Linux is king when it comes to Smart TV. And it will go further

When it comes to computers, Linux users are an immense minority. This is so, for the most part, because practically any computer we buy comes with Windows, using macOS from Apple computers. But, what happens when we talk about other sectors? Well, it happens that more or less 80% of people use Linux on their mobile phone for Android, that the clouds and the IoT are dominated by Linux also thanks in part to Canonical and that, according to a study, there is little left for Linux to be in 100% of Smart TVs.

This study has been carried out by Strategy Analytics and they tell us that Smart TV sales have increased 18% compared to last year, something to which I have recently contributed. In total, 72% of users have opted for a Smart TV, and do not think that, at least in my case, it has been something premeditated. Simply, now very little is saved if what we choose is a TV without its Smart component.

Almost 100% of Smart TVs use Linux

The fact is that, according to this study, Smart TVs whose software uses the Linux kernel are 50% of all those sold in 2018, but the funny thing is that practically the other 50% use Linux-based operating systems. Many of the televisions sold use the Android operating system, while others, such as the Samsung, use the Tizen operating system, an operating system that is in more than 1 in 5 televisions sold in 2018.

On the other hand, there are customized versions of Android that do not have Google Play, especially in the Chinese market. Other TVs use Opera, a Linux based operating system, something I have tried and can only say that it does not work as well as you would expect in a Sony product. In China, other versions based on Linux are also used, such as SmartCast OS from Vizio, Google CastOS or the one based on Anrdoid Shaphi.

The podium of the most used operating systems in Smart TV would be with Tizen OS in first position (21%), LG's WebOS in second position (12%) and Android TV in third position (10%). Further behind would be Roku TV (4%) and Firefox OS (2%). Much further is Fire TV, with one in every 1000 televisions sold last year (0.1%).

Either with the Linux kernel or Linux-based

Strategy Analytics highly values ​​that Android TV is in 1 of every 10 televisions sold during 2018, partly because Google initially had a lot of problems in its development and implementation. Most Smart TV operating systems are owned by vendors. Tizen TV is open source and part of the Linux Foundation and LG are working hard to open WebOS, a system it bought from HP who in turn bought it from Palm. My LG uses WebOS and I have to say that, although it is true that it is not Android TV or tvOS, it works really well without the lag that I did see in Opera OS (I returned the TV ...).

And why aren't even more smart TVs being sold? The answers can be many and varied. I myself thought that a smart TV had a much higher price than a TV without the Smart component, but in many cases it is almost the same price. What really makes a TV increase in price is its size. On the other hand, there are not few users who still think that companies can spy on our habits with this type of device, something that is not unreasonable if we take into account that similar things have already happened.

And the set-top boxes?

Right now the only non-Android set-top box that can be mentioned is the Apple TV, but I have a Xiaomi Mi Box S and an Apple TV and I fully understand why Android is taking the lead. Its price is three times less and its freedom three times greater. Apple's proposal works better, when ceasing what is ceasing, but with Android we can enjoy Kodi and total freedom.

And you: do you already enjoy a Smart TV with Linux operating system?