9 Most Important Ports Your Smart TV Should Have

Whether you're buying a new Smart TV  or just want to get the most out of the one you have in your living room, knowing which ports really matter (and why) can save you a lot of trouble down the road.

 

9. HDMI

 

The HDMI port is obviously the most important port on a Smart TV. You can plug in a variety of devices, from game consoles and streaming sticks to soundbars and Blu-ray players. And since you'll likely want to plug in multiple devices at once, your TV should have at least three HDMI ports to avoid having to constantly swap out cables.

Many recent OLED models from LG and Samsung come with a full four HDMI 2.1 ports, while brands like Sony may include a mix of HDMI 2.0 and 2.1 ports, so check carefully. Also look for an HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC, as you'll need this for audio.

8. ARC or eARC

ARC (Audio Return Channel) and its more powerful version, eARC (the e stands for "enhanced"), are special HDMI ports that let your TV send audio back to your soundbar or AV receiver using the same HDMI cable you're using for video. You don't need any additional audio cables.

However, your soundbar or AV receiver also needs to support eARC to take advantage of all those great audio benefits.

 

7. USB

 

Having a USB port on your Smart TV has a lot of useful uses, so don't think of it as a big deal. You can use it to view photos or videos from a flash drive, connect an external hard drive (for recording or playback, if supported), or even plug in accessories like a keyboard, mouse, or webcam.

At least one USB port is helpful. Two or more is ideal if you want to permanently plug in a device and still have a spare port for occasional file transfers.

6. Ethernet

 

Wi-Fi is great, until it starts causing problems. If you're into 4K content, live TV, or just want absolute reliability, a traditional Ethernet connection is still better than wireless. Most Smart TVs these days come with 10/100 Mbps RJ45 ports, which is more than enough to handle anything the major streaming services have to offer.

This humble Ethernet port also opens the door to some really cool features, like mirroring your screen from your phone or computer, accessing files from a network-attached storage (NAS) drive, or syncing with your smart home setup.

5. Optical audio output (TOSLINK)

 

Optical audio, also known as TOSLINK, may not get much attention these days, but it's still quite useful, especially if you're using older audio systems. It transmits digital audio over fiber optic cables, meaning it's immune to interference from nearby electronics that can interfere with signals over other types of connections.

4. RF Connector (Coaxial)

The RF connector, or coaxial port (often labeled 'Cable/Ant'), may seem antiquated in the streaming age, but it's a must-have if you're planning on plugging in an antenna for over-the-air broadcasts or connecting a satellite dish directly to your TV.

3. Component or Composite Video

These two traditional inputs have largely disappeared from modern TVs, but they were once the primary connection standard for devices that predated HDMI.

Composite Video splits the signal into three cables (red, green, and blue), paired with separate red and white cables for audio. It can handle resolutions up to 1080i, which was a very common standard at the time. Composite video, on the other hand, uses a single yellow cable for video — plus similar red and white cables for audio — but you only get standard definition quality from that setup.

2. 3.5mm audio jack

The traditional headphone jack is useful if you want to plug in wired headphones for late-night movie watching or use old speakers connected via AUX.

 

It's not a huge deal to miss it (you can always use Bluetooth ), but it's definitely an option worth considering if you're still using an analog connection.

1. CI+ slot (Common Interface Plus)

If you live in Europe or other regions where pay TV services use smart cards or CAM (Conditional Access Module) cards, the CI+ slot allows you to access encrypted TV channels directly through your TV.

It's easy to underestimate the importance of ports until you actually need them. So next time you're buying a TV, don't just look at the screen. Look around the back, check the edges, and see what ports are available.