Who would not love streaming gadget? With only a single HDMI connection and a setup that normally includes nothing greater than making a free account and signing in to your Wi-Fi, many streaming units unlock entry to lots of (if not hundreds) of film and TV present apps. A few of these apps are fully free, and a few require a paid subscription. However streaming motion pictures and reveals aren’t the one factor merchandise just like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Google TV Streamer can do.
As an illustration, do you know that many streaming units will allow you to monitor the dwell feed of your video doorbell? Or that your cheap Roku streamer can be utilized to showcase your Google Pictures library? As good TV tech continues to evolve, streaming units can do an increasing number of, and we wished to place the highlight on a few of their lesser-known capabilities. To that finish, we have put collectively a listing of 5 good methods to make use of your streaming units past watching TV.
Wi-fi casting
Wi-fi casting has been round for a minute. Corporations like Apple and Google proceed to guide the cost with options like AirPlay and Google Forged, and the lion’s share of main streaming units and good TVs help the know-how. As a matter of reality, the now-discontinued Google Chromecast solely supported casting for a number of years earlier than switching over to a full Google TV interface in 2020. Whereas casting could not obtain the identical sort of fanfare it did in years previous, it is nonetheless a helpful characteristic that does not require something greater than proudly owning a number gadget (e.g., cellphone, pill, laptop computer) and a streamer that helps not less than one casting commonplace.
AirPlay is a go-to protocol for Apple devotees, and you can discover AirPlay help on the Apple TV 4K, most Roku units, and good TVs with Roku OS in-built, in addition to Samsung and LG good TVs. With AirPlay, you can forged audio, video, and images to your streaming gadget, and you’ll even wirelessly mirror your iPhone, iPad, or Mac’s whole display screen. Google Forged affords related capabilities throughout many Google TV and Android TV streamers and good TVs (together with manufacturers like Sonyand TCL), and host units embody Android telephones, tablets, and Chromebooks.
If you happen to run right into a state of affairs the place AirPlay is supported, however Google Forged is not (or vice versa), you’ll be able to typically obtain a third-party app like AirScreen or TV Forged for Chromecast to bypass these limitations.
Good residence controls
Among the finest components of proudly owning good residence units is with the ability to management and customise your web-connected tech with instruments like Alexa and Google Residence. Many streaming units and good TVs will let you handle good residence units, too, which regularly includes nothing greater than utilizing the offered distant to hold out automations. First-party Amazon TVs and streaming tech that runs Hearth TV OS normally characteristic an Alexa button on the controller; merely press and maintain to set off the distant’s built-in mic, and you can use voice instructions to manage every little thing from good lights and locks to Wi-Fi thermostats.
Google TV streaming units and good TVs could swap Alexa help for Google Assistant, though it isn’t unusual for sure units and TVs to supply compatibility with a number of good instruments. The Google TV Streamer features a Google Residence dashboard that provides you fast entry to issues like lighting and temperature controls, and also will allow you to examine the dwell feed of suitable safety cameras and video doorbells. Some Roku units help Alexa and Google Residence controls, on prime of Roku’s personal voice assistant and web-connected merchandise.
Even in the event you do not personal a single good residence product and by no means plan on shopping for one, you may nonetheless be capable of use your streamer’s built-in voice search to seek out motion pictures and reveals, launch apps, examine the climate, and extra.
Showcase images
Exhibiting household images in your cellphone display screen might not be essentially the most snug viewing expertise for a big group of individuals, however you’ll be able to typically use your streaming gadget or good TV for picture and video exhibition. On the most elementary degree, you should utilize casting tech like AirPlay and Google Forged to reflect your cellphone or pill display screen to your TV, however many streamers have built-in picture/video administration instruments.
For instance, in the event you occur to personal a Roku Streaming Stick, you can use Roku’s Photograph Streams characteristic to hyperlink a Google Pictures account. This lets you choose particular images and albums to show as your Roku gadget’s screensaver. If you happen to personal a Hearth TV streamer or good TV, you’ll be able to add photos to the Amazon Pictures app after which assign them to an Echo Present and/or Hearth TV streaming gadget.
As you’ll have guessed, those that personal an Apple TV will be capable of use the Apple Pictures app to showcase photos. And in case your streaming gadget or good TV has a built-in USB port, you may normally be capable of join an exterior flash drive with images and movies loaded on it, together with sure audio recordsdata. The Roku Extremely’s USB helps JPG, PNG, MP4, and MOV codecs, in addition to audio encodings like AAC, MP3, and FLAC.
Cloud gaming
Most streaming units and good TVs help a handful of gaming apps, and you may typically be capable of pair a controller for a extra immersive expertise. One of the vital fashionable game-streaming platforms is Xbox Sport Cross, which helps you to stream Xbox titles with out having a console related to your TV (pricing begins at $10 monthly). Whereas not all streamers help Xbox Sport Cross, the app is obtainable for a number of Amazon Hearth TV merchandise, most Samsung good TVs launched after 2020 (operating software program model 1300 or greater), and most LG good TVs launched after 2024 (together with choose fashions between 2022 and 2023).
Amazon Luna is one other nice game-streaming service that is out there for many Hearth TV units, and pricing additionally begins at $10 monthly. Luna additionally affords a la carte purchases for particular titles, together with subscription add-ons like Ubisoft+ ($17 monthly). You will even be capable of hyperlink a GOG account to buy choose PC video games and to stream sure titles you already personal. These of us with Roku gear may obtain Free Video games by Playworks – a Roku TV app we predict everybody needs to be utilizing – to play retro titles like Pac-Man, Tetris, and House Invaders.
Content material internet hosting
If you happen to’re uninterested in counting on streaming apps like Netflix and Prime Video for motion pictures and reveals, platforms like Plex will let you create your individual media server for content-streaming. Organising a Plex server is totally free, and the platform helps most main video, picture, and audio codecs. There are a number of streaming units and good TVs you’ll be able to add the Plex shopper app to, which can allow you to stream the media you have uploaded to your Plex server.
Whereas the vast majority of streaming {hardware} will not allow you to host a Plex server, there may be one exception: the Nvidia Protect TV Professional. Thought of probably the most highly effective and versatile streaming units available on the market, you may pay a whopping $200 for the Protect TV Professional. Sure, that is $60-$90 greater than the Amazon Hearth TV Dice, however the latter solely helps the Plex shopper app; to not point out the truth that you should utilize the Protect TV Professional’s USB port to increase previous the 16GB of inside storage.
The Protect TV Professional helps Gigabit Ethernet, which bodes nicely for these planning to attach the gadget on to a router for essentially the most secure community efficiency. The Protect TV Professional additionally offers you entry to lots of of apps, together with fashionable providers like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+, and extra.
