Ever since its introduction in the 1920s, televisions have grown to become an everyday part of our lives. You can hardly go a day without having a glance at your TV screens in other to get some form of information or entertainment.
Televisions are used by government and regulatory authorities as a medium and tool to disseminate information as well as influence public opinion, so its importance cannot be overemphasized. The development of Television technology has come a long way since its introduction in the 20’s using black and white TV technology. Subsequently, colored TVs, SDTVs, HDTVs and Smart TVs have all been developed as a result of improvements in technology.
Smart TVs have are simply televisions with integrated internet and interactive web 2.0 properties. They have become a mainstay in many homes as it provides an easy way to pull information from the web when you want it as well as stream online video and TV contents. However, with your dumb, old TV you can’t access the internet and web 2.0 properties without getting some kind of additional hardware and gadgets. With this additional hardware, your dumb TV may not be exactly smart but they should be able to perform at least 80% of the capabilities and features of a smart TV.
Get an Android TV Box
Android lovers and smartphone owners may want to consider acquiring the Android TV Box as it offers a seamless way to share information between your Android mobile devices and the Android TV box. You might want to verify the features of the Android TV Box you want to acquire because they can vary slightly in capabilities and performance. Xiaomi’s Mi Box is a good example of an Android TV box to get if you are really concerned about getting some cool smart features and capabilities from your dumb TV.
Get an Xbox One or PS4 Console
Video game consoles are hubs for home entertainment and fun as they now come packed with other entertainment and fun features apart from their traditional gaming capability. Nowadays, they possess smart features and capabilities that give users the ability to have fun amongst themselves as well as access other entertainment contents online. Video game consoles such as the PS4 have a Playstation store where users can purchase movies of their choice. Exciting apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Youtube, Netflix, and Hulu are also available for downloads on the respective stores of the Xbox One and PS4.
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Get the Chromecast
Google’s chromecast offers you a unique way to access online contents on your dumb, old TV, albeit through your smartphone. So you’ll need a smartphone, a Chromecast, and your old TV to make this work. You may worry about the numerous connections needed to make this work but then at $39, it offers you the opportunity to enjoy smart TV contents on your dumb TV. You’ll need your phone to stream and cast online video contents while the Chromecast relays the visuals to your TV. If you love to watch movies on Netflix or videos on Youtube on your dumb TV, the Chromecast offers you a cheap way out.
Get an Apple TV
Since we recommended an Android TV box for android lovers and gadget owners, we can’t help but include Apple TV for Apple gadget lovers. The Apple TV has the ability to receive digital data from various platforms available and then stream it to a normal TV. It’s a digital media player that also lets you install your favorite games as well as load apps. The Apple TV AirPlay lets you mirror your iPod, iPhone and your Mac effortlessly. So your dumb TV can be turned into a Smart TV when it’s powered by an Apple TV.
Conclusion
We have examined the gadgets listed above and can tell with all certainty that the Android Box trumps them all. Apple TV may come close to the Android TV box in terms of performance, but because of the closed system in which it operates, it may not sit well with users accustomed to open system gadgets, most of which are powered by Android OS. Your dumb TV may not be completely useless if you are looking to go smart. Get any of the listed gadgets above and tap world of entertainment smart TVs have to offer.
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