Although HDMI are probably the most popular jacks on a Smart TV, If you look at the back of your television you will also find a series of USB ports that are going to be very useful in your daily life and below we are going to tell you which ones are the most interesting.
Some, such as connecting an external storage device, are popular, but there are surely other lesser-known ones that can get you out of a bind or improve your experience with your television: these are the best uses you can give to the USB on your Smart TV.
Contents hide
1 Connect external storage devices
2 Record content and save it to a drive
3 Increase the internal memory of the Smart TV
4 Charge devices
5 Expand connectivity
6 Connect a controller to play
7 Connect peripherals and more accessories
8 Connect an audio adapter
9 Install applications
10 Update firmware
Connect external storage devices
We start with the most mainstream but no less important: connect an external hard drive or USB stick to play the compatible audiovisual content that it houses inside: it can be series or movies, but also music or photographs.
If you have a movie collection or your favorite series stored safely locally, you can watch it simply by connecting it without depending on the internet, servers, streaming or clouds.
Record content and save it to a drive
There are several aspects here for record content. On the one hand there is the possibility of record that TDT series, program or movie that you are interested in on an external storage device, although in that case make sure that the socket is USB 3.0 or higher for speed, enough space available and that it is formatted in a compatible file system.
Another option is record general content directly from the TV, since there are models that allow it and that this content is also saved on an external disk or USB memory. Likewise, and if you use Android TV/Google TV, There are applications that allow you to record the screen with minimal initial configuration.
Increase the internal memory of the Smart TV
Maybe the available space on your Smart TV is reduced or simply, that you have installed so many applications that it is running out.
In that case, depending on the manufacturer and with operating systems such as Android TV/Google TV, it is possible that connecting the storage unit allows the action of configure it as if it were internal memoryso that by always leaving it connected you can continue installing more apps using its storage.
Charge devices
Another quite popular application due to its practicality is use the USB ports as a kind of charging station. Although it can be used for emergencies such as powering a Chromecast under certain conditions, it is best to plug in small devices such as a cell phone, headphones, and the like.
Why small? Because in general this type of charging is slow and although it does the trick in scenarios like a hotel room with few outlets, it is not the best if what we want is fast charging.
Expand connectivity
This USB port can be used to provide connectivity to the television, for example with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and even to connect it to the internet directly with an Ethernet cable. As? With a dongle or adapter that allows it.
Your Smart TV probably already has Bluetooth and Wi-Fibut if it does not go well or components such as the network card break down, you can install that accessory to update, improve or have that connectivity.
Connect a controller to play
You don’t need to connect a console to playsince there are games in the application stores, on devices like the Chromecast and even on content streaming platforms like Netflix, you can play a game.
Although there are games that allow you to play with the remote control or mobile phone, in the end the most comfortable and agile way is usually with a gaming controller that connects through the USB port.
Connect peripherals and more accessories
The previous point is actually a specific case of this: you can connect that to a USB port. gaming controller, a keyboard, a mouse and even a webcam for video calls. However, the most normal thing is to use a keyboard or mouse to be able to write more comfortably, to install applications or to navigate.
Connect an audio adapter
Although this is a particular case of the previous one, it is less known and can also have the consequence of significantly improving the sound experience on your television: connect a DAC.
If we have a compatible audio adapter that works via USBwe can level up the sound of the Smart TV as long as we later have decent speakers to link them.
Install applications
Although the standard and easiest method to install applications on a Smart TV is by going to the official store, there is also another way to do it as long as the software in question is obviously suitable for that operating system: save the installable app on a USB, connect it to the TV and install it.
This is the case, for example, of those Smart TVs with Android TV/Google TV OS, in which you can search and save the APK file of the app, use a file explorer to locate it and start the installation. In any case, keep in mind that if they are out of the app store it is for a reason, so make sure it is a safe app.
Update firmware
Normally, a television can update itself, but this may not be the case for your TV or it may simply not be connected to the internet. In that case you have the option of prepare the update from a computer, store it on a USB and then connect it and proceed with the update
Cover | Xataka analysis of the Samsung S95B OLED Smart TV, Juan Carlos López
