Abstract
- Regardless of proudly owning a pretty big 55-inch flat display TV, I hardly watch motion pictures or tune in to exhibits.
- Fortunately, trendy good TVs are versatile and may carry out a number of different duties.
- Listed below are 5 non-motion-picture-related issues that I take advantage of my TV set for regularly.
Regardless of proudly owning a comparatively massive 55-inch
Sony 4K smart TV
, I am hardly a frequent shopper of films and exhibits. The one streaming service I take advantage of each day is
YouTube
(primarily by way of my smartphone), and I most likely watch a median of 10 full-length movies in complete per 12 months.
That being mentioned, my residing room-situated flat display does not sit idly. I commonly reap the benefits of its high-resolution show and its
high dynamic range
(HDR) visible acuity in quite a few non-motion-picture-related methods. Listed below are the highest 5 issues I personally use my good TV for each day.
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1
Charging up my tech peripherals
Paradoxically, probably the most frequent issues I take advantage of 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 linked gadgets. 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 straightforward to recharge something from my mouse and keyboard, to my wi-fi earbuds, and every part in between.
It is price noting that the ability supply of most TV USB-A ports is restricted — in different phrases, there is not sufficient electrical oomph to prime up the typical laptop computer or different massive digital machine, past a gradual trickle cost.
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 reality, that
I wrote an entire editorial
concerning the sorry state of screensaver help on Home windows 11. Fortunately, most good TV working programs (in addition to exterior set-top packing containers) supply a spread of pictures, patterns, backdrops, and landscapes to cycle by way of throughout machine downtime.
Seeing how I hardly use my TV to, effectively, watch TV, you may 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, as I discover them so as to add ambiance to my front room aesthetic. I will 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
Presentation mode turns out to be useful when least anticipated
Underneath the appropriate circumstances, being able to solid my PC’s display instantly onto my TV panel has confirmed immensely helpful. In school, I might apply shows on this method, casting my slideshows onto the large display throughout rehearsals. Extra lately, I have been casting previous images and residential motion pictures onto my TV, that are linked regionally to my PC by way of an
It’d actually be doable to attach a tough drive or stable 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-recognized desktop UI paradigm has helped streamline my entry to recordsdata and different content material.

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4
Controlling my good residence home equipment
TVs make for wonderful widescreen good residence hubs
I have been reluctant to leap head-first into the world of good residence 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 easy sufficient to manage good residence merchandise utilizing a smartphone or a devoted good show, I usually depend on my TV display 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 method to constructing a centralized good residence hub? For most individuals, the reply might be no. For somebody like me who hardly 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 method to good residence machine administration.

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5
Displaying images
There isn’t any 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 in a superbly curated slideshow.
Typically, I’ve a behavior of snapping a ton of pictures, after which neglecting to return and respect them sooner or later. By having a direct picture feed displayed on the most important display in my residence, I make sure that no picture of a enjoyable social outing falls by the wayside or goes underappreciated in the long term.

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