Smart TV OS Update Policies: Every Major TV Maker Covered

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Smart TVs are now becoming smarter every day. Gone are the days when a TV was considered smart simply because it had the option to connect to the internet and give you the option to install apps from the TV’s app store. The modern smart TV now comes with features that let you control your TV using your smartphone, and also includes AI tools and features baked into the operating system itself.

For a TV to be considered smart, several factors are important, including the security and usability of the TV, i.e., the software. So, let’s take a look at the difference between security patches and updates, as well as the different smart TV operating systems that are present in the market.

Smart TV Security Updates or Security Patches: What Are They?

Security patches or security updates are monthly or bi-monthly updates that are pushed out by the OEM to enhance and improve the TV’s system security. At times, there can also be bug fixes and patches that are pushed along with the monthly security update. These types of updates are similar to the monthly updates that are pushed out for iOS and Android smartphones.

Smart TV Software Updates: What Are They?

Software Updates on a smart TV can simply be designed as the operating system’s main software upgrade. This would simply mean a new update that changes not only the software version but also brings in new and important features for your smart TV.

A lot of smart TVs have had software support for a few years. Meaning that once it reaches the last year of software support, your TV won’t get any new software versions; however, you might get security patches that might be pushed once in a while.

Smart TV: App Updates: What Are They?

App updates are simply updates that can be installed from your TV’s built-in App Store. These app updates function similarly to the app updates that you get on your Android, iOS, and Windows devices. These updates are regular, and the update frequency can vary depending on the app developer. Usually, these app updates will have bug fixes, performance optimization, and general feature updates.

Smart TV OS: How many operating systems are there?

With so many smart TVs and similar plug-in devices out there, we, the customers, have an ocean of options to choose from. Here is a list of the popular smart TV operating systems in no particular order.

Amazon Fire TV OS
Apple tvOS
Google TV
Hisense Vidaa OS
LG WebOS
Roku OS
Samsung’s One UI
Vizio’s Vizio OS

These are the popular smart TV operating systems in the market. Let’s take a deep dive into each of these operating systems so that you, the reader, and a buyer for the next smart TV can have a good idea of what you need to upgrade your living room.

Amazon Fire TV OS – An In-Depth View

Oh yes, Amazon’s Fire TV is also one of the bigger smart TV players in the smart TV market. Started in 2014 to compete with Apple TV and Roku OS. Amazon released its Fire TV Sticks- plug-in devices that could be plugged into any TV’s HDMI port, making any basic or dumb TV into a smart TV.

There have also been many smart TVs that come with Fire TV OS built in. Apart from their in-house branded smart TVs, other TV manufacturers such as Toshiba, Insignia, Panasonic, and even Xiaomi smart TVs come with Fire TV OS. You will find several Fire TV Editions that launch with the same specs as the models running Google TV or Android TV.

Amazon Fire TV Plug-In Devices

The following devices from Amazon running Fire TV OS are available for users to purchase from popular online retailers such as Walmart and Amazon.

Fire TV Cube
Fire TV Stick 4K,
Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Fire TV Stick gen 3 and newer
Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon Fire TV (Amazon Branded)

Amazon Fire TV 2-Series 2022 and newer
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series 2021
Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series 2022 and newer
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 2021

Amazon Fire TV OS: Latest Version, Features, and Update Cycle

The latest version of Fire TV OS is Fire OS 8. As you would expect, Fire OS is based on a forked version of Android, and the latest Fire OS 8 is based on Android 11. While this is a pretty old version of Android that it’s based on, it seems to be the best one, considering how many of Amazon’s Fire TV OS devices are running on Fire OS 8.

Moving towards the interface for Fire TV OS, the interface is simple but very bland. You have all the apps available for you to access right away on the home screen. It has a couple of decent features that any smart TV should have. Whether you want to cast content from your device to your Fire TV OS device, Bluetooth, wireless remote control, or even the Alexa voice assistant.

