Hi guys,
I want to buy a new TV and looking for info on which manufacturers provide major software upgrades (e.g. new version of Android). I am happy to pay premium to make sure the TV is still smart in a couple of years ;)
So far I've been told that Sony TVs usually get major upgrades, and LG and Hisense don't. Any other manufacturer is as good or better than Sony?
Cheers
Which Smart TV Manufacturers Give Major Software Upgrades?
Comments
wouldnt even factor that in.
Get a set top box or similar device you can just upgrade when the tech changes.
I've given up on smart tv's - just use an Apple TV for the smart bit.
I don't think I've ever heard of anyone having a positive experience with Android TVs. The software is always shit compared to using an Apple TV or similar device.
The Android TV based Vodafone TV box, is cheap and the software works very well.
I agree. Quicker than most, apart from the nvidia, great remote and just works.
Happy with my Sony one.
get a dumb TV (much cheaper).
and then a half decent inexpensive media box
get a dumb TV (much cheaper).
Is that even possible nowadays?
I gave up looking for
dumbTVs when I recently replaced a dead 65" LCD. I would expect you'd have to go far down the quality scale to find a brand that produces non-smart TVs but are actually quality where it counts.my friend just got a kogan tv. Was cheaper without chromecast.
but it's the first time i've ever heard of that feature.
It doesn't work like that.
It's cheaper for a TV to have a crappy smart TV system than to be a dumb TV. It's because TV manufacturers are compensated for including certain apps on the smart TV, promoting apps and services, other advertising, and selling your viewing data and location.
The situation is similar to bloatware on a new laptop or PC. It subsidizes the cost for the manufacturer, which naturally gives them more room to reduce the price for the consumer.
I suspect that the reason why some of the worst quality panels and unknown brands can still produce dumb TVs is because no companies are going to pay them enough to put their apps or harvest data from such cheap products (poor people are less valuable to marketers, maybe?) , or else they lack the business relationships to do so.
Smart TVs can be sold at or near cost to consumers because Vizio is able to monetise those TVs through data collection, advertising, and selling direct-to-consumer entertainment (movies, etc.).
Or, as Baxter put it: “It’s not just about data collection. It’s about post-purchase monetisation of the TV.”
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/smart-tv-data-collection-…
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/smart…Everyone that can do it, is doing it, including Sony and Samsung.
If you can find one they are not cheaper as the manufacture make money on smart Tv's selling your personal data.
Yeh Sony brand provides minor updates. Have heard that MI TV also provides patches and updates, but not sure are those big updates or normal.
My favorite OS was what LG runs, webOS 3.5 I think.
That was under a b7 OLED and it ran all apps quickly and flawlessly.
Current tv uses Android and while it's decent, not as good as webOs imo.
I also have an apple tv (4k) mainly for apple stuff, but it runs everything else I throw at it very nicely. I much prefer using that vs say my Xbox one.
As for software updates, no clue.
I have an LG tv. Non-oled. From 2015.
has the ocasional upgrade. Meh, works.All i need is youtube, netflix, sbs catchup.
I’ve got a Panasonic plasma from 2015 ( no upgrade since I bought it) lg led from 2015 ( got a few upgrades but haven’t had one fo a year) also lg OLED 2018 ( constantly upgrading its software)
Not Sony and not Samsung. That said Samsung OS hasn't changed much. I prefer Andriod TV but my Sony blew up 3 months after the warranty ran out.
An NVidia Shield connected to Any TV will give better performance than any inbuilt smart TVs own system. The Shield has dedicated high speed processor and video chips. Just about Every review considers it the best box on the market. Despite some above comments, it runs fast Android TV, and has been constantly updated for the last few years.
Its fast, slick and also plays 4k HDR content with ease. It has speech input on the remote that works.
I have two, one near 3 years old and another about 6months old, both logic wise are almost identical, both are fully up to date, running the latest version Android. These are renowned for regular updates. With a Shield, a Tvs own upgrade is almost irrelevant.Does the shield or similar device support "catch up TV"? That is, could I use the shield instead of the TV's software to watch catch up? Free view it might be called.
I don't watch live tv anymore, but I do have installed in my (Voda) Android tv the software for all the channels.
ABC iview and such. All work perfectly fine.Short answer: yes.
I don't have one, but Whirlpool updated their list of native apps on the Shield in May when Nine Now was added.
Australian based services available Natively through the google playstore
Netflix, Stan, Kayo Sports, 9now, 7plus, 10 play, 10 All Access, ABC iview, SBS On Demand
Sideloading Foxtel Now
See here: whrl.pl/RfljaaSo, that's everything officially supported except for Foxtel Now which requires some minor effort to workaround.
The nVidia Shield or the MiTV box are arguably the best investment you could make right now for watching TV. They are unique to Android boxes in that they are fully supported by streaming services for 4K content, and they get OS upgrades. Cheaper than an AppleTV, with similar performance and better features, but with the distinct advantage of being able to add cheap memory to save your movies on, and you can sideload any Android app to watch free live and streaming content from around the globe (search YouTube for tips).
Don't bother with the TV sets' smart features, most of them are only good enough for live content, and adding new apps is often limited let alone apdating the OS.
We have 2 Samsung smart TVs. The downstairs one is not a year old. Both TVs are updated fairly frequently. The annoying part is that they do it when you turn them on (as opposed to computers that do it when turning off). We haven’t found any notices to say they are available so it just happens without notice. Luckily we usually watch Netflix so we aren’t turning on to watch a program airing at a set time.
I have a Sony smart TV, just got a notification the other day about upgrade to Oreo. Definitely behind the curve but happy to receive it nonetheless. That said, the apps get constantly updated so I haven't felt like the OS updates are that important, it works super well as is for what I use it for (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Plex client and YouTube, occasional movie from Google Play).
More info here (including how far back models are supported): https://www.sony.com.au/electronics/support/downloads/000162…
Good question to ask the salesman and get it in writing from the manufacturer
I believe none of them do that.
It's best to buy a dumb TV, and a "set top box" device to do all the smarts for the TV.
I have an Nvidia shield (first gen) and it's been receiving updates continuously for the last 2 years.
It's costly but it's amazing what you can do with it with a bit of tweaking.
It's a shame that they're not many native "android TV" games and apps, as the device itself it capable of running games at ps4 like quality.
It’s a great question. I’ve always believed Smart TVs had pretty inconsistent software and it was better to rely on media boxes or chromecasts to add those capabilities.