Smart TVs have a lot of ports on them, and I won’t blame you for not knowing about all of them. Most people focus on the HDMI ports, and I have plenty of complaints about those, but those aren’t the only ports on your TV. You have the Ethernet port, another point of contention, and you probably have a USB port of some sort.
A lot of TVs come equipped with a USB 2.0 port, which is perfectly serviceable in most scenarios. There’s little to no reason to plug in your phone to charge from a TV, so you don’t typically need anything with blazing fast speeds or a high power draw. A 2.0 port is quite enough to power your streaming stick, so I forgive you for not thinking you need anything more.
What you might not realize is that your TV could have a blue USB port. If you don’t know the differences between your USB ports, and many don’t, just know that a blue port means it’s 3.0. As you might’ve guessed, the higher number is a better port, and we’re talking about 10 times as fast as its predecessor. In practice, it’s not quite that, but it is still a faster port than what 2.0 offers. Whether that matters to you or not is another thing entirely.
Quiz
LG Smart TVs
Trivia Challenge
From OLED breakthroughs to webOS wizardry — how well do you really know LG’s television legacy?
webOSOLEDHistoryFeaturesTechnology
In what year did LG Electronics first launch its Smart TV platform under the ‘LG Smart TV’ branding?
Correct! LG officially launched its Smart TV lineup in 2011, bringing internet connectivity and app access to its televisions. This was part of a broader industry push to turn TVs into connected entertainment hubs.
Not quite — LG introduced its Smart TV platform in 2011. While connected TV concepts existed earlier, 2011 was the year LG formalized and branded the experience, coinciding with a wave of smart TV launches across the industry.
LG acquired the webOS operating system from which company to power its Smart TVs?
Correct! LG acquired webOS from HP in 2013, which had originally obtained it through its purchase of Palm in 2010. LG repurposed the mobile OS into a smart TV platform, debuting it on TVs at CES 2014.
The correct answer is HP, which inherited webOS through its 2010 acquisition of Palm. LG bought the platform from HP in 2013 and transformed it from a struggling mobile OS into the backbone of its Smart TV ecosystem.
LG became the first company to mass-produce large-screen OLED TVs for consumers. What screen size did their landmark 2013 model feature?
Correct! LG’s groundbreaking 55-inch OLED TV, the 55EM9600, made history as the first commercially available large-screen OLED television. Despite its eye-watering price tag of around $15,000, it marked a turning point for display technology.
The correct size was 55 inches — LG’s 55EM9600 launched as the world’s first mass-produced large-screen OLED TV. It was an engineering marvel at the time, though its steep price kept it out of most living rooms initially.
What is the name of LG’s AI-powered voice assistant integrated into its Smart TVs?
Correct! LG’s AI platform is called ThinQ AI, which powers voice commands, smart home integration, and personalized content recommendations across LG’s Smart TV lineup. LG TVs also support third-party assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
The answer is ThinQ AI — LG’s proprietary artificial intelligence platform that underpins voice control and smart home features on its TVs. ThinQ also connects LG’s broader ecosystem of home appliances under one unified AI umbrella.
LG’s QNED TV technology combines quantum dot filters with which other display enhancement technology?
Correct! LG’s QNED technology combines quantum dot and NanoCell filter layers with a Mini LED backlight system, allowing for more precise local dimming zones and improved contrast compared to traditional LED LCD sets.
The right answer is Mini LED backlighting. LG’s QNED TVs layer quantum dot and NanoCell technologies on top of a Mini LED backlight, creating a panel that punches above its weight in contrast and color accuracy compared to standard LCD displays.
Which unique hardware accessory, shaped like a magic wand, does LG provide to navigate webOS on its Smart TVs?
Correct! The Magic Remote is LG’s iconic gyroscopic remote control that lets users point and click on screen like a mouse. It also supports voice commands and scroll wheel input, making webOS navigation feel fluid and intuitive.
