The ace Smart-TV they’re so present in the living room today that we’ve almost forgotten what TVs looked like just a few years ago. It’s hard to find a TV that isn’t “smart” these days, but what’s going on with the pc monitors? Can a monitor be turned into a smart monitor? If you want to use your PC monitor for something other than being connected to the computer, in this article we will clear your doubts.
Today, the vast majority of televisions have an Internet connection, with their own operating system and direct access to the most popular streaming video platforms, or even integrated into the remote control for greater convenience. However, not so long ago, smart TVs were almost prohibitively expensive, and it was even cheaper to install a mini PC in the living room to “convert” them to smart. Now, when talking about a PC monitor, there really is no need to have a dedicated PC to provide it smart features… At least not at all.
Turning a PC monitor into a smart display is as easy as that
If, as we said a moment ago, you want to be able to use your PC monitor as something more than just a screen to use the computer, it is indeed possible and also quite simple and inexpensive ; You won’t need to have a separate PC (or use the PC itself) for this if you don’t want to, because those tools we used in the past to provide the “intelligence” to the TV in the living room are also used to do it with the PC monitor, and with a simple requirement.
Certainly, as soon as you read the previous paragraph, many of you will have already found the solution, that the monitor has an HDMI video input to spare (mainly because you don’t have to connect and disconnect the PC if it only has one), you can now turn it into “smart”. Of course, if the monitor also has USB ports for power, it will be even easier, because what we offer is to use devices like the famous Chromecast.
It is a kind of mini PC with just enough to allow us to see on the screen a system that is usually Android, and as such it gives us the possibility of using the Internet, to watch YouTube or Netflix, and even play simple games from After all, it’s like having a mobile connected to the PC screen. Of course, in addition to ChromeCast (which is always available to buy), there are other options, such as Intel Compute Stick which, in this case, is indeed a mini PC with Windows that only requires an HDMI port and a USB connection for power.
With a fairly small investment of money (a Chromecast only costs around 30 dollars), you can give a second life to a PC monitor that you have abandoned, or you can simply use the PC monitor to watch your favorite series and films. without having to use the computer for this, which considerably reduces consumption (and is also more comfortable).
There are of course other alternatives, like Android TV or Amazon Fire Stick itself, which work similarly; The thing is, you need a PC monitor that has a free HDMI port, and if it can have USB for better power, so you don’t have to plug it into the power outlet (although that last is more convenient than necessary) to convert your PC monitor to “smart”. As simple as that.
