Do you know that you can turn your Samsung TV into a smart TV using a wireless adapter? Yes you can; it is very simple. This leads to the question “Can I use any wireless adapter for my Samsung TV?” With the recent improvement in technology, there are a lot of smart TVs in the market and no one wants to be left behind.
However, these televisions are not as budget friendly and not everyone can afford them. But there is a cheaper way of going about this; turning your normal TV into a smart TV.
What is a Wireless Adapter?
A wireless adapter is a small device that grants you the ability to display any media content from your smartphone to your projector, monitor or television screen. Its appearance is like that of a USB dongle. It uses a HDMI port to connect to either of these screens. If you need to stream funny videos or share photos with friends or family on a bigger screen than that of your phone, then this wireless adapter is perfect for the job.
Wireless adapters play an important role in both your home entertainment and business or office needs. Anything that is on your phone’s screen can be displayed on your TV and thus gives you a better and broader view. Also, controlling whatever is on the screen is convenient because you can do this remotely using your smartphone or tablet or whatever mobile device you plan on using.
Additionally, you can use a wireless adapter to share your presentations or reports with colleagues from your laptop or mobile phone onto a bigger screen like a TV. Many business people like hoteliers use this to display their menu on big screens to enable customers to have a better view of the same. As small as this device is, it is very convenient.
Types of Wireless Adapters
1. PCI Adapter
It is in the form of an add-in card that easily positions itself within a PC. It delivers excellent speeds and is cordless, thus convenient.
2. PCMCIA Adapter
It is suitable for notebook computers. It comprises an antenna that is easy to notice as it stands out of the notebook’s frame.
3. Mini PCI Adapter
If you have a laptop, then this adapter will fit well. It is more compact.
It is the easiest to use among the four as it offers a plug and play solution.
Compatibility of wireless adapters
To connect your wireless adapter to your TV or mobile device, you have to determine whether they are compatible. It is needless to buy an adapter only to find out that it cannot work with your device. There are adapters that are compatible with iOS; others work well with Android and Samsung. Further, some adapters employ the use of Mira cast and you will find that most Windows and Android devices have an in-built Mira cast.
Do wireless adapters need Wi-Fi to function? This is a common question among users of this device. These devices can still function even when there is no Wi-Fi but if you have a good Wi-Fi network, the better for you. Because the adapter is Mira cast-enabled, there will be no need for cables or Wi-Fi connection.
Benefits of a Wireless adapter
- With a wireless adapter, there is no need to install additional hardware on your computer.
- It is very easy and does not take a lot of time when setting it up.
- Because its appearance is like that of a USB dongle, at no point will you use a USB cable for any connections.
- It is a cheaper option.
Can I use any Wireless Adapter for my Samsung TV?
You are about to purchase a wireless adapter to help you stream stuff on your Samsung TV but you are not sure if it will work because the adapter is not a brand of Samsung. The answer to this question is no and yes. But most likely no carries the day. We explain why.
Most wireless adapters require compatible software and a driver pack for coding them in order for them to function properly. They are mainly created for use by computers. It is not likely to find your Samsung TV having a driver that can code this wireless adapter.
Once you plug in the adapter into your PC, it has to read the USB port, identify what product is installed in the port and finally integrate it using a device driver. Your Samsung TV does not have the ability to do all these. All your TV can handle is USB cables and flash drives because they do not need any complex coding so as to operate like you need them to.
In case your Samsung TV does not have Wi-Fi then you can only use a wireless adapter that comes from the manufacturer of your TV. This is because the adapter will largely depend on the television’s in-built drivers.
Something worth noting is that all Samsung TVs consist of an in-built intelligence which does not allow for plugging of Wi-Fi adapters that lack Samsung specific VID/PID values. The TV will automatically renounce them. VID stands for vendor identification while PID stands for product identification.
Therefore, the Samsung VID value is 04E8 and the PID is 2018. If the adapter you want to use on your Samsung TV is not anywhere close to these values then it will not connect. If it is a must for you to use that wireless adapter on your Samsung TV, then you ought to change the VID and PID value of the adapter to be 04E8 and 2018 respectively.
This is a complex process that requires some IQ because you are basically reprogramming the adapter to suit your TV needs.
Conclusion
In summary, using any wireless adapter for your Samsung TV is not appropriate because your TV does not have drivers that can code this adapter hence it is only suitable for use by computers. But if you get a wireless adapter by the same manufacturer, it will definitely work as the TV already has built-in drivers that the adapter will be compatible with.
