Do Smart TVs Need WiFi? What You Need to Know | Shentel
Can a Smart TV Work Without WiFi? How It Works
Smart TVs are more popular than ever. They offer everything a traditional TV has, like access to dozens of quality channels, with even more convenience and variety. Who doesn’t want to be able to stream a new movie right from Netflix straight to their TV without needing any extra devices?
Getting the most out of your smart TV might require more than a few cables, though. Today, we’ll break down how a smart TV works, whether it always needs WiFi connectivity, and more.
What Are Smart TVs?
Simply put, smart TVs are televisions that feature internal computer processors, onboard storage hardware like hard drives, and the ability to connect to the Internet through a WiFi network or ethernet cable.
A smart TV is “smart” because it comes with a computer operating system and an inbuilt graphical user interface. When you pick up the remote for the first time, you'll be able to navigate through the TV’s various features, settings, and content streaming options with just a few button presses.
Some smart TVs incorporate voice recognition technology, so you can talk to your TV and tell it exactly what you want to watch. Other smart TVs can even connect to your smart home network, enabling them to be controlled from anywhere in the home using tools like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Nest.
How Does a Smart TV Work?
A smart TV works through a combination of different software and hardware components.
The first of these is an operating system, and different smart TV manufacturers use different operating systems for their platforms. You’ll find components inside smart TVs that you'd normally only find in a computer, like a hard drive or central processor. Smart TVs also include a few extra ports or signal receivers compared to standard TVs, like ethernet ports or Bluetooth receivers.
On your side of things, your smart TV works through your remote control and the network of apps that come preinstalled, thanks to the operating system. Using the apps on board your smart TV, you can easily find entertainment, adjust the TV’s settings, connect to the Internet, and enjoy all of the other advanced features available.
In many ways, a smart TV is like a dedicated entertainment computer! In addition to being able to stream media content from the web or from popular streaming services, it can also screen cable content like traditional TVs – assuming you have cable TV service, of course.
Do Smart TVs Need WiFi?
Many people, however, purchase smart TVs specifically so they can “cut the cable” and get all of their media entertainment from the Internet. Since you can download streaming apps like Netflix and Apple TV straight to a smart TV, you may never need to flip through tons of channels ever again once your smart TV is set up.
However, doesn’t that mean your smart TV needs WiFi or Internet connectivity to function? Not for everything.
A smart TV does not need WiFi to turn on and play media. For instance, if your TV is connected to your home’s coaxial cable network, you should be able to access traditional cable channels (assuming you have a cable subscription). You can also connect a media-playing device, like a DVD or Blu-ray player, to your smart TV and play any movie you already own.
But your smart TV does need WiFi or some other type of Internet access for the rest of its features, such as streaming movies and shows from your favorite platforms, surfing the Internet, and downloading media from the cloud.
The bottom line? If you want to enjoy your smart TV to the fullest, you'll want to make sure it's connected to the Internet 24/7.
How to Connect a Smart TV to WiFi
The precise process to connect any smart TV to your home's WiFi network will depend on what TV you have and its control setup. However, every smart TV will require you to follow something like the below steps:
- Use your remote control to open your smart TV menu
- Navigate to its network settings page (note that it might be called something else)
- Select your WiFi network from the available choices – your smart TV should detect any WiFi networks within range
- Enter the WiFi password, and you're done!
All in all, it should be a very similar process to connecting any other device, like a computer or smartphone, to WiFi.
What about an ethernet connection? In that case:
- Get an ethernet cord that's long enough to reach between your Internet router and your smart TV
- Plug one end of the ethernet cable into your router, then plug the other end into your smart TV's ethernet port
- Depending on your smart TV model, you may still need to go to the network settings menu to activate or permit ethernet connectivity
For those considering whether Ethernet offers advantages over Wi-Fi, the differences between the two can be significant in certain setups.
Want to know the exact steps to connect your smart TV to the Internet? Check the manual for an in-depth tutorial.
What Kind of Internet is Best for Smart TVs
Since smart TVs connect to the Internet for streaming or watching online videos, the better your Internet, the better your smart TV experience will be, especially when accessing a wide range of streaming services and online content. Faster Internet services with plenty of bandwidth for streaming and low latency are the perfect pairings for these convenient entertainment devices.
You might have several Internet service options depending on your area, including cable Internet, DSL, or satellite Internet. Broadband Internet is the best overall option for smart TVs, plus any other connected devices you like to use.
That’s because broadband Internet, which includes cable Internet from providers like Shentel, offers reliable consistency and lightning-fast speeds: perfect for streaming content to your TV without buffering or lag. On top of that, broadband Internet is easily accessible. Unlike some other Internet types, there’s likely an excellent broadband Internet provider already in your area.
Internet for Smart TVs, Gaming PCs, and More
At Shentel, we offer high-speed broadband Internet plans for everything your household could need, whether that’s streaming live TV, completing major work projects from home, or gaming competitively with friends. Even better, our Internet service helps you save when you bundle it with phone service, TV service, or both!
Don’t stop at a smart TV. Why not get smart, friendly Internet service, too? Contact us today to learn more about our TV services!