Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBefore adding another streaming service, set up the utilities that make a smart TV easier to use: a phone remote where supported, accessibility features, and a quick review of privacy settings. Smart-home controls are worth exploring only if your TV and household setup are compatible. There is no universal first-install list: available apps and steps depend on the TV platform, model, region, and software version.
Start with the task, not an app list
Choose a utility based on what you want the TV to do. A phone remote can simplify text entry; built-in accessibility settings can make menus and viewing easier; privacy controls help you review personalization; and smart-home controls can put compatible devices on the TV screen. Before installing anything, check whether a built-in feature already does the job and whether the app is available in your TV’s own store.
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- Remote and text entry: useful if typing searches or passwords with the TV remote is cumbersome.
- Accessibility: check the TV’s settings before looking for additional software.
- Privacy: review account, personalization, and diagnostic options during setup.
- Smart home: optional, and dependent on the TV platform and connected-device setup.
Use your phone as a remote on Google TV or Android TV
Google’s mobile app can control compatible Google TV and Android TV devices. Google lists playback controls, TV power, Assistant activation, volume adjustment, and text entry for searches or login information. That makes a phone especially handy when entering credentials with a conventional remote is slow. See Google’s instructions for connecting and controlling a TV with the Google TV app.
This is a platform-specific utility, not a remote app for every smart TV. For casting, the phone or tablet and the Chromecast or TV need to be on the same wireless network. For some “Watch on TV” playback, the relevant third-party app also needs to be installed on the TV device and support casting.
#1 Best Overall
- 4k Ultra HD (2160p resolution): Enjoy breathtaking HDR10 4K movies and TV shows at 4 times the resolution of Full HD, and upscale your current content to Ultra HD-level picture quality.
- High Dynamic Range: Provides a wide range of color details and sharper contrast, from the brightest whites to the deepest blacks.
- All-in-one: Get right to your good stuff. With Fire TV, you can enjoy a world of entertainment from apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max. Plus, stream for free with Fire TV Channels, Pluto TV, Tubi, and more. Access over 1.8 million movies and TV episodes. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
- Smart Home: Your smart home hub. Pair Fire TV with compatible smart home devices to see live camera feeds, use AirPlay, control your lighting and thermostat, and more.
- Free Content: Stream for free. Access over 1 million free movies and TV episodes from popular ad-supported streaming apps like Fire TV Channels, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
Check accessibility settings before installing more software
Google TV includes built-in options such as TalkBack screen reading, closed captions, Switch Access, high-contrast text, and adjustable time-to-action and key-repeat settings. Google’s guidance says, “You can use a screen reader, closed captions, Switch Access, and more to make your Google TV device more accessible.” These are Google TV features; availability and controls on other platforms differ. Read Google TV’s accessibility guidance.
Caption preferences set on the TV may not apply in every app. If captions do not appear or look different in a particular service, check that app’s own caption controls as well. Google’s setup guide also documents a TalkBack shortcut using the Back and Down buttons held for three seconds in supported setup flows; it should not be assumed to work on every device or screen. See Google TV accessibility help and Google TV’s setup guidance.
Rank #2
- Breathtaking picture: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 55" flat screen TV, while the QLED screen and HDR10 create bright, accurate colors. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Review privacy and personalization during setup
On Google TV devices, Google says data handling can involve watchlists and watch activity, services used for recommendations, approximate location, user and device IDs, app interactions, installed apps, crash logs, diagnostics, analytics, and personalization or advertising information. Review the available privacy and personalization controls rather than accepting defaults without checking them. Google notes that turning off the TV’s location setting does not prevent an IP address from indicating general location. Details are in Google’s explanation of how Google TV handles data.
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That description is specific to Google TV’s documented practices; it does not establish that every manufacturer collects or handles the same information. A 2019 study by its authors measured 41 homes and 57 smart TVs across seven platforms and reported connections to advertising and tracking services among the tested TVs and apps. Those measurements describe the study’s historical sample, not a current prevalence rate for all smart TVs. See the 2019 study, “The TV is Smart and Full of Trackers”.
Rank #3
- CRYSTAL PROCESSOR: Powerful processor enhances colors and sharpens details for a vibrant 4K viewing experience. Experience every shade of color as it was meant to be seen in dazzling 4K. Plus, make your movies, TV shows, games and sports look even better with powerful 4K upscaling.
