I installed a smart plug and plugged my TV into it. “OK Google, turn on the TV!”
Nothing…
Or almost nothing…
Because the “standby” light on my television then turned red indicating that my TV was in standby mode.
I hadn’t thought that standby mode could prevent my TV from really turning on. I began to wonder if a smart plug was useful for controlling a TV and turning it on.
Contents
Can You Turn on a TV with a Smart Plug?
Actually, despite my attempts, the answer is no for my TV, you can’t use a smart plug to turn on a television (at least not without adjustments). Today’s TVs go into standby mode when they are turned off. Smart plugs can cut off power or activate standby, but they can’t turn your TV on. The TV will only go into standby mode in this case.
Given that televisions go into standby mode when they are turned off, they are never fully off, unless physically unplugged from the wall. And as smart plugs work by disconnecting or supplying power, they only unplug and reconnect the power supply. So when you’re going to turn the TV back on from the smart plug, the TV will go into standby mode and you’ll have to bring the TV out of standby to “really” turn it on.
What is the standby mode of a TV?
The first cathode ray tube TVs took time to turn on, especially if they were completely off.
Sometimes several minutes! (You may have experienced this).
These old TVs had a standby mode to turn on more quickly.
Today’s TVs no longer have the same technologies. There are mainly LEDs, but the standby mode has been preserved for practical reasons so that the TV can detect remote control signals to turn it on.
The standby mode of televisions is noticeable by the presence of a small red LED lit in a corner of the TV, this means it can receive information from its remote control.
Given that standby mode consumes very little, all TVs are equipped with it because it’s practical to turn on the TV remotely.
Can we disable “standby” mode?
The solution to turn on your TV with a smart plug is to disable the TV’s standby mode.
Unfortunately, not all TVs allow this, you will certainly need to check by doing research on the internet concerning your particular TV model.
If you don’t want to search, try already to look in the settings.
When standby mode is disabled, you should be able to use your smart plug to turn on your TV (your TV no longer has a standby mode and will not turn on with the remote but from the plug directly).
Other ways to turn on a TV without a smart plug
If like me your TV doesn’t have an option to disable standby mode, you must find another way.
And yes, there are solutions.
Google Chromecast
There is the possibility of using Google Chromecast with or Google Home. The setup is a bit technical and not as simple as one might think.
To turn on the TV with a Google Home or other Google speaker, you need:
- A Google voice device
- Plug a Chromecast dongle (to purchase) into the TV and plug it into a wall socket
- A TV compatible with HDMI-CEC (disabled by default, activate “CEC” in the settings)
- Wifi
- Follow the instructions on the TV (app installation, configuration…)
- Say “Ok Google, turn on the television” or “Ok Google, turn off the TV” (more details in case of connection difficulties)
No products found.
Result:
Depending on the TV models:
AOC E-link
Emerson Fun-Link
Hitachi HDMI-CEC
Insignia InLink
ITT T-Link
JVC CEC
LG SimpLink
Loewe Digital Link
Magnavox Fun-Link
Mitsubishi NetCommand or Realink for HDMI
Onkyo RIHD
Panasonic VIERA Link or HDAVI Control or EZ-Sync
Philips EasyLink
Pioneer Kuro Link
Runco International RuncoLink
Samsung Anynet +
Sansui EasyConnect
Sharp Aquos Link
Sony BRAVIA Sync, BRAVIA Link, Control for HDMI
Sylvania Fun-Link
TCL T-Link
Toshiba Regza Link or CE-Link
Vizio CEC
Amazon Alexa
You can choose the Amazon Alexa solution with a Fire TV Stick to turn on your TV.
There are a number of different TV brands and models with which Alexa will work. Personally, I have a TCL TV that I turn on with Alexa and the setup was easy.
To turn on the TV with Alexa, you need:
- An Amazon Echo device
- Plug an Amazon Fire TV Stick dongle (to purchase) into the TV and plug it into a wall socket
- A TV compatible with HDMI-CEC (disabled by default, activate “CEC” in the settings)
- Wifi
- Follow the instructions on the TV (app installation, configuration…)
- Say “Alexa, turn on the television” or “Alexa, turn off the TV”
No products found.
To conclude
In most situations, you won’t be able to use a smart plug to turn on your TV. Indeed, most of today’s TVs go into standby mode when they are turned on and go back into standby mode when they are turned off with the remote.
A possible solution is to disable standby mode in your TV’s settings. In this way, a smart plug will turn on the TV without going through standby mode.
If your TV does not allow you to disable standby mode (probably the case), you can install Google Chromecast or Amazon Alexa and you will be able to turn on your TV and even control it without a remote.
Smart plug combined with voice assistant
If you are interested in the technical aspect and also want to make an ecological gesture, you can use the combination of a smart plug and a voice assistant. This will allow you to turn on the TV, control it and with a dongle on the TV and turn it off completely with the smart plug.
