A popular type of TV people like to purchase is a smart TV.
Not all televisions you buy have smart features.
If you want to know whether your TV is a smart TV, here’s what you need to know.
How Can I Tell My TV Is A Smart TV? (8 Ways)
The top way to tell a TV is smart is by checking its remote and the buttons on it.
You can also learn whether your model is smart by viewing the app section of the TV.
The ports on a TV can also indicate the type of the product.
If you cannot use the TV properly, you can also check whether the model is smart by researching it online.
Contacting the manufacturer can also help you learn about the features of your TV.
Here are the detailed ways that will allow you to tell whether your television is smart or not:
1. Check Your Remote
A remote is an essential accessory that comes with all standard and smart televisions.
It is a good indicator of the TV’s type because of the various buttons.
This is because the shortcuts on your remote can allow you to access specific features, some of which are unique to smart models.
The primary button that will help you check your TV is smart is a menu button.
This shortcut is mainly present on remotes on the latest televisions with smart features.
The lack of a menu button is an indicator that your TV may not be smart.
You must remember that the lack of a menu button is not a definite indicator of the TV’s smart features.
Some brands may offer alternative shortcuts for ease of use, so you can look for other buttons, such as the one with the Netflix logo or text.
Some remotes have a button for Netflix that allows you to open the app directly by pressing it.
If such a shortcut is present, your TV is definitely a smart model.
Other buttons that you may look for include Hulu and Amazon Prime shortcuts.
All smart TVs may not have extensive remotes with shortcuts or a menu button for accessing the apps.
This is why this parameter may not be the best for learning about your television type, so you must check other things to know if your TV is smart.
2. App Section
The top feature of a smart TV is that it connects to the internet and allows you to use online features.
You can use various streaming platforms on your TV if you have personal accounts for the apps.
Some programs, such as YouTube, are also pre-installed on most models.
The primary benefit of having apps on your TV is that you can use them to learn about smart features.
This is because televisions also have an application section like mobile phones and tablets.
You can use the remote to access the application section logo that may appear on the TV.
You may also use the settings section of the TV to browse the different apps.
If you have installed applications on the television, it is a smart model with online accessibility.
You can use the product for streaming various movies and TV series.
Other platforms that may also be available on your TV include gaming applications.
These are also good indicators that your model is smart and allows you to play games without other devices.
Social media apps are also available on some smart TVs for ease of use.
You may also be able to browse the app sections by using a specific button on the remote.
Some brands offer a shortcut with the logo of an application section on the accessory.
It may resemble dots as it does in phones if the TV has an Android operating system.
3. See If The TV Has An App Store
Checking if your TV has apps is a good indicator that the model is smart, but remember not all products come with pre-installed platforms.
You may not find an app section due to the lack of apps.
That is where checking for a store will help you determine your television type.
Remember that the stores vary on different TVs, depending on the brand and operating system.
You must search for the correct store when trying to figure out whether your TV is smart or not.
Brands such as Samsung and Sony offer smart TVs with an Android operating system.
This means these televisions will have a Google Play Store with a triangular symbol.
The logo primarily has three shades in it: green, yellow, and red.
You can search for the Play Store to understand the TV type because its presence will indicate that the model is smart.
Apple TVs use a TvOS system for smooth operation and differ in multiple functions.
The primary difference between this brand’s smart TVs is that they have an App Store instead of a Play Store.
The section’s logo varies and has a blue background with an A symbol.
If your TV does not have these stores for downloading platforms, it may not be smart.
This is because these programs are pre-installed in the smart TVs of the respective brands.
They cannot be disabled, so checking for the store is a definite indicator of the TV type.
4. Ports On The Television
Every television comes with specific jacks or ports that allow you to connect various external devices to the TV.
This is regardless of whether the model is smart or not.
AV plugs are mainly present on standard TVs to help you connect the television to a DVD player.
A specific port that is present on smart TVs is an Ethernet port that allows the television to connect to the internet.
Another name that will help you identify this port is the RJ45 port.
Samsung TVs mainly use the second name to indicate the availability of the Ethernet port.
You must remember that the location of an Ethernet port differs significantly from the other ports on the TV.
You should not confuse this section with the HDMI or USB ports.
These types are not suitable for connecting to an Ethernet cable, so using them may mislead you that your TV is not smart.
The Ethernet port is mainly present on the back of a smart TV on the right or left side.
Some brands also offer this port beneath the TV, so you must check the locations thoroughly.
The term LAN is written above or below the port in most smart TVs.
This port allows you to connect the Ethernet cable of your router with your TV for a direct internet connection.
You can use it to stream series or movies, play games, or use social media apps on your smart TV.
The lack of a port usually indicates that the television is not smart.
