Turn Your TV Into a Smart TV

Do you have an old TV sitting around the house? This article will show you how to turn any TV into a modern Smart TV that you can use to watch your favorite content from the Internet. All you need is your TV and a spare computer.

Steps

HDMI or VGA

  1. Decide whether to connect with an HDMI cable or VGA and audio cables. Most modern televisions come with HDMI ports: this is the easiest way to connect. But if yours is so old that you don't find a HDMI port on it, then look for a VGA port, and an audio port. Without a HDMI port, you will need both a VGA port as well as an audio port to turn your TV into a smart TV.

Attaching the TV to an old computer

  1. Obtain an old desktop computer or laptop that nobody is using. These days, you can even use a smart phone or a tablet PC. The goal is to look for a system that you can use to connect to the Internet.
    • Remember, your old TV doesn't have its own OS and web browser. It doesn't have the ability to connect to the Internet. Your old desktop or tablet PC will serve this function.
    • If you don't have a spare device sitting around, and you don't want to spend a lot of money buying a new computer, you can always buy a cheap tablet PC with HDMI output.
  2. Connect your computer to the TV. If your computer or smart phone has HDMI output, connect the device to your TV using a standard HDMI cable. Note that for smaller devices, you may need to use a mini or micro HDMI adapter.
    • If your system does not have HDMI output, then you need a VGA monitor cable and an audio cable to connect to your TV. The VGA cable is to provide video output, and the audio cable is to provide sound output. The HDMI cable is capable of provide both sound and image output, so you need only one cable for this to work.
  3. Connect your device to the Internet and start browsing your favorite content sites. Use the full-screen mode for best results. Your old TV has just become a smart TV!

Adding gadgets

  1. Check if your TV supports USB. If it supports that, then you can buy devices such as Chrome Cast, Apple TV and many others.
  2. Buy Chrome Cast or Apple TV. This will allow you to stream movies and surf the internet. This will take your old television experience to new level. All you have to do is connect device with TV by USB or HDMI cable and then you are all set to do the things which you can do with a smart TV.



Tips

  • When buying a HDMI cable, be sure to buy the latest version (ver1.4). The latest version allows for faster data transfer. Ethernet is also supported. For high quality data conductivity, be sure to buy a cable that is 100% pure copper. Some cables are really just steel clad cables. They tend to be cheaper, but they are not as good when it comes to conductivity.
  • In the market, there are devices, like Android TV boxes, Roku, and Apple TV, that are designed specifically to turn your TV into a smart TV. They are affordable and come with remote control for easy browsing.
  • With high speed broadband connection, you can view videos in HD quality. Watch HD videos in full screen for the ultimate viewing experience.

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