Moving towards the app store, the Amazon App Store has a decent number of popular apps, including apps that let you stream and watch Live TV channels. But if you don’t see an app that you want on the App Store, you can always download the APK file and sideload it to your Amazon Fire TV device.

Wireless casting to the Fire TV OS devices can be a hit or miss. Not all the models have support for Apple AirPlay and Google Chromecast. However, there are third-party apps on the app store that you can install on your Fire TV device and your smartphone to make use of wireless casting.

On the software side of things, all Fire TV devices get up to four years of software and security updates. This means you can continue to use your Fire TV-powered smart TVs and plug-in devices for a long time.

Fire TV devices launched in 2025 now come with AI-powered search to display results that give you smarter content search, real-time analysis, and a smart picture adjustment feature. Based on the content and your room’s lighting, your Fire TV device will now adjust the brightness and color temperature of the content, making it easy on the eyes while viewing your favorite content.

Also, with the new Fire Sticks and Fire TV devices, there is a new Ambient Wallpaper that you can enable. This lets your TV display artwork from popular artists, your calendar info, smart home controls that are integrated with Alexa, and also some fun sticky notes.

The newer Amazon-branded Omni Mini LED TVs now come with AMD FreeSync Premium Support with Variable Refresh Rates up to 144Hz for smooth gameplay when gaming with a PC or console. Additionally, under the hood, the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max has 16GB of internal storage with a faster 2GHz processor that gives you an overall smoother experience and faster app launching and loading times.

Apple TV – tvOS 26

Apple, apart from smartphones, iPads, and MacBooks, also has its smart TV plug-in devices. Known as the Apple TV, these devices run on Apple’s in-house OS called tvOS. As of writing, the latest version of tvOS is Apple’s tvOS 26, which is currently in its beta stage. The stable version of Apple’s tvOS 26 is set for a stable release in September 2025.

Apple’s tvOS 26 is slated to be the biggest update in the history of Apple TV. Not only will Apple tvOS users be getting new features, but also a new UI overhaul and Apple Intelligence- Apple’s set of AI tools that is expected to improve the usage of Apple TV by miles.

So, for whom is the Apple TV box? Well, anyone can get an Apple TV box and enjoy their favorite content in 4K from all popular streaming platforms. However, if you own an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device, it makes more sense to own an Apple TV device simply because of the seamless integration between different Apple devices.

In terms of entertainment, Apple TV has support for games via Apple Arcade and the best audio quality thanks to Dolby Audio support for the Apple 4K TV boxes.

Apple tvOS 26: Update Cycle and Features

Let’s now talk about the software updates. Apple has been known to support a lot of its devices for a long period. In the case of Apple TV devices, Apple has supported its Apple TV boxes for between five and six years with major software updates and regular security patches every month. So, what devices will be getting the tvOS 26 stable update? Here’s the list

tvOS 26 Supported Devices

Apple TV 4K 2017
Apple TV 4K 2021
Apple TV 4K 2023
Apple TV HD 2015

Let’s now take a look at what tvOS 26 brings to the Apple TV experience. Off the bat, you’ll get to experience the new translucent-effect-styled UI called Glass Effect by Apple. A lot of the menus will now feel more interactive when you tap, swipe, or slide through them. For those who enjoy streaming movies on the Apple TV, the control center brings a pleasant experience when you want to rewind or fast-forward a scene in your content.

The Apple TV app can now display more movies and shows thanks to the new Glass Effect UI. When you scroll through the various movies and shows, a little shine effect plays over the selected title. There is also a new profile section that you can use to see movies and shows that will be recommended based on what you have previously watched.

If you have an active Apple Music subscription, you can make use of the Sing option in Apple Music. With this option, you can now sing along to the song playing on your Apple TV by using your iPhone as a mic. Additionally, there are also new FaceTime features such as Live Captions and iPhone notifications popping up in tvOS 26.

