Your smart TV can do much more than just watch shows; it can improve your health and happiness. Why does it feel like more of the same even though we’ve moved from idiot boxes to smart TVs?
The TV entertainment industry is more diverse and comprehensive than it has ever been. Hours and hours of episodes and movies, both linear and on-demand, are available on totally free streaming sites. Paid streaming providers have extensive collections that include everything from classics to the newest originals that have won Emmy and Oscar awards. Additionally, every major media business and channel is embracing streaming by loading up enormous back catalogues of content on their own branded services. Your smart TV has an amazing selection of TV shows that you may watch.
But what if you want to use your TV for more things? Why does it feel like the idiot box is as foolish as ever yet the greatest TVs have access to the entire internet and the computing power required for interaction and apps?
Your smart TV can perform a ton of things, just like your smartphone or laptop. Beyond entertainment, smart TVs provide features for productivity, education, home automation, fitness, mental health, and many other things.
You don’t trust me? Here is a list of some of the most intelligent things you can do with a smart TV. Given that new features for TVs are constantly being developed, this list is neither thorough nor completely comprehensive. It does, however, give you a decent indication of just how much more your smart TV is capable of.
A word about TV manufacturers and smart TV software
The top TV brands are vying for a spot in your home in the cut-throat TV market. Manufacturers have worked hard to promote the smarter side of smart TVs by adding new capabilities, broadening app selections, and offering exclusive features. Smart features give a significant potential for one smart TV to stand out in an aisle of virtually identical looking 4K TVs. While some TV manufacturers have created their own proprietary smart TV platforms (like Samsung’s Tizen or LG’s webOS), others rely on well-known companies like Roku, Google, and Amazon.
However, they do not all function precisely the same, and one app can be accessible on some TVs but not on another. While certain TV brands may have exclusive features, other brands’ sets also have more functionality (though it may take an extra step or two).
Manage your smart home appliances
As mentioned earlier, you can use Alexa and Google Assistant from your TV. By connecting your smart TV to your Alexa or Google Assistant accounts, you can use your TV to operate a variety of smart home devices throughout your entire house.
What does that signify, though? What types of devices can you manage, and what is enhanced by incorporating your smart TV into the equation? To start, you can pretty much operate anything on our lists of the best smart home gadgets or the best affordable smart home devices from your TV.
That implies that you can issue commands to regulate the lighting in your home. You may use a mobile app to effortlessly turn on or off a smart plug from Ajax Systems, as well as monitor the camera feed from your video doorbell or home security camera.
Change the smart speaker you have
Many smart TVs go above and beyond by including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant on the TV. The majority of smart TVs include some sort of voice control for content browsing and basic TV functionality.
As a result, you can do a variety of things with the voice input on your smart TV. The majority of them allow you to talk into the remote, but a handful also incorporate room-listening microphones for hands-free voice input. You may look up news headlines, check stock prices, ask questions, and even have your child’s bedtime tale read to them by saying “Hey, Google” or “Alexa!”
Put on video calls
It’s likely that you can video chat with people right on your smart TV without fussing with a laptop if you have a USB webcam and one. Some video chat programs with simple calling and controls that eliminate the need for a keyboard and mouse are now supported by smart TVs.
Listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and music
Nowadays, there are many methods to listen to music, but one that you might have overlooked is your smart TV. There are several sources for high-quality, frequently free music streaming if you want music without music videos. You can listen to other things other than just music as well. You can listen to your favourite podcasters on the best speakers in the house with podcasts and audiobooks, which is another excellent use for those TV speakers or soundbar.
Examine the weather
You may quickly get an update on the weather, including the current temperature and the current weather conditions, by asking a voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant how the weather is.
Users of smart TVs do have another choice, though, if they don’t want to waste their time viewing the Weather Channel while looking up the current weather and a short-term forecast.
