Having read a couple of threads on here I wonder if there really is a significant difference between the android TV on a Philips and android tv on a Sony.
Can anyone point out the differences, if any?
EDIT: Thanks for the response, decided to go for the Sony KD49XD7005. Looked like the right choice for my budget and needs.
Neither. Shield + any random TV that looks good. I have a Sony Android TV and a Shield, and the shield is better in every possible way.
I have a Sony TV and I really enjoy it. Great picture, wish the internal speakers where a bit louder besides that I am really happy with it.
One major thing i kept hearing was that Philips locks down their TVs more, you won't be able to sideload on them.
I don't have either though, I just have a nexus player.
I've got a Sony Android TV and honestly it's great to have everything integrated into one unit. And this is coming from someone who normally HATES smart tvs. I have kodi, emulators, Twilight, and a bunch of other things on it and it never slows done and runs the games without lag. I wanted 4k and true HDR, so I was already spending $1400 and didn't want to add another $200 on top of it for a shield and have 0 regrets. Also, voice search is flawless, and adding any bluetooth controller to it is great. I've got my PS1 emulator on there with a PS4 wireless controller hooked up and it is perfect.
I'm not a fan of Philips TVS or products in general. Sony just feels like better quality and more premium products.
I have both. The Sony is last years model, actually runs ok, but does need an occasional reboot. Recently bought the 2016 Philips for the bedroom, and for the money I paid I love it. It's has a quad core processor and runs well, plus Ambilight is a great addition. Picture wise there's not much in it. Although the Philips has HDR, and 4K HDR content looks amazing.
I got a 2015 Philips 4k android tv with ambilight, and was so disappointed when I found out that you can only install stuff from the play store (no way to sideload apks as Philips has disabled the option completely) it was fine for Netflix but if you want to use any apps that aren't officially supported on android TV there's no way to sideload them on. The TV itself android aside is great, I love the ambilight, and the 4k is super sharp, but the built in Android sucks.
I ended up buying an NVidia shield TV. It is the best Android TV box out there at the moment. I would say dumb TV + Android box is the way to go.
I have a shield and an LG with WebOS. The best if both worlds.
What models Philips come with Android TV? Are these sold in the U.S. too? I haven't seen any here.
I have a Sony. Wish I didn't. Slow, and doesn't get updates.
I own a Philips android TV, dont buy One! They have terrible hardware, games hardly run at 15 fps and even menus lag. The TV freezes up and needs to be restarted at least once a day. Mind you it's a top tier one, paid 1100 euros for it, sadly. Get a sony, my friend has one and it's how Android TV was meant to be!