Are you planning to invest in a new television set for your home but confused about which one to buy? We explain the difference between Android TV and smart TV to help you make the choice best for your requirements.
With the ever-increasing need for an entertainment unit, the television industry has constantly been on its toes with technological updates to make the TV viewing experience smooth for the common man. But for people who are not technologically well-read, choosing a TV can be a task. Which is why we are here with all the nitty gritties of TVs how to choose the right one.
Any television set that has the provision for additional programming via the internet is referred to as a smart TV. In fact, a smart TV is like a computer system built in your TV. Any smart TV, irrespective of the operating system it runs on that has access to online information, is a smart TV. A lot of brands and manufacturers have developed their own operating system to run their smart TV. For example, Samsung comes with an operating system called Tizen, whereas LG has its own OS called WebOS.
An Android TV is basically a smart TV with the extra features and functionalities of an Android OS. Smart TVs and Android TVs are mutually exclusive. Since Android is developed by Google, all Android TVs are run by Google. Thanks to Google’s ease of navigation, Android TVs have a more intuitive and user-friendly interface.
Both the TVs come with their own set of pros and cons.
Smart TVs come with the convenience of built-in internet. Which means, you can simply connect your smart TV to your internet and enjoy streaming a variety of content from different sources. Smart TVs also let you access a variety of different app stores, thus giving you more content options. Powered by a proprietary operating system, smart TVs come pre-loaded with a handful of apps, like the popular streaming services like Netflix or Hulu, social media apps and news channels. However, some, not all, smart TVs come with built-in voice control assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant that you can use just by voice command.
Apart from that, smart TVs also provide an overall TV environment, without much difficulty in setting it up. So, you can use it as regular television too.
Image: Courtesy Unsplash/Samuel Regan-AsanteAndroid TVs, on the other hand, are powered by Android OS, the same that Android smartphones and tablets run on. This means that you can have access to a lot more apps on the Play Store than you will find on a regular smart TV. Not just that, on Android TV, there are a lot of other apps, like games, productivity apps, and more that you will not find in all smart TVs.
Also, in terms of upgrading applications and media streaming resources, Android TV is far more advanced than a smart TV. That is because developers constantly send new updates to all the different Android apps. In fact, when Android TVs are connected to WiFi, your apps can automatically update, which is difficult in a smart TV.
In conclusion, the difference between Android TV and smart TV is minor. However, the question is, what do you need your TV for? Our verdict is that, if you want a TV for casual viewing purposes and just unwind at the end of the day without too much hassle, go for a smart TV. However, if you want to build an elaborate entertainment experience where you want a more modern viewing experience, Android TV is the one.
Featured Image: Courtesy Unsplash/Fábio Silva; Hero Image: Courtesy Unsplash/Fábio Silva
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