Home Theater & Entertainment > TV & Displays 127 127 people found this article helpful What Is an Internet-Enabled TV? Smart TVs connect directly to the internet to provide streaming content By Forrest Hartman Forrest Hartman Writer California State University University of Nevada Poynter's News University Forrest Hartman is a former Lifewire writer and an educator and journalist who focuses on television and related technology for Gannett News Service and other outlets. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 16, 2024 TV & Displays Samsung Projectors Antennas HDMI & Connections Remote Controls Trending Videos Close this video player A TV with internet is a television designed to connect to the internet and display content from online sources. You can use an internet TV to watch YouTube videos, check the weather, stream Netflix shows, rent movies on Amazon Prime, or perform any other task available on the internet. In most ways, an internet-equipped TV (often called a smart TV) delivers the same functionality as a hardware streaming device like a Roku or Apple TV, as well as the usual television channels provided by an antenna or cable/satellite subscription. How Internet TVs Work Robert Daly / Getty Images You'll need a high-speed internet connection and an unlimited or generous data allowance with your internet provider to take advantage of all the features of an internet-enabled TV. Smart TVs are made by a variety of manufacturers including LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, and Vizio. These sets differ from televisions that double as computer monitors—although many can do that as well—because no computer or outside equipment is required to display web content. It is important to note, however, that viewable internet content varies by manufacturer. All major television manufacturers make smart TVs with beautiful displays, so picking out the correct set for you can be difficult. 1:35 What is a Smart TV? What Services Do You Get on an Internet TV? When you are shopping for an internet TV, make sure you find out what features it has. If you are an audiophile, streaming music apps are probably important to you. If you're a gamer, you'll want to check out the video game compatibility. Each manufacturer uses a collection of features that vary from model to model. Popular free and paid features that are available on internet TVs include: Applications that work like mobile apps Amazon Video On Demand YouTube Spotify Netflix Hulu Live broadcasts Sports Video games X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and other social networking apps News and print publication channels Music services (Napster, Pandora, Slacker) Photo services Weather Amazon publishes a feature comparison chart that may help you make a smart TV buying decision. These may change, but it is a good starting place. What You Need To use the internet-enabled functions on a TV, you must connect the television to the internet. In most cases, this can be done wirelessly (which requires a wireless router), but some televisions require a wired Ethernet connection. After the TV is connected to your wireless router or directly to your modem by cable, it uses your high-speed broadband internet connection to deliver internet content. There is no additional charge for the basic internet functionality on the TV, but some services, such as Netflix and Amazon Video, have subscription charges if you want to use the services. You may need to upgrade your internet data limit with your internet provider if you find yourself streaming a large amount of content. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit