What is the largest good house machine that you simply personal? For many people, the reply could come as a shock, even supposing the good capabilities of this machine are explicitly included in its identify.

Your good TV is already a part of your good house

It is easy to miss the truth that a sensible TV is a smart home device, regardless of the phrase “good” being entrance and middle. After we discuss good house gadgets, good TVs aren’t often the primary issues that spring to thoughts.

The actual fact is {that a} good TV will be an integral a part of your smart home, even when you’re not presently utilizing it that manner. There are two primary functions {that a} good TV can serve.

A close-up of Samsung SmartThings on a Frame TV. Credit score: Bertel King / How-To Geek

Firstly, a smart TV will be an endpoint of your automations. You possibly can create automations that flip your TV on, change channels or inputs, or launch streaming apps. You possibly can even use a TV to display notifications or to point out who’s on the entrance door.

Secondly, a sensible TV can act as a sensible house sensor. The state of your TV can present helpful indicators you should use in your good house automations. For instance, in case your TV is on, it is a cheap indication that at the very least one individual continues to be at house. Together with different indicators, it might change into a part of a dependable technique of determining when everyone is away.

Even when your TV itself is not good, it could be linked to one thing that’s, corresponding to a streaming stick, soundbar, or recreation console. You could possibly combine your dumb TV into your good house utilizing these gadgets.

Home Assistant 3D icon on a tablet with a man's hand and icons of home electronics devices connecting with wireless.


How Home Assistant Changed My Apple Smart Home for the Better

It isn’t solely helpful, it saved me cash too.

Easy automations could make your TV extra helpful

There are a number of methods you should use your good TV in your good house automations. For instance, you should use the state of your TV as a set off to run an automation utilizing apps corresponding to Apple Home or extra highly effective options corresponding to Home Assistant. In Apple Dwelling, you’ll be able to create an automation that robotically dims the lights if you flip the TV on, so that you simply need not contact the lights your self.

An automation in Apple Home that is triggered when a smart TV is turned on.

You can too create automations that management your TV. Utilizing a movement sensor, for instance, you might create an automation that robotically turns your TV on if you stroll into the lounge after 7 pm. When it will get to 9 pm, you might have the amount in your TV robotically decrease in order that it would not wake the children.

You might additionally use a smart button or voice command to activate completely different viewing modes. For instance, with one button, you might flip in your TV and choose the proper enter in your recreation console.

Flip your TV right into a front room notification display

One other manner that your TV will be extremely helpful in your house is as a notification middle. For instance, I’ve an automation in Dwelling Assistant that describes the person at the front door when my video doorbell detects an individual. This notification is often despatched to my cellphone, but when my good TV is detected as being on, it is also despatched to my TV display, in order that I can see the notification with out having to choose up my cellphone.

With some good TVs or streaming gadgets, you’ll be able to even use your good TV to show video. For instance, some Amazon Hearth TVs can show the stream out of your Ring video doorbell when somebody rings the bell. The identical is feasible with a Google TV or by way of any TV connected to an Apple TV 4K.

A TV screen showing the output from an Apple TV 4K, with a notification that someone with a recognized face rang the doorbell, superimposed over an episode of Ted Lasso. Credit score: Apple

You do not need your good TV continually switching to your video doorbell stream or being spammed with notifications, however when you set issues up correctly, it may be a helpful approach to get immediate info whilst you’re watching your favourite reveals.

Integrating your good TV into your good house

Utilizing your TV as a sensible house set off or a sensible house endpoint makes it way more helpful. Having your lights dim if you flip the TV on, for instance, can feel a bit like magic. The actual energy, nevertheless, comes if you use your good TV together with the remainder of your good house.

The Home Assistant Green smart home hub surrounded by smart home devices. Credit score: home-assistant.io

For instance, utilizing Dwelling Assistant, if you flip in your TV, in addition to dimming the lights, you’ll be able to have a complete host of actions happen. You possibly can have your cellphone flip to Do Not Disturb mode, in order that your viewing is not interrupted. You possibly can fireplace up your encompass sound system, flip down your AC so it would not drown out the sound, close the blinds, and way more.

If you flip your TV off after a set time, you’ll be able to set off an automation that waits a couple of minutes then turns off all of the downstairs lights, powers off all of the gadgets downstairs, locks the front door, and does something it’s essential occur earlier than going to mattress.


It is easy to miss your good TV as being a part of your good house. Used nicely, nevertheless, it may be a really helpful addition to your good house arsenal. If you have not already built-in your good TV into your automations or routines, why not give it a strive?


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