The 5 Best Smart TV Platforms of 2011

The year 2011 marked the coming of age of Internet-connected ("smart") HDTVs. Though your TV's ethernet cable probably won't replace your cable TV quite yet, many more apps and video services will find their way into your TV--a far cry from 2010's connected TV features, which typically amounted to Netflix, YouTube, and a rental service or two.

Today, you can expect your TV to come with several general video-streaming services (Hulu Plus, Netflix, YouTube), a few video-on-demand rental services (Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, CinemaNow), Internet radio from Pandora and Rhapsody, social networking through Twitter and Facebook, an array of special apps for sports and photos, and sometimes even a full Web browser.

Still, choosing a TV based solely on its Internet features doesn't make a lot of sense. They're nice extras, but we have yet to see a killer TV app. If you're hankering for particular Internet TV features, you can usually get them on your existing TV by buying a stand-alone set-top box or Blu-ray player. For example, LG sells a set-top box called Smart TV Upgrader (for about $100) that gives users access to the full LG Smart TV catalog of Internet apps and services. If you prefer the Samsung Apps platform, you can buy a Samsung Blu-ray player that includes Netflix, Hulu Plus, and all of the other features in Samsung Apps for $170.

LG Smart TV

The LG Smart TV platform (which we tried with three sets from LG Electronics--the Infinia 47LW6500, the 50PZ950, and the 47LW5600) offers the best overall Internet experience. The Magic Motion remote, which reminded us of a Nintendo Wiimote, lets you navigate by pointing and clicking. "Typing" with the Magic Motion is only marginally easier than with a standard TV remote, but you can download a free QWERTY keyboard app for your iOS or Android device, for easier delving into the Internet features.

 

Smart TV includes an array of high-quality apps--among them, Amazon Instant Video, CinemaNow, Netflix, Vudu, and YouTube for streaming video; Napster for music; and a few generally useful apps such as Accuweather, Facebook, Picasa, and Twitter. LG's Smart TV app store offers a selection of free and paid apps and games, though nothing looks particularly impressive. The Smart TV platform also includes a Web browser, but it doesn't support Flash or HTML 5, so you won't be able to use it to watch most streaming Web video.

 
Samsung Apps

For years now, Samsung has consistently offered a strong group of Internet apps, and this year's Samsung Apps lineup (which we encountered while testing the UN46D8000 and PN51D6500) is no exception.

In addition to the standard streaming-video apps (Blockbuster, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu, and YouTube), Samsung stocks a few niche video apps, like 3D Video on Demand via Explore 3D, and ESPN Next Level and MLB.tv for sports enthusiasts. Add some social networking apps (Facebook, Skype--camera not included--and Twitter) and streaming music through Napster or Pandora, and you have an above-average smart TV selection.

 

Included with certain models is a special remote with a full keyboard, which makes searching for Internet content much less arduous. Though it's a good idea, the keyboard on Samsung's remote isn't quite as elegant as the one offered with some Vizio TVs.

 
Vizio Internet Apps

In fact, the remote is the best thing about Vizio's Internet Apps platform (which we tried out in the XVT3D650SV model). About the size of a smartphone, the Bluetooth unit comes with a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard to make searching for videos easier, but it does not accompany every Vizio connected TV.

Getting used to Vizio's remote takes some time, but once you do, it helps you take advantage of Vizio's app selection, which includes Amazon Instant Video, Blockbuster on Demand, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Vudu for streaming video and movie rentals; music via Pandora, Rhapsody, and Tune In Radio; and assorted apps such as eBay, Facebook, Fandango, Flickr, and Twitter.

 

The overall selection is smaller than that found in competitors, yet it includes most of the major players, and Vizio gets bonus points for using a remote that makes navigating these features less of a pain. Plus, you can configure different profiles for different TV users, and add shortcuts to each user's favorite Web apps.

 
Sony Bravia Internet Video

The Sony entry in the platform competition, Sony Bravia Internet Video has always offered a broad (albeit somewhat eccentric) library of Internet video, but with an indifferent remote it's hard to get at some of the Bravia's features (as we found when we tried using the service with the Bravia 46HX820 model).

Sony includes a collection of video-streaming staples (Amazon Video on Demand, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Vudu, and YouTube); music via Pandora and Slacker Radio; photos through Photobucket, Picasa, and Shutterfly; and the company's own Sony Qriocity service for delivering music and video from Sony's catalog.

From there, things get a tad weird, or at least quirky, with apps from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Concierge.com, Livestrong.com, and Style.com, among others. Though Sony has a large catalog of Internet apps, you probably won't be interested in using most of them. And there are no special remote features to help you navigate your apps and menus--just a basic iOS/Android remote control app. Sony does include a full Web browser, but it's a bit clunky.

