5 surprising issues I found my sensible TV can do

Regardless of proudly owning a comparatively massive 55-inch

Sony 4K smart TV
, I am hardly a frequent shopper of flicks and reveals. The one streaming service I take advantage of every day is

YouTube
(primarily by way of my smartphone), and I most likely watch a mean of 10 full-length movies in whole per yr.

That being mentioned, my residing room-situated flat display screen would not sit idly. I recurrently benefit from its high-resolution show and its

high dynamic range
(HDR) visible acuity in quite a few non-motion-picture-related methods. Listed below are the highest 5 issues I personally use my sensible TV for each day.

1

Charging up my tech peripherals

Satirically, some of the widespread issues I take advantage of my sensible TV for would not contain its show within the slightest. My flat panel

has three built-in USB-A ports
, that are able to delivering energy to externally linked gadgets. I hate the litter of getting cables sprawled round my work desk, and so I decide to plug a lot of my peripherals into my TV to high up on juice, as an alternative.

Mostly, I plug my sport controllers and my

Apple TV
distant into my TV, however the ubiquity of USB-C ports on my devices makes it straightforward to recharge something from my mouse and keyboard, to my wi-fi earbuds, and every little thing in between.

2

Setting the temper for my residing surroundings

Serenity is a screensaver or soundscape away

I am an enormous fan of screensavers — a lot so, in truth, that

I wrote an entire editorial
in regards to the sorry state of screensaver help on Home windows 11. Fortunately, most sensible TV working programs (in addition to exterior set-top packing containers) supply a variety of photographs, patterns, backdrops, and landscapes to cycle via throughout gadget downtime.

Seeing how I infrequently use my TV to, properly, watch TV, you’ll be able to think about how often my flat panel switches into screensaver mode. I really like configuring

scenic nature shots and architectural landscapes
to slowly pan on display screen, as I discover them so as to add ambiance to my lounge aesthetic. I am going to typically throw on some soothing music by way of the TV Spotify app, too, which solely provides to the calm and comfy vibes.

Associated

Every Google Chromecast: A timeline of Google’s cheapest streamer

With the Chromecast’s retirement on the horizon, here is an abbreviated historical past of Google’s undeniably standard TV streaming dongle.

3

Casting my PC display screen

Presentation mode is useful when least anticipated

Below the precise circumstances, being able to solid my PC’s display screen straight onto my TV panel has confirmed immensely helpful. In school, I’d apply shows on this means, casting my slideshows onto the massive display screen throughout rehearsals. Extra just lately, I have been casting outdated photographs and residential motion pictures onto my TV, that are linked domestically to my PC by way of an

external hard drive
.

It’d actually be attainable to attach a tough drive or strong state drive on to my TV, however I discover my mannequin’s built-in

Android TV
working system to be considerably sluggish and clunky to maneuver round. As an answer, casting my Mac show and working inside a well-recognized desktop UI paradigm has helped streamline my entry to recordsdata and different content material.

Associated

How I made all my smart home devices HomeKit compatible with a Raspberry Pi

Run Homebridge in your Raspberry Pi to attach incompatible gadgets.

4

Controlling my sensible house home equipment

TVs make for wonderful widescreen sensible house hubs

I have been reluctant to leap head-first into the world of sensible house applied sciences, however I’ve gone forward and dabbled within the Apple HomeKit and

Philips Hue
ecosystems over the previous couple of years. Whereas it is easy sufficient to regulate sensible house merchandise utilizing a smartphone or a devoted sensible show, I typically depend on my TV display screen for things like adjusting LED colours, tweaking the room temperature, and turning on my

doorbell camera
reside feed as wanted.

Is that this probably the most pragmatic method to constructing a centralized sensible house hub? For most individuals, the reply might be no. For somebody like me who infrequently makes use of my TV for multimedia consumption, having it function a hilariously big sensible show (full with a far superior sound bar audio setup) has been a enjoyable and surprisingly efficient method to sensible house gadget administration.

Associated

Best digital photo frames: Relive your treasured moments with family and friends

We rounded up the perfect digital photograph frames with high-resolution shows and app controls to view and share your particular recollections.

5

Displaying photographs

There is not any want to purchase a devoted digital photograph body

Along with displaying aesthetically pleasing screensavers on the common, I typically make the most of my sensible TV as a devoted digital photograph body. My Apple TV mechanically synchronizes with my

Apple Photos
library, and presents recollections and snapshots on display screen in a superbly curated slideshow.

On the whole, I’ve a behavior of snapping a ton of photographs, after which neglecting to return and recognize them sooner or later. By having a direct photograph feed displayed on the most important display screen in my house, I be sure that no photograph of a enjoyable social outing falls by the wayside or goes underappreciated in the long term.

Associated

5 issues smart TVs really shouldn’t have in 2025

Producers have to band collectively and repair the issues.