5. Research The TV Online
If you are not good at using tech equipment, you may not be able to use the earlier features to identify whether your TV is smart or not.
This is because using the remote may be tough for you.
Researching the model online will help you significantly in this case because of the high information availability.
This method is also a definite way to know whether your TV is smart or not because the information on the brand’s official website is never incorrect.
You must know specific things about the television before searching for it online because the same model may come in different serial versions.
The serial number of your device will help you research it online easily.
You can find the digits by checking the back of the TV or the bottom part.
The location varies because all brands use different ways to identify their devices.
If the serial number is not present on the TV or you cannot find it, you should use the box that came with the product.
The number is mainly written on the outside of the cardboard box.
You may also check the information guide that comes with the TV.
Typing this serial number with the TV’s brand in the Google search bar will help you review its information.
The best option is to look for the same model on the brand’s official website.
Another reliable option is to check reviews or unboxing videos of the TV with the same serial number on YouTube.
6. Understand The Television’s Name
Some brands do not require you to make much effort to determine whether you have a smart TV or not.
You can use the name of the television to find out its type because many models use specific terms.
TCL is a famous brand that partners with a famous streaming service called Roku.
Smart TVs of TCL are also called Roku TVs because of their streaming capability.
This name is a straightforward giveaway that the television is smart.
Because of this, you will not have to look for online information about the television’s features or check the remote’s buttons.
Another prime example includes brands that partner with Amazon when making smart TVs.
Such models are called Fire TVs for ease of use.
You can use the name to know whether the TV is smart or not, so always check the title before setting up the model.
If the television’s name does not have Fire or Roku in it, the product may not be smart.
Some older smart TV models of the same brand may also lack a specific title because partnerships have changed over the years.
If the term is not present in the TV name, you should try other methods for more reliability.
7. Check The Television’s Startup Screen
Another helpful feature that will allow you to determine whether your TV is smart or not is the device’s startup screen.
Some brands, such as TCL, offer an extensive screen with various menu options that show up as soon as you turn on the TV.
You can use them to check the settings of the TV and understand its type.
Many models, such as Roku TVs, show various features to control different settings, such as signing up on the device and accessing streaming apps on the startup page.
You can also find smart soundbars if you explore the screen a bit more to try to find different features.
If a home device also connects to the TV automatically after turning it on, it is a definite indicator that the model is smart.
A popup may also show on the screen to ask you if you want to connect to the relevant home device.
These features are present on some Roku and Fire TVs.
The startup screen is an excellent way to determine the smart features of your TV.
The only drawback of this method is that it is a bit unreliable for people who don’t know how to access apps on a TV.
This is because navigating a new smart TV can be a bit difficult for those with low-tech skills.
8. Contact The Manufacturer
If all the earlier methods to identify whether your TV is smart or not fail, you can directly ask the manufacturer.
All brands have customer support centers to help their clients sort out queries.
You can contact the office by calling on the official number of the manufacturer.
Speaking to a skilled representative will help you learn more about the TV model.
Remember, the employee will ask you for specific details before revealing the information.
You must know the serial number, date of purchase, and model of your television before calling.
Using this information, the representative will tell you whether your TV is smart or not.
This is a fast and reliable method for identifying your television type.
The best part is that it does not require you to have any tech skills.
Another benefit of contacting the manufacturer is that your TV may be smart, but it may not have been set up correctly.
You may be lacking the standard features that are present in smart TVs.
The model may also have some technical design faults, so only the manufacturer will be able to help you fix the issue and use the smart features.
You should also keep this option as a last resort because some brands have high waiting times on customer calls.
Instead of wasting your time on the call, you can use the various methods mentioned earlier to check the TV type.
How Do You Know Your Smart TV Model?
You must know your TV model before searching on Google for information about the features.
Various methods, such as checking the box, can help you do this.
Another reliable option is to use the settings section of the television.
The system information section in the settings displays various details about the TV, including its model.
You can select the product information category for the complete details.
What Turns A TV Into A Smart TV?
Technology has evolved a lot, so you don’t have to buy a smart TV to access the streaming and gaming features.
You can use some specific ways to turn your standard television into a smart model without the high price tag.
A definite method to do this is using a streaming stick.
Brands such as Amazon, Roku, NVIDIA, and much more offer streaming sticks to access various series and movies on your TV.
The best part is that they come with their unique remotes for easy navigation.
Conclusion
This is everything you need to know about how you can tell your TV is a smart TV.
These eight methods have been tested and tried, so you can rely on them to help you.
The fastest way to know your TV is smart is by searching it online using the serial number or contacting the manufacturer.
You can also use the model’s name to determine whether it is smart or not.
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