Several years ago, you bought a high-end television for your living room or relaxation area, so you could benefit from the highest quality in terms of color and contrast with the best technology available at the time. The TV you purchased still makes an excellent impression, with beautiful colors and immersive audio, but, over the years, you have realized that the lack of any type of Internet connection severely limits its use: for example, it is impossible for you to enjoy a movie in streaming or follow your favorite team through the internet-based subscription you currently own.
If, despite the quality of the TV being anything but disappointing, you are weighing to replace it to make room for a new Smart TV to bypass the aforementioned limitations, then I think I have what is right for you: in this guide, in fact, I can teach you to connect the TV to WiFi even if the device you own is not natively compatible with the Internet connection, with a much lower cost than what you would have to face to buy a new “smart” TV. Furthermore, in the last part of this guide, I will take care of explaining how to carry out the same operation also on the new generation Smart TVs, in case you decide to “capitulate” and buy a new TV instead.
So, without waiting any longer, take a few minutes of free time for yourself and read carefully everything I have to explain on the subject: I’m sure that, after reading this guide, you will have acquired the necessary skills to be able to solve your problem brilliantly. . Having said that, there is nothing left for me to do but wish you good reading and, above all, good viewing!
Index
- How to connect the TV to home WiFi
- Chromecast
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- TV Box Android
- Apple TV
- Now TV Smart Stick
- How to connect Smart TV to Wi-Fi
How to connect the TV to home WiFi
First of all, to connect your old TV to the Internet you need to check that there is a free HDMI port on the back or side of the TV . Thanks to this port, you can in fact connect different types of devices to the TV, adding multimedia features to it, without necessarily having to spend a fortune.
How do you say? Are you afraid that the multimedia device could ruin the TV or of not being able to return to the “classic” channels of digital terrestrial? Do not worry, since all the devices that I will recommend can be removed at any time from the HDMI port and, to return to see the digital terrestrial channels, it is usually sufficient to press the appropriate button on the remote control (called Source on a large number of models).
Chromecast
The first device I want to talk to you about, in this regard, is the Chromecast : it is a small HDMI adapter designed by Google to interface with various apps and devices, including Android smartphones or tablets , iPhone / iPads , Google Chrome browser and apps . streams such as Netflix , Spotify , Now TV and Plexand many others. The compatible apps are numerous and, in general, everything that is compatible with the Google Cast protocol (i.e. the protocol on which the data exchange between the app and Chromecast is based), can be played on your TV. Currently, the Chromecast is available in two different models: below you will list the features.
- Chromecast : the “basic” and cheaper model. It supports FullHD 1080p and all audio and video formats used for playing multimedia content on the Internet.
- Chromecast with Google TV: the most advanced model, which supports 4K UHD resolution and allows you to play apps directly on the device. It comes with a special remote control.
You can make your choice based on many factors: if you intend to keep the TV a few more years and want to save money, you can go for the base model, as the old TV could hardly exceed FullHD 1080p resolution. If, on the other hand, you think that soon there will be space for a new TV and you want to get ready to watch content in 4K UHD resolution, you can easily buy the Chromecast with Google TV right now and connect it to the old TV, since the “dongle” it will work smoothly even at lower resolutions.
Connecting the TV to WiFi via Chromecast is very simple: connect the device to one of the free HDMI ports and to the power supply (or to one of the USB ports on the TV, if you are using the basic model of Chromecast), download the Google Home app to Android and iOS devices and , after connecting the Chromecast, turn on the TV and set it to the right HDMI source ; Once the device is started, open the Google Home app and, to start, tap on the Devices item , select the new Chromecast from the list and press the Configure and Continue buttons .
At this point, check that the Chromecast code displayed on the TV screen is the same as the one that appears on the app and indicates a name with which to recognize it on the network. Now, press the Continue button again , choose the Wi-Fi network to connect the Chromecast (and therefore the TV), when prompted, enter the password to access the network (or import it directly from the device you are using using the specific functionality) and, finally, tap Continue once again to finish the configuration.
If you are looking for more details on how to carry out the configuration procedure and how to use the Chromecast, I suggest you read my guide on how Chromecast works .
