TV processors are basically the brain of your TV. They're similar in nature to your computer's CPU, and they handle speed, multitasking, and overall performance.
While TV manufacturers have been better about advertising the processor, most people don't know what a TV's processor is actually for. There are plenty of tasks that TV processors take care of, but not all of those tasks will have much of an impact on your day-to-day experience with your TV. Here's why you need to pay attention to them when shopping for a new TV.
What does a processor do exactly?
Whether you're buying the best OLED or a budget TV, a TV's processor is the microchip that handles all computational tasks on your smart TV. It runs the TV's operating system, processes commands from your remote or voice assistant, runs streaming apps, upscales and improves content to look better on the screen, and coordinates all the smart features you'd expect from a modern TV.
The processor also manages energy efficiency. More advanced processors often deliver better performance while using less power, which means a lower energy bill at the end of the month. High-end processors are designed to balance processing power with energy efficiency, preventing overheating during intensive tasks like 4K streaming or gaming while keeping everything responsive.
Perhaps the most obvious use for a TV's processor is in its handling of built-in software. A TV's processor has a huge impact on software performance — and if it's doing its job well, you won't notice it at all.
When you open Netflix, YouTube, or any other streaming app, the processor determines how quickly it loads and how smoothly it runs. A more powerful processor can shave several seconds off load times and make navigation feel more responsive. If your TV feels slow right out of the box, that means that it probably has an underperforming processor.
Voice control features put additional demands on processors. Features like Google's Gemini or Alexa integration require significant processing power to quickly recognize, interpret, and act on voice commands. Lower-end processors may result in delayed responses or reduced accuracy.
The difference between budget and premium processors is most apparent during multitasking — when your TV is running background processes while you navigate menus, or when you're switching between multiple apps. Budget processors might struggle, causing noticeable stuttering. Premium chips handle these tasks smoothly.
How do processors affect picture performance?
Perhaps even more important than how a TV's processor handles software is how it handles image processing.
When you're watching content at a lower resolution than your TV's native display, like watching 1080p content on a 4K screen, the processor has to intelligently add pixels to fill the screen.
Upscaling is one of the more important jobs of a modern high-end TV processor. When you're watching content at a lower resolution than your TV's native display, like watching 1080p content on a 4K screen, the processor has to intelligently add pixels to fill the screen.
Premium processors can analyze content in real-time, enhancing details while minimizing artifacts, resulting in sharper, more natural-looking images that look like they were actually shot in 4K. That's especially important when watching older broadcasts, DVDs, or non-4K streaming content.
If you primarily watch 4K content, that doesn't mean your TV's processor is inactive though. Motion processing is another area where processor capabilities directly impact viewing quality. During fast-moving scenes in sports or action movies, less capable processors may produce motion blur or judder.
Advanced processors use sophisticated algorithms to analyze movement and insert additional frames where needed, resulting in smoother motion without the artificial "soap opera effect" that plagued earlier motion-smoothing technologies.
Processors also handle color management, contrast enhancement, and noise reduction — all of which contribute to the perceived sharpness and clarity of the image. The panel technology (OLED, QLED, etc.) establishes the baseline capabilities of a display, but it's the processor that determines how effectively those capabilities are utilized.
Gamers also have a reason to care about the processor
For gamers, a TV's processor has a significant impact on the overall gaming experience.
Premium processors can reduce this lag to under 10 milliseconds in game mode on some top TVs.
Input lag, for example, can be a concern. Input lag is the delay between pressing a button on your controller and seeing the action on screen. That lag is directly influenced by how quickly the processor can handle incoming signals. Premium processors can reduce this lag to under 10 milliseconds in game mode on some top TVs.
Modern gaming-focused processors also support advanced features like 120Hz refresh rates and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology.
These features ensure smooth gameplay by syncing the TV's refresh rate with the game console's output, preventing screen tearing and stuttering during graphically intense sequences. Samsung's Quantum Processor 4K that's used by the S95F OLED, for example, has been specifically optimized to support these gaming-centric features.
And, advanced processors can also better handle HDR gaming content, which requires real-time tone mapping to display the extended brightness range correctly. This ensures that games with HDR support display with appropriate contrast and color accuracy, revealing details in both shadows and highlights that might otherwise be lost.
So which TVs have the best processors?
Modern TV processors range from dual-core chips in budget models to octa-core (eight-core) processors in premium displays. More cores generally allow for better multitasking, with different cores handling separate functions simultaneously — for example, one core might manage the user interface while another handles video processing and a third monitors network connectivity.
Several TV manufacturers have developed proprietary processors that showcase their particular strengths. Sony's X1 processors on its Bravia 8 II OLED and Bravia 9 TV use AI to process content the way humans see and hear, focusing on the focal points that naturally draw human attention.
LG's Alpha 11 AI processor on the new LG G5 OLED excels at upscaling and HDR tone mapping, while TCL's AiPQ processor found on the TCL QM8K and QM7K delivers impressive AI-driven picture enhancements at more accessible price points.
In general, budget TVs have processors that can handle basic smart TV functions but may struggle with complex tasks. Mid-range TV processors deliver solid performance for most viewers. High-end TV processors offer premium features like advanced AI processing, superior upscaling, and enhanced gaming support.
In other words, if you're spending the cash on a high-end TV, expect great performance. And, if you're shopping on a budget, at least be aware that the software may not be quite as fast, or be willing to buy an external streamer like the Apple TV 4K.
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