Do Smart TVs Have Bluetooth Built In? (And can you Connect your Headphones?)
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Try finding a new TV that isn’t a Smart TV. Most likely you will either be looking in the used section or looking at the cheapest televisions on the market. Each new generation of televisions includes more and more wireless tech and streaming services for improved capabilities.
A decade ago, all you hope to do was plug it into the wall. Now, with tech like Bluetooth integration, you can connect to headphones, speakers, smartphones, computers, and any other device that has Bluetooth connectivity.
To figure out if your TV has Bluetooth connectivity and what the best TVs are with Bluetooth, take a few hints from the advice below. Remember, an informed consumer is a happy consumer.
Do Smart TVs Have Bluetooth Built in?
Yes, many Smart TVs that are on the market right now come equipped with some form of Bluetooth. However, this isn’t always standard and can be hard to find. Just because it says Smart doesn’t mean that it has Bluetooth. Always check first and make sure it is both a Bluetooth receiver and transmitter.
Almost all Samsung Smart TVs have Bluetooth. Almost no TCL Smart TVs have Bluetooth. Check out the tips below to figure out which one you have.
How to Know if your Smart TV has Bluetooth
Often it is pretty easy to tell. However, if you don’t readily know whether your TV has Bluetooth, here are a few tips and tricks to help you figure it out.
- The cardboard box that the TV comes in will have the Bluetooth logo on it.
- The TV or remote for the TV has the Bluetooth logo on it.
- In your TV settings, you will most likely see a Bluetooth section that allows you to control the connection. This can allow you to turn it on or off and connect or disconnect to certain devices.
- If you have a smartphone, open up your Bluetooth settings on your phone, you may see your TV listed there. If so, then your TV is able to connect via Bluetooth.
- Some brands like Samsung are all Bluetooth enabled, as this is how their remote connects with the TV.
If the TV has Bluetooth, does that Mean you can Connect your Bluetooth headphones?
Yes, the fantastic thing about Bluetooth technology is that there are unlimited potential devices that you could pair with your television. If you are watching TV late at night and don’t want to bother your family, you could pair your headphones with your TV, and no one will hear the noise. Further, you could wear the headphones while you work out in your home so you can pump up the volume.
Bluetooth enabled headphones aren’t the only devices that can be easily paired with your Smart TV with Bluetooth. There are a host of other options. Here is a quick reference guide to the most commonly paired devices.
- Bluetooth headphones and hearing aids
- Bluetooth soundbars
- Bluetooth speakers
- Bluetooth gamepads or controllers
- Bluetooth keyboards and mice
- Bluetooth Smart Phone, Pad, or Computer
Do you Need a Smart TV to use your Bluetooth headset?
Most likely, you won’t be able to buy a new TV that isn’t a Smart TV. However, you may wind up getting one without Bluetooth. Alternatively, you may want to update your current older TV to allow it to function with Bluetooth. Either way, you don’t need to buy a Smart TV to benefit from Bluetooth technology.
Instead of buying a Smart TV with Bluetooth, you could opt for a Bluetooth adapter. These are connected to your television via the 3.5 mm audio port or a standard left/right AUX audio port. If you have a gaming console or a media streaming device, you may already have access to Bluetooth connections. These would include Roku boxes, Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.
The important thing to note if you are going to buy an external Bluetooth adaptor is if it sends or receives the Bluetooth signal. This mainly depends on what you are using the paired devices for. For example, if you are looking to connect your TV to external speakers or headphones, then you want your TV to “send” the signal to the Bluetooth enabled speakers or headphones.
If you are potentially going to send information to the TV via Bluetooth, you want to make sure that you are buying a transmitter AND receiver on the same device. The TaoTronics Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter mentioned above both transmits and receives a signal.
The 1Mii B03 Long Range Bluetooth Device acts more like a sound splitter. You can connect a soundbar, speakers, receiver, and multiple headphones to it all at the same time. All you need to do is choose the device, instead of pairing between devices all the time.
