The best smart TV in 2021 - Samsung, Sony or LG?

Of course, each TV will find its buyer. Even a Xiaomi product will seem pretty to someone. We believe that it has the worst design. Two of his legs can not be called in any way attractive. If you already buy such a TV, then immediately after that - hang it on the wall, since such an opportunity is present.

The other three TVs look different. LG uses an arc-shaped stand and a silver body color. Sony has two legs that look like extremely thin chicken legs, they practically do not attract attention. And Samsung boasts an unusually thin bezel and an elegant D-shaped stand. Its body is painted white. And it seems to us that this TV is a little more beautiful than the others.

All four TVs boast 4K resolution. However, with such a price tag it would be strange to see otherwise. The display diagonal of most of the models we have chosen is 43 inches. Only the Sony KD-43XH8005 has this parameter of 42.5 inches.

It should be noted that Xiaomi TV can be equipped with both VA- and IPS-matrix. What kind of screen the Chinese device will have depends solely on which factory it will be assembled at. If you are going to take a TV in an online store, then a kind of lottery awaits you.Note that VA technology promotes deeper blacks, but it worsens viewing angles.

As for the brightness of the backlight, in this regard, the Xiaomi TV loses slightly. Because of this, HDR content looks slightly better on the other three devices. Especially on LG 43NANO796NF with NanoCell coating. But he is far from OLED TVs, so he still does not deserve the maximum rating. As well as the device from Samsung, which is based on the VA matrix we have already mentioned.

The TV from LG uses a proprietary operating system webOS. It supports voice control, which saves when searching for movies and videos. The number of available applications is quite adequate. Their icons are located at the bottom of the screen, moving through them is carried out as quickly as possible. Also, this TV is the best choice for a person who actively downloads movies to a hard drive. The fact is that Smart TV recognizes most of the currently existing formats. Some problems can only arise if the HDD is connected to the router, and the video has a very high bitrate - regular uploads may occur when watching it.

Tizen, used by Samsung, also supports voice control. And this operating system also has an easy-to-learn interface. But in the case of this Smart TV, a pleasant improvement awaits you. For some time now, Samsung TVs have begun to receive gaming functionality. At any time, you can call the so-called Game Bar, where you can change the main settings and measure FPS. It can also be used to activate the simulation of an ultra-wide-angle screen, which is useful, for example, when working in a professional program. In a word, we boldly add a couple of extra tenths to the rating of this TV.

If we compare smart functionality, then devices from Sony and Xiaomi stand out from the competition. The fact is that they use Android TV. The latest versions of this OS have received a well-implemented, albeit still not very fast, interface. Also, such TVs have become the best choice for a person who is ready for experiments, because a huge number of various applications have been created for the “green robot”. Including you can find such programs that will allow you to watch content for free. In this regard, LG and Samsung are very limited. As for voice search, it is also fully supported by the Android operating system. And it also allows you to connect a variety of devices via USB and Bluetooth, up to a printer.

One gets the impression that televisions based on the "green robot" should receive the highest rating. But in fact, for many people, the interface of this OS seems too overloaded. And not every person requires such wide opportunities from the TV.

As you noticed, this article compares far from the cheapest devices. In this regard, it is not surprising that advanced remotes are supplied with them. Samsung has One Remote, which has a microphone and a minimum number of buttons. In the box with the TV from LG, Magic Remote is found. As you know, it has a large size, but it can be used as a pointer.

As for the remote that comes with the Sony TV, it also has a built-in microphone. There are also two additional buttons on it, pressing which launches the corresponding applications. The number of buttons is comparable to that of the Magic Remote. But this remote control is elongated in height, and not so ergonomic. But with blind pressing there are no problems, and this is the most important thing.

The Xiaomi remote looks similar to the One Remote. And it also works via Bluetooth. A minimum of buttons, a microphone, minimum dimensions - these are its features. It is also one of the cheapest accessories, which can be important if it is lost or broken. But the cost is reflected in the materials from which the case is made - One Remote is a little more pleasant to the touch.

Three of the four TVs received the usual 20-watt acoustics for such a screen diagonal. It provides relatively loud stereo sound.All devices have automatic volume equalization, which is especially relevant when watching television. In a direct comparison in terms of sound, Samsung wins, and therefore it receives a slightly higher rating. But do not think that the difference is very noticeable.

Alas, Xiaomi decided to save on speakers. Their total power is only 16 watts, which may not be enough, especially if the TV is placed in a large room. This is the case when one day you want to buy a soundbar as well. With sound output to it, there will definitely not be any problems.

The most expensive among the TVs we are considering could well lose deafeningly. However, it is saved by the number of connectors. We can safely say that this device is the best choice for the owner of a huge number of all kinds of equipment. You can easily connect a computer, several game consoles, and the already mentioned soundbar to the TV without any problems. The Japanese did not even get rid of the wired headphone jack, as LG and Samsung did.

However, an ordinary consumer will have enough of any number of connectors. We must not forget that most often content will be viewed through Smart TV, and not with the help of third-party equipment. And not everyone will need the same headset jack, because wireless accessories are becoming more popular now.

All four TVs support high-speed Wi-Fi 802.11ac. There are no problems when connecting accessories via Bluetooth, especially if these are headphones.

Many people, when buying a TV with a screen diagonal of 43 inches, first of all pay attention to the price tag. That is why the device from Xiaomi is in such stable demand. This model is the cheapest among those considered in this comparison. The cost allows you to close your eyes to some shortcomings.

TVs from LG and Samsung traditionally have a similar price tag. And they can be safely called contenders for the title of the best model in terms of price-quality ratio. The second TV costs a little more, but this is due solely to the fact that it appeared on the shelves quite recently, while the LG 55NANO796NF has been on sale since 2020.

As for the Sony KD-43XH8005, the Japanese traditionally make a huge markup.And for what? For support for Dolby Vision, which is practically meaningless with an 8-bit matrix? Not surprisingly, in recent years, the Japanese company Sony has practically stopped releasing new TVs, the screen size of which does not reach 50 inches.

As we already wrote, now Samsung TVs are in the greatest demand. Therefore, it is quite logical that it was the device of this company that won the highest rating in our comparison. In the model we have chosen, Smart TV is implemented better, and the screen is excellent, and the design is not satisfactory.

However, the LG product lagged behind its competitor quite a bit. This TV is also worth the money spent on its purchase. And we must not forget that they ask for a little less.

As for the TV from Xiaomi, it is designed for those who are willing to put up with certain shortcomings. For example, the operating system on it works a little slower. Also, not everyone will be pleased with the lack of a connector for a satellite dish. The most disappointing thing is the sound. But the power of the speakers is enough if the device is placed in a children's room or in the kitchen.

The outsider of our comparison is the TV, created by Sony. Apparently, its high cost is due only to the fact that the device is delivered from Malaysia or Slovakia.