There was a time when cord cutters were reluctant to even go in for the TV antenna. One of the main reasons was due to the signal picking capability and the installation process which was equally tedious and time-consuming. However, time seems to fly by so soon. Today the overall setup is so easier that it gets over even before you know it.
So probably you got a new Smart TV or someone gifted you the TV antenna. Smart TV’s made it even easier to set up the Highline TV antenna with TV antenna locator. Smart TV’s are really smart in a lot of ways. But there are a lot of cord cutters who wonder, what is a smart TV? How is it different than regular TV?
source:news.samsung.com
In a nutshell, we can say that a smart TV incorporates the platform which allows the users to manage, have access and also to view online content without the need for any other special device. So you do not need an Amazon Firestick or a Roku to view online content. Your Smart TV does all that for you, at the click of a button.
How does Smart TV work?
One of the main reasons for calling it a Smart TV is because you can have access to online content just by simply connecting it to the Wi-Fi or a router. Both Ethernet and Wi-Fi are convenient options for internet. If you have the TV in the same room as the broadband then Ethernet would be great but if the TV is in a different room, then the Wi-Fi option is the most preferred.
source:techradar.com
Once you connect the TV and turn it on, it would prompt you to enter the login details that would be required by the ISP. Your Smart TV would be having certain pre-loaded apps whereas some would need to be downloaded to the app library. What the ways of navigating through Smart TV are and how to manage the apps is dependent on the brand and model of Smart TV you have.
Benefits
Smart TV’s come along with numerous benefits. One of the main benefits of a Smart TV is that it provides access to varied channels. These channels offer a huge collection of movies, entertainment programs and also music library. To access all of these, you would not need access to the TV antenna or even no access is required of cable service. Certain smart TV also provides access to web browsing and gaming solutions which are stored on your computer.
source:techradar.com
This does not mean that smart TV’s do not get connected to the antenna. You can very well also connect your TV antenna to the Smart TV. Setting up TV antennas is made so simple these days. Just select the right location and plug in the antenna to the TV. Certain Smart TV’s would instantly show up the number of channels available without the need for scanning.
There are a growing number of Smart TV’s which also have included voice recognition tools such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. These tools help in switching between channels and also when searching for any programs. Smart TV’s are also integrated with smart home features. We have seen a lot of TV units being compatible with other gadgets or devices present in the house. Few of those include door locks, lights, and the other sensor devices. There are a lot of upgrades occurring in the Smart TV front thus making lives even easier for the users.
Services offered by Smart TV
There is a particular standard operating interface or system when it comes to a Smart TV. Some of the manufacturers make use of a variety of operating system based on the model. There are TV’s that support few of the popular online streaming services including Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu. But some others would support only a handful of the apps. Smart TV’s are gaining a lot of momentum across the users. Due to the prominence of smart TV, there has also been a rise in the streaming apps. Few of the streaming apps provide free movies, entertainment programs and also live news.
source:fpf.org
Smart TV’s provide single scrolling row of icons for displaying the varied options whereas few others would provide a full-screen menu along with the row of options to select from. It would be wrong to consider that all Smart TV’s are the same. Each of them would vary in terms of features offered.
For a cord cutter, this is the right time to invest in TV antennas and also on Smart TV. However, if you already have a digital TV and do not feel the need for it now, you can connect the antenna to the existing one. Smart TV’s are just an upgraded version of the existing TV units. For those who need to have a TV connected to the internet along with more features can always switch to Smart TVs.
