Are you planning to get a smart TV, or do you have one and don’t know any good uses for it aside from watching Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video?
The good news is that you can do a bunch of things with a smart TV, including sync it up with your other smart devices for a more enjoyable experience.
The best uses for a smart TV include listening to the radio, playing games, and exercising via fitness apps. You can also use its screen to display photos from your phone, check Facebook, have video chats with loved ones, even check out the view from outer space.
Keep reading to learn some of the best uses for a smart TV, its special features, and how you can take advantage of them.
You’ll also get tips and tricks on how you can use your smart TV with other smart devices to optimize your home automation system.
What Does a Smart TV Do That a Regular TV Doesn’t?
A smart TV looks like any of your modern standard TVs, except that it can directly access the internet via Wi-Fi.
It’s possible to have your regular TV access, manage, and view online content, too, but you’d need to connect it with your laptop or computer first using a special cable.
In other words, a regular TV would only act in place of your computer monitor and nothing more.
Meanwhile, a smart TV has its own Wi-Fi receivers, and it can connect to the internet by itself, without a computer or any additional hardware.
You can also boost a smart TV with apps, much like what you do with your smartphone, tablet, or computer.
Your smart TV also supports your smartphone’s keyboard as an input method, meaning you can use your smartphone as a keyboard for your smart TV.
This makes it so much easier for you to type your username and password, for example, or to type in something you want to look up on the web.
It’s a great feature, as it can be a bit of a hassle to use the TV’s remote control to cursor around for text instead of typing. You can also get a wireless smart TV keyboard if you prefer.
1. Stream Shows, Movies, Videos, and Live Feeds
When it comes to the best uses for a Smart TV, streaming is always at the top of the list – as long as you have an Internet connection.
If you’re subscribed to online video streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, CBS All Access, or HBO Max, you can watch the programs and movies they offer any time on your Smart TV.
You can also stream live feeds or live shows for events like concerts, news telecasts, professional games like football, and even church services and masses.
Some video gamers, for instance, live-stream their gaming sessions, and if you’re into these video games yourself, you can watch and learn their tricks as they play.
You can also watch live feeds focusing on a selection of other things, depending on what you are interested in.
If you love birds, for example, you can check your favorite birdwatching YouTube channel.
You can even watch a live feed from the International Space Station and see the earth’s surface as it is suspended in the darkness of space.
As long as you have the link to these events, you can easily watch them as they happen in real-time.
There are also specialist services for these live streams, like YouTube Live and Ustream.
2. View Ratings and Recommendations
The great thing about smart TVs is that they’re connected to the internet, so you’ll be able to see recommendations of what’s good to watch.
If you’re subscribed to online streaming services like Netflix, for example, you can see what most other subscribers in your area or country are watching recently.
That means you’ll be up-to-date with what’s trending and which shows are popular.
These shows are also listed according to popularity ratings.
Aside from knowing what’s worth watching based on most other people’s preferences, you’ll also get recommendations based on your viewing history, or on the type of shows and movies you have previously watched.
Streaming services will show you matches of the genres and the actors that you usually go for. You’ll also be able to see the percentage of the match.
That means that the shows that usually show up first on your page are recommendations according to what’s popular and what’s similar to your taste.
3. Listen to the Radio
With a smart TV, you can tune in to your favorite radio station, even when you’re not driving!
You can use services like TuneIn, which gives you access to stations within your range and filter these stations by language, location, and music genre.
Smart TVs also allow you to stream music or listen to podcasts from popular services like Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio.
All you need to do is download the app on your smart TV, and you can listen to it while you are having coffee in the morning, getting a shower, cooking, playing with your kids, exercising, or enjoying a glass of wine before bed.
4. Play Video Games With Friends
Some companies, like Samsung, provide access to game streaming services like Steam so you can stream some of your favorite PC game titles right to your smart TV.
You can also get Steam Link for Apple TV or Android TV. Meanwhile, Samsung and Sony smart TVs give you access to the Playstation Now streaming service, and you can play the games using a Sony Dualshock controller.
If your smart TV can’t access Stream or PlayStation Now, you can always check out the available game apps available for purchase and play them directly through your smart TV.
This is a great feature when you have friends over for gaming, as everyone can see the game’s progress without having to huddle together in front of your much-smaller PC monitor, and you get to enjoy much more crisp and clear graphics.
All you need is a Bluetooth controller or a wireless keyboard.
Of course, you can always connect your gaming console to your smart TV, as you would to a standard TV, and play from there.
5. Exercise With Fitness Apps
Put your smart TV to good use as far as your fitness goals are concerned.
Download your favorite fitness and workout apps, get your yoga mat ready, and exercise right in front of your screen.
Another option would be to head straight to YouTube and look for stretching and exercise routine videos by a fitness enthusiast of your choice and just sweat it out.
One really good thing about streaming workout videos is that you get to pause them.
You wouldn’t have to miss anything in case you have to go on a bathroom break or drink some water, or if you get interrupted by your children.
You can also adjust the playback speed in case you would want to do the exercises at your pace. You can go a bit slower or faster while still being in-sync with the instructor.
You can also connect your gaming console to your smart TV, pop in your fave fitness game, and burn some calories in front of your sensor.
Xbox One, for instance, has Shape Up, Zumba, Just Dance, and many other sports and exercises, and you can follow the moves with your Kinect to keep track of your form.
6. Display Photos
Synchronize your smartphone with your smart TV to fling your photos and display them on the screen.
You could use this feature to serve as a display screen for your business–think food menu and store sign if you’re a restaurant or a shop–or create a slideshow of these photos on your phone, even add videos, and show it on a loop on your TV screen.
7. Check Your Social Media Pages
If checking your social media pages on your small smartphone screen is straining your eyes, check them on your smart TV instead.
View your Facebook timeline, check out your friends’ photos on Instagram, or type in comments all on a bigger screen.
Simply download social media apps on your TV and enter your login details, or synchronize your TV to your smartphone.
You can also post updates on your social network pages by just pairing your TV with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard or by using your smartphone or tablet as your keyboard and remote control.
You can also share videos and photos that are saved on your TV.
8. Use TV Screen for Video Chats With Friends and Loved Ones
Make a video call or have a video chat with your friends or family using your smart TV instead of your phone.
All you need to do is download video calling apps like Skype on your TV and connect a webcam to it.
Then you’ll be ready to get some face time with distant loved ones, and you won’t have to hold your smartphone in front of your face with your arm stretched out until it hurts!
Plus, if there are several people who wish to talk, there’s no need to crowd in front of your laptop screen or huddle together in front of your phone.
Your loved ones can finally talk with the entire family at once while you sit comfortably on the couch–no more taking turns and fighting to get some camera time!
9. Do Your Online Shopping on a Bigger Screen
Improve your online shopping experience by using your smart TV instead of your smartphone.
Install shopping apps and find better products and deals with a bigger screen.
You’ll be able to view images more clearly and even read the small-print descriptions and customer reviews without straining your eyes.
10. Turn Your Smart TV Into a Digital Calendar
Use your smart TV to display your schedule and reminders for the day by turning it into a digital calendar.
This is great for busy parents struggling to manage the family’s many activities and schedules or college students who need to keep track of their many extracurriculars.
Once you get a calendar app on your smart TV, you can input schedules and reminders as they come.
From ballet class to football practice, laundry pickups, grocery runs, recitals, and PTA meetings – whatever is happening in your life, you can program it to display when you turn on your TV.
This way, everyone sees everything, including the latest changes you made.
11. Surf the Web
Most modern smart TVs have a built-in web browser, and it works pretty much the same way your mobile and computer browsers do.
While there are some limitations, you can do quick searches, and your TV screen will display search results and open web pages for you.