It’s called the Magic Remote — LG’s signature motion-sensing remote that uses a gyroscope to let users point at the screen and select items like a cursor. It’s been a hallmark of the LG Smart TV experience for over a decade.
Before the LG name existed, the company was formed from the merger of two South Korean firms. Which two companies merged to create LG?
Correct! LG stands for Lucky Goldstar — the result of a merger between Lucky (a chemicals company) and Goldstar (an electronics firm). The company rebranded to LG in 1995 as part of its push to become a globally recognized consumer electronics brand.
The answer is Lucky and Goldstar. LG is literally an abbreviation of those two company names, and the brand adopted its current identity in 1995. Goldstar was already known for producing televisions before the rebrand elevated LG to global prominence.
LG’s G-series OLED TVs use a special panel mounting design that places the TV flush against a wall with virtually no gap. What is this feature called?
Correct! LG’s Zero Gap Wall Mount system allows the G-series OLED Evo TVs to sit just millimeters from the wall, giving them an art-gallery aesthetic when mounted. The design eliminates unsightly gaps and cable clutter for a sleek, built-in look.
The correct term is Zero Gap Wall Mount, exclusive to LG’s G-series OLED lineup. The innovative mount lets the TV sit almost perfectly flush against the wall, mimicking the look of a framed painting — a concept LG calls its Gallery series design philosophy.
Your Score
/ 8
Thanks for playing!
USB 3.0 is handy for large 4K files on your smart TV
If you happen to have a large 4K file, of course
In most cases, at least with your TV, there’s no functional difference in whether you have a 2.0 or 3.0 port. One area where I will point out the difference is using an external hard drive. I have a portable SSD that I put the de-specialized edition of Star Wars on, and from there, I had to get it on my TV somehow. My hard drive supports USB 3.0, so I knew that I would be getting faster speeds than what an older 2.0 port could provide. I opted for the 4K cut of the film, and where 3.0 shines over 2.0 is its ability to read that file. I didn’t experience any choppiness or lag whatsoever using the 3.0 port, so if you have one available and your hard drive or flash drive supports 3.0, just use it.
I’m not saying you’ll have issues with a 2.0 port, and you should still use it if it’s the only thing you have. The good news is that many new TVs come with a 3.0 port, and the only thing you need to look for is the blue coloring inside of the port. My Fire TV labels the port too, so you don’t have to always look for the color, but that’s typically the best tell without requiring any additional work.
Another way to use this port is to unlock faster Ethernet speeds. Many TVs are locked to slower speeds than what you can get over regular Wi-Fi, but using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter, you can get increased speeds. I don’t know if it’s really worth the trouble of doing this, but it could be a fun project if you’re bored. For most people, I don’t think this is worth the trouble, but I won’t fault you if you want to tackle it. A lot of people like Ethernet cables for their stability, so you might as well get that and the increased speeds if you can.
You probably won’t use your port very often
It’s okay if you don’t have the best port
The reality is that your TV’s USB will most likely remain dormant for most of the time. Unless you plug in a set of bias lighting, I don’t think you have anything to worry about with your port whatsoever. Even if you do plan on using bias lighting, you don’t need a 3.0 port for that. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have modern ports, but in this case, it’s not totally necessary. A USB 3.0 port is great to have on your laptop of PC, but it’s more of a treat for your TV instead of a selling point.
Aside from watching Star Wars that one time, I haven’t used my USB port at all. It’s been months since I’ve even thought about using it again, so unless you have a wide range of things backed up on a hard drive that you’d like to watch, I don’t think there’s a ton of value with the USB 3.0 port, as fast as it is. There’s no downside to having it included with your purchase, and that’s the case with a lot of your TV’s ports. I’m sure some people love having their TV packed with ports, and if it doesn’t mean the costs increase, then I’m all for it. What I wish would be tackled is the HDMI problems that are so prevalent. I’d like to see all TVs get updated with a slew of HDMI 2.1 ports instead of just including one or a pair of them. With HDMI 2.2 here, it’s time to get on board with 2.1 at least.
