These days, most of the OEMs launch a Smart TV and not a regular cable TV. But, there are people who are still using their old non-Smart TV and wish to stream videos on a bigger screen. Well, this is possible and you really need to just follow a few steps to easily convert your normal TV into a smart one. Tata Sky, Amazon and Realme have made it easier to do this by launching smart Set-top boxes and TV Stick. Those who don’t want to spend money on these, we have a solution for that as well. So, keep reading to find answers to your questions.
If you are already a Tata Sky customer, then you can upgrade to Binge+ Smart Set-top box. With this, you will be able to watch the content of Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, YouTube, Voot and other apps on your TV.
Those who upgrade to Binge+ will also get a discount of Rs 500 and will be able to buy this Set-top box for as low as Rs 1,999. However, there are certain limitations. You might not find all the apps. Some of the apps are not supported. This includes Netflix.
Don’t worry, I have found a way to watch Netflix too, and for this, all you need to do is download the Rave Watch party app from Play Store. You can then sign up and watch Netflix. As far as privacy is concerned, you can select my friends and not send the invite link to anybody, which will make sure that privacy is maintained.
The UI is simple and you will get familiar with it in about 5 minutes. However, it is also sometimes a bit sluggish. One should make sure that they have a proper Wi-Fi connection in order to avoid loading times. It is worth pointing out that if you forget to recharge Tata Sky cable, then you also won’t be able to use the video streaming apps as this is not a Smart TV and you will have to keep the service active to enjoy all the benefits of Tata Sky Binge+.
The service also offers free access to Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Voot, Zee5, Sony Liv and Eros Now for one month. One can even control the TV using their smartphone as the service supports Chromecast as well.
You can either buy Amazon’s Fire TV 4K Stick or Realme’s 4K Google TV Stick. This device is good for those who have a non-smart TV and don’t watch channels a lot, but would like to use their old TV for binge-watching.
Both the sticks are available at the same price and are quite easy to set up. There is a big difference between the two devices and that is support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which one will find on the Amazon Fire TV Stick. The Realme TV stick, on the other hand, only supports HDR support. So, you will get slightly better picture quality and sound with Fire TV. However, if your television doesn’t come with support for the above-mentioned technologies, then there is no point in buying a Fire TV Stick.
Furthermore, the Realme device comes with Google TV UI, which is pretty clean and direct. There are no ads or sponsored videos. However, you might notice some of them on the Fire TV Stick, which could be annoying for some people. The UI of Google TV is better than Fire TV Stick and is bloatware-free. I would also like to mention that Tata Sky can be a bit sluggish at times, but I didn’t notice the same with Realme TV Stick. It is super-fast and easily operatable.
You also get dedicated Netflix, YouTube Music, and Amazon Prime with this Stick, unlike Fire TV Stick’s remote. You only get Chromecast support with the Realme TV Stick. With this feature, you will be able to stream your phone’s content on TV.
If you don’t want to spend extra on these devices to convert your normal TV into a smart one, then the best way to do that is to connect your laptop to it. This will not cost you a penny and you will be able to enjoy binge-watching on TV.
Now, you may ask if this will take a lot of time to set up. Well, the answer is no. It will take less than 30 seconds to connect your laptop to a TV. You just need an HDMI cable, which people usually have at home. However, if you don’t have it, then you will have to buy it via Amazon. It will cost you around Rs 230. It can be used to mirror your laptop’s screen on the television.
Note: Before buying the cable, make sure that your laptop has an HDMI port. Though, most of the laptops have an HDMI port.
Once you have the cable, just connect your laptop with TV using the HDMI cable. After this, use the TV’s remote to switch to HDMI in the inputs section. Every remote has an input button, so you just need to find that and your work will be done.
The laptop’s screen will appear on the TV and you can then stream any video on it. You obviously won’t be able to control the TV from a remote as you can do that using your laptop. For example, if you want to watch Netflix, just open it on laptop, select a video, and make it full screen.
In case you are wondering about picture quality, then let me tell you you won’t get disappointed. It totally depends on the resolution that you have chosen in the video streaming app. Though, you will get slightly better picture quality with a TV stick.
This is one of the best methods and you don’t need to worry about what all services are supported here, because whatever you play or do on your laptop will mirror on your TV.
PFI blueprint shows wings floated to evade govt agencies, expand module
Ek Villain Returns Review: Mohit Suri makes a gripping watch
Earth's crust is dripping like honey, being swallowed beneath Andes Mountain
Thou shall not play: First PUBG Mobile, now BGMI blocked in India
Praveen murder case: Karnataka govt recommends NIA probe
3 companies linked to Arpita Mukherjee under ED scanner
CWG 2022: Where India can dominate and who is missing in action
Bengal recruitment scam: Another day, another raid, ED raids 4th residence of Arpita Mukherjee
Students shout, scream, bang heads as mass hysteria grips Uttarakhand school | Watch
Praveen murder case: Karnataka govt recommends NIA probe
Story Of Winnie Harlow: The Supermodel with Vitiligo
Massive fire breaks out in Mumbai's Andheri
Copyright © 2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today
Add IndiaToday to Home Screen