While most of us consume content on our phones or our laptops, sometimes it's just nice to share it with our friends and our families on a bigger screen such as our TVs. Most TVs these day come equipped with smart (albeit sometimes limited) capabilities even at an affordable price range. However, not everyone wants to or is able to replace their current TV set, be it due to sentimental values or the movement control order. Fret not, today, we'll look at 3 methods you can turn your old "dumb" TV into a smart TV!
*Do note that most, if not all, of these add-ons require a HDMI port and Internet connection to work, so make sure your TV has an idle HDMI port and your home has Internet before purchasing these add-ons.
1. Apple TV HD / Apple TV 4k
Besides making premium phones, watches, speakers and earphones, the producers of the Mac also has a device to make your TV smart. The Apple TV is a TV box that connects to your TV via HDMI allowing you to access apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple's own streaming service - Apple TV+.
Apple TV is perfect for those who already have an Apple device in their ecosystems as it can easily airplay content from their devices like the iPhone straight to the big screen. You can also access your music and photos and even play games! That's right, Apple TV can support multiplayer gaming from games in Apple Arcade!
The Apple TV also comes with a sleek remote that has a touch surface and a Siri button to give precise commands such as playing your favorite movie from a certain minute, or rewinding the 8 seconds that you accidentally missed. Can't find the remote? Not to worry as your iPhone can also easily turn into an Apple TV remote.
Not only that, Apple TV can connect to your AirPods so you can enjoy your favorite movies on the big screen in the middle of the night without disturbing the rest of the house. For a truly smart home, Apple TV can also be set up as a Home Hub to control all your smart devices!
Unsurprisingly for Apple, all this comes at quite a premium price. The Apple TV HD 32GB goes for RM760, while the Apple TV 4K starts at RM888 for the 32GB variant and RM980 for the 64GB version, which some argue is enough to get a small, but built-in smart TV. It's not all bad news though, as any Apple TV purchase comes with a complimentary 1 year subscription of Apple TV+ so you'll get access to plenty of exclusive content that other people might not have!
2. Google Chromecast
Google is already a big part of our lives as we turn off the alarm on the Google Nest smart speakers, check our e-mails on Gmail and spend our days watching videos on YouTube. Yet, Google has also found a way into our living room through Google Chromecast.
The Google Chromecast is a small dongle that connects (and most the time hangs) to your HDMI port. The great thing about the Google Chromecast is that since it is Google, you get tons of apps from the Google Home/Google TV app store and you can run most of the popular streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime.
Besides that, it also turns your TV into a huge mirroring device, so whether it's a video you're watching on your smartphone or a website you're browsing on your laptop, you can view them all on your huge screen with a click of the button. With that said, your devices will also function as a remote so there's no need for changing the remote batteries anymore!
You can get the Google Chromecast dongle for only RM250 with some online resellers selling them for an even lower price!
3. Xiaomi Mi TV Stick
Although XiaoMi has their own TV box - Mi Box S, it is not officially sold here in Malaysia, so we'll stick to the dongle version of their offering. Like the Google Chromecast dongle, the Mi TV stick is a light and portable device that you can plug into any TV or monitor with an HDMI port. It's advantage over the former? No power cables required.
Other than that, functions are quite similar as you'll also get access to streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime and apps like YouTube and Google Play store. Then, there is also the ability to cast from your Apple devices, Android devices or laptops wirelessly.
It's big selling point would be its remote, with dedicated Netflix and Google Assistant buttons. The Google Assistant button is great when you want to give voice commands to other smart devices in your smart home.
The Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is available on Shopee for RM129, which makes it the cheapest out of the 3 choices here. As always, we can rely on Xiaomi to provide us with quality and affordable technology.
So, there you have it, 3 ways to turn your TV into a smart TV. Whether you just like to watch Facebook and YouTube videos on a bigger screen, or you want to catch the latest series everyone is talking about, these alternatives are here for you if you're not planning to get a whole new TV yet!
While you're here, why not check out these other smart devices you should have for your smart home?
Turn Your Home Into A Smart Home [Entry Level]
Turn Your House Into A SmartER Home [Intermediate Level]
Turn Your House Into The SmartEST Home [Enthusiast Level]
Top 5 Smart Speakers in Malaysia