Amazon Fire TV Stick
The Amazon Fire TV Stick is the HDMI key sold by Amazon, designed for those looking for a device that is simple to use, discreet and with support for numerous native apps. Compared to the Chromecast, in fact, the Amazon Fire TV Stick has a large number of pre-installed applications (including Amazon Prime Video , Netflix and others), plus it has an internal store that allows you to download many others; among these, there are also games and apps for entertainment, music, productivity and many other categories. Its system is based on Android, so the available applications are really many (both through the official store and using the APK packages).
Connecting this device to the network is very simple: first, connect the key to a free HDMI port on the TV and to the power supply, set the correct video source on the latter and, once the stick system has started, press the button Play / Pause (the central one in the lower row) on the supplied remote control, choose the language from the screen that opens and, subsequently, indicate the Wi-Fi network to connect the device (and consequently the TV), by entering the password. network via on-screen keyboard.
Is the Amazon Fire TV Stick the right product for you and you want to learn how to use it to the fullest? Then I invite you to read my specific guide on the subject, in which I have explained to you in detail how it works.
TV Box Android
Another type of device suitable for connecting the “non-Smart” TV to the wireless network is the Android TV Box . The TV Box is to all intents and purposes a small computer with an Android operating system, therefore equipped with support for all the apps of the green robot and, in most cases, for Google Play.
This device, among other things, has a Wi-Fi module or Ethernet socket for Internet access and, in some models, additional hardware connections such as USB or microSD are also available. Of course, there are hundreds of Android TV Boxes, each with unique features and prices to suit all budgets: some models feature the latest version of the Android operating system, others support 4K UHD resolution, and still others decode video footage via hardware acceleration. (useful for increasing the fluidity of reproduction).
Among all the available features, particular attention must be paid to the presence (or not) of the Official Google Certification , which allows TV Boxes to play (at the highest quality) even the encrypted content transmitted by apps such as Netflix , NOW TV , Premium Play and Mediaset . Infinity; without this certification (difficult to obtain), it is possible to play the encrypted content at low quality (as on Netflix) or, in the worst case, it is impossible to access it, thus making the expense completely useless. So, before buying any TV Box, carefully evaluate this aspect based on the use you intend to make of it; if you need a hand in this regard, I suggest you take a look at my guide to the best TV boxes .
To connect the TV to WiFi via the TV Box, simply carry out the initial configuration, following the instructions displayed on the screen: at a certain point, the device should ask you for the Wi-Fi network to connect to. If, on the other hand, you skipped this step in the initial configuration phase, you can always make the wireless connection by accessing the appropriate configuration menu, exactly as you would for any other Android device: select the Settings app with the remote control, open the Wireless menu and networks (or Wi-Fi), activate the wireless connection (if it is deactivated), choose the network you want to connect the TV to and, by selecting the characters and / or numbers with the remote control, enter the network password.
If the topic is of interest to you, you can learn more by taking a look at my article dedicated to the operation of an Android TV Box .
Apple TV
If you have numerous Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac and so on) and would like to project content on your TV, using your Wi-Fi connection, I recommend you focus on Apple TV . This Apple-branded TV Box allows non-Smart TVs to be connected to the Internet, to download apps directly from the App Store, to send video streams from the multimedia apps of iPhone, iPad and Mac to the TV, to send videos played via the browser and, finally, to transmit the full screen of the iPhone and iPad portable devices (via the appropriate AirPlay button in the control center).
Apple TV is available in two slightly different versions: below I give you a quick description of each.
- 4th generation Apple TV – this device supports the maximum resolution of 1080p and has 32GB internal memory . It can be purchased from the Apple website, from Amazon and from major electronics stores.
- Apple TV 4K – outwardly the same as the previous model, however, it has a more powerful processor and supports 4K HDR resolution . It can be purchased from the Apple website, from Amazon and from the main electronics stores in two different memory sizes: 32 and 64 GB.
To connect the TV to WiFi via Apple TV, just follow a few simple steps: once the Apple box is connected to the TV and to the power supply, turn on the device and pair it with the remote control (you can do this by pressing the Menu and + keys ), set the language and country of residence, then choose whether to configure the network by sharing from iPhone / iPad or to proceed with the manual settings.
