Best Smart TVs in the world 2014

Does your TV have one-touch access to apps for BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix, Lovefilm and Blinkbox? Not all smart, connected TVs are equal - they differ greatly in looks and apps - but all can get online, most using Wi-Fi.

There is no industry standard for smart TV, so every brand of television has a different platform of apps, though expect to find everything from sport, weather and on-demand video and movies to 3D content, games and social networking.

What's the best connected TV platform? That will depend on what you're after; some smart TV systems excel with a wide range of on-demand apps from UK TV channels, others with on-demand movies. We've ranked the UK's major connected TV platforms in descending order, putting just as much emphasis on ease of use as app selection, to help you as you buy into a whole new generation of online television.

LG's connected TV platform gets the nod largely because of its oh-so-simple design that puts seemingly disparate sources of video onto one home screen. Our favourite part of LG's smarty-pants user interface hasn't got anything to do with apps, but rather with networking. SmartShare software displays any video, photo or MP3 file stored on a networked PC, Mac or NAS drive, USB flash drive or HDD, on the home screen - and as a thumbnail image.

It's beautifully simple, and file support is huge, though for those wanting an even more comprehensive treatment, LG also offers the MediaLink (formerly called Plex) app that adds movie artwork and other data. Beloved of rampant downloaders and networkers it might be, but SmartShare is made complete by a thoroughly decent selection of apps - and that includes a useful 3D World. The Premium page hosts BBC iPlayer, Lovefilm, Netflix and YouTube, with lesser-known apps comprising Absolute Radio, Red Bull TV, ITN, Autocar, YouTube, Blinkbox, CineTrailer, Cartoon Network, HiT, Picasa, iConcerts, AccuWeather and Box Office 365.

LG announced in March 2013 that its Blu-ray players and home cinemas would also carry an app for Spotify (£9.99 per month) in the Premium Apps section, though it's not been added to its smart TVs. The SmartWorld app store, however, contains little of note aside from Skype.

As well as shortcuts to apps and widgets, and full mastery of the TV, a free LG TV Remote app puts a live TV picture on a smartphone that mirrors what's playing on the TV. Searches for content across its apps and the web result in source-specific results - and it's a search that can be done on some of LG's flagship TVs (such as the LG 47LA860W and LG 55LA740V) by speaking into the Magic Remote pointer-style remote control. It works a treat.

It's not got the most extensive choice of apps, but LG's Smart TV platform succeeds on ease of use - and spectacularly so. This is connected TV at it user-friendly best.

Now expanded to five separate screens - one each for TV, on-demand films, social media, Samsung's apps, and your own digital media - Samsung's Smart Hub is the only connected TV platform that includes catch-up TV apps for all terrestrial channels in the UK.

As well as Five, 4OD and ITV Player (exclusively so), Smart Hub includes KnowHow Movies, Netflix, Lovefilm (though it's a download from the Samsung Apps store, not onboard as a default), Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, Viewster, Dailymotion, Absolute Radio and some unusual apps such as Curzon On Demand, NatGeo Images, BFI, Digital Theatre plays, TED and TuneIn internet radio. All Samsung Smart TVs now include S Recommendation, which suggests content from both live TV and its video-based apps based on your viewing habits. It's also a good system for conducting manual searches, though unlike LG it doesn't tell you where each video it's found is being sourced from.

Some of its flagship TVs - such as the Samsung UE55F8000 and Samsung UE40F6400 go further, offering voice and gesture control, though neither is as reliable as it could be. Samsung's Smart View app can stream a clone of live TV to any tablet or phone, or a different channel to the one being watched on the TV (if the TV has two tuners), while those with Samsung Galaxy devices can mirror their phone or tablet's small screen on the TV's big one using the AllShare Play app.

SEN-sational? Hardly, though Sony's stab at smart TV has a lush new look. Well organised and with a crisp, modern user interface that floats over live TV, the new list-style menu comes complete with a handy History option showing you the inputs and programmes you've watched most recently. However, press the SEN button on the remote and you just get a long list of all the apps available on Sony's connected TV service.

SEN is built around Sony's own increasingly impressive Video Unlimited and Music Unlimited services, but it also includes BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, Lovefilm, Netflix, BBC News, Sony's Entertainment Television library, BBC Sport, a Sony-branded channel of 3D content, Sky News, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Picasa and Skype. Hundreds of other minor video apps and games apps - as well as widgets galore - also exist.

The Sony KDL-55W905A and Sony KDL-47W805 come with a second ultra-slim remote control fitted with an NFC chip. Tap it against an NFC-capable portable device - such as the Sony Xperia Z smartphone (and plenty of other Android devices besides) to instantly link to the TV. Hassle-free screen mirroring follows. Sony's free TV SideView app for smartphones and tablets is one of the best presented we've seen to date, though it only deals in second-screen browsing of the TV listings and your digital media (as well as putting your chosen TV show or media file on the TV, remote control-style). Sadly there's no second screen viewing, so you can't stream video from the TV to your portable device for, say, watching in another room. Voice and gesture controls are sadly lacking on Sony TVs, too.