Whether you’re a smart TV veteran or are somehow just now setting your first TV with an internet connection, there’s a lot to learn. Modern TVs are basically computers, complete with their own operating systems and application ecosystems. That means you can tweak them to run better.—or just the way you want them to. Here are a few tips, tricks, and hacks that every smart TV owner should be aware of.
Turn off motion smoothing on your smart TV
Wondering why every single TV show and movie you watch on your brand new TV looks like a soap opera or a cheap community theater production? It’s probably because of motion smoothing.
This “feature”, which is the default on far too many TVs, artificially ups the frame rate from either 24 or 30 frames per second to 60 or 120 frames, or even higher. This effect can bring a real immediacy to live events like sports, but it’s not great for regular old TV shows. Because where does the TV get those extra frames from? It makes them up, often creating an uncanny blurring effect reminiscent of old school videotape. I recommend turning this feature off basically the minute you set up your TV, and our friends at PCMag have a guide to disabling the feature covering all the major smart TV platforms.
Hook up an ethernet cable to make your smart TV faster
Streaming 4k takes up a lot of bandwidth. Modern wifi routers can usually handle without much of an issue, especially if your TV is close to your router. Even so, it’s a good idea to physically connect your smart TV to your network with an ethernet cable if you have the option.
There’s a couple of reasons to do this. One, wired connections are more stable, mostly because they’re not vulnerable to interference from neighboring wireless networks and other devices, so you’ll be far less like to suffer through stuttering images or audio dropouts. Two, connecting your TV via ethernet frees up the wireless spectrum for all of your other devices, which is important if you live in a house with other internet users (not to mention other smart devices).
Customize your smart TV’s home screen
Smart TVs tend to come pre-loaded with any number of apps, all of them prominently placed on the home screen. You can, and should, move the apps you actually use to the top instead. How to do this will vary depending on your operating system, but it generally means pressing and holding on the app you want was at the top of the list and then moving it around. Failing that, you may need to do some digging in the settings.
Block ads on your smart TV
Tired of all the ads showing up on your TV? You might be able to block them using your router. Lifehacker has a guide to blocking ads on Samsung, LG, and Roku smart TVs that explains how to change your internet settings so that your TV can’t access the ads in the interface anymore.
Disable quick start to save energy and speed up your smart TV
Smart TVs are basically computers, meaning they need to boot up when you turn them on. Most users don’t want to wait every time they turn on the TV though, which is why smart TVs don’t actually turn off—they suspend their functions, the same way your phone or laptop does. That’s fine if you use your TV constantly, but a real waste of electricity for a TV that you only turn on occasionally. And shutting down your set completely could have another benefit: reducing bugginess. To reiterate, a smart TV is basically a computer, and every computer user knows that restarting your computer can fix random problems.
Some TVs allow you to disable this feature—just look for a “quick start” option in the settings. Others, including Sony, suggest that you unplug TVs you won’t be using for months at a time in order to shut them down completely.
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Use an antenna to get free channels
Streaming television is great, but don’t overlook traditional broadcast TV. Most major cultural events, from the Super Bowl, to the Oscars, to the World Series, are still free to watch on network TV, as are of the most popular shows. If you live in a major city, or even just close to one, there’s a good chance you can watch network TV free of charge using nothing more than a small TV antenna. This can mean free access to stations like NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and PBS—no need to pay for cable or a pricey “live tv” streaming subscription. All you need to do is plug in an antenna, scan for channels, and you’re good to go. (Lifehacker has a guide to the best digital TV antennas to help you get started.)
Clear your smart TV’s cache
Not to keep harping on this point, but a smart TV is a computer, and like a computer, it can build up all sorts of junk in its memory over time. If your smart TV is suddenly moving more slowly than you remember, or even crashing, it might be time to clear out its various caches. Get started with this guide to clearing the cache on every major smart TV brand.
Enable security features on your smart TV
Your smart TV is a potential security risk. It’s a computer, like any other, and that means you need to keep it up to date, secure all accounts connected to it, and be mindful of any built-in microphones and cameras. Check out our guide to securing your smart TV for more on these tips and more.
Disable “automatic content recognition” to stop your smart TV from spying on you
I’ve written about why smart TVs are so cheap, and it turns out a big part of it is automatic content recognition, or ACR. Most brands of smart TVs are constantly monitoring what you’re watching and using that to build a profile with your viewing habits that can be sold to third parties, a practice that nets the TV manufacturers are lot of money. If this concerns you, consider turning the feature off to protect your privacy. Lifehacker has a guide to disabling ACR on the major smart TV platforms.
Install a different launcher for your smart TV
If you want your smart TV to have an entirely different look and feel, you may be able to install a different launcher, which will give you much more control. Google TV users, for example, can install Projectivy to completely replace the default launcher. This won’t be an option for every model of smart TV, but it’s worth considering if you’re feeling stuck with the software that came preinstalled.
