5 surprising issues I found my good TV can do

Regardless of proudly owning a comparatively massive 55-inch

Sony 4K smart TV
, I am hardly a frequent client of films and exhibits. The one streaming service I exploit each day is

YouTube
(primarily by way of my smartphone), and I in all probability watch a mean of 10 full-length movies in whole per 12 months.

That being stated, my residing room-situated flat display screen does not sit idly. I usually reap the benefits of its high-resolution show and its

high dynamic range
(HDR) visible acuity in quite a lot of non-motion-picture-related methods. Listed here are the highest 5 issues I personally use my good TV for each day.

1

Charging up my tech peripherals

Paradoxically, probably the most frequent issues I exploit my good TV for does not contain its show within the slightest. My flat panel

has three built-in USB-A ports
, that are able to delivering energy to externally related units. I hate the litter of getting cables sprawled round my work desk, and so I decide to plug lots of my peripherals into my TV to prime up on juice, as a substitute.

Mostly, I plug my recreation controllers and my

Apple TV
distant into my TV, however the ubiquity of USB-C ports on my devices makes it simple to recharge something from my mouse and keyboard, to my wi-fi earbuds, and every little thing in between.

2

Setting the temper for my residing atmosphere

Serenity is a screensaver or soundscape away

I am a giant fan of screensavers — a lot so, in truth, that

I wrote an entire editorial
in regards to the sorry state of screensaver assist on Home windows 11. Fortunately, most good TV working techniques (in addition to exterior set-top containers) provide a variety of photographs, patterns, backdrops, and landscapes to cycle by means of throughout machine downtime.

Seeing how I infrequently use my TV to, properly, watch TV, you’ll be able to think about how ceaselessly my flat panel switches into screensaver mode. I like configuring

scenic nature shots and architectural landscapes
to slowly pan on display screen, as I discover them so as to add ambiance to my front room aesthetic. I am going to usually throw on some soothing music by way of the TV Spotify app, too, which solely provides to the calm and comfy vibes.

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3

Casting my PC display screen

Presentation mode is useful when least anticipated

Beneath the correct circumstances, being able to forged my PC’s display screen immediately onto my TV panel has confirmed immensely helpful. In school, I’d observe shows on this means, casting my slideshows onto the massive display screen throughout rehearsals. Extra just lately, I have been casting previous pictures and residential films onto my TV, that are related regionally to my PC by way of an

external hard drive
.

It’d actually be attainable to attach a tough drive or strong state drive on to my TV, however I discover my mannequin’s built-in

Android TV
working system to be considerably gradual and clunky to maneuver round. As an answer, casting my Mac show and working inside a well-known desktop UI paradigm has helped streamline my entry to recordsdata and different content material.

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4

Controlling my good dwelling home equipment

TVs make for glorious widescreen good dwelling hubs

I have been reluctant to leap head-first into the world of good dwelling applied sciences, however I’ve gone forward and dabbled within the Apple HomeKit and

Philips Hue
ecosystems over the previous couple of years. Whereas it is simple sufficient to manage good dwelling merchandise utilizing a smartphone or a devoted good show, I usually depend on my TV display screen for things like adjusting LED colours, tweaking the room temperature, and turning on my

doorbell camera
reside feed as wanted.

Is that this essentially the most pragmatic strategy to constructing a centralized good dwelling hub? For most individuals, the reply might be no. For somebody like me who infrequently makes use of my TV for multimedia consumption, having it function a hilariously big good show (full with a far superior sound bar audio setup) has been a enjoyable and surprisingly efficient strategy to good dwelling machine administration.

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5

Displaying pictures

There is no want to purchase a devoted digital picture body

Along with displaying aesthetically pleasing screensavers on the common, I usually make the most of my good TV as a devoted digital picture body. My Apple TV mechanically synchronizes with my

Apple Photos
library, and presents recollections and snapshots on display screen in a fantastically curated slideshow.

Basically, I’ve a behavior of snapping a ton of photographs, after which neglecting to return and recognize them sooner or later. By having a direct picture feed displayed on the most important display screen in my dwelling, I be sure that no picture of a enjoyable social outing falls by the wayside or goes underappreciated in the long term.

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