How To Set Up Tv Link

How to fix up your new smart TV

You got a new Idiot box! Y'all're probably excited to enjoy 4K resolution; figure out what HDR is; and explore all the cool features of your new Tv, from obscure apps to vocalization interaction. But commencement you lot demand to get that TV prepare up. Here's how to do it.

Pick your spot

Offset, you need to figure out where that TV will sit. Will you lot use the included stand, or practice y'all want to stick the Telly on a wall mount? Is your set close enough to a ability outlet? Is it in a position to either go a stiff Wi-Fi signal or connect over Ethernet? Are y'all close enough to connect to your antenna or cable connection? All of these factors should come into play as you notice a spot for your Idiot box.

Credit: Shutterstock — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

You'll also want to make sure that you lot tin can sit back far enough to get the best view of your fix. If you lot're upgrading to a TV with a larger screen or college resolution, or both, yous'll want to consult our guide, "What size TV do I need?" It volition walk you through the ideal distance for viewing different sizes of Telly, and at unlike resolutions.

You'll besides desire to put your TV at a top and angle that allows comfortable viewing. Wall mounting a TV too loftier up can crusade neck and eye strain, and mounting it too depression will get out yous stooping to see the activeness.

Oh, and avoid some of the biggest mistakes people brand when setting upwardly a new TV, like hanging it over a fireplace, where heat and soot tin can damage it. And don't fifty-fifty think of using an indoor TV outside or in a poorly insulated garage. You need to utilise an outdoor Television set for those situations, or you'll risk damaging the brandish panel and electronics due to temperature changes and moisture.

Beginning initial setup

This procedure varies from i make to the side by side, and we have specific instructions on setting up your LG, Samsung or Sony Telly. Each gear up of instructions will walk you through the Goggle box's procedure, from powering on the TV for the showtime time to setting up the Wi-Fi connection.

Though the specifics aren't exactly the same, this process volition generally include selecting the language, connecting to your local Wi-Fi network, and agreeing to one or more privacy policies. This is also where you lot'll pair the Idiot box with the remote control. That normally happens automatically one time the TV is turned on, though some TVs will have you test the remote during setup.

Get to know your home screen

Every smart-TV platform has its own unique layout, and then accept a moment to get to know your TV's home screen. LG and Samsung TVs have very similar habitation screens, each with a unmarried row of apps that runs forth the lesser of the screen. Sony's Android TVs have several rows of apps, inputs and settings, and Roku TVs offer a tiled layout that'south more like that of a smartphone.

Whatsoever Telly you have, you'll want to familiarize yourself with four key details:

How to find and select your installed apps.
How to access different inputs.
Where the app shop is, for finding new apps and services.
How to pull up the Settings bill of fare.

In one case you accept a handle on your apps, inputs and settings, you will exist able to use the Tv set's several functions without getting lost in the various menus the set up offers.

Select apps

While your smart Television receiver volition probably take a handful of the most pop apps already installed — like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu Idiot box — it's unlikely that out of the hundreds and fifty-fifty thousands of apps available, you'll have everything you desire installed out of the box. Finding your favorite apps and discovering a few new streaming sources will permit you make the well-nigh of your new TVs capabilities and personalize the experience.

While each manufacturer volition accept its ain app store and unique selection of apps, the nuts are the same. You'll use the app store to find specific apps or browse for options, and you'll download or purchase the apps yous want.

Each brand does this a little differently. LG and Samsung each has its own proprietary app shop, while Sony uses the Google Play store on its Android TVs and Roku has its own choice of channels. While they all accept similar setups, there volition be differences in both the layout and the overall selection of apps.

The big outlier here is Vizio, which supports fewer than 20 local apps on its SmartCast TVs, instead of the hundreds of apps offered on other smart TVs. You can, nevertheless, use the born Chromecast to cast apps from your phone to the Tv, so you lot can still apply all of your favorite apps. But that ways you lot won't demand to bargain with app discovery on your new Vizio TV.

Once you've got your apps installed, you'll also need to log in to those that require an account. Whether it's Netflix or some other service, you'll need to enter your username and password, using your smart Telly's remote control and on-screen keyboard.

More than: Our Favorite Streaming Media Players and Sticks

The ane exception to this dominion is Samsung, which offers an option to automatically set upwards your Television receiver using a smartphone. The set will communicate with your Samsung telephone (or another smartphone that uses the Samsung SmartThings app) and share Wi-Fi credentials. It lets y'all select from apps already used on the phone to install on the Telly, and it logs in to your accounts for those apps.

Connect your devices

While a smart TV may take center stage, it'south too going to exist connected to a number of other devices, like a cable or satellite box, game console, and media players.

Whether you're setting up a game panel on your LG TV, a cable box on your Samsung Television set or a Blu-ray thespian on your Sony Television, the basics are pretty much the same. With the TV turned on, you tin connect and ability-on your external device, but annotation which input you've plugged the HDMI cable into. Once the device is powered on, the Idiot box should automatically detect the device and add it to your input carte.

One time you've found the device in your input menu, you can rename the input and adapt the settings. On some TVs, such equally Sony'due south smart TVs, yous may need to conform the settings for that specific input in lodge to enable all of the bachelor features; gaming in 4K and HDR, for instance, requires enabling those features for the specific HDMI port.

On the other hand, Samsung smart TVs offer excellent machine-detection and should adjust the input settings accordingly, without your having to do anything.

Connect your antenna

For over-the-air channels (which are free!), you lot'll need to connect an HDTV antenna and scan for channels.

This is a adequately elementary process, and your TV should walk you through it automatically. Specific instructions for LG, Samsung and Sony TVs are available, but the nuts should all be the aforementioned.

However, watch out for "domicile theater displays," which await like TVs but technically aren't, since they lack RF connections and Goggle box tuners. This was especially mutual on older Vizio TVs, but current Vizio models take the tuner and connector you'll need.

Get-go, connect your antenna to the Television set's RF connector, the spiral-on coaxial connector found alongside HDMI and audio ports on the back or side of the Idiot box.

The TV will notice the new signal and should automatically scan for channels. If not, you lot should be able to select Scan for Channels or something similar under the antenna-input option on the home screen.

The arrangement will scan through all of the possible channels, identifying every channel that has a signal.

More: Netflix Hidden Gems: Best Shows and Movies You've Missed

Once scanning is washed, you can pull upward the channel guide. This should populate automatically with data about what shows are on which channels, all in a handy, on-screen guide.

Fine-tune your settings

Once yous have everything else ready up, all that's left is the fine-tuning. This may involve adjusting the Television receiver'due south color and effulgence settings, tweaking the advent of the dwelling screen and menus, or fifty-fifty disabling unwanted content recommendations.

You too have plenty of features to explore, from using vox interaction to connecting a soundbar or pair of Bluetooth headphones. Each model and manufacturer will have a unique mix of capabilities, just you should be able to learn nearly of them by looking through the Tv'south menus and maybe reading the owner's manual.

Whatever the adjustments, you lot'll find plenty of helpful information in our guides to smart TV settings.

Credit: Tom'southward Guide

Brian Westover is currently Lead Analyst, PCs and Hardware at PCMag. Until recently, however, he was Senior Editor at Tom'due south Guide, where he led the site's Television coverage for several years, reviewing scores of sets and writing almost everything from 8K to HDR to HDMI 2.1. He also put his computing knowledge to proficient use by reviewing many PCs and Mac devices, and also led our router and abode networking coverage. Prior to joining Tom'due south Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.