If you are looking to buy a new Smart TV and wondering which ones can run Kodi there are a few things to consider first.
Buying a new TV can be a big purchase so let look at some positives and negatives of buying a unit that can run Kodi.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Smart TV to Run Kodi
While Smart TVs are great they may not have the fastest hardware.
The Fire TV Stick, Android TV boxes, Mini PCs and other low-cost streaming devices often have better hardware.
Often a smart TV will have very basic specifications that low-cost Android TV boxes have.
Some manufacturers may block Kodi from being installed.
If you are buying a Smart TV it is a good thing if Kodi can be installed but not the only factor.
When looking for a new TV don’t buy a unit only because it can run Kodi.
Other factors such as price, size, screen resolution, and warranty are much more important.
A nice TV with a good picture can always use a low-cost streaming device to run Kodi.
So what Smart TVs can run Kodi?
There are many units that can install Kodi and along with add-ons play videos.
Most units are Android-based Smart TVs that can installed Kodi from the Play Store.
Below are some units we have found that can currently run Kodi.
If you know of a good unit that works with Kodi let us know in the comments below.
As always be sure to read reviews on Amazon, here, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is the right pick for you.
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Compatible Kodi Smart TVs
- TOSHIBA 50LF711U20
- Sony X950G
The TOSHIBA 50LF711U20 has Fire TV Stick hardware built-in which can side-load Kodi.
Side-loading Kodi to a Fire TV Stick is a bit technical but not too difficult with many online tutorials.
The Fire TV Stick has been a popular low-cost way to run Kodi for a while with a big community of users.
Of course, a Fire TV Stick can simply be bought for any TV with an HDMI port and do the same thing.
The Sony X950G has a Mediatek mt5893 which has 4 ARM Cortex-A73 cores running at 1.5Ghz.
It also has 4GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage.
This placed it at the same comparable hardware as an android TV box running an S905X2 CPU.
The Dolamee X2 is one such android TV box that has the same basic hardware with more internal storage space.
How Is Kodi Installed on a Smart TV?
- From the Smart TV menu click on the Play Store app.
- Search for Kodi.
- Click on the Kodi app.
- Click Install.
Installing Kodi on an Android-based Smart TV is usually done by using the Play Store app.
A search will bring up the Kodi app which can be installed.
For Fire TV Stick based TVs an app called Downloader is used to go to the main Kodi site and download the Kodi app.
Summary
Using a Smart TV with Kodi is nice to have with everything packaged into one unit.
While there are TVs that can run Kodi it shouldn’t be the only factor consider when buying a unit.
Personally, I would not buy a Kodi Smart TV but if it happened to be compatible all the better.
There are many low-cost streaming devices with fast hardware that can connect to any TV with an HDMI port and turn it into a Kodi unit.
What works for one person likely will be different for another so be sure to shop around for the best unit for your set up.