Next time you’re pursuing TV options, you likely see select models on display with an official “Netflix Recommended” badge, as might shiny gold stickers identify Pulitzer winners in a bookstore.
If you’re the kind of Netflix junkie who has seen every season of every obscure hobby show, procuring the best TV for getting your fix should definitely matter to you.
So here you go, the 2019 Netflix Recommended TVs guaranteed to elevate any binge experience:
- Samsung Q60R/Q70R/Q80R/Q90R/Q900R series, RU8000, The Serif and The Frame devices
- Sony BRAVIA X85G/X90G series and A9G series
While Sony is a repeat from last year’s recommendations, Samsung is a new winner. Sony shared the honor last year with LG’s 2018 OLED series. Anyone who has researched big-screen TVs recently might be wondering why the sharp 2019 OLED of Nanocell models didn’t earn the same recognition. Let’s break down the criteria to examine this potential snub.
According to Netflix’s Recommended TVs page, its criteria are “designed to bring you a faster, easier and better viewing experience from beginning to end.” The company uses a judgement system of seven criteria, and a TV must satisfy at least five; obviously, only smart TV’s are eligible for consideration. Automatic background updates, high-resolution interface, TV instant on, and easy Netflix app launch are the main features that matter. Bonus points to any system with a Netflix button on the remote.
Of those criteria, a function Netflix dubs “Always Fresh” may have been LG’s Achilles heel. If a TV keeps Netflix running even when a user is, say, watching cable (shutter), then it qualifies. The benefits to Always Fresh are auto-background refresh and and instant playback no matter the network connection strength. It’s a new qualifier for Netflix’s recommendations this year, so neither of last year’s honorees were guaranteed to retain their badges.
It seems only TVs that put Netflix’s priorities first in design can become a Netflix recommendation. We still consider LG’s webOS software the best overall smart TV platform, thanks to its clean interface and robust feature set..
We’ve reached out to LG, which says that it has no comment on the results at this time.
