I’ve always had a simple philosophy about Ethernet: if one of my devices has it, I try to use it. The reason being that, even though Wi-Fi has improved and is faster these days than it once was, nothing beats the reliability and speed of Ethernet. That’s why I’ve always kept my desktop PC connected to Ethernet, which I work and game on, and also my PS5 and Switch 2.

But there’s one device in my home I’ve never been able to bring myself to connect to Ethernet, and that’s my TV. In most cases, connecting a device to Ethernet is a net positive, but TVs have long been, and continue to be, an outlier. Why? Despite TVs making so many advancements over the past decade, with incredible panel technologies like OLED and Mini-LED becoming more mainstream and helping make picture quality even more lifelike, one area has been forgotten time and again every year when new TVs come out, and that’s the Ethernet port.

On the vast majority of smart TVs available today, the Ethernet port is limited to what is known as Fast Ethernet, or 10/100 Ethernet, which means the port’s speed is limited to 100 Mbps. This is much slower than what modern Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 can deliver, making the Ethernet port on most TVs, frankly, not worth using if you want faster internet on your TV. And this isn’t just a problem TVs have, either, as many set-top streaming boxes are also limited to 10/100 Ethernet.

With faster internet becoming more common and far more accessible, I firmly believe it’s time for 10/100 Ethernet to become a thing of the past. And there’s long been a feasible solution that’s much faster and actually worth using.

Gigabit Ethernet is the answer

It’s a long-overdue upgrade for TVs and streamers

So, what should replace 10/100 Ethernet on TVs and streamers? In my view, the answer is straightforward: Gigabit Ethernet.

Gigabit Ethernet isn’t a new Ethernet standard and has been around for more than 20 years. But even today, the speeds it delivers are more than enough for TVs and streamers. It can reach up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps), which is 10 times faster than the 100 Mbps limit of 10/100 Ethernet.

Crucially, though, Gigabit Ethernet is actually worth using over Wi-Fi on TVs and streamers. That’s because it can exceed the download speeds most people are capable of reaching over Wi-Fi, which simply isn’t the case with 10/100 Ethernet on today’s TVs and streamers.

I do want to make clear, though, that while virtually every smart TV is stuck with 10/100 Ethernet, that’s not the case with streamers. Some set-top streamers already come equipped with Gigabit Ethernet, including the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, Google TV Streamer, and Apple TV 4K (128GB). Other streamers, such as the Roku Ultra, Fire TV Cube, and Onn 4K Pro, still use 10/100 Ethernet.

That said, since some streamers already use Gigabit Ethernet, it shows that it is a realistic successor to 10/100 Ethernet on smart TVs and other streamers.

Is Gigabit Ethernet necessary?

Faster internet is never a bad thing

Given that Gigabit Ethernet is much faster than 10/100 Ethernet and is already used on some streaming devices, a fair question is: why don’t all smart TVs and more streamers already have it? I think the answer comes down to two things: cost and necessity.

Most streaming services recommend around a 25 Mbps connection for 4K streaming, which makes 10/100 Ethernet technically “good enough” for most smart TVs and streaming devices. In turn, I think most TV and streaming device manufacturers likely look at that and see choosing 10/100 Ethernet over Gigabit as an easy way to save some money.

But I think Gigabit Ethernet should be viewed more broadly, because its usefulness goes beyond simply streaming 4K content on Netflix. For people who host home media servers using apps like Plex or Jellyfin and stream large 4K files with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, the extra bandwidth Gigabit Ethernet provides can be critical, while 10/100 Ethernet can become a major bottleneck.

The same goes for cloud gaming, where faster download speeds can help you achieve higher resolutions and faster frame rates. And even when you’re just streaming on YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and the list goes on, having a faster wired Ethernet connection means menus, images, shows, and movies can load faster, while the quality is more likely to remain consistent.

In other words, faster internet is never a bad thing. And if you’re spending $500 or even more than $1,000 on a new TV, I don’t think Gigabit Ethernet is a lot to ask for, especially when much cheaper streaming devices already have it. While I understand why budget set-top streamers would skip out on Gigabit, I think if you’re spending $150 or more on a streamer, Gigabit isn’t a far-fetched ask either.

Ultimately, I believe it’s long overdue for TV and streaming device makers to fix this Ethernet problem once and for all and begin phasing out 10/100 Ethernet. Gigabit Ethernet is faster and more reliable, and as faster internet becomes more common and accessible in households, it could genuinely improve so many people’s streaming experience and finally make the Ethernet port on TVs and other streaming devices worth using.

Brand

LG

Display Size

42, 48, 55, 65, 77, or 83 inches

Operating System

webOS

Display Type

OLED