In terms of personalization, you can now make sure of aerial, landscape, and underwater screensavers. One of the better reasons to get an Apple TV device if you own an iPhone is the ability to use your iPhone’s camera as the webcam for all your FaceTime conversations. With the help of Apple Intelligence, you can also get live translations during FaceTime calls.

If you have compatible smart home devices with Apple, you can now use your Apple TV as the central control center to manage and access all your smart devices, including the Apple HomePod speakers.

Google TV

One of the most popular operating systems when it comes to smart TVs. You have Google TV OS smart TVs from many TV manufacturers, such as Sony, TCL, Hisense, Philips, Sharp, just to name a few. Now, you may also find other smart TV brands powered by Google TV OS on online stores like Amazon, which may or may not be certified to run Google TV as the OS.

Now, apart from smart TVs, you can also get Google TV OS as a plugin device thanks to the all-new Google 4K Streamer and the older Google Chromecast HD and Chromecast 4K devices. These are all official Google products and are thus certified to run and install apps designed for Google TV.

One of the reasons why Google TV is popular is simply because it runs on Android, and, as you would expect, there are a ton of apps for you to choose from via the Google Play Store. Of course, now if you don’t have a particular app on the Play Store in your region, sideloading is always a good option.

Google TV: Current Version, Update Policy, and Features

As of now, Google TV is based on 2024’s Android 14. When it comes to major software updates for Google TV, Google updates the major software every two years. So with devices running on Google TV’s Android 14, the next update scheduled is Google TV OS based on Android 16.

You can expect this update to roll out in a few months alongside the stable version of Android 16 for smartphones and tablets. While the software version remains the same for two years, mini updates and security patches are pushed to keep the software up to date, secure, and optimized for performance.

Google TV, based on Android 14, was pushed to smart TVs running Google TV to improve the overall performance and responsiveness of Google TV. This version also lets users set up power modes, which could be tweaked to reduce the power consumption when the TV is put in standby mode. One of the most important features to come to Google TV based on Android 14 is the option to use multitasking. You can finally have two apps open at the same time on your Google TV.

Google TV’s Android 16 Version

Let’s now take a look at what you can expect from Google TV’s next major update, based on Android 16. First and foremost is the new Material 3 expressive redesign. This new design will be seen in the Settings menu. Different options, when highlighted, will now be in a rounded rectangle as opposed to the current rectangular block. Even the highlighted icons will turn dark for highlighted options.

Android 16 for Google TV will now have support for a brand new open-source audio codec that has been co-developed by Google and Samsung. Named Eclipsa Audio Codec, this open-source codec aims to compete with other audio codecs that are used regularly with Google TVs. Additionally, Google also aims to improve media playback speeds and improve the HDMI CEC reliability between the TV and other HDMI CEC-supported devices.

Google TV on the Go with Google’s TV Streamer 4K

Now, if you have a great TV that is perfect in terms of audio and video but has old, dated software, simply get the Google TV Streamer 4K device. This little plug-and-play device is perfect for not only giving new life to your TV, but it can also be used when you’re on vacation and want to watch your favorite content without having to worry about signing in to a TV that belongs to the hotel.

The Google TV 4K Streamer comes with Google TV based on Android 14 out of the box. This device comes with two years of major updates. Meaning this device will get Android 16 and the next Android TV version with some security patches on a regular basis. As this is an official Google device, you can expect the performance and experience of Google TV to be better than smart TVs running on Google TV OS.

Now, if you were to use a smart TV powered by Google TV OS for gaming, depending on the TV’s hardware, you can expect a lot of gaming-related features to kick in, such as game acceleration, support for AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G Sync, variable and high refresh rate support, along with automatic low latency mode. Now, these features will depend on the type of Google TV that you have purchased. These devices need the necessary hardware in order to get a smooth gaming experience.

