50" to 55" Android TV Recomendations

[nex0r]

Hi all,

I need a 50-55" TV for an open plan kitchen/diner that will be wall mounted. I use Nvidia Shield TV Pro's in two other locations but ideally want a TV with Android TV built in as it won't be used for serious viewing, more like background music and TV while cooking etc. This means I don't need to buy another Shield and run more cables etc.

I've read that some manufactures badge their own play store and limit what apps etc are available. Not sure how true that is though. I've also seen reports that the interfaces on some brands can be very slugish which would just wind the wife up.

Budget is around the £500-£600 range.

Looking for recommendations or advice please.

Many thanks

 

[Dodgexander]

Do you need a TV using an IPS panel for wider viewing angles?

Which panel type should I choose for my TV?

OLED vs IPS LCD vs VA LCD Panels One of the most important decisions, if not the most important when buying a TV is the panel type a TV uses. When deciding which TV to go for, you must first choose the type of panel you want from a TV. VA LCD Panels Pros Higher contrast ratio. Deeper blacks...

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Speed of OS is down to the integrated chip of the TV. The more modern the TV the faster its chipset is, but sometimes only the more expensive models have the fastest. The power of the best chips in TVs is akin to a mid range smartphone from 2017-18. So some of the models in lower price ranges may be even slower.

App developers get to choose exactly which platforms they make their apps available for, so if there's no deal between the developer and the smart TV you're using the app may not be in the play store. It can sometimes be sideloaded though.

Also beware that some TVs have now moved away from Android TV to google TV. Not sure if that will impact your app use or not.

 

[nex0r]

@Dodgexander Many thanks for the reply, that's an interesting read. Viewing angles aren't that wide and the other two TV's I have are Samsung QLED's which I've always been very happy with and believe they are VA panels.

App use is basically TiviMate, Plex and some radio apps but thinking further about this I could purchase a Shield Tube and stash it behind the wall mounted TV. The main issue I had was fitting the large PSU for the pro behind the TV but the tube only has a plug.

The more I read the more I think I'd have to go to a higher end Sony or something to get the experience I want as you point out about the processor speeds but as the TV is only for casual viewing I don't want to spend that much.

Offloading the Android TV to the Shield means I open up a whole load of options.

 

[Dodgexander]

With Sony 2021 lineup they are all using the latest 9 series chips from Mediatek but the X90J and up is where they start to use the higher end ones that run at a faster speed.

Philips don't start using the faster chips on their 9 series models. But their entry level android TVs are still running decent speeds.

TCL C72x 2021 models might actually be a better idea since they are still using Android TV in the UK, they run at a lower speed, although they do have less ram with 3gb instead of 4 on the above options. The lower speed may be fine if they are just running Android TV and not google.

No idea if google TV even impacts what apps you can use, it may just be the same as Android.

I think any of the TVs mentioned will be snappy enough today, but may slow down with age. You will probably get a few years out of it before that happens though...it will happen slower on TVs running faster like the X90J.

 

[gibbletts]

I have a Sony xg9505 which runs tivimate really well, not sure what chip is in there but it's a 2019 tv so presumably the 2021 lower end models have the same now.

 

[nex0r]

I have a Sony xg9505 which runs tivimate really well, not sure what chip is in there but it's a 2019 tv so presumably the 2021 lower end models have the same now.

Many thanks for your reply. I'll check the specs and see what I can find. It's good to know a model number that I can use as a reference.

Out of interest are the controls like volume etc sluggish? I'm guessing Android TV plays no part for those.

 

[gibbletts]

Many thanks for your reply. I'll check the specs and see what I can find. It's good to know a model number that I can use as a reference.

Out of interest are the controls like volume etc sluggish? I'm guessing plays no part for those.

Can't say that I've noticed, I have cx oled as well and I'd say the Sony is roughly the same response wise, never had any issues and the other half has never complained about any issues so it must be ok