Compare the Android smart platform to webOS and Tizen

The Android TVs from Sony and Philips look almost identical. The system was developed by Google, so you might recognize elements of the Android smartphones and tablets. The menu fills the entire screen. This means that the images that you're currently viewing are hidden. The most important apps are displayed below each other on the left. You'll also find a row of recommendations per app. Via the buttons at the top, you'll get access to the settings and the Play Store where you can download new apps.

When you open the webOS smart menu, a full screen menu will appear. The images you're viewing at that time will remain visible at the top left of the screen. A row of squares will indicate your most-used apps. You can adjust the sequence yourself. That way, you can put your favorite apps in the front so you can access them faster. You'll also notice a row of cards that indicate movies, series, and videos from your favorite apps that match your interests.

The smart menu of the Tizen operating system is called the Smart Hub. This menu looks like a narrow bar and only fills the bottom of the screen. This keeps the images you're viewing partly visible. If you select an app, you'll see a new bar with recommendations above the menu. The connected devices and settings are on the left. With QLED TVs, you'll also find the Ambient Mode or Art Store here that you can use to display artworks on the screen.

To download new apps, you'll need a Google Account. This will give you access to the Google Play Store. You'll find an extensive selection of apps and games in this app. The app selection of Android is very large and grows continuously.

The advantage of webOS is that you don't need an account to download apps. After downloading an app, it'll automatically appear in the menu. WebOS offers a large selection of apps. You can find the most popular apps on this platform too, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

If you want to download apps from the App Store, a Samsung account is required. You can find a large selection in the App Store, of which Apple TV is the most important, recent addition. With this, you can watch movies and series from your iTunes library.

Almost all Sony and Philips TVs have a traditional remote. These have the arrow and number keys that you're probably used to with your current remote. Some Philips TVs have a remote with a keyboard on the back, which allows you to type searches quickly.

Many LG TVs include a Magic Remote in the box. If you point it to the screen, a cursor appears on the screen. You can select an option by pointing at it and clicking it as you would with a computer mouse. This saves you a lot of pressing on arrow buttons.

Almost every Samsung TV comes with a One Remote. This remote is just as minimalistic and user-friendly as the Smart Hub. With the arrow buttons in the middle, you can quickly navigate through all options. You can also control all connected devices with this, from your Blu-ray player to your digital decoder. Thanks to this, you won't have to switch between remotes all the time.

Android TVs have voice control via Google Assistant. This allows you to control the TV as well as other Google devices in your house. With a simple voice command, you can dim the light from your smart lights. With the next command, you can start a YouTube video. You can just as easily ask what the weather will be like. Your TV will display the weather forecast on the screen right away.

The voice assistant of WebOS TVs is supported by ThinQ AI. Although the extensive support isn't available here yet, you do already have access to some basic functions such as the recording of searches. As a result, you can start a YouTube video or go to a website quickly and easily.

Samsung TVs have their own voice assistant, called Bixby. You can turn on the TV with a simple voice command, adjust the volume, or search a YouTube video. You can also easily request extra information about the weather and time.

Because Android was developed by Google, these TVs have an integrated Chromecast. This allows you to easily stream content from your smartphone to the TV. The advantage of casting is that images directly adjust to the size of your TV. You can also do something else on your smartphone while casting, this doesn't cause problems. Only Sony TVs support AirPlay 2 at the moment. Philips doesn't support AirPlay yet.

TVs with webOS have the LG TV Plus app, which gives you all the basic functions of a remote. You can also use it to select connected devices or apps. Via the Screen Share function, you can share the images from your Android or Windows device with the TV. You can easily display vacation videos via your smartphone or tablet. If you want to stream from an iPhone or iPad to the TV, you'll need a TV with AirPlay 2. At the present time, AirPlay 2 is only available on 2019 OLED or NanoCell TVs.

You control Tizen TVs using the SmartThings app for your smartphone or tablet. The SmartView app offers a screen mirroring function, which allows you to send images from your device to the TV. You'll have to adjust the proportions of the images to the TV screen. With some apps, like YouTube, you can cast videos to the TV with the push of a button so that they have the right proportions right away. Via AirPlay 2, you can stream images or music from an Apple device to the TV.