Can You Use A Insignia Smart TV Without Internet?

Smart TV in a modern white living roomSmart TV in a modern white living room

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Smart TVs certainly come loaded with many features, but how valuable are these ultra-modern home entertainment centers if you don’t have internet? It turns out that there’s actually a lot to do on an Insignia Smart TV, even if you don’t have a reliable Wi-Fi connection.

You can play video games, watch cable tv, play downloaded media, and watch DVDs on an Insignia TV without an internet connection. You’ll still be able to enjoy the benefits of the Smart TV user interface and high resolution while doing so.

If you are having trouble connecting your TV to the internet, you are encouraged to scroll down below, where you’ll find tips on how to improve your Wi-Fi connection.

Can You Use An Insignia Smart TV Without Internet?

Technically you can use an Insignia Smart TV without an Internet connection, but many of the features and apps that you know and love simply won’t work.

What won’t work:

  • Streaming platforms
  • Internet browsers
  • All the apps you downloaded on the TV store
  • Some of the Alexa voice retrieval features (such as pulling up music or live TV channels)

What will work:

  • Gaming platformers, as long as you can play games offline
  • Cable TV, Satellite, or Antenna TV
  • Blu-ray/DVD players

Why Would You Get An Insignia Smart TV If You Don’t Have Internet?

These days Smart TVs dominate the market. If you settle for a TV that isn’t a Smart TV, you’ll have a lot fewer choices. These types of TVs also come with plenty of connection ports, which older types of TVs don’t necessarily have. You can connect multiple different gaming platforms, speakers, and cable boxes to the TV at the same time.

If you don’t have a reliable internet connection, there are still several things you can do to improve the connection so that you can finally stream your favorite shows and movies.

You Could Get A DVD Player

Popular DVD players on the market include modernized selections such as the Sony BDP-BX370, which offers image quality up to 1080HD. The LG BP175 offers the same and comes with a 6-foot HDMI cable. Both are affordable options for those without access to reliable internet.

Play Video Games

What better way to enjoy the 720p HD resolution of the Insignia Smart Fire TV than to play all your favorite games? You can still play your gaming console without an online connection, just as long as you are playing locally and not online.

Play Media Locally Through Your USB Storage Device

You can also plug a USB storage device into the TV’s USB port to play home videos, photos, and all your favorite songs. Look for USB devices that offer plenty of storage, such as this 128GB USB memory stick.

How To Fix An Insignia Smart TV That Won’t Connect To Wi-Fi

Insignia’s line of Smart TVs is supported by Amazon Fire technology. This allows users to connect to Amazon Cloud Services, provided that they are connected to the internet. If you are having trouble accessing Amazon Cloud Services, or even connecting to Wi-Fi at all, there are several things you can do to resolve this issue.

Do this if videos are buffering, you can’t connect to the internet, or you see the message “Home is Currently Unavailable”:

  • Unplug the power and restart your Fire TV.
  • Retry connecting to the network.
  • Try restarting your modem and router.

How To Connect Your Insignia Smart TV To A Wi-Fi Hotspot

You may be able to run your TV off of your phone’s mobile hotspot if your internet is not working. Be forewarned, though: mobile hotspots eat up tons of mobile data. This works best if you’re on a plan with unlimited data.

  1. Activate your mobile hotspot from your phone.
  2. Go to settings and select network.
  3. Enter the password to use your mobile hotspot, as necessary.

Mobile hotspots have much more limited capacity versus wireless routers. The overall quality of the connection varies depending on the provider. This can still be a good solution while traveling or for the short term while you find a more viable solution.

Buy A Wi-Fi Booster, Repeater, or Extender

Wi-Fi boosters, repeaters, and extenders are devices capable of improving the strength of your connection. This could be a good way to go if your smart tv keeps on losing its signal.

  • Repeaters, boosters, and extenders: Broaden the coverage area of your Wi-Fi network.
  • There’s no separate definition for each of these devices as they all serve the same general purpose.
  • These can work exceptionally well if your TV needs to be located far away from your router.

There are many Wi-Fi extenders on the market, and each of these may differ in terms of how they extend the coverage area of your router. Popular examples of Wi-Fi extenders include the NETGEAR Range Extender and the WeBoost signal booster.

Final Thoughts

Insignia Smart TVs still offer many benefits for users without access to a reliable Wi-Fi connection. You can play video games, watch DVDs, listen to music and watch local media from a USB drive. A slow, unreliable Wi-Fi connection can often be resolved with a few simple fixes, as you’ll see in the sections above.

Looking to use additional TVs without internet? Learn more here.

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