Best of breed

The demand of the times is to bring the concept of a connected device to televisions. After all, won't that viral video be much more enjoyable on a 46-inch full-HD LED 3D screen with Dolby home theatre surround sound than on a 4.7-inch one, the capacitive touch AMOLED of the latter notwithstanding?

Enter the smart TV, touted as the future of television, indeed of home entertainment — a segment that all the manufacturers want a piece of, with almost all the top ones coming up with their own versions and iterations of what a smart TV should be. We bring you four of the best:

Philips Cinema 21:9

Most TVs have an aspect ratio of 16:9. However, Hollywood blockbusters are usually filmed in 21:9 aspect ratio. Philips' new 58-inch Cinema 21:9 TV perfectly matches the original movie format so that you can now watch the latest hits in their original aspect ratios, without the black bars on the top and bottom.

You can also enjoy a world of connectivity with Multi-view — while watching Real take on Barca on the left side of the screen, you can simultaneously browse the internet on the right side or tweet about Ronaldo's superb goal. Other features include Philips' Net TV that brings video on demand, catch-up TV and more.

The best feature perhaps is the Unique Smart formatting technology, which automatically adapts any content to the 21:9 screen. Combine this with Philips' Ambilight feature and you get a screen that seems to stretch forever. Now just imagine watching Avatar on this ultra-wide, LED full-HD screen with active shutter 3D technology — an enthralling visual treat.

Samsung UA65D8000XR

Korean giant Samsung was one of the first to go ultra-slim and rimless in its screen designs. And the dramatic effect of a large screen without a border is accentuated by the 65-inch screen of the UA65 LED 3D Smart TV. Apart from a very realistic three-dimensional picture quality, this model has a plethora of smart TV features, such as Samsung Apps, Skype and web browser. Its Smart Hub allows you to bring all your content and functions onto one platform and helps to transform your TV into your central communication device. You can catch up with friends and family using Facebook and Twitter, browse the web, make video calls over the internet using Skype and an add-on webcam and, best of all, download more applications from the Samsung App website to expand the use of your TV. Especially recommended are the multitude of games available on the app site, which could enable the UA65 to supplant your PC or Xbox as your favourite gaming device.

LG 55LW9800

Compatriot LG seems to have gone a step ahead of the pack with its 3D smart TV technology: if your bugbear are those bulky, thick-rimmed active shutter 3D glasses that sit painfully on the bridge of the nose and start pinching and aching by the time Forrest completes his coast-to-coast run in Forrest Gump, then you should seriously consider the 55LW9800.

The set comes with LG Cinema 3D technology that only needs thin and light glasses, cool enough for the beach. Weighing only 16gm, the glasses are less than half the weight of those used by other manufacturers and do not need to be charged.

Another great feature of the LG is 2D to 3D conversion enabling you to instantly add another dimension to any 2D content.

Add features such as the 3D Videos-on-Demand service, accessed via the 3D Zone on the LG Apps website, and Smart Share that wirelessly accesses content stored in your digital cameras, mobile phones, tablets and PCs — and you know why this 55-inch TV should be at the top of your wish list.

Panasonic TX-P65VT30B

Panasonic has traditionally sworn by plasma TVs, even after the rest of the world took to LCD and LED. And to back up its preference, it makes some of the best plasmas in the world. Such as the TX-P65VT30B.

Making the most of plasma's inherent strong points, it offers a 65-inch screen at a price range that competes with LED TVs ten inches smaller. The Panasonic also does not require any specific viewing angle — being a plasma allows it to have the same clarity regardless of the angle you are viewing it from. Colour resolution, especially of black tones, is extremely realistic, with impressive 3D depth even when the inbuilt converter is used to extrapolate 2D images to 3D.

Smart TV functions include all the usual features that define the genre, such as DLNA for wireless content sharing and a game mode that transforms the set into one of the biggest and most enjoyable game screens you can get. A downside, though, is the 63kg weight of the unit with its stand, as can be expected with a plasma.

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Make your TV smarter with a set-top box

You don't always require a new smart TV to get a smart TV. If you already have that flat-screen TV that you always wanted, there's no need to give it away. You can put the smart in it simply by connecting it to a set-top box such as the Apple TV.

The Apple device is a digital media receiver, now in its second generation, that lets you access the iTunes store directly for all kinds of content, such as renting music, movies and TV shows and streaming audio and video podcasts, which can then be viewed on the television/monitor the Apple TV is connected to. You can also stream movies from Netflix, view YouTube and Vimeo videos, as well as stream content wirelessly from a variety of Apple devices.

Another smart TV-in-a-box is LG's Smart TV Upgrader — a tiny box that turns any HD TV into a smart TV via a simple HDMI connection. You can enjoy the full spectrum of smart TV features such as premium content from online stores such as eLife OnWeb, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, full web browsing and Skype video call — all at an affordable price. It's the easiest way to make your TV smarter.

— A. B.