 
Panasonic Viera Connect

We viewed Panasonic's Viera Connect smart-TV platform in conjunction with the manufacturer's Viera TC-P50ST30 and Viera TC-L42D30 models. The platform has plenty of promise but a bit less substance than the others--at least for the moment. Viera Connect provides many solid online features--among them, Amazon Instant Video, CinemaNow, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and YouTube streaming video; Skype (camera not included) for big-screen video chatting; a solid complement of sports apps (Fox Sports, MLB, MLS, NBA, and NHL); and a third-party app store (the Viera Market) with a reasonable selection of items.

 

Included in the Viera Market's options are a racing game (Asphalt 5) and support for USB gamepads, but we don't expect to see the Viera Connect replacing your dedicated game console at this point. Overall, the interface is fairly well designed for use with a standard remote, and Panasonic offers iOS and Android remote apps, but Viera Connect is not quite as easy to use as the offerings from LG or Vizio.

Sony Warns 1.6 Million Bravia TVs Have Parts That May 'Ignite'

The bad news for Sony doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. Right on the heels of revealing yet another security issue with its PlayStation Network earlier this week, the brand's television division has just announced a worrisome defect that affects 1.6 million Sony Bravia TV sets.

Yesterday Sony released the following statement, "It has come to our attention through reports in Japan that in rare cases a particular component incorporated in certain models… was damaged and as a result, may overheat and at times ignite inside of the television."

The company says that there have been no reports of injury due to the defect, but it still warns, "if you have a covered television and if you notice any abnormality in your TV unit and its performance (e.g.; unusual noise, unusual smell, or smoking), please immediately turn the unit off, unplug the cord, cease using the TV, and contact us." According to Sony, no reports of have sprung up outside of Japan related to the Bravia models mentioned, but the company apparently decided to err on the side of caution by making the major announcement.

Sony is offering to repair the models in question, but they aren't offering any refunds, which may not sit well with some customers. Once a beacon of quality and innovation, serving as an early inspiration to even the likes of Steve Jobs, Sony's brand image has recently fallen on hard times in the face of stiffer competition like Apple and Samsung, frequent challenges like the aforementioned product woes, and a dearth of hit products similar to its legendary Walkman.

You can see the full list of affected Bravia TV models here.

Next Generation Computing: High Definition

Finally, it's a high-definition world—at least in the tech industry. By now, most consumers have replaced their old analog televisions with ones capable of receiving and displaying HD digital broadcasts. Two of the current crop of game consoles—the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3—debuted back in 2005 and 2006, with full high-definition graphics capabilities. And Blu-ray won the bitter disc-based format war, and is finally picking up steam in an otherwise stagnant home video market.

HDTV and home theater projector prices have also come down—way down. If you're not particular about owning the absolute latest technologies, you can pick up a 50-inch plasma or LCD HDTV for under $1,000. Most support 1080p, meaning that each panel has 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution. That's far more than earlier 720p panels, which varied in exact resolution, though none were as sharp. The newest models also include multiple High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) ports. Each lets you replace five component cables with a single digital connection to your Blu-ray player, DVR, or game console.

There's plenty of high-definition programming now, too. For example, many broadcast television channels are available in HD. The latest Blu-ray players deliver over two million pixels of resolution and much faster disc load times than before; some can even receive audio and video over Wi-Fi. Netflix has recently begun streaming more movies and TV shows in high definition. While home theater PCs and media center extenders have failed to gain a foothold in the living room, self-contained game consoles and set-top boxes—from the PS3 to the Apple TV—are doubling as easy Netflix and YouTube portals.

Over the past half-decade, we've seen HDTV manufacturers adopt greener, more energy conscious designs, especially the latest one-inch-thin models that employ highly efficient LED backlighting. That said, two new trends have emerged. The first is a slimming of the bezel, or the visible frame around the TV; some vendors are working on making this as small and unobtrusive as possible. The other is a push toward "Smart TVs," which include built-in Internet connectivity that supersedes the need for a separate box.

That brings up an important point: it has become quite complicated to figure out how to watch your favorite shows and movies. Standard cable TV subscriptions still exist, and still offer access to hundreds of channels. But with the advent of on-demand, DVRs, Netflix streaming, and online content portals, consumers now expect to watch their favorite shows and movies on their terms. As a result, they've begun to rebel at cable TV's high monthly costs and inflexible channel packages.

Unfortunately, the studios aren't playing ball. Thanks to a complex series of deals between cable and broadband providers, TV and movie studios, advertisers, and what's left of the home video rental market, it comes down to a case-by-case basis whether you can watch a specific program with a specific gadget. Expect to see some pretty ugly battles as everyone involved fights to retain a portion of the revenue. Sadly, these conflicts often take years to resolve; look how long it took for Toshiba's HD-DVD format to lose to Blu-ray, for example.