The Miccus Long Range Bluetooth Device is proven reliable at low latency with aptX up to 300 ft in distance. This would allow you to walk around your house while still being about to listen to your television.
However, not all headphones need Bluetooth to connect to your TV. Before there were smart TVs, headphones connected to your TV via a radio frequency. These types of headphones are still very popular and are often highly rated. You need to buy a specific type of headphones to do this. The HSPRO Wireless TV Headphones, Sony Wireless Headphones, Sennheiser RS 120II Wireless RF Headphones are all great options for the Bluetooth adverse.
Bluetooth, though, is the superior technology, as it allows you to connect more than just your headphones or external speakers.
Can you stream video, not just audio, over Bluetooth?
Yes, if you want to connect your smart phone or computer to your TV so that you can stream video, you can stream via Bluetooth. However, as noted above, not all receivers and transmitters do video content. If the Bluetooth device you are buying connects in to the 3.5 mm audio jack or the white and red RCA stereo audio jacks, your Bluetooth device IS NOT going to stream video.
If you want to stream video and audio via your Bluetooth device, then you need a Bluetooth box that connects into your HDMI port on the back of your television. HDMI ports are able to handle both video and audio. So, to do both, make sure you are using an HDMI port.
The Nyrius Aries Pro Wireless HDMI Box is able to stream in HD 1080p 3D video from just about any device to just about any device that has an HDMI port. So, you can stream from your laptop directly to an HDTV or even a projector, as long as it has an HDMI port.
How to Connect your Bluetooth Headphones to the TV
Connecting your TV to your headphones or other external Bluetooth enabled device, is TV specific. However, general guidelines are the same. The main part is accessing the Bluetooth settings on your TV. Once you have accessed the main section make sure that the TV’s Bluetooth settings read “on” or “discoverable.” You want the other devices to find the TV.
Once you know that all devices are powered on and the Bluetooth is active, check the list of discovered devices on your TV. Once you see your device, hit connect, or allow it to auto-connect. There may be a password or number combination to ensure a private connection.
Once that is done, you are good to go! It is that simple. There are no other special settings or buttons that you will need to press. Just make sure that you select the right inputs or outputs based on the devices that you are connecting to the TV and enjoy the show.
Which smart TV has a Bluetooth enabled?
Instead of buying an adaptor, you could just upgrade to a Smart TV with Bluetooth. The advantages here, are that you might be ready for one anyway, and you can take advantage of the cheaper prices on TVs, a bigger size, and all of the streaming capabilities of Smart TVs. Most of them are basically a Roku in a TV, except they have much more functionality and many more apps available.
Here is a quick break down for the best Bluetooth TVs on the market.
| Brand | Model | Smart? | Bluetooth? | Size? | Connections |
| Sony | X800H | Yes | Yes | 43’ | Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wireless |
| Samsung | TU-8000 | Yes | Yes | 43’ | Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI, USB, Wireless |
| Hisense | 32H5500F | Yes | Yes | 32’ | Wireless, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
| LG | 43UN7300PUF | Yes | Yes | 43’ | Wireless, Bluetooth, USB, Ethernet, HDMI |
Conclusion
There are plenty of options if you are looking to connect your TV to one or multiple Bluetooth devices. It all depends on what you are looking to do. The most basic connection allows your TV to transmit an audio signal to either external speakers or Bluetooth headphones. The more advanced option, though more useful, allows your TV to either transmit the audio to speakers or receive both audio and video from a laptop, smartphone, or media server.
Make sure that what you are buying will actually serve the need you are having. Point being, don’t buy a Bluetooth transmitter for the TV if you are looking for the TV to receive a Bluetooth signal. Further, if your TV needs to be updated, it might be more cost effective to just buy a new Bluetooth enabled Smart TV. Good luck and pleasant viewing.
