I’ve often written about how much TVs have evolved over the past 20 years. New panel technologies like OLED and Mini-LED make shows and movies look more eye-popping than ever, with more vivid colors, deeper blacks, and richer contrast. TV designs have also changed drastically. Remember when TVs were giant and tube-shaped? Now they’re thinner, smarter, and more powerful than ever.
But one thing that’s always bothered me about many modern smart TVs is that, despite all these advancements, their port selection still sucks. TV makers are still including 10/100 Ethernet instead of Gigabit Ethernet, and most smart TVs still don’t offer four HDMI 2.1 ports unless you spring for a high-end model. And when it comes to USB, most smart TVs still rely on USB-A ports, even though USB-C has become the universal standard over the past few years.
When I bought my new LG C5 TV last year, I knew full well that it didn’t have Gigabit Ethernet or USB-C. But neither did any of the other TVs I was considering, including the Samsung S90F, so I just had to live with it.
Recently, though, I decided to do something about it and upgrade my TV’s connectivity. I connected a USB-to-Ethernet adapter, which drastically improved its Ethernet performance. But my TV was still missing a USB-C port. Fortunately, that problem was just as easy to fix.
Adding USB-C to your TV is straightforward
A small adapter is all you need
My LG C5 TV has three USB ports, all of which are USB-A. Three are on the back, while one is on the side of the TV next to the HDMI ports, and that is the port I decided to turn into a USB-C port.
To do this, I enlisted the help of a very simple gadget: a USB-C to USB-A adapter I picked up on Amazon for just $6. The male end features a USB-A connector that plugs directly into my TV’s USB-A port, while the female end has a USB-C port for connecting USB-C devices. I’d already used a similar adapter successfully in my car, which doesn’t have USB-C either, so I figured it’d work on my TV. And lo and behold, it worked flawlessly.
For just $6, it fixed one of my TV’s biggest shortcomings by giving it the USB-C port it should have had in the first place.
With the adapter connected, I plugged in my portable SSD, which uses USB-C, which I’d never been able to use on my TV before, and my LG TV recognized it instantly. I was able to open my TV’s media player app, browse the contents of my SSD, and watch some of the old movies and shows I have saved on it, including the despecialized version of Star Wars.
I also tested a few other things to see what the adapter could handle. First, I plugged in my Xbox controller, which worked immediately and let me control my TV. I also tried plugging in both my iPad and iPhone, and both started charging right away. However, since my TV’s USB ports are limited to USB 2.0, charging wasn’t very fast, so I wouldn’t make a habit of using the port for that.
Ultimately, I just wanted to connect my portable SSD to my TV to play movies, and this little adapter did the trick. For just $6, it fixed one of my TV’s biggest shortcomings by giving it the USB-C port it should have had in the first place.
QuizUSB cables and connectors
Trivia challenge
Think you know your USB-A from your USB-C? Put your connector knowledge to the test.
HistoryHardwareStandardsConnectorsSpeed
In what year was the original USB 1.0 standard officially released?
Correct! USB 1.0 was released in January 1996, developed by a consortium of companies including Intel, IBM, and Microsoft. It was designed to standardize the connection of peripherals and replace the messy mix of serial and parallel ports.
Not quite — USB 1.0 launched in January 1996. It was the result of collaboration between tech giants like Intel, IBM, and Microsoft who wanted to create a single, universal connector to replace the tangle of serial, parallel, and PS/2 ports of the era.
What is the maximum theoretical data transfer speed of USB 3.0?
Correct! USB 3.0, also known as SuperSpeed USB, offers a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 5 Gbps. That’s roughly ten times faster than USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps, making it a major leap forward when it launched in 2008.
The correct answer is 5 Gbps. USB 3.0 — branded as SuperSpeed USB — was introduced in 2008 and offered a tenfold speed increase over USB 2.0’s 480 Mbps ceiling. The 10 Gbps figure belongs to the later USB 3.1 Gen 2 standard.
Which USB connector type is reversible, meaning it can be plugged in either way up?
Correct! USB-C features a symmetrical, oval-shaped connector that can be inserted in either orientation. Introduced in 2014, it was one of the most celebrated design improvements in USB history and eliminated the frustration of plugging in the wrong way.