That said, there's plenty to look forward to. At CES 2011, Vizio introduced a cinema-like 21:9 HDTV with 2560-by-1080-pixel resolution, in both 50- and 58-inch varieties; each can display CinemaScope (2:35 to 1) movies without black bars at the top or bottom of the screen. Bose has unveiled the $5,349 VideoWave, a 46-inch CCFL-backlit LCD TV with a built-in, almost completely hidden home theater system that consists of six woofers, 10 tweeters, a "Wave Tunnel," and an audio signal processing unit.

The latest high-definition tech isn't just about the living room, either. ATI's Eyefinity lets you hook up multiple HD monitors to a PC. This way, you can display a first-person 3D game's view so that it envelopes your peripheral vision—tripling horizontal screen resolution in the process. (And that's just with three monitors!) Meanwhile, Panasonic has just unveiled the VC500, a high-definition, 3D video conferencing system that can display medical procedures and computer-aided design schematics with genuine depth of field.

And speaking of 3D, despite what consumer electronics vendors will tell you, its outlook is still uncertain. To get the proper home 3D experience, you'll need a compatible TV, Blu-ray player, and extra pair of glasses for each person watching. Glasses aren't compatible between brands, there isn't much 3D content to watch, and 3D also has a minor detrimental effect on picture quality. As a result, most viewers are taking a wait-and-see approach. A few vendors—notably, Toshiba—are working on glasses-free 3D televisions, although early prototypes made it clear that this technology is a few years away from maturing.

Still, we've only begun to scratch the surface of what's possible with high-definition video. As they say in television, stay tuned—because it's only going to get more impressive from here. 

Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim

Inexpensive consoles like the Microsoft Xbox 360 Slim (pictured) and the Sony PlayStation 3 have brought high-definition gaming to the masses.  

 

 

Samsung UN40B7000

LED-based HDTVs are usually just about one inch thick. They're also more energy efficient than plasma and even LCD-based HDTVs, and often come with Internet connectivity for streaming video.

 

 

Bose VideoWave

The $5,349 Bose VideoWave is a complete home theater system; contained within the 46-inch display's housing are 16 speakers, some acoustic plumbing, and an audio signal processing unit. 

 

 

Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player

Blu-ray players have come down in price, with some low-end models nudging the $100 barrier; this high-end Sony is closer to $400, but it comes with Google TV, audio and video streaming, and top-notch Blu-ray playback.

 

 

Panasonic VC500

Panasonic's new high-definition, 3D video conferencing system is designed to show depth of field for critical medical imaging, CAD, and other applications where regular video conferencing isn't detailed enough

 

 

AMD Eyefinity

AMD's Eyefinity system lets you plug three—or more—monitors into a PC for a giant, expansive high-definition desktop that encompasses your peripheral vision. 

 

 

Vizio Cinemawide 21:9 LCD

At the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Vizio unveiled two 21:9 aspect ratio, 2560-by-1080-pixel HDTVs that can display 2:35 to 1 CinemaScope movies natively without black bars at the top or bottom.

How to Buy an HDTV

Undoubtedly, the biggest trend in HDTVs this year is 3D TV. But the truth is, not everyone wants to spring for a 3D-ready HDTV and the accessories required to bring 3D to your living room. If you're not sure, Buy a 3D TV Now or Wait? can help you decide, and if you're dead-set on getting a 3D set, here's a list of the best 3D TVs we've tested. Whether 2D or 3D, selecting the right HDTV isn't easy: what type of set should you get? How big should it be? How about resolution and other specs? What sort of extras do you need? Understanding the basics will help you make your choice (and your video) crystal clear, so here's what you should consider when shopping for an HDTV.

Plasma or LCD? What About LED and DLP? Plasma TVs were the only flat-panel models available when they were first introduced more than a decade ago. But given the remarkable rise in the popularity of LCD TVs in the past couple of years, many manufacturers have stopped making plasma sets, while the remaining players—LG, Panasonic, and Samsung—are shifting toward producing larger screen sizes and plasma-based 3D TVs.

The popularity of LCD TVs can be attributed to some of the technology's inherent advantages over plasma, including a wider range of screen sizes including smaller ones, a very bright picture, and better energy efficiency. And LED-backlit LCDs offer even greater energy efficiency and are often thinner than CCFL-based LCDs, especially edge-lit LED models. But LED-based sets can suffer from some picture uniformity issues like 'blooming,' where lighter parts of the picture bleed into darker ones, reducing overall black levels.

