In the previous article, I talked about how to connect a TV to the Internet, and in this article I want to talk about different ways that you can watch YouTube videos on your TV. Personally, I only watch YouTube on my TV. Until recently, I did not even have a TV (antenna) connected. But even after the TV channels started working, I don't watch them. I turn on the TV, immediately open YouTube and watch the channels that I have subscribed to, or something that the service recommends.
It is no longer a secret that television is fading into the background. Especially children and young people are now actively watching YouTube, subscribing to channels of interest to them, commenting, following the lives of their favorite bloggers, etc. Of course, most people watch videos on their smartphones, tablets, computers and other devices. And they completely forget about TVs, which have recently made such a step in development that video playback on YouTube is a common task.
About five years ago, I got acquainted with "smart" TVs, having bought Smart TV from LG. And even then it was possible to watch YouTube without any problems. Sometimes people watch videos on it over the Internet. And it all worked very simply and easily. There was no need to go to the site, use complex navigation, etc., just launch the application and watch the video you liked.
In our time, this is not a problem at all. Yes, if there is a TV without Smart TV, then it's already more complicated. Many people want to watch YouTube on TV through their phone (Android, or iPhone), or computer. In principle, this is also possible, but a lot depends on the TV itself, the same phone, or PC. Now I will show and explain everything in detail.
To watch YouTube videos directly on the TV itself, through the app, need a TV with Smart TV function and the ability to connect to the Internet. This could be an LG TV with webOS, or an older version of Smart TV. Samsung TV with smart functions (Smart Hub). Or Sony, Philips, Hisense, Kivi and others. Most of these TVs now run Android TV.
You need to find out if your TV has Smart TV. Look at the specifications on the official website, information on the box, or the presence of the Smart TV menu button on the remote control.
If you have a TV with Smart TV, then all you need to do is connect it to the Internet. You can use a Wi-Fi network, or with a cable. Depending on what kind of TV you have and what kind of connection is available in your home. My article will help you understand this: how to connect a TV to the Internet. There you will also find links to detailed instructions for connecting LG, Samsung and Philips TVs.
We connected the TV to the Internet, then open the Smart TV menu, find and launch the YouTube application. In the application, you can already select a video to watch, use the search. And if you go under your Google account, then all the channels to which you are subscribed will appear on the TV.
Everyone has different TVs and Smart TV versions are also different, therefore, the menu itself may differ. But finding the app you want isn't hard. The interface there is quite simple and straightforward. As far as I know, the YouTube app on Smart TV is always installed by default. On all TVs.
Above, we considered the method by which you can watch video using only one TV. No additional devices required. I believe this is the best solution. Everything turns on quickly and works stably. But there are other options as well.
If for some reason you do not want to open the video through the application on the TV itself, then this can be done on your phone, tablet, or computer. And send the YouTube video to the TV screen. As far as I understand, it all works using DLAN technology. Using the same technology, you can display videos, photos, or music that is stored on your computer. If interested, see the article: how to display a video (movie) from a computer to a TV via Wi-Fi.
What you need for this:
- A TV with Smart TV (a TV with only DLAN support may work, but unlikely), which is connected to the router via Wi-Fi, or LAN.
- Phone or tablet (on Android or iOS), laptop, stationary computer (with Google Chrome browser).
- The TV and the device from which we will watch video through YouTube must be connected to the same network (to one router).
It all works very simply. We enable the playback of any video on a mobile device (in the YouTube application) or on a computer (in the Chrome browser). And if there is a TV on the network on which you can display a picture, then a button will appear... Click on it, select the TV (if there are several TVs in the network) and the video will start playing on the TV screen. You can control playback from your phone.
Via Android phone or tablet
We open YouTube, turn on the video and see if the button for broadcasting the video to the TV appears. If it appears, then click on it and choose which TV to play the video on.
Playback starts automatically on the TV.
If you click on the tab at the bottom, then you can manage the video, or create a playlist. Or stop broadcasting.
Via iPhone or iPad
It's the same on iOS devices. In the application, you need to click on the button
If there is only one TV in the network, then playback will start immediately (if there is more than one, then you need to choose which TV to connect to).
Everything is working! The iPhone plays the video on the TV.
Via computer
As I understand it, only the Chrome browser has a "Play to TV" function when watching a video on YouTube.
Since my TV also supports Chromecast, two devices are displayed. If you don't have Android TV, you will most likely only have one TV.
Playback starts on the selected TV. You can also control it through the Chrome browser from a computer.
I checked that everything works.
YouTube on TV without Smart TV
If you have a TV without Smart TV, then you can't watch YouTube on it (without additional devices). Since it does not connect to the Internet and the application itself, or there is no browser on it.
But as you already understood, there is a solution. Even if the TV does not have a Smart TV, it can be used simply as a screen (for displaying pictures from other devices). For example, connect a TV to a computer via HDMI, or to a laptop, open YouTube on your computer and watch a video.
There are other solutions as well:
- Android Smart-TV set-top box - this device will turn your regular TV (which is without Smart TV) into a real Smart TV. With all the functions you need. There you can watch YouTube, play games, watch sites in the browser and much more. Of the best (according to the author): NEXBOX A95X, Xiaomi MI BOX, T95Z Plus, X92.
The set-top box connects to the TV via HDMI. There are models that can also be connected even through the "tulip". This means that such a set-top box can be connected to a very old TV. - Apple TV - if you have a lot of technology from Apple, then it might make sense to buy an Apple TV set-top box. With its help, you can watch not only YouTube. But also movies through the iTunes Store, listen to music, install games and various applications. And also, display the image on the TV screen from any device on iOS, or Mac OS.
- Sony playstation andXbox - I do not have these game consoles, but as far as I know, you can also watch videos with their help. There is both a separate YouTube application and a regular browser.
- Chromecast - by connecting this Google media player to a TV (via HDMI), you can display YouTube videos through an application on your phone, tablet, or from a computer through the Chrome browser. I wrote about this in detail above in the article. And in a separate article, I showed you how Google Cast works on an Android TV.
The set-top box connects to the TV via HDMI. There are models that can also be connected even through the "tulip". This means that such a set-top box can be connected to a very old TV.Perhaps I am missing something. If you know any other devices that are suitable for these tasks, you can share in the comments. Also, do not forget to leave your feedback and ask questions.
