The television landscape has changed drastically over the last decade or so, with smart TVs having become the new normal for countless consumers. One of the primary benefits of owning a smart TV is being able to access all of your apps without having to own a secondary device, such as a Roku or a video game console, and Netflix has embraced this by sharing a yearly list of recommended TVs for the best Netflix viewing experience.
Netflix has been doing this for a few years now, and every year, the bar that TVs need to clear to make the list gets a little bit higher. That’s true for this year’s list as well, which required televisions to meet 5 out of 7 criteria. Netflix has divulged all of those criteria here, and some might actually surprise you.
Basically, the gist is that the TV needs to start up immediately, let users access Netflix from the main menu, open apps quickly, and come with the latest version of the app. As Netflix explains in a press release, the most significant change to this year’s criteria is that Netflix was looking for TVs that keep its app fresh in the background even when the TV is asleep. In other words, the app doesn’t have to reload every time you open it:
Now that you know what makes a Netflix Recommended TV, here are the company’s choices for 2019 (so far):
- Samsung Q60R/Q70R/Q80R/Q90R/Q900R series, RU8000, The Serif and The Frame devices
- Sony BRAVIA X85G(XG85)/X90G(XG90) series and A9G(AG9) series
- Panasonic VIERA GX700/GX800/GX900 series
If you want to know more about the TVs, be sure to check out the Netflix Recommended TV website. These are just the initial designations, though, so expect more models to be added to the list later this year.
