Remember when TVs were just a big box in the corner showing four of five channels and not much else?
We have come a long way since then, and while they are slimmer and take up less room, they also perform so many more functions, many of which you may not even know about.
Here are just some of the features you may be missing out on with your TV.
Read: Services Australia pays $1.2m for spyware technology
Browse the web
If you are anything like me, your eyesight is starting deteriorate quickly and looking at your tiny phone screen when searching the internet isn’t helping. The whole point of having a smart TV is that it is connected to the internet, so why not use your television to search the web instead? Depending on the brand of TV, you should be able to use voice commands as well, saving you the messy process of trying to type in using your television remote.
Social media
All the major social networks have smart TV apps and seeing that you watch a lot of your friends’ videos through social media, why not enjoy it with the benefit of the big screen? Not only that, looking at social media on your big screen also allows you to see more posts than you might see if you are using your phone or laptop.
Read: Can a stranger discover your location over the internet?
Controlling all your other gadgets
If you have a digital assistant in your home, you can link it to your TV and control all of the smart gadgets from the TV. This is particularly useful if you have a video doorbell, as you can quickly look at who is at the door from the comfort of the couch, but it can also come in handy for setting a smart dishwasher to run or turning on a smart oven so you can have snacks ready when you want them without getting off the couch.
Listening to your favourite tunes
Earlier this year when I was visiting my parents, they were still using their computer to play music. When I saw this, I signed them straight up to a Spotify account and set up the app on the TV and their life hasn’t been the same since. They love it and listen to so much more music now they have discovered how easy it all is and have all the songs they could ever want at their disposal.
Read: Is there a way to block political text messages?
Stream the news when you want it
All the big news outlets around the world have apps offering up-to-the-minute coverage of events. If you are a news junkie, there is no more need to wait for an evening news service, you can watch events unfold in real time, with many services providing video and audio streams to suit the TV viewing format.
YouTube
Hopefully most of you know about this one, but this is certainly the app that gets the most use in our house. Whether we are just looking for something funny we have seen earlier in the day and want to share it with the rest of the house, or are actually looking for a specific video for a recipe or education purposes, having YouTube at your beck and call is one of the great reasons for forking out the money for a smart TV if you don’t already have one.
Making video calls
Mast smart TVs don’t come with a webcam, but you can purchase a USB webcam to sit atop your TV and make video calls with relatives who might live far away that little bit more expansive and comfortable than trying to do it on your phone or laptop.
What features on your smart TV do you like the most? Why not share your thoughts in the comments section below?
If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.
