Operating system
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Smart TV (own system). The operating system of the TV is represented by the manufacturer's proprietary software shell. Usually, such operating systems have an attractive and understandable menu, similar to a traditional Smart TV. A proprietary operating system is developed by the manufacturer for the hardware resources of a particular TV model or a whole line. But, as practice shows, compared to the classic Smart TV, the functionality of its own system often has significant limitations, and the system itself, in fact, is a stripped-down version of a full-fledged Smart TV.
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Smart TV (Android AOSP). This type of operating system is a modification of the popular Android OS, mainly notable for being open source. It is a versatile operating system that gives the user much more freedom to create changes and customizations within the system itself. At the same time, the installation and stability of certain applications on this platform are not guaranteed, and the overall system management was not specially “tailored” for large screens, which may cause some inconvenience. First of all, such solutions will arouse interest among users who understand the features of the Android OS, like to customize and control everything for themselves, and have time for this.
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Android TV. TVs of this type boast full-fledged Android TV software, specially adapted to work on
...large screens. In accordance with the name, it is a kind of Android OS, specially “sharpened” for TVs / projectors, etc. In addition to the common features of all “Androids” (such as the ability to install additional applications, including even games), it has a number of special features: optimized interface, integration with smartphones (including the ability to use them as a remote control), voice search, etc. Thanks to this, TVs with this feature are significantly superior in functionality to models with a “regular” Smart TV. Of course, a dedicated processor, graphics subsystem and memory are provided for the operation of a multifunctional OS, and the presence of such hardware resources is reflected in the total cost of the TV. Given the same optical design, models with Android TV will cost more than classic devices with a simple multi-line menu.
— Google TV. Rebranding of the Android TV platform for TVs and smart set-top boxes, or rather, a new shell on top of the operating system under the sign of the “green droid”, introduced since 2021. Among the innovations, it has a redesigned user interface, an improved knowledge base that more efficiently distributes content by genre and collects search information from the entire list of installed applications and subscriptions. The voice assistant now understands the needs of the audience better and provides a detailed list of what was found. A separate tab in the interface contains live broadcasts of current events, whether it be sports events or a rocket launch to Mars. Among other things, the aspects that involve the use of TV as a command post for managing a single ecosystem of a “smart” home have been improved in the system.Backlight type
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Edge LED — side backlight of the matrix. In this case, the LEDs are distributed around the perimeter of the screen. To evenly distribute the backlight, the background of the matrix has a special reflector. An important advantage of TVs with Edge LED backlighting is the minimum thickness of the device. Among the shortcomings, one can note the presence of glare at the edges, which appear under certain conditions. Glare may be visible in scenes where dark hues predominate.
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Direct LED — rear matrix backlight. In this case, the LEDs are evenly distributed over the entire screen area. The Direct LED backlight makes the image contrast and bright at the same time. TVs with this technology have good colour reproduction. Among the shortcomings can be noted increased power consumption and increased dimensions. Additionally, such TVs have a large delay (Input lag), which is why Direct LED backlit screens are poorly suited for dynamic games.
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FALD (Full-Array Local Dimming) is a backlight technology widely used in LG TVs. A close analogue of FALD is the Direct LED backlight. The LEDs are also evenly spaced across the entire surface of the matrix, but FALD technology provides a bright, colour-rich image with high contrast. Another distinctive feature of FALD is the ability to reproduce natural blacks. When black is displayed on the screen, the LEDs are turn
...ed off in groups, by sector, which allows to make black extremely saturated. Of course, the abundance of LEDs on the matrix makes the TV more massive, and at the same time heavy. The appetite for electricity in such models is above average.
— Mini LED. Screen backlight system on a substrate of reduced LEDs (hence the Mini prefix). On the same plane of the TV panel, the number of LEDs has increased several times, if we draw parallels with traditional LED systems. As a result, the canvas with Mini LED backlight has many times more local dimming zones of the picture (Local Dimming), which is necessary for the correct operation of the extended dynamic range image technology. For playing HDR content, Mini LED systems are much better than ordinary LCDs.
— Dual LED. Proprietary backlight system used in Samsung TVs. The technology involves illuminating the image on the screen with two types of LEDs: one emits light in a cold spectrum, the other in a warm one. The Dual LED enhances colour reproduction and enhances detail contrast by adapting the colour tone of the picture according to the content on the screen.Digital tuner
Types of digital tuners (receivers) provided for in the design of the TV.
Such tuners are necessary for receiving digital TV broadcasts; for normal operation, the broadcast standard must match the type of tuner (with some exceptions, see below). Note that the receivers are also available as separate devices; however, it is easier (and often cheaper) to buy a TV with a built-in tuner of the desired format. In modern TV you can find terrestrial tuners
DVB-T2, cable
DVB-C and satellite
DVB-S and
DVB-S2, here are their main features:
— DVB-T2 (terrestrial). The main modern standard for digital broadcasting. Such broadcasting has a number of advantages over traditional analogue broadcasting: it allows higher resolution and multi-channel audio transmission, with better sound and picture quality, and this quality is fully preserved until the signal weakens to a critical level. However, in some countries digital terrestrial broadcasting is just being put into operation, so it will not hurt to check the availability of DVB-T2 coverage in your area.
— DVB-C (cable). The main modern standard for digital broadcasting in cable networks. Despite the advent of the more advanced DVB-C2, it still continues to be widely used, and most likely this situation will not change for a long time.
— DVB-S (satellite). The first
...generation of the digital DVB standard for satellite broadcasting. Nowadays, it is relatively rare due to the advent of a more advanced DVB-S2, which is also backwards compatible with the original DVB-S.
— DVB-S2 (satellite). The most advanced and popular of today's digital satellite broadcasting standards. Being the heir to DVB-S, has retained compatibility with it; therefore, manufacturers often limit themselves to installing only a DVB-S2 tuner on their TVs — it allows you to receive both major satellite broadcast formats.HDMI technologies
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VRR. VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) adaptive frame rate synchronization technology allows you to adjust the refresh rate of the image on the TV screen in real time in accordance with the frame rate output by the game console or connected computer. The function ensures smooth rendering of dynamic scenes, eliminates frame breaks, and guarantees comfortable and stable gameplay. Realizable technology with standard HDMI v 2.1.
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ALLM. Automatic low latency mode for games (Auto Low Latency Mode). The TV switches to game mode when it detects a game console connection. Reducing the output delay on the TV panel screen is provided by suspending part of the image processing functions. The ALLM mode can also be useful for karaoke and video calls.
eARC. HDMI v 2.1 has an enhanced eARC (enhanced Audio Return Channel). The technology allows you to send higher quality audio from your TV to your soundbar or AV receiver. It claims to support the latest high bit rate audio formats up to 192 kHz, uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1, and 32-channel uncompressed audio. eARC also supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, DTS:X, Dolby Atmos.
— CEC. The CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) system is designed for remote control of equipment connected to the TV using a single remote control. The devices are connected to the TV panel using an HDMI cable.
Power consumption
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.