In the first case, bring the iPhone or iPad close to the Apple TV to send the information on the Wi-Fi network to be used for the connection (including the password) and the access credentials to the Apple ID; in the second case, instead, locate the section relating to Wi-Fi networks using the remote control and, when requested, indicate the network password and complete the configuration by specifying your Apple ID . If you need help with this process, you can check out my guide on how Apple TV works .
NOW TV Smart Stick
Among the many devices you can use to connect your TV to WiFi, the NOW TV Smart Stick is also worth mentioning . This key connects to the HDMI port of the TV and to a USB port or to the electrical socket for the power supply and allows access to the contents offered by the NOW TV platform , offered by Sky (with which it shares a large part of the film catalog and some of the best satellite channels, viewable in streaming).
In addition to accessing NOW TV content, you can use the NOW TV Smart Stick to use other video apps as well, such as YouTube , Vimeo , and Vevo . The key also allows you to play multimedia content shared over the LAN and to project the contents displayed in the NOW TV app for smartphones and tablets on the TV. If you think that this dongle is the ideal solution for your old TV and you want to deepen the subject, I suggest you read my guide on how NOW TV Smart Stick works .
How to connect Smart TV to Wi-Fi
Have you purchased a latest generation Smart TV and want to find out how to connect it to your home Wi-Fi network? Then you are in the right place. In general, what you have to do is press the Settings button on the TV remote control (or access the internal menus using the appropriate function key), then go to the Network or Network Settings section , select the wording Wi-Fi , Wireless o Wireless connection , choose the network you want to connect to and, when prompted, type its password.
Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to provide you with specific instructions for all Smart TV models on the market, however the steps to be taken are almost always the same and mainly similar to each other: if you need further information on this, I suggest you take a look at the user manual of your TV (which you can also easily retrieve on Google , by typing the phrase user manual [make and model Smart TV] .
However, if you have an LG or Philips Smart TV, you can use the following steps to connect the TV to your wireless network.
How to connect Philips TV to WiFi
As for Philips Smart TVs , how to connect to the network depends on the operating system installed on the device: Android TV or the proprietary system. Below I show you both procedures.
- Android TV – press the Settings button on the remote control, then go to the All Settings > Wireless and networks menu and press the right arrow on the remote control to access the section reserved for network connections. At this point, press on the items Wi-Fi and Connect to network , wait for the connection to be seen by the system and, when this happens, select it using the remote control and enter the access password.
- Philips proprietary system – press the Settings button on the remote control, go to the Config menu > Connect to network > Connect using the directional arrows and the OK button and, in the window for choosing the type of connection, choose the Wireless item . Once this is done, wait a few seconds to complete the scan of the available Wi-Fi networks, select the network of your interest from those available and, using the numeric keys on the remote control or the on-screen keyboard, indicate the access password and confirm everything by pressing the OK button .
To learn more about how to connect to the Internet and download apps for Philips TVs, I suggest you read my guide on how to download apps on Philips Smart TVs.
How to connect LG TV to WiFi
If you have an LG Smart TV equipped with a WebOS operating system , proceed as follows: first, turn on the TV and press the ⚙ button , or the Menu button , attached to the supplied remote control. Alternatively, you can also press the button with the Smart functionality symbol (on the LG it is a small house), so as to bring up an overlay menu from which to select the Settings menu .
At this point, select the item (⋮) All settings from the series of icons residing on the right side of the screen, locate the Network section (usually indicated by a globe) and access it by pressing the OK button on the remote control. Once this is done, go to the Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi connection section , wait for the network scan to be completed, select the one you are interested in from the proposed list, then enter your password in the appropriate field.
For more information on this topic and, in general, on the operation of LG Smart TVs, I invite you to consult my specific guide on the subject .
How to connect Samsung TV to WiFi
On Samsung TVs , you will have understood, the steps to be taken are not too dissimilar from those seen just now for the TVs of other brands. Anyway, for all the details I refer you to my thematic guide on how to connect Samsung TV to WiFi .