Your guide to Smart TVs

If your old TV is on the blink and you're looking for a new gogglebox, you might have some questions about today's smart TVs. When you have technology questions, Appliances Online has answers! Here's a quick, handy guide to smart TVs.

Yes, all modern TVs are digital.

As Australian TV networks completely switched over to digital broadcasting many years ago, any new television you buy will be able to access your area’s digital channels – you don’t need to buy a smart TV just for this. However, almost all digital TVs are now smart anyway (you'd have to hunt pretty hard to find one of the few digital TVs that aren't also smart).

A smart TV can let you watch telly, but it can do a lot more than that. Features and benefits include:

• 4K resolution and higher - Most of today's smart TVs have incredibly lifelike 4K resolution, and some even have 8K resolution (though the TV can only display content in this resolution if it has been created and delivered at this resolution)

• Incredible display technology - Display technology varies from standard LED to next-gen OLED (Organic LED), QLED (Quantum Dot LED) and MicroLED displays, which enable exceptional contrast, depth of colour and smooth motion

• Built-in streaming and cloud gaming - Enjoy the latest shows, movies, music, and games without additional devices

• Voice Assistants - Control your TV and smart home with natural language voice commands

• VR and AR Capabilities - Immersive experiences with virtual and augmented reality features

• Automatic AI Personalisation - Some models adjust settings and recommendations based on user preferences

Smart TVs need to connect to the internet to access online content and services. This can be done through wifi or ethernet.

DLNA and similar networking standards are now commonplace, making it easy to share content between your Smart TV and other compatible devices in your home.

Smart TV interfaces have evolved to be incredibly intuitive and user-friendly. Not every TV will have all these features, but they are becoming more commonplace.

• Advanced voice control - Have natural conversations with your TV to find content, get answers, and control devices

• Gesture and motion control - Some TVs use built-in cameras and sensors to detect and interpret hand gestures and body movements

• Automatic user recognition - Some TVs will recognise you either by sight or by sound and adjust settings to your personal preferences

• Smartphone and tablet integration - Use your mobile devices as remote controls, content sources, and secondary displays

This question is almost redundant now, because if you need a new TV, it will almost certainly have smart capabilities. Whether you choose to use them or not is up to you.

For most people, the question is how smart you want your new telly to be - and of course, the most advanced TVs will tend to have the higher price tags.

Entry-level smart TVs cover the basics, but today's basics are far from basic when compared with the capabilities of the TVs of old.

It's worth noting that most TVs run on one of a handful of operating systems.

• Android TV (Sony, Hisense, TCL, and others)

• WebOS (LG)

• Tizen (Samsung)

A $700 and $3,000 TV from the same brand running the same operating system will tend to share the same core smart features. The higher priced model, though, may have faster, smoother operation and a larger storage capacity.

Most of the higher price tag of premium models, though, is accounted for by more advanced display technology, higher resolution and larger screen size.

For most people, a mid-range 4K TV will be packed with all the smart functionality needed for intuitive and immersive viewing or gaming.

We deliver smart TVs, and the rest of our products, to 95% of Australia’s population with Appliances Online's legendary FREE delivery* - and we can usually get your new telly to you by the next day (Mon-Fri) if it’s in stock. Most stores don’t offer this, so if you’re comparing prices, always factor in the other retailer’s delivery cost and how long it will take to get to you. PLUS, if you’re getting rid of an old TV, we’ll happily take it away for recycling when we deliver your new one.

You can view a huge range of smart TVs here, or if you want to find out more about LCD, HDR and LED TV, or any other details to help you choose the best TV for your home, read our TV Buying Guide or call or message us any time of the day or night on 1300 004 500.