Even with the improvements in the streaming world, watching movies and TV shows has its share of challenges. For instance, you may not always get super speeds from your internet service provider.
With a slow connection, you may miss your favorite show on Netflix. Fortunately, the streaming platforms have put measures to cover their customers from slow and unstable internet connections.
So, do you need Wi-Fi for Netflix on Smart TV? While you need the internet to stream on Netflix, you can access its diverse library even without the internet.
For example, using a phone or tablet to watch Netflix on your Smart TV does not require you to have a WIFI connection on your TV. Alternatively, you can save Netflix shows and watch them later when you do not have the internet.
Here’s how to watch Netflix on TV without Wi-Fi:
Download your preferred videos for offline viewing
If you are traveling to regions with limited internet, you can download Netflix shows on your mobile devices. Currently, Netflix allows you to download up to 100 shows at any given time. However, to avoid usual glitches, you should download fewer shows at once.
To download shows on Netflix:
- Open the Netflix app
- Go to Downloads
- Click the Available for Download option
- Find a show to download
- Click Download
Once you have downloaded a show, you can watch it on your mobile device. Alternately, you can connect Netflix to TV from your phone through screen mirroring.
If a show does not have a download option, log out from your device and try another one. Alternatively, you can stream Netflix without an internet connection on your TV by connecting it to a laptop.
Connect your laptop with your non-smart TV using HDMI
You can use an HDMI cable from your PC to get Netflix on a non-smart TV. Unlike the other option, you do not need to download any file. However, your TV must have HDMI ports for this option to work.
To watch Netflix without an internet connection on an older TV:
- Connect your laptop and TV with an HDMI cable
- Open Netflix on your laptop
- Change input option on your TV to HDMI
- Start watching your favorite show
In some cases, you may encounter some challenges. For example, your PC may fail to connect with the TV or the TV may not detect HDMI cables. If that happens, update the display drives on your PC.
To update the drives:
- Press both the Windows and X keys
- Go to Device Manager
- Reset the display output
- Connect the PC with the TV again.
How to reduce data usage on Netflix
If you have a limited internet plan, streaming Netflix may be expensive. Fortunately, you can reduce data usage and, as a result, pay less.
This is also the best way to avoid typical glitches, such as the video lagging when streaming.
To reduce the data usage when streaming:
- Go to your Netflix account
- Tap the Profile icon
- Select the Account option
- Select My Profile
- Scroll down to Playback setting
- Select your preferred video quality
You can also change the data settings when downloading videos on your mobile device. To lower the video resolution:
- Sign in to your Netflix account (on your phone)
- Tap the More menu
- Select the App settings
- Go to Download Video Quality
- Change the quality from High to
Compared to streaming content on the default data setting on Netflix, altering the data usage may affect the video quality. The downloaded videos will also take less space. However, it is a worthy sacrifice in terms of reducing your spending on data.
If you have tuned your account to use minimal data but still getting crazy data charges, avoid deleting cache files unless you have a system bug.
While you cannot cache Netflix shows, the files minimize data usage when finding a video to watch.
While you can’t stream Netflix without the internet, there are some exceptional cases where you can stream your favorite show without it. Netflix also allows users to customize data use, especially for those with limited data plans.
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