Comparison LG 55SM8500 55 " vs LG 55SK8500 55 "

The nominal power of the sound produced by the TV's sound system.

The larger the screen and the greater the estimated distance to the viewer, the more powerful the sound system must be in order to be heard normally. Manufacturers take this moment into account, moreover, most often they also provide a solid volume margin. So if a TV is bought for home viewing in a quiet, calm environment, you can not pay much attention to the sound power: it is guaranteed to be enough for such a usage. It makes sense to specifically look for models with high-power speakers for a noisy environment — for example, a cafe or other public space. Detailed recommendations on this matter can be found in special sources, but here we note that even in such cases, connecting external speakers can be a good alternative.

The presence of a subwoofer as part of the TV sound system.

A subwoofer is a specialized speaker for bass and ultra-low frequencies. It makes the sound richer in the bass, which is especially useful when watching adventure films with appropriate sound effects (bumps, explosions), as well as concerts. It should noted that the specifications of built-in subwoofers are usually much more limited than those of external ones; so don't expect cinema-like bass from a TV audio system. However, the advantage in bass quality for such TVs (compared to models without a subwoofer) will still be noticeable.

Among the features of the TV, first of all, it is worth noting its communication features, which include AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi(in particular Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6), Miracast, Chromecast, Bluetooth. As a control, in addition to the classic remote control, there can be voice control, voice assistant. As well as special features in the form of Ambilight from Philips. More about them:

— Airplay. TV support for AirPlay technology, usually in the AirPlay 2 version. Initially, this technology was created to broadcast multimedia content from Apple gadgets (iPhone, iPad, etc.) to external devices, including TVs. At the same time, it allows not only to play such content, but also provides many additional features — broadcasting additional information (title of the sound track, album cover), playback control from the TV remote control, etc. In AirPlay 2, in turn, the "multi-room" format was added — the ability to simultaneously broadcast several signals to compatible devices installed in different places at home (for example, a movie on a TV and an online radio programme on sound system in the kitchen). In addition, in this version, support for voice control via Siri has appeared and...a number of technical issues have been improved (in particular, buffering of streamed content).

— Wi-Fi. The presence of a built-in Wi-Fi module in the TV; the supported version of this technology can also be specified in this section. Nowadays, Wi-Fi can be used both for wireless access to the Internet and local networks, as well as for direct connection with other devices (for example, broadcasting video from a smartphone/tablet). The specific application of the wireless connection may be different, depending on the functionality of the TV; in addition to Internet access, examples include DLNA, receiving or transmitting video via Wi-Di or Miracast, and using a mobile gadget as a remote control. However, almost all models with this feature belong to Smart TV (see above).
As for Wi-Fi versions, the most relevant nowadays are Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E. Also note that, in addition to these Wi-Fi standards, earlier ones are usually supported — so compatibility problems does not occur.

— Miracast. TV support for Miracast technology. This technology allows you to broadcast video and audio signals via Wi-Fi technology (both to the TV and from it to portable electronics), while both devices are connected directly (Wi-Fi Direct) and do not require additional equipment, and the bandwidth is sufficient for Full HD video transmission and 5.1 multi-channel audio. Some time ago, TVs used a similar WiDi technology, but nowadays it is almost ousted from the market, and most manufacturers use Miracast.

— Chromecast. Chromecast technology allows you to quickly and easily stream video and audio from your smartphone, tablet or computer to your TV. In fact, Chromecast is a network media player, because after setting up this function, you can wirelessly display the video recorded on your smartphone on your TV with just one touch.

— Bluetooth. Bluetooth technology (any version) is used for direct wireless communication between different devices. How it is used on TVs may vary, depending on the functionality of a particular model (and version of Bluetooth). So, it is almost mandatory for Bluetooth TVs to be able to transfer sound to wireless headphones or speakers. In addition, other use cases may be provided: connecting keyboards, mice and game controllers, direct file exchange with a laptop, remote control from a smartphone or other gadget, etc. These details should be clarified separately. As for specific versions, in many models these details are not specified at all — for use for the intended purpose, “just Bluetooth” is enough. However, there are exceptions, and here the following options are relevant for modern TVs:

• Bluetooth v4.0. A version that combines traditional Bluetooth 2.1, a high-speed standard for transferring large files, and "Bluetooth Low Energy" for small amounts of information. All subsequent versions are built on these three components (with various improvements), and v 4.0 was the first where they appeared all together.
• Bluetooth v 4.1. Improvement of version 4.0, in which compatibility with mobile devices of the 4G LTE standard has been improved — so that the LTE and Bluetooth modules do not create mutual interference while working nearby.
• Bluetooth v4.2. Further development of version 4.0; updates that are relevant for TVs include mainly improving the reliability and noise immunity of communications.
• Bluetooth v5.0. One of the key improvements in version 5.0 compared to previous editions of the protocol was the presence of two special “Low Energy” modes – increased range (due to reduced speed) and increased speed (due to reduced range).
• Bluetooth v 5.1. Update of the v 5.0 version described above. In addition to general improvements in the quality and reliability of communication, this update has implemented such an interesting feature as determining the direction from which the Bluetooth signal is coming. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to determine the location of connected devices with an accuracy of up to a centimeter (for example, a remote control).
• Bluetooth v 5.2. The next, after 5.1, is the fifth-generation Bluetooth update. The main innovations in this version are a number of security improvements, additional power optimization in LE mode, and a new audio signal format for synchronized parallel playback on multiple devices.
• Bluetooth v 5.3. The Bluetooth v 5.3 wireless protocol was introduced at the beginning of 2022. Among the innovations, it accelerated the process of choosing the communication channel between the controller and the device, implemented the function of quickly switching between the state of operation in a small duty cycle and high-speed mode, improved the throughput and stability of the connection by reducing the susceptibility to interference. In case of unexpected interference in the Low Energy mode of operation, the procedure for selecting a communication channel for switching is now accelerated. There are no fundamental innovations in protocol 5.3, but a number of qualitative improvements are seen in it.

