The Ins and Outs of Web-Connected TVs: How Do They Work?

A TV with internet is a television designed toconnect to the internet and display content from online sources. You can use an internet TV to watch YouTube videos, check the weather, stream Netflix shows, rent movies on Amazon Prime, or perform any other task available on the internet.

In most ways, an internet-equipped TV (often called asmart TV ) delivers the same functionality as a hardware streaming device like aRoku orApple TV , as well as the usual television channels provided by an antenna or cable/satellite subscription.

How Internet TVs Work

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You’ll need ahigh-speed internet connection and an unlimited or generous data allowance with your internet provider to take advantage of all the features of an internet-enabled TV.

Smart TVs are made by a variety of manufacturers including LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, and Vizio.

These sets differ from televisions that double ascomputer monitors —although many can do that as well—because no computer or outside equipment is required to display web content. It is important to note, however, that viewable internet content varies by manufacturer. All major television manufacturers make smart TVs with beautiful displays, so picking out the correct set for you can be difficult.

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What is a Smart TV?

What Services Do You Get on an Internet TV?

When you are shopping for an internet TV, make sure you find out what features it has. If you are an audiophile, streaming music apps are probably important to you. If you’re a gamer, you’ll want to check out the video game compatibility. Each manufacturer uses a collection of features that vary from model to model. Popular free and paid features that are available on internet TVs include:

• Applications that work like mobile apps
• Amazon Video On Demand
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Netflix
• Hulu
• Live broadcasts
• Sports
• Video games
• X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and other social networking apps
• News and print publication channels
• Music services (Napster, Pandora, Slacker)
• Photo services
• Weather

Amazon publishes afeature comparison chart that may help you make a smart TV buying decision. These may change, but it is a good starting place.

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What You Need

Touse the internet-enabled functions on a TV , you must connect the television to the internet. In most cases, this can be done wirelessly (which requires a wireless router), but some televisions require awired Ethernet connection . After the TV is connected to your wireless router or directly to your modem by cable, it uses your high-speed broadband internet connection to deliver internet content.

There is no additional charge for the basic internet functionality on the TV, but some services, such as Netflix andAmazon Video , have subscription charges if you want to use the services. You may need to upgrade your internet data limit with your internet provider if you find yourself streaming a large amount of content.

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