It is quite strange that there are no USB ports on the back of a television these days. While they are really useful for connecting Plug and Play devices to our computers, their use in Smart TVs has also left us with some very interesting options. That’s why in this article We examine the most notable uses of this port This can sometimes get us out of trouble.

For playing content or as a way to connect additional accessories and peripherals, among other uses, USB is really useful and is used in the vast majority of devices. Its performance and functions will also depend on the port’s internal protocol. Although this is a little more limited on television, There are numerous situations where a USB can come in handy..

Play content on external storage devices

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It’s no surprise that the most obvious uses for Smart TV’s USB ports are: Playing content via external hard drives or USB sticks. This is generally quite useful, because if the file format is supported by the television, you simply connect the device to the USB port and navigate through the interface until you find the folder containing the files on our USB memory and external disk.

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

file transfer

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

Most likely, when you connect the USB memory to the television, a message will appear telling us what we want to do with it. If it is in a format that cannot be recognized by the television, it can be formatted for us with prior notice. If no message appears, we will have to go to the TV settings and see how the external device behaves in the storage section.

Environmental 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 connectionIt may be useful for browsers or other applications compatible with those accessories.

Controllers to play

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

WiFi and Bluetooth dongles

Another possibility is Connect WiFi or Bluetooth dongles To expand the connection of our television. If our television does not have this port, even Ethernet adapters are used to increase the connection speed on our television.

webcams

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

Charging and power devices

If your television has a USB port, it will most likely serve it as well. charging external devices or to power devices without having to connect them directly to the home electrical network. For some devices, this may be smartwatches, headphones, controllers, etc. It may not be the most efficient method for It could be a good choice.

Some TVs also have this option: charge and power devices even when they are on standby. This does not happen on all TVs, so we will have to test whether our TV supports this function.

Power dongles like Chromecast or Fire TV Stick

Image: Xataka

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

Record DTT programs

This is possible on some televisions Connect an external device to record DTT programming. Televisions such as Sony support this function and it is very useful, especially when we want to record our favorite program so that we can watch it conveniently later. In this article we will take an in-depth look at 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 install the update manually from an external USB device. on the vast majority of models.

To do this we need to visit the download website of our TV manufacturer. At Xataka Home, we explained how to do it for Samsung, LG or Sony televisions.

Using audio devices

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

A previous version of this article was published in 2022.

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