This is pretty helpful, especially if you end up with something text-heavy or if you’re looking for something as a group.
12. Sing Karaoke
How about setting up your own karaoke party at home?
You can download and install a karaoke app on your smart TV, connect it to your microphone, and instantly turn it into a karaoke machine.
You’ll get access to the app’s catalog of hits and karaoke favorites that you can sing along to with family and friends.
Apps like Karaoke Free and StarMaker can be downloaded for free.
Then there are apps like Smule that offer microphone effects and video filters. You can also join a community of singer-wannabes and music lovers, as well as share your performances with them.
To get started, you can check out this list of the best karaoke apps for your smart TV.
13. Connect With Your Other Smart Devices
You can connect your smart TV with your other smart devices and integrate it into your automated home system.
For instance, you can synchronize your smart hue lights so that they react to what’s on-screen.
Check out this YouTube video showing how smart hue lights are synchronized with a smart TV and a gaming console and how they’ll work together:
You can also connect your smart TV with your smart speaker, such as Amazon Echo (available on Amazon.com) so that you can control your TV by issuing voice commands.
Simply ask Alexa to open Netflix, and it’ll communicate with your TV to automatically turn on and open Netflix for you.
Even specific requests are possible, like playing a particular movie or adjusting the volume.
Here’s a YouTube video showing how you can connect your Samsung Smart TV with Amazon Echo (Alexa):
14. Remotely Access Your PC
If your smart TV is one of Samsung’s latest models, then you can take advantage of its Remote Access feature.
This exclusive feature allows you to access and manage your PC through your smart TV, regardless of location.
This feature also offers various cloud-based documentation services, which make it easier for your kids to use the TV’s big screen to continue studying and to use a web browser to watch live lectures and view online courses.
15. Transfer Your Files From Your Phone to Your Smart TV
If you ever wanted to transfer some files from your phone, tablet, or laptop to a bigger screen, you can now do it wirelessly.
Some smart TVs now allow you to send files from your smartphone through your WiFi network and certain apps.
With this feature, you’ll now be able to view documents from work, photos, videos, and other files on your TV screen without having to save them on a flash drive or USB stick first.
16. Read Your eBook on a Large Screen
Because smart TVs can now connect to your phone or tablet, you can also read your eBook on a large screen.
Of course, while the main purpose of an eBook is so you could read it from a handy device, there are also times when your eyes get tired of reading text in a very small size.
Not to mention arms that get tired from holding up your phone or tablet, or a neck that gets stiff from having to bend down a lot.
So if you want to get some reading done in a more comfortable sitting or lying position, with less strain on your eyes, with both of your hands-free, and without your head being bent over your book or phone, then read it on your TV screen.
17. Set the Right Mood for Relaxation and Meditation
There are smart TVs that offer an ambient mode, giving you a peaceful environment conducive to mediation and relaxation.
You can turn this mode on when you need to take a break from the bright screen and all the stimulating sounds without having to turn it off.
The ambient mode will display family photos, art, pictures of nature, and other calming content.
Smart TVs like Samsung even allow you to program your ambient mode so that the color of your screen would match or blend with the color of the space behind your TV, like the color of your wallpaper or your wall.
If your smart TV doesn’t have this mode, you can always go to YouTube and select a relaxing video.
The good thing about it is there are videos that play spa-like music and all sorts of relaxing sounds for hours on end to help you de-stress for as long as you need to.
You can select sounds like that of water, rainforest, oceans and whales, flowing river, wind chimes, birds, Tibetan bowls, and all sorts of musical instruments and white noise, depending on which ones help you feel calm and peaceful.
Not All Smart TVs Were Created Equal, So Pick the Right One
If you don’t have a smart TV just yet, make sure to choose the right brand and model to suit your specific purposes.
Keep in mind that not all smart TVs share the same compatibility with certain devices.