The answer is USB-C. Introduced in 2014, the USB-C connector has a symmetrical oval shape that works whichever way you plug it in. It was a landmark design change after years of users struggling to insert USB-A connectors the right way on the first try.
What was the maximum data transfer speed of USB 2.0, also known as Hi-Speed USB?
Correct! USB 2.0 introduced a maximum theoretical speed of 480 Mbps when it launched in 2000. While real-world speeds were lower, it was a massive improvement over USB 1.1’s 12 Mbps and dominated the market for nearly a decade.
The correct answer is 480 Mbps. USB 2.0, released in 2000, topped out at 480 Mbps — earning the nickname Hi-Speed USB. The 12 Mbps figure actually belongs to USB 1.1’s Full-Speed mode, which predated USB 2.0 by several years.
What color is the plastic insert inside a standard USB 3.0 Type-A port used to distinguish it from USB 2.0?
Correct! USB 3.0 Type-A ports are identified by their distinctive blue plastic insert, making it easy to visually distinguish them from the black or white inserts found in USB 2.0 ports. This color coding became an industry-wide convention.
The answer is blue. USB 3.0 ports use a blue plastic insert as a quick visual indicator of the higher-speed standard. Yellow is sometimes used for charging-only ports that provide power even when a device is off, while red can indicate always-on USB ports on some motherboards.
Which company is widely credited as the primary driving force behind the creation of the original USB standard?
Correct! Intel was the primary architect of USB, with engineer Ajay Bhatt leading the development effort. Bhatt wanted to solve the nightmare of incompatible PC peripherals, and Intel championed the standard through the industry consortium that brought it to life.
The answer is Intel. Engineer Ajay Bhatt at Intel is widely credited as the driving force behind USB’s creation. While companies like IBM, Microsoft, and Compaq were part of the founding consortium, Intel led the charge to develop a universal connector that would simplify PC peripherals for everyone.
Which USB connector type is most commonly found on the device end of older Android smartphone charging cables?
Correct! USB Micro-B was the connector of choice for Android smartphones and many other devices throughout the late 2000s and 2010s. It became so dominant that the EU mandated it as a common charger standard, before USB-C eventually took over that role.
The correct answer is USB Micro-B. That small, trapezoid-shaped connector became the default charging port for Android phones and countless other gadgets throughout the 2010s. Mini-USB preceded it and was common on digital cameras and older devices before Micro-USB took over.
USB4, which is based on the Thunderbolt 3 protocol, can reach a maximum data transfer speed of how much?
Correct! USB4 supports speeds of up to 40 Gbps, matching Thunderbolt 3, on which it is based. Intel contributed the Thunderbolt 3 specification royalty-free to make USB4 possible, and all USB4 connections use the USB-C connector form factor.
The answer is 40 Gbps. USB4 was built on Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 protocol, which Intel donated royalty-free to the USB Implementers Forum. This gave USB4 a maximum theoretical speed of 40 Gbps — double that of USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 — and it exclusively uses the USB-C connector.
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
It’s time for all smart TVs to include USB-C ports
Only a select few already have USB-C
Considering USB-C has become the universal USB standard over the past few years, with laptops, smartphones, and tablets now widely using it, I don’t think it’s a far-fetched ask for more smart TVs to start including it, too.
To be clear, I’m not saying USB-A needs to disappear from smart TVs entirely.
I still have several devices I use with my TV’s USB ports, including my Fire TV Stick 4K, that rely on USB-A. But alongside those ports, it would be great if TV makers started including at least one USB-C port, too. That would open the door to so many more devices you could connect to your TV, including portable SSDs, newer USB sticks with USB-C, wireless keyboards and mice with USB-C dongles, and USB-C controllers.
USB-C has become the universal standard, and it’s time for more smart TVs to catch up.
And this isn’t just wishful thinking, either. A few smart TVs already include USB-C alongside USB-A, proving it can be done. Roku’s new Pro Series and Pro Series LX OLED TVs both feature a USB-C port, as do Hisense’s U8Q and UXQ Mini-LED TVs. Hisense even supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort over USB-C, letting you connect a laptop directly to your TV and display its screen without needing an adapter.
Simply put, USB-C has become the universal standard, and it’s time for more smart TVs to catch up. Until that happens, though, if you need a USB-C port on your TV like I did, the easiest fix is a simple $6 USB-C to USB-A adapter.
