April 22, 2025
Hardware

Your Smart TV’s USB port can (unexpectedly) be your best ally: These are the best uses we’ve given it.

  • May 26, 2022
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It’s pretty rare these days that a TV doesn’t have USB ports on the back. While they are really useful for connecting Plug and Play devices to our

It’s pretty rare these days that a TV doesn’t have USB ports on the back. While they are really useful for connecting Plug and Play devices to our computers, their time on Smart TVs has also left us with some very interesting options. That’s why in this article we review the most outstanding uses of this port this can sometimes save us from rushing.

Among other uses, for playing content or as a way to connect accessories and additional peripherals, USB is really handy and is used in the vast majority of devices. Its performance and functions will also depend on the port’s internal protocol. While it’s true that it’s a little more limited on TVs, there are numerous situations where a USB can do the trick for us.

Play content from external storage devices


The most obvious use of a Smart TV’s USB ports playback of content via external hard drives or USB sticks. This is usually quite convenient, because if the file format is supported by the TV, all you have to do is connect the device to the USB port and navigate through the interface until you find the folder containing the files in your memory and external USB drive. .

The limit depends on the manufacturer and operating system of the television, but It is usually around 2TB for devices in FAT32 format. and up to 16TB for exFAT or NTFS format storage.

file transfer


Another of the most common uses of USB ports is to transfer data and files. Many televisions have options. to install apps and other system files on the external storage system itself, such as Android TV or Fire TV. In this way, we save a lot of space in the local memory of the television.

Most likely, when connecting the USB stick to the TV, a message will appear telling us what we want to do with it. If it is in a format not recognized by the television, it can format it for us with prior notice. In the event that no message comes up, we will have to go to the TV settings and see how the external device behaves from the storage section.

Peripheral link

keyboard and mouse


We also have the option to add various accessories and peripherals to expand our experience with our television. Depending on the software, will support keyboard or mouse connectionmay be useful for scanners or other applications compatible with these accessories.

controls to play


In many cases, it is also possible connect wired controllers via USB and use them to play or navigate the interface. However, a console controller like the PlayStation controller can be used better via Bluetooth as we will get a wireless experience.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth dongles

Another possibility is Connect WiFi or Bluetooth dongles to expand the connection of our television. Even Ethernet adapters in case our TV does not include this port to increase the connection speed.

Web cam

Here the situation is a little more ambiguous, as this requires special drivers, which are not always included in the TV software. Again, There are several models compatible with Android TV that we can use for video calling applications.

Charge and power devices


If your television has a USB port, it is very likely to be used for that as well. charge external devices or to power devices without having to connect them directly to the home electrical network. For some devices, such as smart watches, headphones, controls, etc. It may not be the most efficient. It could be a good choice.

Some TVs also have the following option: charge and power devices even when they are in standby. This doesn’t happen on all TVs, so we’ll have to test if ours supports this functionality.

Power dongles like Chromecast or Fire TV Stick


The option to power Smart TV dongles like Chromecast or Fire TV Stick is also a good option. enough for this take advantage of the USB-C or MicroUSB included with these devices and connect them to the TV’s USB port. In this case, we will need to use an adapter as most televisions only offer USB-A ports.

Record DTT programs

Possible on some TVs Connect an external device to record DTT programming. Televisions like Sony support this function and it is very useful especially when we want to record our favorite program for convenient viewing later. In this article, we examine how to do this.

Firmware updates

Nowadays, all Smart TVs need updates to implement new features or fix bugs. These are normally set up from our home’s own WiFi network, but also it is possible to manually install the update from an external USB device in the vast majority of models.

To do this, you must visit the download website of your TV manufacturer. We’ve covered how to do it for Samsung, LG or Sony televisions at Xataka Home.

Use audio devices

In very special cases, it is possible to connect audio devices and adapters to the TV’s own USB ports. This way, connecting DACs that convert the signal from USB may be a possibility depending on the TV model and software. In certain cases, as happened to this user, it will be necessary to enter the advanced or developer configuration panel to enable this functionality.

Source: Xatak Android

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