In order to turn your monitor into a smart TV and enjoy multimedia content without having to invest in a new television, you have to use streaming devices, such as Chromecast with Google TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Xiaomi Mi TV Stick, Apple TV, Android TV Box, Roku, among others.
It is important that your monitor has a VGA, HDMI, or DisplayPort input because this way you can get high-quality audio and video. If your monitor does not have any of these ports, you can opt for an adapter that helps you convert the signal to HDMI.
In addition, it is essential that you have a good Internet connection, either via WiFi or Ethernet cables, so that you have a smoother experience.
Please note that there are some monitors that do not have built-in speakers, so you will need to connect them externally in order to get a good sound experience.
It is also valid to use an HDMI audio extractor, but only if your device does not have an audio output as such.
It is also essential that you configure it correctly. But if you don’t know how to do it, in this article you will find a step-by-step guide so that you can install it without too many complications.
Steps to use your monitor as a smart TV
The first thing you need to do is connect your streaming device of choice using the HDMI port on your monitor.
However, if your monitor has a free USB port, you can connect the device to that port to power it. If not, then you can use a power adapter.
It is best to check that you have enough ports available to connect all the devices you need. So, if your monitor has several HDMI ports, then you can alternate between using it as a computer screen and a TV without having to disconnect the cables.
Once you have connected it, it should turn on immediately and instructions for setting up the Wi-Fi network will appear on your screen. If you are using an Ethernet connection, it should reflect the network you are connected to. If so, you can move on to the next step where you will need to synchronize the remote control according to the steps that will appear on the screen.
On certain devices such as Google Chromecast or Fire TV Stick, you have the option to link your Google or Amazon account, which will give you access to all your favorite apps.
Once this is done, you should now see the main dashboard of that streaming device, so you can search for the app store to download the ones you want. Some devices may already come with pre-installed apps (Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max or even YouTube, among others).
Next, you need to configure the sound settings if your monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers. This is very simple, because you just need to connect the sound bar or external speaker to your monitor, make sure to turn it on, turn up the volume and it should offer you the audio in question.
Simply run a test by entering any content and confirm that it looks and sounds good. However, if you want to enjoy your content in HD or 4K, you should check the specifications of your monitor to make sure it is compatible.
Now, if what you want is to watch conventional television, it is recommended that you buy a DTT decoder and connect it to the monitor using either an HDMI cable or an HDMI-VGA adapter if you have a very old monitor.
Finally, you can consider services such as Vodafone TV, Orange TV or Movistar where you can consume live and on-demand content through their websites. All you need is an active account and you can watch the programmes from the browser of your choice, without having to download additional applications.
There are also free, no-registration services such as Pluto TV or Tivify that can provide you with live channels, on-demand content, and recordings of recent shows, which you can watch from your monitor.