In short
Honestly: none of them, out of the box. Every TV you buy today is a smart TV. It starts in a menu full of apps, wants an account and updates, and switching on no longer means watching TV. All of that can be set up so it is as simple as it used to be, but that setup is exactly where help pays off. For the set itself, what counts is size by viewing distance, good sound and a clear remote, and Panasonic has one of the best.
Size: the viewing distance decides
A TV that is too small forces you to lean forward, one that is too large to turn your head. The rule of thumb for today's high-resolution sets: viewing distance in centimetres divided by 1.5. At 2.5 metres that is about 165 centimetres diagonal, so 65 inches. At 2 metres 55 inches, at 3 metres more like 75 inches. Most people buy too small because in the shop the set stands between even bigger ones.
Sound: the real problem with flat sets
The flatter the TV, the thinner the sound. Speech drowns in music and effects, and the volume goes up until the neighbours ring the bell. Three things help: a clear speech or dialogue mode in the sound menu, a small soundbar for 100 to 200 EUR, or headphones connected to the set via Bluetooth or radio. Many hearing aids can now be paired directly with the TV, which is the best solution for wearers.
Remote: one, not three
The most common annoyance in our appointments is three remotes on the table: one for the TV, one for the receiver, one for the soundbar. Modern devices control each other over the HDMI cable, this is called HDMI-CEC and often just needs switching on. After that, the TV remote is enough for everything. If the original remote is too small or too crowded, replacement remotes with large buttons cost about 20 EUR and have only on, off, volume, channel and numbers.
Reception: cable, satellite, aerial or internet
The TV has to match the connection. With cable or satellite every current set has the receiver built in, a separate receiver is only needed for encrypted private channels in HD. Terrestrial TV (DVB-T2 HD) works well in the Vorderpfalz and only needs an indoor aerial. TV over the internet, with waipu.tv, Zattoo or MagentaTV for example, needs stable Wi-Fi in the living room, or it stutters exactly when the evening news starts.
Smart TV: why no TV is simple any more
Every TV today is a smart TV, without exception. On first switch-on it wants Wi-Fi, demands an account, loads updates and asks for consents. After that it does not start in a channel but in a home screen full of apps and recommendations, and the way to the evening news takes two or three buttons. That is exactly where most of the appointments we get called to fail: not at the set, but at this menu.
It can be set up: start directly in the running channel, advertising and recommendations off, voice assistant off, HbbTV off so nothing overlays the picture. But the settings sit somewhere different with every manufacturer and are renamed every year. Do it once with someone who knows where they are and you have peace. Try it alone and you easily spend an evening on it.
We do not recommend a brand across the board, we do not sell devices. For the remote, Panasonic in our experience has one of the clearest: large buttons, clear labels, little clutter. What matters is that picture, sound and menu fit on site, which is why our purchase advice is free and independent.
The setup makes the difference
A well set up TV has the channels in the familiar order (Das Erste, ZDF, the regional channel, then the rest), a favourites list with the ten most important, subtitles at the press of a button, a limited maximum volume and large menu text. The automatic switch-off after four hours without a key press is turned off, or the TV goes into standby in the middle of a film.