Moving towards the AI side of things, Google TV has several AI features that are baked into the operating system. With Google Assistant for Google TV, you can now get much better results and also have a back-and-forth conversation to refine your search results. With AI, you also get predictive app launching and performance optimization. The AI will learn your app using habits and prepare the apps before you launch them, which helps in getting a faster experience when using Google TV. You can use Google Assistant to control various functions of your smart TV, and you can also use your Android-powered smartphone to remotely control the TV.

Hisense VIDAA OS TV

Hisense is a well-known brand of smart TVs that manufactures TVs with their in-house Linux-based operating system called VIDAA OS, which was launched in 2014 and has since been the choice of OS for all Hisense smart TVs. Sure, you now get Hisense smart TVs with other operating systems such as Fire OS and Google TV OS, but VIDAA OS has always been the preferred choice by consumers.

VIDAA OS: Latest Version and Supported Devices

The latest available version of VIDAA OS is 9.0. A lot of smart TVs that were launched with the previous VIDAA OS 8.5 are being updated to the newest OS version. Here is a list of Hisense VIDAA OS powered TVs that will be updated to VIDAA OS 9.

Hisense U8Q series
Hisense E7K Pro
Hisense Q7N series
Hisense U7H series
Hisense A6N series
Hisense A4N series

Apart from having good hardware and price tags, Hisense is ensuring that you keep using your TV for a long time. Yes! Hisense is now providing software support for most of its TVs running VIDAA OS for 8 years of software support. This 8-year support beats the software support promise made by LG and Samsung.

VIDAA OS 9: The Features

Hisense has brought in VIDAA OS 9 with a bunch of enhancements and improvements, alongside AI-related performance. With VIDAA OS 9, users can customize the home screens to show around what apps they would like to display right away and which apps they can remove from the main screen. There’s also the new option of applying different themes to the home screen, and a way to change wallpapers for your TV.

Users can also create user profiles for the TV so that each member of the family can have their settings and customizations when they log into their user profile. Additionally, the TV also has voice input options and can recognize up to 28 different languages. You can also choose to let the VIDAA Voice assistant integrate with other voice assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant.

Apart from these new features, Hisense has also improved the overall performance and response time of VIDAA OS 9 and will continue to do so with 3 to 4 security enhancement updates on a yearly basis. Hisense also ramped up the security by preventing users from installing third-party apps on the TV. While it might seem like a drawback for a specific group of users, it helps to prevent users from installing apps that might be malicious or harmful.

The app library for VIDAA OS powered TVs is quite large, with about 400 apps for users to choose from and install on their Hisense TVs. Additionally, you also have the option to view a ton of Live TV channels for free via the VIDAA Channels app built right into the VIDAA-powered Hisense smart TV.

Top-of-the-line VIDAA OS smart TVs from Hisense will also have support for enhanced HDR, adaptive refresh rates, and gaming modes that allow you to enjoy your games, such as Dolby Vision, AMD FreeSync, and support for up to 144 Hertz refresh rates.

Moving to the AI side of things, these VIDAA OS 8 smart TVs use AI to upscale videos from lower resolutions to higher and clearer video outputs at a maximum of 4K. Then there is the recommendation system that will suggest the user TV shows and movies based on what the user has been watching or streaming recently. In terms of picture brightness and audio quality, Hisense is also using AI to enhance these elements. The elements include AI Peak brightness, AI RGB Local Dimming, AI Clear Voice, and AI banding that provides a smoother visual experience.

LG webOS

LG is another smart TV brand that manufactures TVs with its own in-house smart TV operating system. Known as webOS, LG has been improving its OS version in many ways. From adding new features to supporting a lot of LG smart TVs, LG has come a long way with its lineup of smart TVs.

To boost its webOS adoption, LG does not manufacture TVs running on Google TV OS, FireOS, or Roku.

LG webOS: Current Version, Features, and Update Cycle

The current version of webOS for LG smart TVs is webOS 25. This version of webOS is already available for LG smart TVs that were released in March of this year. Future LG smart TVs launching this year will also come with webOS 25 out of the box.

