I'm finally in a position to replace my 15-year-old "HD Ready" TV with something a bit more modern, and it seems like the first choice I have to make is "what smart platform do you want?". Android TV looks pretty good, but my main concern is that a couple of years from now the OEM and Google will have dropped support and I'm going to need to buy a new TV again.
Am I worrying about nothing? Has Google or any of the OEMs actually committed to support periods?
Some will say just buy any TV and then add a Shield to it.
However they are forgetting the Shield has a pretty old (but fast) GPU that does not support 4K HDR YouTube, 4K HDR Play Movies and has no hope of 4K DolbyVision support. Hell even a dirt cheap 2018 Amazon FireTV Stick 4K has better support for modern HDR standards and DV vs the old Shield.
If it were me looking at a TV running Android TV, check out the new DolbyVision capable 2019 Sony's that have a much more powerful MediaTek Chipset in them for running the Android Oreo OS out of the box.
They are really nice and snappy, smooth setups that should get Firmware and OS update support for a reasonably long time due to the powerful chipset in them to begin with.
I cannot stress enough how important the chipset inside the TV is, especially going forward with more demanding Apps. You don't build a house on shaky foundations.
Sony leads the pack wth their new 2019 models and the new MediaTek combo.
And if that ever gets too slow, then buy an external Android TV media player, which will no doubt be a lot more powerful in say 5 years time.
Just ignore the "smart" stuff. Buy your TV based on the nice-ness of the display panel, HDR, HDMI 2.2, etc. Think of the smartness as a bonus. You can always buy an NVIDIA Shield TV or Mi Box S as a cheap alternative. Then you can just upgrade the box every few years, thus alleviating your concern of being behind the curve.
Check here for the best TV for your needs and budget: https://www.rtings.com/tv/reviews/best
Just be sure to check its boot time and how quickly it can get from power on to a HDMI input. Because yes, in 5 years it'll still be a useful TV, but you might have a set-top-box with a far newer Android version than what the OEM ships.
Had my Sony Android for nearly three years. Still getting updates and looks as good as new. The TV itself has a five year guarantee. Unlike a phone you don't need the latest Google OS on a TV. You can sideload apps that are not available in the TV itself if you need to. Built in Chromecast is good. You can even buy Sony Oled now which has amazing 4K clarity and contrast and the best picture available. I can't see myself replacing my current TV for at least ten years. Even if I did I would still get an Android (Sony preferably, although you can also get Philips Android in the UK).
I had an original 1080P TV that was 15 years old and upgraded to Sony 4K partly because of Android built in. I agree that Android should not be the main reason but it is second for me. Very nice to easily cast and use many of the same phone apps. I don't see Google leaving but if they do it I'd switch to a dumd dongle. And I've got 10 year old phones that still work fine.
Many apps pay the manufacturer to be on the TV so we get a cheaper price.
Sony has been great! They have several price points too.
One thing I overlooked is how reflective new TV s are and we have lights in nearby room.
I have a Sony Android TV from 2015 and it still receives security updates. But they stopped software updates after 2018 I believe. But still its been 4 years and every app I have ever used still works on it.
The only thing I regret is buying the cheaper Sony model. Because of that I got a slower processor causing it to be slow navigating around the OS. Otherwise the TV has been great.
If you get a Sony x950g or x900f or Z9F or Z9G, then it should be supported for security updates for at least 5 years from release date. Considering mine is 4 years old and still gets security updates. Also it should work fine with all apps for at least a few years after they stop updates.
So just make sure to get 1 of the mid tier models or upper models and it receives stronger hardware and better software support long term. So that way it should be good to last you around 10 years.
I bought a Sony Android TV
My suggestion:
Get whatever TV you want to get and then couple that with a good Android Box like the SHIELD
I eventually ended up getting the SHIELD anyways because Sony was being a bitch with their Android TV support and its integration with Google Assistant
If I could find a dumb 4K TV. Sadly most of the 4K TV's out there have some smarts built in because people want it easymode.
Worry about the media player you connect to the TV. Not the TV itself.
Just get a TV with the features and picture you want don't worry about the smarts if you're talking a 15 year investment even the most expensive smart tv box is going to be a small fraction of the price of the TV.
I replaced a 10yr old Samsung LED TV with a Philips AndroidTV - the OS was a factor for me, as I wanted something that I could cast easily to or add apps. Agree with others, though, if it ever gets too slow or outdated - will probably just get a chromecast or android box. The Philips has all the ports I the screen is fantastic. Probably more worried about how long the ambilights on the Philips will last or the whole TV itself.. not sure they build TV's to "last" 10+ years!
Just get a Shield and forget about the software in the tv
Get any TV with 4K, good colors, HDR+ an android box with future support.
I wish you could just buy a 65" TV with great image quality and no smart OS or speakers.
Just give me a couple of HDMI ports.
usually tv dies before software and features become obsolete... lifetime of all new electronics is designed to be around 5 years.
I would suggest that you don't buy your TV based on the software that runs it. It's easy to get any of the numerous streaming box options and hook them up via HDMI. That way it's easy to upgrade quite cheap. Right now, the Shield TV is by far the best Android TV experience IMO.