How Do I Play My Samsung TV Through Sonos
Use a Samsung One Remote with Sonos home theater speakers
What Are The Best TVs To Buy
Reviewed Senior Staff Writer for Home Theater Michael Desjardin says his first piece of advice for shoppers when selecting a TV is to take stock of what you’re looking for and how much you’re willing to spend.
He notes that any TV worth its salt these days will be a smart TV, meaning it can connect to the internet to offer access to a variety of apps, like Netflix and YouTube, via pre-installed software.
“Even the most affordable TVs are smart TVs these days,” he added, “So theres really no point in trying to find a TV that isnt a smart TV.”
When it comes to screen size, Desjardin said to consider how far away you’ll be sitting from the TV.
“Will you, your family and your guests be sitting relatively far away from your new TVmore than eight feet, for example? If so, youll probably want to secure a 65- to 75-inch TV. Small TVs32 to 43 inchesare best suited for kitchens, dorms and guest rooms.
One more thing to note: If you opt for a big TV and youre not planning on wall-mounting it, he said, be sure that the console is wide enough to accommodate its stand.
Where you’re placing the TV will impact your buy, too: If your living space receives a ton of natural light during the daytime, youll want to consider a brighter LED TV, whereas if you’re a videophile who watches a lot content in the dark, you may want to spring for an OLED. You can read up on the differences in our OLED/QLED guide.
Best Samsung Smart TV App
- Blog Post
- 14 min read
To get the most out of your new Samsung TV, youll need to figure out which smart TV apps are best for you and your preferences.
You dont have to stick with Netflix because there are so many great apps and streaming services available these days.
Many new features have been added to Samsungs smart TV apps in recent years, including new streaming service competitors Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus.
This is fantastic news for viewers who like to switch between platforms.
Perhaps you prefer Netflixs originals, such as Stranger Things and Shadow and Bone, followed by Disney Pluss collection of classic TV shows, such as The X Files and 24.
Although this provides you with a lot of options, it can be difficult to figure out which smart TV apps are best for you.
So, how do you get started?
All of the obvious staples are available on the Samsung smart TV platform, including Netflix, Hulu , Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.
The Samsung Smart Hub, on the other hand, is brimming with other great smart TV apps, all of which are available to download right now from the Smart Hub store.
Weve had the opportunity to test many of the best Samsung TVs over the years, so weve compiled a list of the must-have Samsung TV apps to keep you entertained, whether youre looking for TVs, movies, documentaries, or sports.
Weve compiled a list of the best Samsung TV apps available for download right now for your new Samsung smart TV.
Recommended Reading: How To Mirror Samsung To Vizio TV
Buying Guide For Best Samsung TVs
When you make a major purchase like a new TV, it can help to buy from a well-known brand. The fact that a company has been around for a while reassures you that you are putting your money in a smart place.
In the world of large-screen televisions, the Samsung brand holds its own at the top of the market. This electronics manufacturer has all kinds of television designs for sale, surely allowing you to find one to meet your needs.
We at BestReviews perform detailed research in every product category, including TVs made by Samsung. Our testing and analysis provide us with the data for a thorough understanding of a products pros and cons. We turn this information into our buying guides, taking pride in giving our readers the information they need to make smart purchases.
You can count on our selections and product reviews to be free from bias because we dont take free samples from manufacturers. Read on for the most important things to know when buying a Samsung TV. When youre ready to purchase, we invite you to look at the recommendations on our list.
What Size TV Should You Buy
While it might be tempting to think that bigger is better, the size of set thats right for you is closely dependent on how close to the screen youll be sitting, and the resolution of the source material youre watching.
Luckily, an organisation called SMPTE has published detailed guidelines on exactly how far you should sit in order to optimise the performance of your TV.
If youre sitting the correct distance from your TV, youll see lots of detail, good edge definition and smooth, clean motion, but if youre sitting too close to the screen, then youre going to see more picture noise and artefacts.
On the other hand, sit too far away from the TV and youll struggle to pick up all the picture detail your TV has to offer.
The following distances are a good place to start:
- 65in – minimum 2.5m or 2.1m
- 50-52in – minimum 2.2m or 1.7m
- 46in – minimum 1.9m or 1.5m
- 40-42in – minimum 1.7m or 1.3m
- 32in – minimum 1.3m
Also Check: How Do I Add Discovery Plus To My Lg TV
Samsung Q70t And Q60t Ranges
Samsung’s QLEDs have dropped in price since the technology launched, and these are its cheaper ranges. We expect to see Samsung’s ranges including more QLEDs in years to come, with LCD sets being replaced.
All Samsung’s 4K sets support the same HDR formats and have similar processors, so the difference comes in the subtle changes to features such as backlights and motion control. One bonus of the Q60T range is the sizes it’s available in it’s the only QLED range with a 43-inch model.
There’s also the Q65T range, which is the same as the Q60T models, but is only sold in certain stores.
