10 Best Smart TVs in the Philippines 2021 (LG, Samsung, Sony and More)

Torn between an OLED or a QLED? Do you crave better sound than fret over screen size? We've done the hard part so there's no need for you to spend tons of hours scouring the all these websites. Below is the list of the best smart TVs that can suit every viewing preference.

**Prices may vary depending on the website and their campaign period**

Before you hastily click that "Add to Cart" button and virtually swipe your credit card for that smart TV purchase, take a look at the things you should bear in mind. Below are the factors that you need to consider before buying.

Smart TVs come in several varieties of display that can dictate their price and performance. You might want to review the type of display that should suit your viewing pleasure.

LED (Light-Emitting Diode) televisions are energy efficient and have longer burning hours than LCD or CRT types. Manufacturers favor LEDs because of their versatility when it comes to color reproduction and deeper blacks. In terms of size, LED arrays do not take up as much space, so their panels are slimmer and can be configured into different display sizes as required. 

Organic Light-Emitting Diode, or OLED, is another type of display material that huge manufacturers use to exhibit exceptionally stunning images. It can produce color and light in a single diode as far as the power supply is concerned. 

In other words, an OLED's display has pixels that are separately powered and can be independently controlled to produce its own luminance and color, which results in deeper contrasts and per pixel accuracy. The best thing about this material, the display doesn't need a separate backlight to provide more brightness, thus, keeping the panel thinner and lighter.

In QLED displays, the "Q" stands for Quantum dot, which are microscopic molecules that can emit their own colored illumination when hit by light. The Quantum dots are sandwiched between the LED backlight and LCD layer. Every colored light passes through several layers, including the LCD. The output display is brighter and has better viewing angles than LED TVs.

Newer QLED TVs that can actually do 8K display follow the same structure as old ones, but their performance isn't because of the quantum dots. These latest models use mini-LEDs as backlight, superior full-array local dimming, brighter highlights, and improved viewing angles to outperform OLED displays.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs are still widely used today, though it has seen the peak of its marketability around the mid-2000s. Older LCDs use CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) as a backlight, but it distorts the color and has little to no variation in dimming. Also, it is not energy-efficient due to the use of CCFL unless you're still using a CRT display.

In modern LCDs, LED backlighting is used to make it brighter and have better control over the dimming properties. LEDs consume less power and can bring better sharpness and clarity to images, yet the viewing angle still suffers.

If you are the type of person whose job is to critique cinematography or animations, then a TV's screen resolution will matter to you. To put it simply, the higher the resolution an image has, the more lifelike it will be to your eyes. Nowadays, resolutions are categorized into four levels which are differentiated by their lines of resolution and number of pixels.

High Definition (HD) provides double the resolution of any analog TV with 720p lines of resolution and 921,600 pixels. Full HD delivers massive resolution even on a smaller screen as it doubles the clarity of standard HD, equipped with a 1080p line of resolution and 2.1 million pixels.

A 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) quadruples the Full HD resolution because of its superior number of pixels at 8 million and 2160p line of resolution. An 8K UHD may be the ultimate pinnacle of the resolution, designed with 33 million pixels and a 4320p line of resolution. 

It might be quite unusual to hear someone looking for a smaller TV in this modern age where display size matters, but not all consumers are the same. Nevertheless, you must consider the space you have to fit your smart TV. It makes sense to choose the ideal size where your viewing distance and angle shouldn't get in the way of your enjoyment. Remember that bigger is not always better.

• 22 inch - 80 cm / 2.62 feet
• 26 inch - 1 meter / 3.28 feet
• 32 inch - 1.2 meters / 3.94 feet
• 40 inch - 1.5 meters / 4.92 feet
• 43 inch - 1.7 meters / 5.57 feet
• 46 inch - 1.7 meters / 5.57 feet
• 49 inch - 1.9 meters / 6.23 feet
• 50 inch - 1.9 meters / 6.23 feet
• 55 inch - 2.1 meters / 6.89 feet
• 60 inch - 2.3 meters / 7.55 feet

HDR is different from the resolution as it refers to the color palette, which enhances the overall display to allow true-to-life images with richer colors. If you want to catch up on your favorite Netflix series or K-Drama, you might want to check if your smart TV supports HDR to enable you to see in more detail a show with a lot of dark scenes. 

