Best 4K TV 2021 - LG, Samsung or Sony?

Almost all modern TVs with a screen diagonal of at least 43 inches look about the same. Almost all manufacturers have learned to reduce the width of the frame to a minimum. So the devices we have chosen are very difficult to distinguish from each other, especially if you hang them on the wall. Such an opportunity, by the way, exists. But in the case of Samsung, this should be done as carefully as possible, since the TV turned out to be incredibly thin.

If you put the device on a cabinet, then the models made by Samsung and Hisense seem to be the prettiest options in this case. Both have similar D-shaped bases. But the first has a silver color, while the second has a more boring black. The LG TV also received a silver body color, but it uses less interesting legs, like the other two devices.

Despite the fact that the display of all the devices we selected has the same diagonal (43 inches), different technologies were used to make it. For example, the Sony TV included an IPS panel.This means that maximum viewing angles are waiting for you. But do not count on perfect color reproduction - the device suffers from insufficiently deep blacks. Like the creation of Samsung, which received a similar matrix.

If you look at the TV almost at a right angle, then you can safely buy one of the three models equipped with a VA display. In this case, you will appreciate the depth of black. In this regard, only QLED and OLED TVs lose out. But they are also more expensive and much larger.

In fact, the average consumer will not see much difference between TVs. Even when watching quality content, it takes a while for you to realize that Sony and Philips look more interesting at times. This must be due to support for Dolby Vision and proprietary technologies that improve colors. And Philips also includes Ambilight backlighting, which colors the space behind the TV in the light of what is happening on the screen. Nice bonus!

As you know, Samsung and LG have been using their own operating systems in their TVs for a very long time. These are Tizen and webOS, respectively.As a result, the hardware is perfectly adapted to these operating systems, which allows Smart TV to work without any slowdowns. There is no need to worry about the number of applications - you will not find only completely atypical programs in the corresponding store.

It should be noted that Samsung offers a slightly wider functionality. The 2021 lineup boasts innovations that many gamers will appreciate. In particular, at any time you can cause the appearance of the Game Hub - a special menu that displays the FPS counter and input lag. It also allows you to quickly change the aspect ratio of the screen, achieving a wider viewing angle in shooters and other similar games. Tizen is also slightly better focused on interacting with a smartphone and wireless accessories.

Two other manufacturers also use their own operating systems - for Philips and Hisense, these are SAPHI and VIDAA, respectively. They provide access to most popular online services, and there are no complaints about their stability either. As for the Sony TV, Smart TV is implemented on it through Android TV. You can find fault with this OS only because of the overly overloaded interface. Also, there are no special features that are unfamiliar on smartphones and tablets. But this does not make the firmware bad.

Since all the devices we selected for this comparison have Smart TV, they support voice control. But is there a microphone in their remotes? Or will this accessory have to be purchased separately?

Fortunately, all remotes allow you to make voice requests. All of them interact with the TV via Bluetooth. This is partly the reason for the rather high cost of the 4K TVs we have chosen - after all, such an accessory in itself costs several thousand rubles. At Samsung, he, by the way, looks the most interesting. It is almost completely devoid of unnecessary buttons, in connection with which the South Koreans managed to greatly reduce its size. As for the new version of Magic Remote, which comes with LG TVs in 2021, it is slightly larger, and now there are buttons for launching Okko, KinoPoisk HD and some other similar applications in its lower part.

As for the other three remotes, they are also more or less convenient. They cannot be called the best of their kind, but they do not cause rejection either. If not for them, then we would definitely not say that all TVs have a good price-quality ratio.

Alas, recently 4K TVs with a 43-inch diagonal are extremely rarely equipped with a large number of speakers. If such a device receives woofers, then this will affect its cost too much, and we decided not to take very expensive models for this comparison. That is why all devices can only boast of stereo speakers.

The power of the acoustics used in almost all TVs turned out to be the same.In this regard, the cheapest model shows itself worst of all. At the same time, it has, oddly enough, a DTS decoder, like Sony - one of the most expensive TVs. And the Japanese device also supports Dolby Atmos, like Philips. These are none, but advantages. LG in this regard looks very poor, like another South Korean TV.

All TVs received a very rich set of sockets. In particular, all of them allow you to connect at least three devices via HDMI. Also, you are unlikely to have problems with sound output to speakers or a soundbar. In this regard, only Hisense 43A7300F is slightly upsetting, which includes not an optical, but a coaxial audio output. Also, this TV does not have a headphone jack. However, only two devices released by Sony and Philips are endowed with such. Manufacturers of such equipment believe that it is now much easier to use wireless headphones.

It should be noted that LG and Samsung allow you to connect up to two USB drives. Also, the corresponding connectors can be useful for other purposes.Therefore, it is sad that in the other three devices only one port is used.

Recently, we have become accustomed to the fact that devices with Smart TV work “over the air” in about the same way. But not in our case. Savings forced Hisense to limit itself to supporting the Wi-Fi 802.11n standard. The Chinese owners of the Philips brand made the same not the best choice. As a result, the viewer, when viewing content in 4K resolution, may encounter regular reloading. Especially if this video was taken using your own camera, which saves material at a high bitrate.

For the device from the Chinese company Hisense, they ask for the smallest amount. However, this does not make the price-quality ratio the best. The purchase still does not justify itself, unless the TV is placed somewhere in the country. With constant use of it, you will still encounter certain inconveniences.

As for the rest of the devices, they may seem too expensive to you. But in fact, they are worth every ruble spent. However, one cannot but admit that in the future thoughts about buying a soundbar or speakers come, and this will require additional money.

If all the 4K TVs we chose had the same price tag, it would be easy to spot a leader. Samsung has released a great device in 2021 that should appeal to gamers and moviegoers alike. Perhaps it will not suit only those who are going to watch TV using a satellite "dish" - this model does not support the DVB-S2 standard.

However, the price tag does its part. If your budget is at least a little limited, then it makes sense to look towards LG and Philips. These TVs are pretty good too. In particular, you will definitely be pleased with the Ambilight backlight, which competitors are not able to boast of. In some cases, Hisense can also arrange. Although it must be admitted that it sounds mediocre, and its Wi-Fi module has an average bandwidth. But, for example, in a children's room, this is not so important.