What are Smart TVs?
It’s not unusual for TV shoppers to ask, “What is a Smart TV?” A Smart TV is an internet-connected television loaded with your favorite free and paid streaming apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and more. Read on to discover what a Smart TV can do for you and find the best smart TV for your home.
What does a Smart TV do?
And what can you access on a Smart TV?
With Samsung Smart TVs, you will be able to access a growing collection of 4K content including Netflix, Disney+ and many of the popular apps you expect. And you’ll be able to access your content all on one customizable screen at the touch of a button.1
Smart TVs have come a long way from the days of long load times. There are even apps that only work with newer smart TVs that you can now enjoy on your Samsung Smart TV, including Disney+, HBO Max and Apple TV, to name a few.
With a Samsung Smart TV, the No. 1 Smart TV brand2, there’s no need to connect a separate device other than your internet. You can get access to great entertainment without the need to plug in additional boxes or streaming sticks.
What does Smart TV mean?
While different sites may give different opinions, the consensus is that a Smart TV has internet connectivity, runs on an operating system and comes with its own app service.
In short, TV + internet + apps = Smart TV.
Smart TVs are very much like smartphones. They can stream entertainment straight to your TV via an internet connection. This means that you can watch the latest films and TV shows and play games on your Smart TV without the need for an additional cables or a separate streaming device.
With Samsung Smart TV, you get so much more than apps. You have the ability to connect other smart devices to your Smart TV3, so you can do things like making phone calls right from your TV screen.* You can also change channels, open apps, play music — all with voice commands through Samsung Bixby, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.4 In addition, Samsung Smart TV allows you to search to find the kind of content you like viewing and get recommendations based on your tastes.
How does a Smart TV work?
All Samsung Smart TVs come with built-in WiFi connectivity. This allows them to provide you with a variety of streaming services and content. You can choose to connect your Smart TV to the internet either wirelessly or using an ethernet cable. An ethernet cable will provide you with a stronger, more stable internet connection. Connecting wirelessly gives you more freedom to choose where you position your TV in your home as you are not restricted to where the ethernet cable can reach. Your new Smart TV will guide you through how to set up your TV when you initially turn it on.
To ensure you get the most from your Smart TV, you’ll need to have a quick, reliable internet connection. The stronger the connection, the better your viewing experience will be.
Will a Smart TV work without an internet connection?
Yes, your Smart TV can work as usual without an internet connection. You will be able to watch cable TV channels, connect to Bluetooth and use your TV as a standard TV without any issue at all.5 However, Smart TV features such as streaming content on demand from online applications will not be available.
What is the difference between a Smart TV and a regular TV?
The main difference between a Smart TV and regular TV is that regular TV cannot connect to the internet, which makes using online applications, streaming video or playing music on demand impossible. With your Smart TV, you can browse the internet, check social media and more.
Multitasking has never been so easy with Smart TV. Connect your phone to your Smart TV and stream what you’re watching on a big screen or even use your smartphone as a TV remote control. You can also split your screen using Multi View mode† and watch your normal TV content while looking at your smartphone screen at the same time. It's a great way to simultaneously watch the latest football game and keep an eye on the stream of commentary from your phone.6
What else can you do on a Smart TV?
With Samsung Smart TV, you can enjoy a true smart home experience with the Samsung ecosystem. Whether it’s connecting your video doorbell to your Smart TV so you can see who’s at the door without having to miss a scene or turning your Smart TV into the heart of your smart home with the SmartThings Dashboard, Samsung Smart TV has you covered. You can set the mood by controlling your compatible smart lights, view a live feed from smart cameras or start your washing machine cycle7 - all from the comfort of your sofa.
Learn more about innovative features and various functions Samsung Smart TV offers and Connected Living with Samsung SmartThings.
Tips for buying a Smart TV
When purchasing your Smart TV there are a number of key decisions that you need to make, from deciding the best TV screen resolution to finding the most appropriate size TV for your room. Check out our top tips for choosing the right Smart TV for you.
What features to look for when buying a Smart TV?
Exceptional range of content
The biggest value of a Smart TV is the ability to enjoy content beyond regular TV channels. Samsung Smart TVs offer your favorite streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Spotify, in addition to Samsung Health and Samsung Gaming Hub. Even paid cable and satellite broadcasting are available to watch on Smart TVs - you just need to install the app that cable or satellite broadcasting company provides.
You’ll even get to enjoy Samsung TV Plus which gives you instant access to over 200 live and on demand TV channels for free. You’ll find a huge collection of sports, news, music and entertainment programs right at your fingertips.
Enjoy Disney+ content on the bestselling Samsung Smart TV8
Quick Search
No matter how much content there is, the important thing is being able to find it right away. With the endless amount of content available online, choosing what to watch is no easy task. That's why having a convenient search function is important.
Recommended Content
Powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), your Samsung Smart TV will give you personalized recommendations based on what you have been watching. No need to waste time deciding what to watch, TV Plus will find your new favorite shows for you and take the indecision out of film nights.
Another important point is whether a Smart TV suggests the content you like before you even start searching. Wouldn't it be nice if a TV used your viewing and search patterns to find just the right content or let you know when a new season has started for the shows you like? The ideal Smart TV is one that knows you better than you know yourself and can provide services that match you based on your viewing data.
