What is Smart TV Operating System?

The smart TV OS is the software platform your TV's apps run on — Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Google TV, Roku OS, Fire TV. It determines which apps exist, how fast menus feel, and how long the TV gets updates.

An ageing or app-poor TV OS is cheaply cured: a £30–50 streaming stick replaces the TV's smarts entirely and is usually faster than the TV's built-in system ever was.