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Key takeaways of zdnet
- Most TVs hide amazingly easy USB ports on the back.
- Plugging in them can unlock additional features and convenience.
- They can also help in breathing new life in an old TV.
After the initial setup, most people rarely connect with their smart TVs directly. With wireless connectivity, phone apps and remote control, very little is required. Tuck next to the required HDMI ports, a USB 2.0 port – possibly not paying attention to the back or side panel – provides more capacity than as you can expect.
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The USB port is easy to ignore, but they are a standard feature on most TVs – and more useful than you can think. Here are five clever ways to make most of them.
1. Turn your TV into a slide show or media player
Most new TV models come with a pair of USB 2.0 port, and often 3.0 ports for rapid data transfer. Your TV screen is likely to grow bigger than your computer monitor, so why is it not used to play a gallery or video of images?
I recently attended a family meeting, and the host used a 65 -inch TV to do a lot of work. Scanned photos and videos looked great and looked great – all were accessed by plugging in a USB flash drive.
Just will work about any type of external hard drive, thumb drive, or data stick as you have plugged into a laptop. Your TV will immediately recognize a connected device and provide you a means to reach and navigate your media files.
If you want to program your TV to play slide shows when you are inactive, then there is a big advantage to enclose the flash drive for that purpose. That benefit? Your media will not automatically be transferred to TV’s cash or internal storage as it will read the files directly from the flash drive.
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By placing the files stored on the drive only, you will not need to spend time to duplicate and upload them on TV. In addition, your TV will thank you for performing better as you are not off its cash.
2. Turn your TV into a workstation
Ever find themselves with a spreadsheet, document, vector graphics, video and web pages with a crowd of your computer monitor? that makes two of us.
The most common monitor size for creative and professionals is 27 inches. Buying several high quality monitors (or oversize of a 32 -inch panel) can be extremely expensive. But if you are ready to sacrifice a little for more immovable property on a 55 -inch TV screen for more real estate, you can appoint a Bluetooth adapter to add wireless perisians such as the mouse or keyboard.
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A large display allows more space for multitasks, works on complex designs, and looks at its discombbulating number of open windows together. You will need those peripheral devices to be connected by USB to complete the work.
3. Make your aging TV stream-qualified
Seven -year -old TCL TV in my bedroom requires a streaming device to reach prime videos, HBO Max and other platforms. Many streaming devices, especially new people, require connections to A/C outlets for electricity. But some, such as the first-generation Amazon Fire Stick and Google Chromecasts, can be powered by TV, while making it smart.
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All streaming devices directly connect with TV through HDMI port CelebrationBut some can be Operated By USB. For example, my TCL has a small HDMI cable for data transfer and a Roku Streaming Stick attached by a small USB 2.0 cable for power. Streaming gadget that allows me to reach the Internet and see Jordan Peel Twilight Zone There is absolutely no plug in the wall at night. It is being fed by – and feeding – all at once.
I should note that this is a low-from-side landscape because powering a device with its own CPU and quad-core processor can give rise to issues such as overheating, blockage and underace. But it works.
4. If you are in a pinch then charge the USB device
In fact, you can charge about any device through the USB port of your TV with the appropriate cable. Have you ever had to charge your phone by plugging in USB port on your laptop? I have gone there too. You can do the same with your TV.
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The negative side is that most TVs are designed to transfer USB port data and power to low-energy devices, so they do not pull too much juice. This means that using TV as a charging hub would be relatively slow, even for something like a console gaming controller. But then, if you are in a real bind, this is an option.
So try to remember that your TV’s USB port is back for a reason. You can use them to reach the media, increase the utility of your TV and supply power to external devices.
5. Bonus: Update software
It is not as attractive as other benefits in this list, but if your smart TV does not have internet or you are on a non-smart TV, it is important that you keep the software updated through USB uploads.
Apart from this: Your TV’s USB port has an undefied feature that can revive an old system for free.
Manufacturers often introduce advanced features and functionality, better performance and bug fixes with sometimes updates, and you can download the latest software through dedicated support pages. Is here SamsungFor example.
Search your model or product name, download the latest software file on your USB drive, and plug the drive to your TV to upload it. You may need to resume your TV when you are told and done.
