Introduction
There are new technologies evolving as each day goes by and all devices are getting smarter, faster, and more powerful with every passing day. Advancements in machine learning, better processors, AI, able software – all these have made our daily-use devices smarter than they were ever before, and they keep getting better. Why should your tv be left behind in this race?
With so much happening, the terms smart TV box and Android TV box are often used interchangeably, but there are a few differences that sets the two apart.
What is a smart TV?
Any TV that offers content to its viewers through the help of an internet connection is called a Smart TV. What separates each smart TV from another is the underlying operating system that runs in the background. For example, the TVs from Samsung run on TizenOS, Apple TVs run on tvOS and so on for other smart TV vendors.
What is an Android TV?
Simply put, an Android TV is essentially a smart TV, but it is much more advanced in all departments when you compare it to the usual smart TV. Android TVs run on Google’s Android OS platform, and that’s where the main difference lies.
With Google’s incredible Android software, which runs buttery smooth, and is enabled with intuitive features, an Android TV elevates your television watching experience like no other.
What are the features that make Android TV better than a Smart TV?
The immense popularity of the Android TV has made it carve a niche in the market for itself, since it offers so many unique features. Enlisted below, are a few:
- Massive library
With Android TV, you have thousands of apps from the Google Play Library at your hand. Therefore, your android smart tv can now let you work, stream movies, watch educational videos and explore so many other apps. All these apps have been optimised to ensure that you face zero hiccups while using them on a big screen.
With a normal smart tv box, you only get a few streaming services such as Amazon Prime Videos and Disney+Hotstar, but access to other apps is extremely limited.
- Stream with Chromecast
Chromecast comes built in when you get an Android TV box, so you can very simply use your Android smartphone to control everything that you see on the TV screen. Chromecast gets you the highest possible sound and viewing quality, and there are no compromises.
On the other hand, smart TVs usually have a screen mirroring technology, which requires pairing and can be cumbersome to pull off. Screen mirroring also transmits content in reduced quality, and there can be latency issues with it.
- Voice assistant
When you get an Android TV box, you can control everything on the TV with just your voice. Gone are the days when you had to type in, scroll through endless channels, movie libraries before you finally got what you wanted to say. Now, simply use the Google Voice Assistant feature and your android TV will get the rest done for you. Smart TVs do not possess this feature.
- Software updates
There are app updates on an Android TV, which always keep your apps updated with the latest features. Therefore, you can keep using your Android TV box for many years without having to replace it.
However, when it comes to a normal smart tv box, there are no app updates available, which can mean that the uploaded apps may run the risk of becoming obsolete after two or three years.
To get your hands on an Android TV, you do not specifically have to go to a store and purchase an entire TV. You can simply purchase an Xstream Android tv box from Airtel, which will give you all features of an android tv at a very low and reasonable cost.
So now you know the clear differences between an Android TV and a Smart TV. What’s your pick?
