Written By: Tina Samuels
Do you remember when watching T.V. consisted of plugging the appliance in and tuning it to your favorite station?
Even when cable and satellite first came into homes, set up was easy. Plug and play, so to speak.
Not that the internet has made so many things available through broadband connections, televisions have evolved. You don't need to have a subscription in order to watch your favorite television programs or movies.
Many services exist for free viewing of television, others have a low fee per month of $10 or less. These subscriptions are much lower than cable, satellite or FiOS which can cost over $100 for combined services. What software does your television come with? Is it up to date?
HDTV, HDMI, and Dolby
Most people no longer have the older tube televisions in their homes.
There are flat screen televisions for every budget. At one time these types of televisions were far more expensive than the tube type, but as we all know, technology becomes cheaper when it floods the market.
Large flat screens are much less costly than their previous incarnations, even 40 inch or higher can cost less than $1,000. All of these new televisions are high definition enabled, most come with Dolby sound capabilities (surround sound), and HDMI hookups to plug in various accessories.
These technologies are found on almost every new television. Your new television probably has all of these, though some T.V.s do not have HDMI ports. These ports are used to provide a crisper picture for HD connections.
Laptops, desktops, cable boxes, satellite boxes, and game consoles all can be connected through an HDMI port for the best quality picture and sound. Dolby sound has become standard and makes the television more compatible for surround sound or home theater setups.
Media
Another option found on many televisions, even those at the lowest end of the price scale is the capability to display media.
While the T.V. Needs to be connected to a media source, this can be accomplished through the HDMI port.
Some televisions are equipped with a wireless connection which means you can transfer media through your wireless connection. Your television can be synced with your other internet enabled devices to showcase media.
This media can be pictures, video, music, and almost anything else that can be classified as media. You can even browse the internet with certain sets, though the capability is nothing like a computer or tablet. Mobile phones have more browsing capability.
The T.V.s can be used as a large monitor for computers, which greatly increases their internet usefulness - video is easier to watch on a bigger screen and more windows can be opened.
NetFlix and More
Quite a few televisions now come with Netflix and other media provider software preinstalled.
If you already have a subscription you can access all of your favorite shows from your television. Just plug the set into the internet.
For sets that do not have these programs installed you can still use an HDMI port between a low cost home theater system to access this. Many systems, even the cheapest, come with Netflix and Hulu installed.
About the Author: Tina Samuels writes on online video platform technology, small business, marketing, and social media.