Most of us don’t use our TV’s USB ports to their full potential. It’s understandable because they aren’t critical to your TV’s functionality and usually hidden from view. You can probably get away without using them if you’re into streaming or gaming, but they are useful for other things.
TV USB ports are surprisingly useful, but have different capabilities, which can affect their performance. Standard USB 2.0 ports supply 0.5 Amps of power. Ports on newer TVs usually support 0.9, 1.0, or 1.5 Amps of power.
Some TV displays have labels displaying the details of their USB ports, and others don’t. You can always read the manual to see what they can do.
Then you can use them to expand your TV’s entertainment capabilities and add other devices to upgrade it. Here are four things you can do with your TV’s USB ports.
No internet required
Playing movies and music from memory sticks or external drives is the most obvious use for your TV’s USB port. In most cases, the TV will automatically detect your external drive, and you can simply browse to the files you want to play. Modern TVs should play most common formats, so you’ll be able to enjoy high-quality offline content without any issues.
The USB ports aren’t just for movies and shows. You can connect a stick to play MP3s and other music files off a memory stick if you don’t have access to streaming services. Your TV can become a massive digital picture frame or gallery to display your vacation pics if you add a stick with photos and videos.
You’ll need to consider your external drive or memory stick’s formatting before trying this.
You’ll need to consider your external drive or memory stick’s formatting before trying this. TVs support different formats and will only work with compatible hardware. You can check your TV manual to see which formats it supports. Then format your drive to the compatible file system on your PC if it doesn’t work on your TV.
Adding peripherals
Expand your TV’s capabilities
I keep a wireless mouse and keyboard connected at all times for browsing the internet and sending emails. It’s simple: I just plug the dongle into my TV’s USB port, and it works with most hardware.
Adding a streaming stick to an old TV via USB is one of the easiest upgrades that adds smart compatibility.
Your TV’s USB ports can power other devices. I often add my wireless controller to play games, and it also works as a remote control. Adding a streaming stick to an old TV via USB is one of the easiest upgrades that adds smart compatibility. Unfortunately, TVs don’t usually support dongle-based gaming headsets because they lack the necessary audio drivers.
Installing TV software
Offline upgrades and repairs
Your TV’s USB port is handy for fixing issues. You can use it to update your TV’s software if you have network problems or prefer keeping your TV off the internet. It’s also essential for fixing TVs that are frozen or have software issues.
To update your software, format your stick to FAT32, which most TVs support. Then download the relevant software from the vendor site onto the stick and plug it into your TV’s USB port. Use your remote control to navigate to your TV’s support menu, then select the update option.
Charging devices
Use caution with this function
You can use your TV for charging phones, controllers, and other devices in a pinch. The common USB-A ports don’t offer the same fast-charging capabilities as USB-C, but they get the job done and can be handy if you don’t have a dedicated charger nearby.
I usually have a USB charging cable plugged into my TV’s spare port and use it for charging my phone and wireless headset.
Apart from charging, you can also use the USB ports on your TV to charge low-power devices, like LED strips. Ambient lighting strips can drastically improve your TV setup’s aesthetics, and it makes sense to power them via USB rather than a dedicated power adapter. The same goes for other devices, like microphones and webcams that work on your TV via USB.
Don’t plug these things into your TV’s USB port
It can’t do everything
TV USB ports have power limitations, and you should never plug these things into them. Avoid connecting devices, like external optical drives, which need drivers and considerable power to run. Some might work, but others will have issues due to the insufficient power supply.
TV USB ports have power limitations, and you should never plug these things into them.
Never plug in USB cables that are damaged or that you think are faulty. They can damage the physical port or cause power spikes which can short-circuit the internals.