- ENDLESS FREE CONTENT: Watch 2,700+ free streaming options, including 750+ subscription-free channels on Samsung TV Plus. Enjoy news, sports, movies, kids' shows and reality TV — all without a subscription. Discover endless entertainment with new content added regularly, tailored to your mood and interests.*
- MOTION XCELERATOR: Experience clear picture and smooth motion in games and sports. Enjoy smooth motion and clear visuals with technology that estimates and adjusts frame transitions in real time. Whether gaming or watching sports, enjoy up to 4K 60Hz performance that brings every play, move and scene to life with realistic clarity and motion.
- COLOR BOOSTER: Supercharge your color. From fiery reds to sparkling blues, make every color come to life with intensity. Color Booster transforms your content into a visual masterpiece.
- 4K UPSCALING: Upgrades what you watch to crisp 4K clarity. Upgrade your favorite shows, movies and more. Experience incredible details and clarity in every frame, even from lower-quality sources, with advanced upscaling technology.
Add TV-based smart-home controls only if your setup qualifies
Google documents a home panel on eligible Google TV profiles for compatible smart-home devices configured in the Google Home app. Its examples include lights, thermostats, locks, cameras, plugs, vacuums, TVs, and speakers. The feature requires an eligible profile in standard mode, user opt-in, and at least one additional smart-home device in the Google Home setup; kids’ profiles are not supported. If those conditions fit your household, see Google’s instructions for controlling smart-home devices on Google TV. Otherwise, this is not a necessary first install.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Confirm compatibility in your TV’s own app store
App availability, account requirements, and menu names vary by platform and sometimes by model or region. Check the TV itself before relying on an app recommendation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- A treat for the eyes: Sharp 4K brings out rich detail on our 43" flat screen TV, while colors pop off in lifelike clarity with HDR10. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Rank #4
- CRYSTAL PROCESSOR: Powerful processor enhances colors and sharpens details for a vibrant 4K viewing experience. Experience every shade of color as it was meant to be seen in dazzling 4K. Plus, make your movies, TV shows, games and sports look even better with powerful 4K upscaling.
- ENDLESS FREE CONTENT: Watch 2,700+ free streaming options, including 750+ subscription-free channels on Samsung TV Plus. Enjoy news, sports, movies, kids' shows and reality TV — all without a subscription. Discover endless entertainment with new content added regularly, tailored to your mood and interests.*
- MOTION XCELERATOR: Experience clear picture and smooth motion in games and sports. Enjoy smooth motion and clear visuals with technology that estimates and adjusts frame transitions in real time. Whether gaming or watching sports, enjoy up to 4K 60Hz performance that brings every play, move and scene to life with realistic clarity and motion.
- COLOR BOOSTER: Supercharge your color. From fiery reds to sparkling blues, make every color come to life with intensity. Color Booster transforms your content into a visual masterpiece.
- 4K UPSCALING: Upgrades what you watch to crisp 4K clarity. Upgrade your favorite shows, movies and more. Experience incredible details and clarity in every frame, even from lower-quality sources, with advanced upscaling technology.
- Google TV: find apps by searching or browsing the Apps tab. Google also explains how to reorder or remove installed apps in its Google TV app installation guide.
- Samsung: search and install through Apps; Samsung also documents updating, locking with a PIN, deleting, and moving apps. Its US support guidance says only apps in the Samsung app store can be installed and a Samsung Account is required for network-based smart services. Some menus vary by model. See Samsung’s app management guidance and Samsung’s guide to using apps on a TV or projector.
- LG: app support can depend on purchase region and TV model. Check the LG Content Store for the specific set and region using LG’s compatibility guidance.
- Roku: Roku’s setup documentation describes account activation as enabling the channel store and personalization features. It also points to the Roku mobile app for parental controls and voice-search options. See Roku’s TV setup instructions.
- Apple TV app on smart TVs: the app may need to be installed on the TV, and some TVs and streaming devices do not support purchases in the app. Check Apple’s instructions for watching on smart TVs and streaming devices.
A practical first-session order
- Open the TV’s settings and check accessibility. Turn on only the features you need, then test them in the menus and in the apps you actually use.
- Review privacy and personalization controls. Read the platform’s disclosures and adjust the controls that matter to you.
- Install a phone remote if your platform supports it. Pair it according to the platform’s instructions; for Google TV casting, verify both devices share a wireless network.
- Check the TV’s own app store for any other utility. Confirm it is available for your model and region and note any account requirement.
- Set up TV-based smart-home controls only if eligible devices are already configured. For Google TV, verify profile, opt-in, and Google Home requirements first.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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