Convenient Usability
A great Smart TV should automatically detect devices to connect via HDMI and eliminate the need to use several remote controls. Gone are the days of frantically searching for your remote controls. With the Samsung OneRemote Control, you can access your favorite apps with the simple press of a single button. With the Samsung SolarCell Remote, you can say goodbye to disposable batteries. Solar panels on the back of the remote absorbs sunlight and indoor lights to charge its internal battery, making it both economical and a more sustainable alternative to disposable batteries.9 There’s no need to spend time searching for content manually. Just use your voice and one of our built-in voice assistants will search for the content with a simple voice command.
You can also connect your smartphone to your Smart TV to view content on the big screen with Samsung Smart View.10 Watch a film on your phone on the way home from work and continue watching it on your TV screen as soon as you walk through the door. With the Smart View function, you can also use your smartphone to control your Samsung TV without the need for a remote.
Easy connectivity
Checking to see if a Smart TV can easily connect to other devices is another important requirement when choosing a new Smart TV. Connecting your smartphone to your TV to view content on a bigger screen is something you will definitely want to experience. Pictures and videos from your phone feel totally different when you see them on a big screen.
An industry term known as The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining widespread popularity, so easy connectivity with various internet-enabled devices around the home is becoming a requirement. You can watch a movie on your phone on the way home from work and effortlessly continue watching it on your TV screen as soon as you get home.
You can also connect your Smart TV to your gaming console to take your gaming to the next level. Learn how to choose the best gaming TV for you in this helpful article.
What is the best Smart TV?
Samsung Smart TVs are equipped with award-winning, innovative TV display and sound technology, so you can experience crystal clear images, room-filling 3D sound and world-class design. But that’s not all.
If you’re looking for the best Smart TV for amazing picture quality, brilliant sound experience and ultra-smooth gaming, look no further than the Samsung Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV which comes equipped with market-leading innovations. Quantum HDR provides you with true-to-life quality and rich colors. Enjoy immersive Surround Sound powered by Dolby Atmos with eight dedicated speakers built into the four sides of the TV, so you can track every terrifying gasp or hear the roar from the crowd travelling across the field. What’s more, with Anti Reflection Screen11, you will be able to see the perfect picture from any angle, day or night.§
Buy the QN90C Samsung Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TV today with free delivery and returns. Finance options are also available.
The best Samsung Smart TVs
Available in 43" up to 85" sizes
Samsung Neo QLED TVs
Experience Samsung's ultimate picture quality with our ultra-premium 8K and 4K TVs.
Available in 55" and 65"
Samsung OLED 4K TVs
Turn up the drama with sharp 4K detail, deep blacks and bold contrast.
Available in 43” up to 85” sizes
QLED TVs
Take a leap into the world of bold contrast and vivid Quantum Dot color.
Available in 43" up to 85" sizes
Lifestyle TVs
Browse our collection of beautifully-designed TVs that transform your space.
Available in 43" up to 85" sizes
Crystal 4K UHD
Experience the beauty of 4K UHD resolution on our Crystal Display.
Explore our Smart TVs
Get more answers to your TV buying experience
1Subscriptions required. Some apps may not be available at launch. 3rd party content providers may remove apps from the Smart TV platform or stop updating them at any time.
2Samsung TV has been ranked the No.1 TV Brand for 16 consecutive years by Omdia. (Results are not an endorsement of Samsung. Any reliance on these results is at the third-party’s own risk.)
3Compatible devices must be purchased separately in order to access SmartThings Services. Each device must be connected to Wi-Fi or other wireless network.
4Requires a TV with Multiple Voice Assistants. Samsung may at any time and in its sole discretion without prior warning or notice change the voice assistant services or suspend and/or cease providing the voice assistant services or any part of the voice assistant services. Content, TV services and capabilities pictured may not be available in all regions and territories. Bixby voice commands recognize English (US/UK), French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese and Korean. Not all accents, dialects and expressions recognized. Amazon, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Google is a trademark of Google LLC.
5May require a cable connection or cable box, compatible Bluetooth device or antenna.
6Not all entertainment content is available for casting. Check with your service provider for a list of apps or content that can be casted.
7SmartThings app and user account required. Compatible devices: https://www.smartthings.com/products-list
8Samsung TV has been ranked the No.1 TV Brand for 16 consecutive years by Omdia. (Results are not an endorsement of Samsung. Any reliance on these results is at the third-party’s own risk.) 3rd party content providers may remove apps from the Smart TV platform or stop updating them at any time. Disney+ subscription required. Subject to terms at https://www.disneyplus.com ©2022 Disney and its related entitles.
9To charge the remote with solar energy, set it down with the solar panel facing up. Place it in your living room while your lights are turned on, or, alternatively, place it near a window where it will soak in natural sunlight. + select TV models.
10Different models offer different features. Check your specific Samsung series for compatibility.
11Measured against Unified Glare Rating (UGR), certified as glare-free (reflection, discomfort and disability glare) by UL.
*Compatible TV and hardware required.
†Some source or apps may not support Multi View. The function and user interface may vary by model and region. 3 or 4 screen Multi View is available on QN900A and QN800A models. Remote with Multi View button is available on QN900A model.
§Anti Reflective Screen is available on the following models: QN95, QN90, QN85, QN700, QN800, QN900, The Frame (2022), The Terrace (2022), The Sero (2022).