Turn your old TV into a Smart TV

All TVs have HDMI ports where set-top-boxes, DVD players and sound systems are connected.

These days we hear people saying,

“Did you see Suits on Netflix?”

“Did you see The Good Fight on Amazon Prime Video?”

“Did you see John Oliver on Hotstar?”

What are these? What do they do?

You can watch your favourite TV shows, movies, sports & news directly from the internet!

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video & Hotstar are all services like your cable service, offering you a variety of content for a subscription fee. An account must be created on their website after which content can be accessed on their website or from their app.

How do I get this app? Do I need to buy a new TV?

The answer is No. You do not need to buy a new TV.

But you do need to buy a device which will connect to the TV.

These devices are a fraction of the cost of a new Smart TV.

The most popular devices are Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick and Chromecast.

All these devices connect to the HDMI port of the TV and will require an internet connection (wired/WiFi).

What is the Apple TV?

It is NOT a TV. If you are an iPhone user, you already know how to use the Apple TV. It has an extremely simple, easy to use interface. Apps can be downloaded from the App Store.

What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick?

It is NOT a TV. If you are an Amazon Prime member and you order the Amazon Fire TV stick from Amazon, it is already set up with your details right out of the box! You then need to connect to your WiFi network. All apps including Netflix and Hotstar are available on the main screen and can be downloaded with a single click.

What is Chromecast?

Chrome is an internet browser by Google. The “cast” refers to transmitting data from your computer or mobile phone to the Chromecast device attached to the TV. This means you must have a computer or mobile phone to use this device. This is the simplest to set up. The only step is to connect it to the internet.

How do I “cast”?

To cast, you need to first start the app (like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Hotstar) on your mobile phone or go to the website.

Once you play the video of your choice, you will see the following symbol to cast.    

When you select it, you will see your Chromecast device in the list of devices.

Just select it, that’s it! The content will begin to play on the TV.