Gamers would also love to have HDR-supported TV for gaming and in-game videos. They can have the option to turn the HDR on and off if the games might or might not require it. 

It is ideal to mount a smart TV, especially if you have playful toddlers around the house who cannot keep still, even just for a while. But, you must position it at your eye level while sitting, so you can still feel comfortable even on longer periods. Also, there are VESA-mounting options that let you reposition the TV any way you want and have cable runners along its arm to safely tuck the wires in.

However, if you're the type that can't stand dangling cables or wire, the best resort is to use a TV rack. This effectively hides the wires, and it allows you to move the TV where ever you may want. Also, you will have some space for the soundbar or the game console.

Refresh rate refers to the number of times an image is refreshed within a second, which is expressed in Hertz (Hz). This feature is a huge deal for gamers since speed and latency are crucial in every step of the game. A smart TV's refresh rate can go as high as 120Hz, which is perfect for viewing action movies and role-playing games.

A lower version, at 60Hz, can be ideal for entertainment that doesn't require faster refreshing, like watching daily soaps or low-resolution streaming. Computer monitors and TVs often share the same characteristics, so some PC gamers love using high-end smart TVs when gaming to take advantage of faster refresh rates.

Modern smart TVs are usually equipped with the latest audio features such as Dolby Atmos or a High-Definition Multimedia Interface Audio Return Channel (HDMI-ARC) support. But on other TV models, they may only have surround sound capability which can be tapped by using an external sound system. In such cases, you can accessorize your TV by adding a soundbar or a Bluetooth speaker.

As TVs are getting slimmer and their speakers getting smaller, the options to extract the best sound becomes broader because of the slots available at its rear. You can choose from an optical port, USB slot, HDMI ports, or the ancient RCA slot. It is always advisable to use an external speaker since smart TVs are notorious for having so-so speakers. 

Smart TV manufacturers regularly roll out software updates for their products. Updates are there for the simple reason of patching bugs and resolving security issues. Software engineers constantly release them to upgrade an old feature or add newer ones. Android TVs are known to get an upgrade that is why many consumers prefer this type of operating system on smart TVs.

Yes, smart TVs are highly convenient when it comes to streaming movies and shows from Netflix or YouTube since they can easily connect to your router. Since we are in the digital age, many local channels are slowly transitioning from free-to-air to online broadcasting. You can still find your favorite shows as long as they are available online.

Cable subscribers can still maintain their accounts as long as the cable company provides a digital box with an HDMI slot to be connected to the smart TV. For some, severing ties with their cable TV provide might be a great decision since most channels are now going digital, and it is one less bill to pay every month.

Millennials and Gen-Zers tend to leave tons of digital footprints all over the internet. Tech experts say that your online traffic and activities are being tracked now more than ever without your knowledge. That is why it pays to have a secure password on your home Wi-Fi.

But, to be honest, companies do collect personal information about users of smart TVs. For instance, sometime in 2013, LG acknowledged their receipt of information about which channels are the owners were tuned in to. Later, LG amended the statement by saying such was due to a software bug.

Having known this, you don't need to shun the benefits of a smart TV in your home. That data collection that manufacturers do only pertains to a user's streaming habits and the products that they currently use. You, as the user, should be controlling your smart TV, not the other way around.

Spending your hard-earned cash on a smart TV may be the beginning of your planned upgrade on your home electronics. Replacing your old gadgets with newer and better models should take you to another level of user experience. Find out the latest gizmos to splurge on when you click on the links provided below.

As we've learned in this article, smart TVs are the much-improved version of the not so ancient LCD flatscreens. Most consumers look for smart TVs that appeal to the senses, which feature stunning displays, and are equipped with better sound. But, what we should really consider are its functionalities and capabilities.

There's no reason to limit ourselves when it comes to entertainment. We should always consider getting the best that money can buy. That is especially true when it comes to smart TVs. 

Author: A. Ugay

Re-editor: Chafi Lacson

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