Plasma's strengths include its very dark blacks, and overall picture consistency, which (unlike CCFL or LED) doesn't exhibit color shifts, loss of saturation, or reduced contrast when viewed at wider angles. With plasma you don't need to be front and center to have the best seat in the house. And a plasma's fast-pulsing pixels are inherently well-suited for minimizing detail loss in fast motion like action films or live sports. Also, plasma can give you good bang for your buck if you want a really big screen.

Finally, Mitsubishi is still making DLP (Digital Light Processing) HDTVs. Other manufacturers ceased production of these bulky sets years ago. The recently released and reviewed Mitsubishi WD-60738 offers 3D support on a big 60-inch panel for less than $1,500, but the set is 15 inches deep and suffers from some uniformity and viewing-angle issues.

Where Will Your New TV Go?
Choosing the right HDTV will greatly depend on the room in which you're planning to watch it. Finding the right display size for your viewing environment is simple—go as big as you can fit in the space (budget permitting, of course).

This chart will help you figure out which screen size will work best. It outlines the minimum ideal distance for viewing HD material on various screen sizes. Sit any closer to the screen and you'll start to notice the pixel structure of the display. Also, keep in mind that standard-definition (SD) video on an HDTV will look disappointing at the distances listed on the chart, so consider moving your seat back to improve the appearance of SD material.

Room lighting is also important. You want a TV with a screen that produces the best-looking picture under typical conditions. If you usually watch TV in a dimly lit room, plasma is your best bet because it can seamlessly reduce the overall intensity of the picture when displaying bright scenes so you can take in more subtle details. LCD TVs can create brighter pictures, so they work well in brighter rooms.

In a well-lit area, screen color can also strongly influence the impression of picture quality—images on darker screens (LCD or plasma) can appear to have more contrast and greater saturation. Most LCD sets have very dark-colored screens, but some models incorporate a glossy screen finish that acts like a pair of sunglasses, making video black appear even darker (boosting picture contrast). Just be aware that these shiny screen surfaces can also increase distracting reflections. If you want to use an LCD TV in a darkened environment, consider choosing a model that can automatically dim its picture in response to reduced room light levels—or one that you can easily adjust manually—to reduce eye strain.

Choose Your Resolution
1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080 pixels, progressively scanned) remains the pinnacle for consumer home-theater material, and all other things being equal, you want the screen resolution of your HDTV to match this format in order to provide the most detailed picture possible. But many factors affect the perception of picture detail, including distance, the quality of your eyesight, and the quality of the video material. At a viewing distance of 12 feet, it would be difficult to distinguish between a 720p and a 1080p display showing the same 1080p video (like a Blu-ray movie) if you have 20/20 vision. 1080p is most critical with bigger screen sizes, where larger numbers of smaller pixels create a more seamless image. It's less important for screens smaller than 40 inches, since you'd have to sit very close in order to notice the additional details. These days, though, 1080p sets are becoming the norm and no longer command premium prices. If you can afford 1080p, go for it.

Make the Right Connections
Your ideal HDTV should provide enough video connections not only for now, but for the foreseeable future. The most important input is the High Definition-Multimedia Interface (HDMI), which supports most forms of digital video and audio (from upscaling DVD players, game consoles, set-top boxes, and even some camcorders) using a single cable. Smaller HDTVs should provide a minimum of two HDMI ports and larger ones at least four. If you plan to hook up older analog video devices to your HDTV, make sure your new set provides enough of these connectors too, as many manufacturers are reducing the number of analog inputs on newer sets.

Besides 3D, the other big development this year has been Web-connected televisions. Virtually every HDTV released in the past 12 months integrates an Ethernet port so you can connect the set to a home network to gain Web access. (Some are even Wi-Fi-enabled or offer optional Wi-Fi dongles so you can connect wirelessly.) Besides the typical Web weather, news, and stock ticker widgets, television manufacturers are piling on the Web apps. If you want it, you can find an HDTV with video streaming from Netflix, Vudu, Amazon On Demand, Blockbuster, or Hulu Plus; music streaming from Pandora, Slacker, or Rhapsody; and social networking in the form of Twitter or Facebook. And many sets include a wide array of these services. Panasonic offers videoconferencing via Skype on some of its TVs and to blur the lines between the Web and your HDTV even further, Sony recently released a line of sets that integrate Google TV, which includes a full Chrome browser. Also most of today's HDTVs include a USB port so you can play music and display photos or video stored on USB flash drives and hard drives.

Which Set to Get?
The first thing to remember when you're ready to shop: Always compare prices before you buy. Rarely does an HDTV sell for its full list price, so some savvy online shopping can save you a bundle. And always read reviews first: For our top-rated models, check out The 10 Best HDTVs.