Will A Smart TV Work Without Internet Connection?

You can use your smart TV without an internet connection, but then, it will just be a normal TV. A smart TV can be set up with antennae or cable just in case there is no internet connection, which enables it to be used without any WiFi.

But why does it require the internet to run its most features? And what makes smart TV different than normal TV? Well, there are different features of both, and smart TV can run things on wi-fi. It can run YouTube or even Netflix, and many more.

But that’s not all, there are some more amazing inventions and some allow you to turn your normal TV into a smart TV. This is done by adding a thing called Chromecast, which acts as the substitute that enables the normal TV to access wi-fi and other streaming sites.

They cost around 30-40$, which makes them a great option, but is it still worth it? And also, let’s discuss more will a smart TV works without an internet connection.

Why Does Smart TV Require Internet?

The smart TV comes with different sets of features, these include running a social media site, the ability to run apps like Netflix, or other streaming sites, and even online games. Each of these features requires the internet to run, so if you use a smart TV without internet, you won’t be able to access such things.

This means that the smart TV will be the same as normal TV in those situations in terms of features. But sometimes, some models of smart TVs do however require wi-fi to set up the TV, which may be a problem, so you need to research more about the model you want to buy. It can be set up through an android phone or IOS, where you connect your phone to a TV and set it accordingly with wi-fi.

It’s the Key Feature of Smart TV:

Smart TV is only used for its ability to connect to wi-fi and help in streaming things, and if those were to be taken away, their value won’t be more than any normal TV. Internet connection is what makes a smart TV so smart and easy to use, setting them up can be a bit complex but it’s still an understandable process.

Until 2005, the streaming services weren’t as popular and had just started making a name, but now in 2020, everyone buys a smart TV just so they can have many streaming sites available, such as Disney+, Netflix, Hulu, and much more. Having a smart TV can relieve you from the monthly cable bills, and is just a one-time investment in entertainment.

Why Buy Smart TV When You Don’t Have Wi-Fi

Instead of asking will a smart TV works without the internet, the more important question is, why would anyone buy a smart TV without having an internet connection. Internet is what enables smart TV to work all those features, so who in their right mind will pay so much extra for a smart TV, just to access normal TV features.

It’s better for a person without a wi-fi connection, to have a normal TV, and set it up with cable to access the channels and programs.

Smart TV Is A Modern Technology and More Accessible:

As time passes and we go deeper in technology, the old things are getting replaced slowly and we have easier access to new things than older ones. The same is with smart TVs, they may be a bit pricier, but they are easier to find in most countries and are sometimes almost at the same price as a normal TV.

Studies showed that smart TV is just 100$ more expensive than normal TV on average. And with time, this number will slowly decrease and the smart TV will completely dominate the market with almost the same price as a normal TV.

How to Set Up Smart TV Without Internet Connection

There are many ways, depending on the model you have, but this may be the most common method that people try for using smart TV like a normal TV, but still, the big question remains, will a smart TV work without an internet connection? As we said in beginning, they surely can, and here’s how.

• All smart TVs have an ethernet port and it shouldn’t be hard to find. It’s on the back of your TV, find it first.
• Then you have to connect an ethernet cable from your router to the TV, which will grant the TV first initial access to be able to connect to the internet connection.
• From your remote, click the menu option and then look through the list of different options and go into the network settings.
• select the option inside the network settings named “enabled wired internet”, so your TV can identify the internet connection and try to access it.
• type the wi-fi password with the keyboard through your TV’s remote. All TV enables an on-screen keyboard when there is typing needed, so don’t worry about that.

Watch Netflix Without Internet Connection with PlayOn

You can access Netflix shows without an internet connection, but not all of them. First of all, you need PlayOn Plus, which is a recording app used to record any streaming video. You can record any show you want to watch while you have the internet, and when you lose connection, you can watch the recording on your TV, iPad, or any other device which can connect to the TV.

Although this method requires you to have a temporary wi-fi connection, it’s still really useful and can be great for times when you know you won’t have an internet connection for a certain period, so you can record shows just in case you get bored.

Smart TV Features That Do or Don’t Require Internet Connection

It’s still a debatable topic among people, whether they should just buy normal TV if they don’t have an internet connection, or if they should still purchase a smart TV. But first, let’s look at the features that you will get and the ones you will miss without the internet.

Features That Do

• Let’s start with the obvious features, the few streaming services that everyone wants on their smart TV require the internet, they include Netflix, Hulu, and even Disney+. All streaming sites require an internet connection to stream videos, but there are apps like PlayOn that record streaming videos for you.

• Internet connection is also required for the updates that your smart TV needs. Downloading apps or more features on your smart TV will also need wi-fi, there is no alternative method to do them without an internet connection, so keep it in mind.

• Firmware updates, which are available in smart TVs because of the software they have, also require an internet connection. These updates fix or remove an issue that exists on the TV, so you can have a better experience. But it requires a wi-fi connection and there’s no way to do them without it. These updates are not an absolute necessity but are still good for improving the system.

Features That Don’t

• You can plug in a USB device on your phone and watch anything available on it. You can connect any external device through HDMI and watch on a big screen, this does however require a laptop to run in the background, but it’s still an option.

• Watching movies or listening to songs through DVD, Blu-Ray, or anything else is also a great feature that doesn’t require any internet connection. This does require an extra budget for buying those DVDs.

• You can set up a satellite connection or have a cable network, which will give you access to a limited number of channels and programs depending on your region.

Although the price does not differ much when it comes to smart TV, 100$ on average is still a lot for some people, so is it still worth it? It doesn’t matter “will a smart TV work without an internet connection”, paying high for just some extra features that you may or may not be able to experience may not be the wise decision.

Unless you have temporary wi-fi access, then you can use PlayOn and make full use of the streaming sites while doing your job or housework, you can have it recorded in the background and watch in your free time.

Some smart TVs also come at a good price and have the best resolution and video quality, which is the reason people buy them. There are also ways to make your normal TV somewhat smart through some methods, but it still won’t fill the quality gap between them.

Smart TV is a better choice in most aspects, but if it’s not necessary, save your money and use it on other useful things. Even if there are ways you can work with smart TV without wi-fi, it can be a stressful thing and you will be paying for other things, to make it work like normal TV.

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