Android TV. Smart TV. Back light. No back light. Intelligent. Intuitive. If you’re feeling a little out of your depth, that’s okay. As the world of TVs looks more impressive daily, it also gets more confusing. There's a huge selection of high-definition (HD) and 4K Ultra HD sets in stores, from affordable big screens to high-end displays that can cost as much as a car.

So, let’s start with the basics… What is a smart TV?  A smart TV is a traditional television set with built in Internet and Web 2.0 features allowing users to stream music, videos, browse the net and view photos. It’s a technological convergence of computers, TV sets and set-top boxes.

However, a smart TV wouldn’t be very smart if its capabilities couldn’t be updated over time, which is why a smart TV platform with its own, or access to, an app store, and plenty of first and third-party apps to choose from, is something to consider.

Android TV currently leads the pack with the most variety of apps. It makes sense then that industry-leader, high-end television brand SKYWORTH partnered with Google to be the first brand in South Africa to bring Android TV to the market. “Full access to the

Google Play Store means any Android application designed for smart TVs is available for any Android TV,” explains Jaco Joubert SKYWORTH Key Account Manager.

With other smart TVs using their own operating systems, users are quite restricted when it comes to updates, and the number of apps available to them is limited. “SKYWORTH’s Android TVs give users access to a world of content as opposed to a manufacturer’s choice of content. The Google Play Store currently offers approximately 30 000 apps and increases daily,” adds Joubert. Plus, the Android TV’s operating system is upgradeable, including all the apps on the Google Play Store. This means you can keep up with the best in apps, games and entertainment as and when they’re available in the country, without having to fork out on a new device. “Think of it as a TV with the same capabilities as your smartphone, just bigger, better and clearer.”

“There’s also the added benefit of the TV’s voice search functionality. Instead of typing in what you’re looking for, you can talk to your Android TV using the remote for a faster, easier way to search. Pairing this with Google Assistant allows you to control all your smart home devices, too. Let your TV be your home’s ‘Smart Hub,’ where at the click of a button, or the sound of your voice, any other paired blue tooth device around your home, will respond,” Joubert says.

Designed with the goal of 100% user satisfaction in mind all SKYWORTH Android TVs come with a separate gaming control in the box. What’s more, if you lose your remote, you can download the Android remote application on your phone, compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems.

“Our TVs are ready for the future,” says Joubert. “Not simply ‘smart,’ they’re intuitive and intelligent with attention to detail high on their priority list.” He goes on to say, “I’m sure we can all agree how frustrating it is when you’re watching your favourite show on just the right volume, and then an ad comes on and you’re almost blown off your seat by the sheer volume of it. Now, your TV will automatically dim down the volume during adverts. It’s the little, but important, things like these that raise the bar on a TV’s smartness.”