Youre The One Neo Qled
A selection of Samsungs QLEDs have been branded Neo QLED for 2021. Neo QLED TVs feature Mini LED technology, a new lightning system that features a new AI processor to produce an even brighter picture performance. The premium sets also have Ultra Viewing Angle technology to maintain colours and contrast at wider angles, as well as Anti-reflection technology to protect against reflections and glare.
In terms of audio, the flagship models have been upgraded from 2020s OTS+ audio system to OTS Pro. The new system features two extra tweeters to make a 6.2.2 speaker set-up.
Also Check: Watch Local Channels On Apple TV
Which TV Brand Is Best
We test thousands of TVs in our labs in Cambridge, MA to find the best TVs possible, including every major release from every major brand like Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, TCL, Hisense, and more.
There is no brand that is the “best” TV brand, every one of those brands makes some TVs we recommend highly and some that we do not.
Is Qled Better Than Oled
With both QLED and OLED vying for your attention, it can be tricky to know what’s best for your situation. We’ve broken down the differences between OLED and QLED but it’s also fairly easy to summarise.
Generally, QLED offers better and more brilliant whites. Ultra-bright up to 2,000 nits, QLED means a very bright image. That can be a downside for some and can lead to less convincing blacks but it’s particularly good for gamers.
That’s helped by Samsung QLED packing in a technology called HDR10+ that makes colors look super vivid while keeping input lag fairly low too.
Don’t Miss: How To Stream Quest To TV
Best Ultraslim TV Money No Object
What’s that you say? You just want the best TV and can afford whatever you want? Here you go. In my tests the LG G1 OLED TV and the cheaper C1 above were the best TVs I’ve ever reviewed, with unbeatable contrast, perfect wide viewing angle and excellent uniformity. The main advantage of the G1 is slimmer, more wall-friendly design compared to the C1, so if you value that style and can afford it, this is the TV to get.
Sizes: 55-, 65-, 77-inch.
What Is The Qled Technology Of Samsung TVs
Samsung has opted for the development of the QLED technology rather than the OLED technology . QLED screens are an evolution of LCD and quantum dot or nanocrystal technology.QLED screens allow individual pixel activation, leading to better contrast, higher brightness levels, better viewing angles, and more color volume. Today, their main disadvantage over OLED technology is that they still cannot recreate pure black since they need an external light source.
Don’t Miss: How To Cast Photos
New Look For The Crystal Uhd Series
Though the Crystal UHD TVs are native 60Hz panels, they can simulate 120Hz with their Motion Xcelerator Turbo technology for a smoother, faster performance. That should help with broadcast TV and gaming, and apparently its a first for any 60Hz TV.
The Crystal UHD range receive the OTS Lite sound system, which places two physical speakers in the bottom and two virtual speakers up top. The top speakers reproduce sounds on the screen via digital processing.
The Crystal UHD range has been revised with what Samsung is referring to as its AirSlim design. A slimmer backlight structure has been employed, to reduce the distance between LED cells and LCD panel with smaller electrical parts used to reduce the TVs depth, too. It should help make the Crystal UHD series better for wall-mounting.
How To Choose A Samsung TV
Samsung is one of the leading brands in the TV space, rivaled perhaps only by LG when it comes to pioneering some of the latest and greatest panel technologies. Thats not to say that there arent cheap Samsung TVs out there for those shopping on a budget, however Samsungs television offerings run the gamut when it comes to size, features, and price points, so there a few things to consider when shopping for Samsung TV deals.
The first steps in your search should be setting your budget and calculating what size TV you should buy. If youre going for a television thats on the smaller side say, 43 inches and under then decide whether or not youre okay with 1080p Full HD or if 4K Ultra HD is a must-have. Full HD panels are still common on small- to medium-sized TVs, whereas 4K is now standard on most sets larger than 43 inches. Given how cheap 4K panels are now, we generally recommend opting for Ultra HD whenever its available unless youre shopping for Samsung TV deals on a super-tight budget.
Editors’ Recommendations
Read Also: Average TV Repair Costs
Should You Buy An Oled Qled Or Lcd TV
LCD TVs, which require a backlight usually made up of white LEDs to show a picture on the LCD panel, are available in a wide variety of screen sizes and, thanks in part to the technology’s low cost of production, at affordable prices.
OLED is a panel technology that uses self-emissive particles so there’s no need for a backlight. This allows OLED TVs to be unbelievably slim, while also offering convincing pitch-dark blacks, strong contrast and superb viewing angles. LG, Sony, Panasonic and Philips are the big brands with OLED TVs in their line-ups and, broadly speaking, they’re excellent.
