of some manufacturers offer only the most popular apps, while higher- priced sets get a complete array of services. The arrangement of the apps also varies. Some smart TVs use scrolling screens of icons to display options; others use tabbed windows or scroll bars along the bottom of the screen. Still others use a 3. D- style carousel of screens to sort and arrange all the available services. Models from Sharp, Insignia, Hisense and TCL have opted to incorporate Roku's easy- to- use interface and access to thousands of streaming services. On the other hand, Google has received a major endorsement from Sony, which decided to offer Android TV in its sets, with scores of apps available and the not insignificant support of Google going forward. Will my smart- TV maker regularly update the software with new features? That depends. For the most part, TV manufacturers are adding and customizing apps on their own. Some TV companies are quicker than others at fixing the occasional bug or working with developers to improve their apps. Sets that are powered by such platforms as Roku and Android TV see fairly regular updates. Nevertheless, most major manufacturers perform software updates periodically, including updates to the set's own internal firmware (often downloaded automatically late at night). And if one company adds an additional popular service, such as Twitter, the rest generally follow suit. MORE: Best Devices to Sling Your Phone or Tablet to a TV Screen. Can a smart TV crash or hang like a PC? Definitely, and they do. Smart TVs require computer chips to juggle video processing, upscaling, multiple screens and an Internet connection. They also use memory to buffer streaming video and music, and need additional processing power to deal with graphics. Just as phones have become computers, so, too, have smart TVs. We've seen particular apps crash or freeze a smart TV. We've witnessed upgrades that have caused sets to power off unpredictably, along with a raft of other glitches.
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January 2017
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