— Ambilight. Screen backlight technology. In this case, the TV case illuminates the wall/partition located at the back, due to which a blurry halo appears around the screen contour in the colour of changing scenes. This effect visually expands the screen area, making watching TV more enjoyable. There are three types of backlighting in total: classic Ambilight (on the sides only), Ambilight Surround (on the sides and top), Ambilight Full Surround (from all sides). But manufacturers continue to work on improving the backlight. So, relatively recently, the Ambilight Spectra backlight has appeared, in which the colour matching algorithm has been significantly improved and the LEDs themselves have been optimized.

— Voice control. TV support for voice control allows you to dictate certain commands through the remote control. However, not all functions are covered by voice control and recognition accuracy may require re-entering the command. If you need a more extensive range of functions, then pay attention to the voice assistant.

— Voice assistant. For a long time now, device control has been shifting to voice commands. For this, certain interfaces and systems are used. The most popular are Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as Samsung's own Bixby assistant. For "apple" devices, this is Apple Siri, but this technique is not presented on TVs. At the same time, unlike the voice control function, the voice assistant does not just turn on this or that function, mode, makes it louder, quieter, but allows you to perform certain operations in applications, whether it is to launch the desired clip in Youtube or display the weather in the browser.

About the interface itself, see above, and its different versions differ in maximum resolution and other features. Here are the options found in modern TVs:

— v 1.4. The oldest of the current versions, released in 2009. However, it supports 3D video, capable of working with resolutions up to 4096x2160 at 24 fps, and in Full HD resolution, the frame rate can reach 120 fps. In addition to the original v.1.4, there are also improved modifications — v.1.4a and v.1.4b; they are similar in terms of basic features, in both cases the improvements affected mainly work with 3D content.

– v 2.0. Significant update to HDMI introduced in 2013. In this version, the maximum frame rate in 4K has increased to 60 fps, and the audio bandwidth has increased to 32 channels and 4 separate streams simultaneously. Also from the innovations, we can mention support for the ultra-wide format 21:9. In the v.2.0a update HDR support was added to the interface capabilities, in v.2.0b this feature was improved and expanded.

— v 2.1. Despite the similarity in name to v.2.0, this version, released in 2017, was a very large-scale update. In particular, it added support for 8K and even 10K at speeds up to 120 fps, as well as even more expanded features for working with HDR. Under this version, its own cable was released — HDMI Ultra High Speed, all HDMI 2.1 features are available only when using cables of this standard, although basic functio...ns can be used with simpler cords.

The amount of memory installed in the TV to store content in the device. The larger size is especially relevant given that modern TVs allow the installation of additional applications that enhance the capabilities — and these applications also require space. However, do not forget that the TV system also requires space. And manufacturers by the volume can indicate both the total value and the free memory calculated for installing applications. And the volume itself can vary from 4 GB to 16 GB or more. However, a TV with 8 GB memory may be the best option.

The amount of random access memory (RAM) installed in the TV.

In general, this volume is selected by the manufacturer in such a way that the device can normally cope with the tasks that are claimed for it. On the other hand, all else being equal, more RAM ( 3 GB, 4 GB or more) usually means faster performance. This parameter is especially important if the TV runs on Android: such firmware allows the installation of additional applications that may have rather high requirements for RAM. However, TVs with 2 GB of RAM and below can also not be discounted — they just can't pull high-demanding applications. But do not forget that this is a TV, not a laptop.

The electrical power normally consumed by the TV. This parameter strongly depends on the screen size and sound power (see above), however, it can be determined by other parameters — primarily additional features and technologies implemented in the design. It is worth noting that most modern LCD TVs are quite economical, and most often this parameter does not play a significant role — in most cases, power consumption is about several tens of watts. And even large models with a diagonal of 70 – 90" consume about 200 – 300 W — this can be compared with the system unit of a low-power desktop PC.

The energy efficiency class characterizes how efficiently the TV consumes electricity. Initially, the classes were denoted by simple Latin letters — A (the most efficient), B, C. However, later improved classes “A+ ”, “A++”, etc. appeared (the more "pluses", the more efficient the device).

The energy class will generally affect the price accordingly, but this difference will eventually pay off with lower electricity bills.