How I turned my outdated TV right into a monitor totally free

Samsung DeX is probably essentially the most under-utilized built-in Galaxy smartphone function. By merely plugging a Samsung telephone into a TV or a monitor, you may unlock a tailored desktop expertise, outputted straight onto the bigger panel.

Samsung has been slowly however steadily iterating on its desktop-like interface for quite a lot of years, leading to what’s right this moment a reasonably strong PC expertise.

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For the longest time, I have been fascinated with DeX and it is implications for the way forward for cellular computing, and but I’ve struggled to discover a use case that matches into my private workflow.

Then, the proper alternative arose — a family TV improve left me with an outdated, small, flatscreen panel with none cable field or sensible performance to name its personal. Unwilling to let my outdated TV accumulate mud or turn out to be e-waste, I turned to DeX.

Here is how I did it.

What’s wanted for DeX to work

To get Samsung DeX up and working, you may want a vacant show of your individual — this might be an outdated, small flatpanel, or a pc monitor with both HDMI or USB-C help.

Then there’s the telephone consideration: Samsung has a handy support website that lists any and all DeX-compatible Galaxy units. Older telephones just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S9 each require bespoke DeX docking hardware, whereas all newer fashions perform with out this constraint.

Do not forget the dongle

My Galaxy S20 has a USB-C port with help for HDMI output, and my outdated TV has an HDMI enter port. To sq. this circle, I merely used one of many many USB-C hub equipment presently accessible in the marketplace.

I occur to have a Satechi hub, which options ports starting from USB-A, Ethernet, microSD, and, after all, HDMI. It’s also possible to go for a easy USB-C to HDMI dongle from any accessible retailer.

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Getting DeX up and working

As soon as you’ve got gathered the required {hardware}, the setup itself is close to easy. Samsung has finished good work in making the whole course of a plug-and-play expertise:

1. Plug your Galaxy into your TV, utilizing a dongle or hub to transform from USB-C to HDMI.
2. Be certain your TV’s on-screen enter mode matches the bodily port that you have plugged your telephone and dongle into.
3. Unlock your Galaxy and settle for the immediate asking for permission to entry DeX mode.

For those who plug your telephone into your TV and easily see a mirrored model of the telephone display, swipe down in your notification panel, and faucet on the DeX fast setting tile.

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From right here, you may as well head to Settings –> Connections –> Bluetooth to wirelessly pair a keyboard and mouse to your setup. It’s also possible to use your Galaxy’s show as a makeshift trackpad, which may be enabled by way of your notification panel.

For those who’re finished enjoying round with DeX, or just wish to untether your telephone out of your flatpanel, comply with these steps:

1. Press the Apps button, which may be discovered within the decrease left nook of the interface.
2. Faucet on Exit DeX.
3. Unplug your Galaxy.

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So, can a TV DeX setup actually change a PC?

Virtually, however not fairly

As a proof of idea, working Samsung DeX on my outdated, small flatpanel principally hit the mark. All of the hallmarks of an interface geared in the direction of productiveness are current and accounted for — an utility drawer analogous to a PC Begin Menu, a taskbar, a number of floating and cascading home windows, and so forth.

In case your workflow consists of utilizing web-based providers, looking the web, and phrase processing, you may completely get by with simply DeX. Nevertheless, the Android ecosystem nonetheless does not help sufficient optimized large-screen purposes. Lots of the in-app experiences nonetheless give off that unshakable feeling of constraint, such as you’re being shackled to the inherent ideas of cellular software program.

TVs are designed to be mounted on the wall or positioned in an leisure middle

Placing apart the necessity for a considerably unpleasant dongle or USB-C hub, the most important DeX downside I bumped into from a {hardware} perspective has to do with the TV show itself.

In contrast to normal pc screens, which provide adjustable viewing angles, TVs merely aren’t designed with desktop utilization in thoughts. My outdated flatpanel is sufficiently small to make it a superb dimension for a desk, nevertheless it presents nothing in the way in which of adjustability. Mileage varies primarily based on TV mannequin and desk setup, however in case you choose to retool an outdated flatscreen panel, you may anticipate to ask undesirable neck pressure into the equation.

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Wanting in the direction of the long run

Flagship telephones throughout the board lean in

The sheer quantity of processing energy a contemporary flagship telephone accommodates is nothing wanting outstanding. Different Android OEMs are fortunately starting to take the plug-and-play idea severely, which merely wasn’t the case a couple of brief years in the past.

Motorola is one such OEM main the pack with its ‘Ready For‘ PC interface, and Google itself has been internally fidgeting with a local desktop mode since at least 2016.

​​​​​​I loved my experiment of working DeX on my outdated TV, and the novelty issue by no means wore off throughout the check interval. I streamed YouTube movies, I browsed the net, and I typed up segments of this text throughout my transient stint. For all of those duties, the expertise was not solely a serviceable one, however a pleasing one.

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That being stated, DeX nonetheless lacks a lot of the specialised software program that many PC customers rely upon to get work finished. In my case, the shortage of full-fat Adobe apps is a reasonably vital roadblock to take care of.

Throwing within the accompanying ergonomic challenges, I finally pulled the plug on DeX and went again to my trusty M1 iMac setup. I will not be a full-time convert fairly but, however I can safely say that this would possibly not be the final time I experiment with utilizing my outdated TV as a DeX PC.

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FAQ

Q: Which Samsung units help DeX?

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Q: What’s Samsung DeX?

Inititally launched in 2017 as a puck-like hub with USB, Ethernet, and HDMI ports to connect with the Samsung Galaxy S8 sequence, DeX lets you connect with an even bigger platform to view smaller cellular apps. Primarily, it permits for a laptop computer show of a cellular app model. You possibly can join to indicate Samsung DeX on a monitor, pill, TV, or laptop computer show. Along with utilizing the apps already put in in your telephone and exhibiting them on an even bigger display, you may as well reply and make calls whereas utilizing DeX.