Depending on what model year your LG TV is, it will get updates for a number of years. LG Smart TVs released from 2024 and beyond are getting 5 years of software updates, and LG TVs released before 2024 are getting anywhere between 2 and 3 years of webOS software updates. And yes, these updates will contain not only security updates, but also major webOS version updates.

As of now, LG Smart TVs from 2021 will be updated to webOS 25. However, the updates for these TVs will be pushed out slowly. TVs that are not updated to webOS 24 will receive these updates in the remaining part of 2025, followed by webOS 25 during the early middle of 2026. Let’s now run over the features as well as AI integration in webOS 25.

The home screen for webOS 25 has been redesigned to easily spot your recommendations and your favorite shows. To compete with Google TV OS, webOS lets you run two apps at the same time on the same screen equally. You also get a lot of the improvements and app launch times with webOS 25.

webOS 25 also lets you add and control all of your smart home devices, thanks to the centralized IoT hub. LG has also reworked the universal search for webOS, which will let you search for content present in various apps and services that are installed on your LG smart TV. If you just want to enjoy free content, LG has more than 300 free Live TV channels that are powered by Xumo for you to watch.

webOS 25: Gaming Enhancements

Compatible LG TVs running on webOS 25 will also have support for gaming modes such as the Xbox Game Pass, low-latency mode, and support for high refresh rates up to 165 hertz. Support for variable refresh rate will also be present, but as expected, with specific high-end LG smart TV models only.

webOS 25: AI Integration and Enhancements

On the AI side of things, LG has put in a lot of AI enhancements for webOS 25, and you might like these features. LG’s AI Picture Pro will check and analyze the playing scene and try to enhance the video with AI by adjusting the sharpness, details, color, and depth of the video. The AI can also enhance various objects and make them look crisper.

There are also audio enhancements thanks to LG’s AI Sound Pro, which brings virtual 9.1.2 surround sound simulation with spatial clarity based on the currently playing scenes. webOS 25 will also bring brightness control powered by AI. This will adjust the peak brightness levels for your screen based on the scene as well as the overall light in your room, with the help of the light sensor present on the TV itself. While you can have multiple profiles on your TV, the Voice AI will recognize your voice and switch to the necessary profile and display recommendations right away.

With webOS 25, you no longer have to hunt around or find someone to help you with anything related to your TV. The integrated chatbot for webOS 25 will help you troubleshoot any problems that you have and will also help you adjust different audio and visual settings for your LG smart TV. On the customization side of things, you will be able to use AI to generate custom-styled screensavers for your LG smart TV. If you have photos stored on your LG smart TV, you can use it to transform them with some fun AI-powered creativity.

Roku OS

RokuOS is popularly known for its Roku Streaming Sticks and plug-in devices. While there are RokuOS-powered smart TVs from popular brands such as TCL, Hisense, Sharp, Philips, and Onn, did you know that Roku has also launched its in-house Roku-branded smart TVs?

RokuOS: Current Version and Supported Devices

As of writing, the current version of RokuOS is RokuOS 15. This version is available on Roku-branded plug-in devices and the Roku-branded lineup of smart TVs. Here is a list of Roku devices that are on the latest 15 update.

Any Roku Streaming Stick powered by ARM11 and Cortex A9 Processors
Roku 2 HD
Roku 2 XD
Roku 2 XS
Roku 3
Roku 4
Roku LT
Roku Streambar SE
Roku Streaming Stick 2025
Roku Streaming Stick 4K 2021 and newer
Roku Streaming Stick Plus 2025
Roku TV Plus 2025
Roku TV Pro 2025
Roku TV Select 2025

Samsung One UI for TV

Now, you may have heard of Samsung’s One UI software for its range of Galaxy tablets and smartphones. Now, Samsung is moving away from its Tizen OS and shifting to a more unified One UI. This new redesign for Samsung’s lineup of smart TVs is expected to bring in a lot of new and improved features that will work in line with Samsung smartphones running One UI.

