Is Your TV a Smart TV? [ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED]

With the advent of smartphones, smart TVs were just a matter of time. With the unique and unprecedented features like connecting with your smartphones and accessing streaming services like BBC iPlayer or Netflix etc., smart TVs are a must-have of today’s era. But the question that arises is, do you need to buy one, or is your TV already a smart TV?

To know if your TV is smart TV or not, just Google the TV model. You can also check at its back if it has a network cable or CAT5; if it does, you have a smart TV. And if you happen to have bought your TV in the last 5 years, it is very much possible that it’s smart.

Also, if your TV has Roku or Fire TV in its name, it’s definitely a smart TV.

What is a smart TV?

A smart TV, or a “connected TV” as it is also known, is connected with the internet, which allows you to view content online from streaming websites and to use apps that take the game to the next level. Smart TVs also offer more unique features such as:

• Media player
• Recommendation engine
• Universal search
• Content transferability from smartphones to smart TV
• SmartShare/SmartView
• Game streaming services
• Hands-free control
• Built-in google assistant

These are just some of the wide variety of features that smart TVs offer. However, please do keep in mind that it isn’t necessary that you will find all these features on one TV. The reality is that each model of a company and the TVs of different companies might differ in a lot of their features and usability.

Also, you might need some additional purchases to be able to use certain features; for example, you’d need to buy Sony Dualshock 3 or Dualshock 4 to be able to use game streaming services.

How to check if you have a smart TV?

Here are some more ways that you can use to determine if your TV is a smart TV or not.

Remote control

If your remote is showing options like “Netflix” or “HULU”, then it might be a smart TV. However, this method is not very reliable as the remote controls might also just have universal keys that are not of much use to you.

The startup screen

If the screen or the menu has options to subscribe to websites or streaming services, then it’s a smart TV. Also, if the menu has options that let you control connected devices, it means good news. 

Wi-Fi connection

If there is a Wi-Fi setup or network connection option visible on your screen or settings menu, you have a smart TV. 

How do you turn your old TV into a smart TV?

So if you have been following the tricks to know if your TV is smart one or not, you must have the answer by now, hopefully. However, if it turns out that your TV is not a smart TV and if that’s bothering you, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered.

Thankfully, there are devices called streaming media players that help you convert your LED TV into a smart TV. 

Converter box

There are several options available to choose your streaming media player from. These let you connect to the internet and view content from streaming sites. Here is a list of some of the best options available in the market:

• Amazon Fire TV stick
• Amazon Fire TV cube
• Google chromecast ultra
• Apple TV 4K
• Roku premiere

Establishing connection

Before jumping on to the streaming player, you will need to ensure how you will connect it to your TV. If it has an HDMI port, that is good news. However, if it does not, you can use an HDMI to RCA connector, and your TV will be ready to be connected to a converter box.

Concluding my thoughts on how to know if I have a smart TV!

Determining if your TV is a smart one or not is not that difficult; in fact, in many cases, it might take you less than a minute to find out, especially if you Google your TV’s model number. Even if it turns out it isn’t smart, we have ensured that you know a way around that, too, so happy streaming!