QLED , meanwhile, is Samsungs response to OLED. A QLED TV is an LCD TV but with a quantum dot coating over the backlight. However, the quantum dots in current QLEDs do not emit their own light. So QLED TVs, like conventional LCDs, rely on a backlight. The advantages of a QLED TV? You tend to get brilliantly vibrant colours, plus bright, sharp and crisply detailed images. Samsung’s QLEDs have got better and better over the years, existing as a fine alternative to OLEDs TVs. Interestingly, though, Samsung is set to launch its own OLED TVs in 2022.
Microled Makes Its Bow
Samsung has been advocating MicroLED for a few years, and its bringing the the technology to consumers. Or at least to those with big enough wallets to afford the 110-, 99-, 88- and 76-inch models. Although recent reports suggest the 76-inch sized model has been put on ice for the time being.
The MicroLED TVs use micrometre-sized LED lights to eliminate the backlight and colour filters conventional displays rely on. Its self-illuminating which means the pixels produce their own light and according to Samsung, this results in stunning, lifelike colours and accurate brightness.
Peak brightness is very high, and Samsung says it reaches that level without losing detail in the highlights. As the display is made out inorganic materials, it wont suffer from the burn-in issues that can afflict OLEDs, so it can last for years.
The set comes in a pre-fabricated metal casing so its ready to use as soon as its installed. With a screen-to-body ratio of 99.99%, the focus will most definitely be on the images.
The MicroLED TV supports the OTS Pro speaker system for 5.1 channel sound. Multi View allows viewers to watch four sources of content at the same time and as its 110-inches in size, four 55-inch sized split screens can be watched at once.
Read Also: Sling Univision Deportes
Samsung TVs : The Key Features Explained
You’ll see a lot of jargon on Samsung’s specs, so here’s our glossary to help you know which are worth really paying attention to.
Quantum Processor 4K/8K is the name given to Samsung’s latest-gen upscaling tech, which helps lower-resolution video upgrade to 4K or 8K and look as close to being as if it was natively filmed that was as possible.
Neo QLED is Samsung’s name for a panel that combines a next-gen Mini-LED backlight with its QLED tech for colours. Mini-LEDs are, as the name suggests, much smaller LED light behind the pixels, which enables screens to be bright yet also thinner, and means you can more precisely dim areas of the backlight for truer black levels. QLED is a long-running technology for getting a wider colour gamut from LCD TVs it’s made up of ‘Quantum Dots’, and you’ll only see a few companies use the QLED name , but most TV makes use an equivalent tech for high-end models.
Objecting Tracking Sound creates a 3D soundscape from whatever’s on screen even if the source video didn’t have Dolby Atmos or an equivalent 3D soundtrack. This combines with speakers all around the edges of the set to actually project a wide, tall 3D audio experience.
Why We Liked The Samsung Q950ts
The QE75Q950TS sits at the top of all of Samsungs TVs for 2020. Its price matches its excellence, with this TV is packed to rafters with specs that offer an incredible picture and sound performance.
Standout features include 8K Quantum AI processing and Object Tracking Sound+, which can replicate the position of effects accurately on screen. Picture quality is genuinely immense, unlocking as much potential from any source you give it. The Q950TS bezel-erasing Infinity design, combined with the One Connect box single cable connectivity makes this TV one of the most cutting edge options available.
Read Also: Good Doctor Time Slot
What Inputs And Outputs Do You Need
These days, it’s all about HDMI, which is used to connect everything from set-top boxes to video streamers, Blu-ray players to games consoles. Thanks to ARC/eARC , a single HDMI connection can even be used to output sound to an AV receiver or soundbar at the same time as it receives a video signal.
Currently, three HDMI connections is standard on budget and mid-range TVs, while four is the norm for premium models.
After HDMIs, USB ports are the most abundant on modern TVs. You can use these to keep devices charged , and some TVs allow the connection of flash drives and hard drives for the recording of live TV content.
On the subject of live TV, you can expect practically every TV to have an aerial socket via which it can receive Freeview broadcasts, but many also have a satellite connection. Be warned, though the presence of a satellite connection doesn’t guarantee that there’s a Freesat tuner on board. Without one, you’ll receive only a patchy and disorganised selection of satellite TV channels.
Other useful connections include optical and stereo outputs, which can be used in lieu of HDMI ARC to connect legacy audio equipment. Headphone outputs are still fairly common, too, though Bluetooth is also supported by most TVs now and Samsung TVs in fact now feature the latter but not the former.
How To Buy The Best Samsung TV
Samsung is the biggest TV manufacturer in the world, thanks to its broad range of 4K and 8K TVs with LCD and QLED displays.
Each year it debuts a new raft of TVs at CES, either digitally or in Las Vegas. It usually leads with high-end sets with cutting-edge features and the latest tech.
In this guide we’ll explain the key differences between all of Samsung’s TV ranges and go into detail on the technology that makes them tick.
We review almost every TV Samsung releases. Find out which models deliver the best sight and sound in our expert Samsung reviews.
Don’t Miss: How To Mirror iPhone To TV Without Apple TV