Take an inventory of whatever devices and gadgets you wish to use with your smart TV, and pick one that offers connectivity and compatibility with those technologies.
You should also do substantial research about smart TV brands and check their ratings and reviews.
Even if you’re on a budget, don’t just settle for the cheapest one you could afford.
You could end up with a TV that offers only the bare minimum and leaves you feeling dissatisfied with its minor features.
As such, you may want to wait a little longer to save up for a better smart TV model.
Tips To Optimize Your Smart TV’s Functions
Knowing how to optimize the features and functions of your smart TV is the key to enjoying it to the fullest.
Understand the technology it offers and take advantage of it so you could integrate it with your other smart appliances at home.
Being able to do this would present you to a whole new world of convenience and a new level of entertainment.
Here are some tips on how you could make the most out of your smart TV:
Declutter Apps From Screen
It’s important to declutter the apps from your screen or to keep them organized into sections.
If you’ve installed many apps on your smart TV and think your main screen looks cluttered with all the icons, you may want to hide those that you don’t use often.
Keep only your favorite apps and those that you use on a regular basis on your home screen.
To rearrange your apps, just select an app icon using your remote control and hold the center button steady until all the icons on display shake.
Hold and drag the icon and move it towards where you want it to be on the screen.
Check TV Settings and Adjust
Moreover, check your TV settings and adjust your smart TV.
It isn’t perfect from out of the box. It may not be HD-ready, or it may not be configured to stream HD videos and other content.
So you’ll need to go to the settings menu and make the necessary adjustments.
It might be a very minor thing, but it could make a huge difference and contribute to you enjoying your TV to the fullest.
One of the things you may have to adjust includes your TV’s picture quality, which means its brightness, contrast, color, tone, color temperature, and sharpness.
This ensures that you get vivid images and an excellent dynamic range.
You may also need to adjust your audio settings, depending on the speakers you have.
You can configure the various preset sound modes to enhance your TV’s sound sensation.
The cinema mode, for one, would be a good option as it boosts the sound’s low frequencies and activates your TV’s surround sound options.
Smart TVs also have parental controls if you have children at home and you are concerned about the apps they use and what they see.
Having a Hard Time With the Remote? Use Your Smartphone As Keyboard for Your Smart TV
Your smart TV supports your smartphone’s keyboard as an input method.
This is if you find it too much of a hassle to use your TV’s own remote control and figure out how to type in the text.
Connecting your smartphone to your TV would make it so much easier for you to type your username and password, for example, or to type in something you want to look up on the web.
Here’s an article on how to use your smartphone as a keyboard for your smart TV.
If smartphones don’t work for you, then get one of those wireless smart TV keyboards on the market, or a generic Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
Update Your Smart TV’s Firmware Regularly
Your smart TV’s software or firmware needs to be updated regularly.
Doing so ensures that your TV is as responsive as it should be and its performance is seamless.
Updates also allow you to use new features.
It’s possible to set up your TV so that it automatically updates and you can just forget about it.
This automatic update feature can be activated in your TV’s settings, and as long as it’s connected to the internet, it’ll detect new updates as they come.
Your smart TV will download and install the latest update when you turn it on.
You may download apps that would be useful to software upgrades, such as a startup manager, an antivirus app, or an app cache cleaner.
It’s also important that your files, such as videos and photos, are stored in external memory, such as an SD memory card, to avoid issues with them during the update.
The apps you have installed on your smart TV would also require regular updates.
What are the best uses for a smart tv? Conclusion
You can do so many things with a smart TV that you can’t do with a standard one.
Its best uses include streaming online video content and live feeds and listening to the radio, music, and podcasts. You can also exercise using fitness apps and play games using gaming apps.
You can use your smart TV as a display screen for dynamic content, like pictures and restaurant menus.
Then there’s using it for video chats and checking social media pages.
You can also connect your smart TV with your other smart devices, such as Amazon Echo.
