Despite owning a relatively large 55-inchSony 4K smart TV, I’m hardly a frequent consumer of movies and shows. The only streaming service I use on a daily basis isYouTube(primarily via my smartphone), and I probably watch an average of 10 full-length films in total per year.
That being said, my living room-situated flat screen doesn’t sit idly. I regularly take advantage of its high-resolution display and itshigh dynamic range(HDR) visual acuity in a number of non-motion-picture-related ways. Here are the top five things I personally use my smart TV for each and every day.
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1Charging up my tech peripherals
Making use of those extra USB-A ports
Ironically, one of the most common things I use my smart TV for doesn’t involve its display in the slightest. My flat panelhas three built-in USB-A ports, which are capable of delivering power to externally connected devices. I hate the clutter of having cables sprawled around my work desk, and so I opt to plug many of my peripherals into my TV to top up on juice, instead.
Most commonly, I plug my game controllers and myApple TVremote into my TV, but the ubiquity of USB-C ports on my gadgets makes it easy to recharge anything from my mouse and keyboard, to my wireless earbuds, and everything in between.
It’s worth noting that the power delivery of most TV USB-A ports is limited – in other words, there isn’t enough electric oomph to top up the average laptop or other large electronic device, beyond a slow trickle charge.
2Setting the mood for my living environment
Serenity is a screensaver or soundscape away
I’m a big fan of screensavers – so much so, in fact, thatI wrote an entire editorialabout the sorry state of screensaver support on Windows 11. Thankfully, most smart TV operating systems (as well as external set-top boxes) offer a range of images, patterns, backdrops, and landscapes to cycle through during device downtime.
Seeing how I hardly ever use my TV to, well, watch TV, you can imagine how frequently my flat panel switches into screensaver mode. I love configuringscenic nature shots and architectural landscapesto slowly pan on screen, as I find them to add ambiance to my living room aesthetic. I’ll often throw on some soothing music via the TV Spotify app, too, which only adds to the calm and cozy vibes.
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3Casting my PC screen
Presentation mode comes in handy when least expected
Under the right circumstances, having the ability to cast my PC’s screen directly onto my TV panel has proven immensely useful. In college, I would practice presentations in this way, casting my slideshows onto the big screen during rehearsals. More recently, I’ve been casting old photos and home movies onto my TV, which are connected locally to my PC via anexternal hard drive.
It’d certainly be possible to connect a hard drive or solid state drive directly to my TV, but I find my model’s built-inAndroid TVoperating system to be somewhat slow and clunky to maneuver around. As a solution, casting my Mac display and operating within a familiar desktop UI paradigm has helped streamline my access to files and other content.
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4Controlling my smart home appliances
TVs make for excellent widescreen smart home hubs
I’ve been reluctant to jump head-first into the world of smart home technologies, but I’ve gone ahead and dabbled in the Apple HomeKit andPhilips Hueecosystems over the past couple of years. While it’s easy enough to control smart home products using a smartphone or a dedicated smart display, I often rely on my TV screen for such things as adjusting LED colors, tweaking the room temperature, and turning on mydoorbell cameralive feed as needed.
Is this the most pragmatic approach to building a centralized smart home hub? For most people, the answer is probably no. For someone like me who hardly ever uses my TV for multimedia consumption, having it serve as a hilariously giant smart display (complete with a far superiorsound bar audio setup) has been a fun and surprisingly effective approach to smart home device management.
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5Displaying photos
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In addition to displaying aesthetically pleasing screensavers on the regular, I often utilize my smart TV as a dedicated digital photo frame. My Apple TV automatically synchronizes with myApple Photoslibrary, and presents memories and snapshots on screen in a beautifully curated slideshow.
In general, I have a habit of snapping a ton of images, and then neglecting to go back and appreciate them in the future. By having a direct photo feed displayed on the biggest screen in my home, I ensure that no photo of a fun social outing falls by the wayside or goes underappreciated in the long run.
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