SALTZMAN: Cool things you didn’t know your Smart TV can do

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While it may have been called a “boob tube” or “idiot box” in the past, today’s TVs are far from stupid.

Granted, those aging phrases were directed more towards those who watch too much television than the devices itself, but TVs today do much more than just deliver cable or streaming programming.

Virtually all TVs are now “Smart TVs,” as these Wi-Fi-connected screens can download apps like your smartphone or tablet, and many let you access a web browser.

The following are awesome things most Smart TVs can do, regardless of the brand you go with, whether it’s proprietary platforms (like Samsung’s Tizen or LG’s webOS) or ones with a more universal operating system powered by Google TV (formerly Android TV), Roku, or Amazon Fire OS.

‘Cast’ content or use as a monitor

So long as your mobile device is on the same Wi-Fi network as your TV, you can wirelessly “cast” content – from your smartphone, tablet or laptop – to the big screen in the room.

When playing a video on the gadget in your lap (say, in YouTube or Netflix), look for a little “cast” icon on the video, that, when pressed, will let you select your TV from the list, and within a second or two you’ll see the content appear there like magic.

AirPlay support is also available on many Smart TVs, which lets you mirror your iPhone, iPad or Mac on the TV screen.

Want to use your TV like a giant computer monitor? Connect your laptop or desktop to your screen via a long HDMI cable you can pick up from your local dollar store.

Play games

You don’t need a video game console to play games on your Smart TV.

Most platforms let you download (mostly free) games from the television’s integrated app store, which you would then play using a wireless (Bluetooth) controller or, for more simple games, the TV remote.

Play Store for Google TVs have the most games, across several genres, while Roku owners could play classics like Pac-Man, Tetris, and Angry Birds.

Depending on the model, Smart TVs may also let you log in and play popular Xbox games in the “cloud” (over the internet).

It’s a giant smart speaker

Many Smart TVs have a built-in personal assistant, such as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, or both, like one of those voice-enabled “smart speakers.”

By pressing a dedicated button on the remote, not only can you verbally ask for something to watch – by saying a name of a show or movie, actor or director’s name – but ask to hear news headlines, sports scores or weather info.

Or seek answers to questions you have – something students can take advantage of while doing homework.

Many of these Smart TVs let you control your smart home devices, too, like asking to turn compatible lights on or off, increase the temperature of the home, or to see live footage from your video doorbell.

Enjoy your photos, home movies

Aside from wirelessly “casting” or mirroring media from your smartphone to your television, there are two other ways your Smart TV can be used to look at personal photos and home movies.

One is to download a free photo gallery app from your Smart TV’s App Store – such as Amazon Photos, Flickr or Google Photos – and sign in to the same account as the app on your smartphone or computer to synchronize your images between devices. Going forward, when you launch the app on your Smart TV, you’ll see all the photos and home movies associated with this service.

The second way is to insert a USB thumbdrive into the side or back of your television, loaded with photos and videos. If your television’s built-in Gallery app doesn’t automatically load, open the app to see all the media on the drive.

Some Smart TVs will begin displaying your photos as a slideshow when the television is turned off.

Make video calls

Finally, while your Smart TV likely doesn’t have a built-in camera, most have a USB port, which means you can plug in a webcam and prop it on top of the television. Once you download and install an app like Google Meet or Zoom, video chat with friends and family for free.

It’s especially ideal for group calls, since a few people sitting on the couch can see and be seen with others in another city or country.

And there’s more to Smart TVs, too: Stream music, podcasts and audiobooks from popular apps (like Spotify); wirelessly pair your Smart TV with Bluetooth hearing aids, headphones or keyboards; or install apps or stream video content for fitness classes, meditation sessions, or step-by-step cooking lessons.

TURN YOUR REGULAR TV INTO A SMART ONE

If you’re partial to your older “non-Smart” TV, or you don’t have the budget or interest to buy a new one, you can still make it a smart television with an inexpensive device that plugs into an available HDMI port on the back of your television.

For as little as $39, products like Roku, Google Chromecast and Amazon’s Fire TV each offer several sticks or boxes that connect to your TV and include a remote (and, in many cases, let you control it with an app on your phone, too).

While it costs a little more, an Apple TV box (from $129) is also a great pick.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and the author of the book, Apple Vision Pro For Dummies (Wiley)