I gave my TV a free upgrade with one simple trick ‣ Diverse Daily

I remember the first TV I ever owned was a 20-inch CRT TV that I used to watch all my favorite movies on VHS over and over again, like the original Star Wars trilogy and Indiana Jones. Back then, the features on my TV were basically limited to turning it on, adjusting the volume, and connecting devices through its composite inputs, which I used to connect a VHS player and to play PlayStation 1 and SNES games.

But that was a long time ago, and when I look at my current LG C5 TV, it’s amazing to see just how much TV technology has changed over the past 20 years. My TV has so many different features that it’s often hard to keep track of them all, whether it’s Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, G-SYNC, HDMI 2.1, eARC, Filmmaker Mode, Game Optimizer, or all of its smart capabilities, including the countless streaming apps you can watch and its ability to connect to other smart home devices.

When I think about it, a lot of my TV’s best features are connected to HDMI. Without the HDMI ports I use to connect devices like my PS5, Roku, and PC, my TV wouldn’t be nearly as useful. But there’s one feature I’ve really grown to appreciate more recently that actually has nothing to do with HDMI or picture settings. It’s a feature found on most modern smart TVs that I don’t think gets nearly enough attention, yet it can completely transform, arguably even upgrade, your TV’s audio experience and even help turn your TV into a gaming powerhouse.

Your TV has many capabilities, but this one is underrated

I regret not using it sooner

The feature I’m alluding to, which I’ve been using on my TV every day recently, is none other than Bluetooth. Most modern smart TVs now include the ability to connect devices via Bluetooth, and until recently, it was honestly something I completely forgot my TV had, until I was trying to use my Bluetooth headphones with my PS5.

The PS5 frustratingly doesn’t let you connect Bluetooth headphones, so when I wanted to connect my SteelSeries Arctis 7 headphones, which I also use on my PC, I simply couldn’t. That’s when the light bulb went off in my head to just connect them directly to my TV instead. Lo and behold, it only took a matter of seconds to dive into my LG TV’s sound settings, find Bluetooth, and pair my headphones. But then I realized that connecting my headphones directly to my TV is actually far more useful, because now I can listen to the audio from any device connected to my TV directly through my headphones rather than my TV’s speakers, like my Roku and Switch 2.

I’m a bit of a night owl, so I often find myself binging a show late at night or playing through a mission in a game. Using my Bluetooth headphones lets me listen to all the audio coming from my TV without disturbing anyone else in the house. Another really nice benefit is how immersive the listening experience is compared to my TV’s built-in speakers, especially since I don’t have a surround sound setup currently. I’ve actually watched a few 4K Blu-rays now, like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Dunkirk, using my Bluetooth headphones, and it’s been awesome to hear so much more detail than I usually do.

Of course, you’re not just limited to headphones; with Bluetooth on your TV, you can connect a wide range of audio devices, including earbuds like AirPods and Bluetooth speakers.

How to find out if your TV has Bluetooth

You can connect more than just audio devices

If you’re wondering whether your TV has Bluetooth, one of the easiest ways to check is to dive into its settings and open the sound menu. If you see an option that lets you connect wireless speakers, that’s usually a strong indication it’s got Bluetooth audio capabilities. For example, on my LG TV, I found it by going to Settings > Sound > Use Wireless Speaker > Bluetooth Device. From there, I put my headphones into pairing mode and connected them to my TV.

Most LG TVs from 2017 onward have Bluetooth, and most Samsung TVs from 2020 onward do as well. A good way to tell if your Samsung TV has Bluetooth is whether it uses a Smart Remote, since that connects via Bluetooth. On Samsung TVs, you can usually find Bluetooth settings by going to Settings > All Settings > Sound > Sound Output > Bluetooth Speaker List, and pairing a device from there.

Other TV brands, like Amazon Ember, Hisense, and TCL, also support Bluetooth on newer models as well. But if you’re not sure, like I mentioned earlier, it’s best to double-check the sound settings on your TV and see if Bluetooth is listed.

Beyond just connecting Bluetooth audio devices, you can also connect other Bluetooth devices to many TVs, such as controllers and keyboards. Cloud gaming apps are becoming more prominent on smart TVs now, so if your TV has the Xbox app, you can pair a controller and start playing games from the cloud right from your TV without needing a console.

All in all, when you consider the range of panel technologies TVs can have nowadays, like OLED, Mini-LED, and QLED, along with features like Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and HDR10+, it’s understandable that Bluetooth might not be the first feature that comes to mind. But if your TV has Bluetooth, it’s absolutely worth trying. You can use it not only for cloud gaming but also to listen to your TV through headphones or earbuds instead of its built-in speakers. I’ve found the experience to be not only very convenient but also surprisingly immersive, and it’s an upgrade I’m glad I made.