Samsung One UI for TV: Supported Devices and Rollout

One UI for Samsung TVs has begun rolling out for the top-of-the-line TVs that were launched early this year. Models include the S95F, S90F, and S85F. Other Samsung smart TVs that were released in 2024 and 2023 will be getting updates to the new One UI OS for Samsung smart TVs. The One UI update will roll out slowly through 2025 and beyond for older and compatible Samsung smart TVs.

Samsung One UI for TV: Software Support

Just like how the top-of-the-line smartphones from Samsung have support for 7 years of major software updates, even the TVs from Samsung running on One UI for TV will have 7 years of software updates. There will also be security updates and patches that will be pushed out for the TVs regularly.

Samsung One UI for TVs: Features

As this is the first version of One UI for Samsung TVs. There are a decent number of features and improvements over the existing Tizen OS powered Samsung smart TVs. The home screen for Samsung TVs on One UI can be personalized based on content that you have recently watched, your searches, and easy access to game consoles that are connected to your Samsung TV.

The overall UI experience and design will be similar to what Samsung smartphone users are familiar with. From app icons to overlays and easily accessible shortcuts, One UI for TV will be the best OS version available for smart TVs out there.

If you plan to game using your Samsung smart TV, One UI for TV will display the controllers that are connected to it and will also have many gaming mode features enabled for you to enjoy your overall gaming experience. Of course, you will continue to have the SmartThings integration that lets you control all Samsung-branded IoT devices with ease, as well as the ability to manage and control your TV with a Samsung smartphone wirelessly.

Art and Ambient modes on Samsung TVs will continue to improve and stick with the new One UI OS. These are great little features that can be displayed as a screensaver for your Samsung TVs, especially for the Samsung The Frame TV models.

Samsung’s TV Plus app will continue to exist with One UI for TVs, with over 300 live TV channels for free to stream. You can check out the complete list of free TV channels by heading here.

Samsung One UI for TVs: AI Enhancements

One of the best things about One UI for TV is that Samsung is going all in with AI integration. Thai is the only smart TV OS that has sensitive AI features for a TV. In the video departments, AI upscaling will help to boost the video’s resolution and sharpness for content that is not in 4K. Towards the audio department, AI Sound 3 will help improve the audio clarity and fine-tune the audio levels so that viewers can be immersed in the surround sound based on the type of content playing on the screen.

Samsung is pulling a leaf from One UI for smartphones with the generative wallpaper feature. You can use specific prompts and let AI generate a wallpaper that can be set as the home screen for your Samsung TV running One UI. Smart AI-powered alerts with Vision AI can monitor pets and children and send you alerts, and also give you remote access control to various devices, and control smart pet feeders remotely.

Samsung’s Knox Security has been the best, and now for TVs, you will get the same security protection with AI, boosting security and user privacy. There’s a new smart gesture that lets you control your Samsung TV by performing certain gestures when wearing a Galaxy smartwatch. You can also use Samsung’s voice assistant Bixby, which, with the help of AI, can perform even more functions such as device control and content search, and recommendations.

Vizio Home OS

Yes, this is the OS that powered a ton of Vizio’s self-branded smart TVs out there in the market. Over the years of Vizio’s homegrown OS, there have been a lot of improvements, and now in 2025, Vizio Home has added a lot of features that have made owning a Vizio smart TV more desirable. The current version of Vizio OS is called Vizio Home and is compatible with the following Vizio smart TV models.

Vizio HD smart TVs
Vizio M Series
Vizio OLED series
Vizio Quantum Pro Series
Vizio V Series

Vizio Home OS: Features

Vizio Home OS works well with various types of voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and even Apple’s HomeKit. You can use your voice to control your Vizio smart TV with the voice assistant of your choice. Vizio Home OS also has support for wireless screen mirroring, casting, and Apple AirPlay 2. However, not all Vizio smart TVs come with Apple AirPlay 2, so make sure that your particular model has AirPlay 2 support.

