These are Netflix’s 'Recommended Smart TVs' for 2018

Netflix is very particular about the type of TV you watch Netflix on. Not that you would have noticed, given most TVs nowadays have some sort of app or link to Netflix. If that’s not the case, you can also get the service through a games console, an Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast… the list is long. 

When it comes to the optimum Netflix experience, however, there are only two brands that have made the cut for Netflix in 2018: LG and Sony

The streaming giant has released its list of TVs for 2018 that it recommends and it really wants you stream using an LG 4K UHD TV with webOS 4.0 or the Sony W800F / WF800 series, complete with Android TV.

To get on the recommended list, the TVs have to pass quite a stringent test. This includes, according to Netflix, the following criteria: 

- A TV starts up instantly and gets to Netflix (or other internet TV services) within just a few seconds.

- The TV Allows users to move quickly and easily between apps

- And it has to come with the latest version of Netflix (obviously) 

- Finally, it needs to support newer, more immersive Netflix browsing experiences, like video previews

If a TV does this and ticks off five out of the seven things the criteria demands (including having a Netflix dedicated button on the remote) then it’s on the list. 

While the list is a little on the small side at the moment, Netflix does note that: “We test all TVs that carry Netflix and will continue to report new designations throughout the year as new devices become available or get updated.”

For now, though, you can see how speedy a TV needs to be by taking a look at Netflix’s demo of a Sony W800F booting up Netflix and how fast it actually is. 

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.