If you’re reading this, you probably own a smart TV, but are you maximizing its capabilities?
You can find a smart TV in the majority of homes today, but most people only scratch the surface of its wide array of features.
Sure, plugging one in and streaming your favorite shows is always enjoyable, but today’s smart TVs offer so much more. Let’s go through the ways you can make better use of your smart TV at home.
Upgrade Your Streaming Experience
Most people buy a smart TV for its built-in streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. In fact, according to Parks Associates consumer research 61% of US households use smart TVs as their primary streaming devices.
However, most people just log in to their accounts. Here are a few ways you can take full advantage of these streaming capabilities.
- Customize your app layout
You might feel a bit frustrated if you have to scroll to get to your favorite apps. Remember that you can arrange your layout and move your most-used apps to the top of the screen.
- Explore lesser-known services
Aside from seasonal shows, many smart TV platforms have niche apps for other types of shows, such as documentaries, live international channels, and music services.
- Use voice control
Your smart TV might be higher tech than you initially realized—and it might support voice commands. See if it does, and you can use it to conveniently search, play, pause, or switch apps hands-free.
Don’t overlook these features. They can unlock maximum convenience so you can truly kick back and relax when using your TV.
Navigate Content More Efficiently
One of the most underrated features of a smart TV is universal search—or being able to scan and search across multiple apps for a piece of content.
This helps you see where a show or movie might be available, since many shows are now exclusive to certain apps.
Some shows are even locked behind geographic restrictions, leading to many people using a VPN on a smart TV to bypass them. Be careful about which platforms allow you to bypass geographic restrictions. Services like Netflix and Disney+ mention that VPN use violates their terms of service, and they could potentially terminate your account.
Some platforms even support cross-service watchlists, making it easier to keep track of what you want to watch without jumping between apps.
And while recommendation systems are useful, it’s worth being selective. Turn off recommendations from apps you don’t use to reduce clutter on your screen.
This way, you can spend less time scrolling around your TV and more on actually enjoying shows.
Use Your Smart TV Beyond Entertainment
But your smart TV can offer you far more than just shows. You can use it for work, studying, and even fitness, too.
- Screen Mirroring and Collaboration
You can use your smart TV to display presentations, documents, or photos for a larger, more comfortable view. Just connect your phone or laptop. This is perfect for home offices or shared spaces.
- Fitness and Tutorial Apps
Many smart TVs now have apps for guided workouts, yoga sessions, and other instructional exercise videos. No longer do you have to rewind or squint on a smaller screen to see how exactly the instructor did that move.
- Educational and Lifestyle Apps
Smart TVs also have similar apps for virtual travel, meditation, language learning, and hobby-focused content. Explore these apps, and you might pick up a new hobby.
Smart TVs are far, far more than just TVs and can benefit you in a lot more ways than just entertainment. You can turn it into a multifunctional tool.
Connect Your Smart TV to Your Home Ecosystem
Smart TVs are smart—which means you can also integrate them with other smart home gadgets, making your TV a monitoring hub for all of your other devices.
- Smart Speakers
Connect your TV with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Apple HomeKit to control playback and power using voice commands.
- Lighting and Sound
Sync smart lights or soundbars to customize your room’s lighting and audio. This makes watching shows or gaming a lot more immersive.
- App Ecosystems
Some TVs allow you to connect security cameras, check the weather, or control thermostats directly from the screen.
By doing so, you can turn your smart TV into an all-in-one control screen for the rest of your home devices.
Protect and Maintain Your Smart TV
To enjoy your smart TV for a long time, here’s how you can maintain it and ensure it runs smoothly for years to come.
- Install Updates Whenever Possible
Most firmware updates include patches to improve security and performance.
- Avoid Unnecessary Background Apps
Some smart TVs allow apps to run in the background. Closing these unused apps helps with the TV’s responsiveness.
- Declutter Your TV
Like computers, smart TVs have limited storage and run on simple operating systems. So uninstall apps you no longer use and update them regularly. If performance declines noticeably, consider a factory reset.
These steps are easy to do and will help your TV perform well throughout its lifespan.
Conclusion
Most people aren’t using smart TVs to their full potential, even if they might have paid full price for one.
Take the time to explore these features you’ve likely been ignoring or simply weren’t aware of, and make the most out of the good money you paid—and the impressive piece of tech sitting in your living room.
