Smart TV OSs are a window into streaming services and other apps. If you rely on the smart TV OS built into your display instead of a streaming box or player, you want it to be intuitive, afford access to all the apps and streamers you want, and run efficiently. The major smart TV OSs include Tizen (Samsung), webOS (LG), Google TV (various brands), Roku (Roku and various brands), and Fire TV (Amazon and various brands). Other less popular ones include Vizio’s SmartCast and Hisense’s VIDAA. Which one is the best smart TV operating system?
Roku OS is often cited as the best for simplicity, especially appealing to non-tech-savvy users. For a long time, I would die on the hill of LG webOS being the best there is. I’ve used Samsung’s Tizen OS sparingly while reviewing the brand’s TVs, but I don’t have as much day-to-day experience with it. But when it comes to the best, after switching to a Sony Bravia TV in my living room, I have to give props to Google TV.
Why Google TV is great
It will appeal to the widest audience
The most obvious reason Google TV is so revered is its seamless integration with Google services and apps. Based on the Android platform you might already be familiar with if you use other Android devices, like a smartphone, you get features like Google Assistant for voice control, built-in Chromecast, AI-driven content recommendations, and access to the Google Play Store to download a wealth of apps you may not find through other operating systems.
I don’t have a Google Home setup, but those who do can add the TV to it so you can control it using other Google Assistant devices nearby, like a Google Home speaker. Plus, I can even customize the screensaver to display an image from my Google Photos account. Plus, Gemini for TV lets you ask questions out loud, learn more, create images, and more. The app experience is second-to-none as well, with a wealth of apps in every category, from workout apps to games, music streaming, remote gameplay, and more. The more you explore, the more hidden Google TV features you find.
Smart services at my fingertips
It knows me
I love that when I boot up my Sony Bravia 9 miniLED TV, one of the best TV brands, I’m greeted with top picks and icons I can clickto start watching. There’s also the option to continue watching where I left off with a show or movie, with a progress bar showing which app it’s from so I can jump right back in. Right now, for example, I’m watching Reacher on Amazon Prime Video, and I have the option to jump right back into it, or check back into WWE Smackdown on Netflix (that’s my husband and son’s last view!) The recommendations go on and on, serving as a window into everything I could possibly watch on every streamer I have or streaming app I have downloaded.
It also provides recommendations for popular movies and TV shows, new releases, or the option to browse by genre, which will show me options across all the services to which I subscribe as well as apps that have been downloaded, like Tubi.
Beyond the smart TV OS
Tizen and webOS are still great, too
This isn’t to say Tizen OS and webOS aren’t great. I still use and love webOS on two TVs in the basement, including the biggest TV I use for workouts and my partner and son use for gaming, and a smaller OLED in my son’s playroom. But after using the simple Sony remote, I appreciate it more than the scroll wheel design of the LG remote I used to think was so intuitive. While LG TVs with the latest OS offer tons of new personalization features (I’m still using an LG with an older OS), Google TVs offer a much more cohesive experience. Both LG webOS and Samsung Tizen offer similar features, including access to apps and free channels through LG Channels and Samsung TV Plus, respectively. But Google provides the smartest, more intuitive experience.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to stick to your TV’s built-in OS. There’s no way to add Google OS to a non-Google TV, webOS to a non-LG TV (except for a small selection of brands that have licensed webOS Hub), or Tizen to any TV but a Samsung. But you can override the TV’s built-in OS and use a streaming stick or media player to get Roku OS or Fire TV OS. You can also connect an Apple TV. That player is among my favorites: I use it often to watch content from screener apps that aren’t available on any built-in TV OS. But for regular, everyday viewing, Google TV takes the cake.