Based on the model of your Vizio smart TV, you can also get gaming modes and features such as AMD FreeSync Premium, support for variable refresh rate up to 120 hertz, and faster HDMI 2.1 ports when connecting a gaming console to your Vizio smart TV. Vizio Home OS also has support for various smart home devices, especially those powered by Alexa and Google via Amazon Alexa and Google Cast wireless controls.

There are also a bunch of Live TV channels that you can stream for free via Vizio’s WatchFree+. This service has over 300 free-to-stream Live TV channels for you to enjoy. You can check out the list of WatchFree+ channels for Vizio by browsing through this list.

Vizio Home OS: AI Integration

When it comes to Vizio Home OS, there’s not a lot of AI integration and features. Now, this could be a bad thing for some users or a good thing for some users. It just depends on what your preferences are. The trending now section on Vizio Home OS TVs gives you various recommendations based on what people are watching, as well as the content you have recently searched or watched.

Certain Vizio smart TVs will have AI to fine-tune audio and video elements of the content you are watching. Additionally, Vizio TVs with a proximity sensor will wake the display up when the viewer walks into the room. Different shows and movies that you could stream will be displayed as recommendations for quick and easy content viewing.

What TV OS is the Best?

With so many TV operating systems and devices to choose from, things can get complicated, so here is a summary of which TV OS is the best when it comes to specific elements.

AI Rich Features

Samsung’s One UI for TV is the best when it comes to AI integration for smart TVs. Especially Thai features such as live subtitles and live translation for movies and TV shows, this simply enhances your viewing experience by miles.

Gaming Features

In terms of gaming features, Samsung’s One UI for TV, LG webOS, and Hisense VIDAA OS are perfect if you use your TV for gaming. Most of the high-end TVs from these brands have support for variable refresh rate, low latency mode, and some also with support for AMD FreeSync and Nvidia GSync.

Live TV Offerings

In order from the most to the least live TV channel services

RokuOS
Samsung One UI
Google TV
LG webOS
Hisense VIDAA OS
Vizio Home OS
Fire TV

In the case of Apple TV, you will have to install live TV streaming apps.

Smart Home Integration

Smart Home devices are becoming popular, and there are a ton of smart home devices for you to choose from. If you own smart home devices, then you can go for either the Apple TV, Samsung One UI for TV, or even Google TV. These are the best operating systems if you want to manage and control your smart home devices.

Smartphone and TV Connectivity

This is something that users would like to have as a feature and peace of mind knowing that they can manage and control their smart TV by just using their smartphone. If this is a priority for you, then based on what smartphone you have, you can easily pick between the Apple TV, Samsung One UI for TV, and Google TV.

For Apple TV, an iPhone, iPad, or even a macOS device should work. For Google TV, you can use any Android-powered smartphone. Meanwhile, for Samsung’s One UI or Tizen OS TVs, having a Galaxy-powered smartphone is a better choice. FireOS and LG webOS TVs can also be controlled using the TV’s respective apps on your smartphones.

Portability

If you like to have your TV access with you whenever and wherever you want, then streaming sticks are the best way to enjoy your content. In no particular order, you can pick any of these devices.

Apple TV
Google TV Streamer
Amazon Fire TV Stick
Roku Streaming Sticks

Closing Thoughts: What’s the Best?

Well, now it all depends on what your needs are. If you are in the market for a new TV, you can pick from any of the above-mentioned operating system smart TVs, except for Apple TV. If you want portability and already have a good smart TV, simply go for any of the plug-in streaming devices.

Since different people have different needs and priorities, there is no sense in saying that a particular TV operating system is the best and that this is the worst. All of them come with different features and different price points. What is important is that you know which OS has features that matter to you.

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