Have you ever had that experience where it’s late at night and you just want to binge-watch films and series’ on your TV? The experience of watching on your phone is simply inferior to that of seeing the movie unfold on a bigger screen but for you to do this without waking everyone up at your house, you’ll need a nifty device: wireless headphones.
Gone are the days when you are limited to the length of your headphone wires, because these wireless versions provide better portability so you won’t be restricted with your movements. If you’re wondering how you can connect your wireless headphones, there are three easy ways to make this happen – by using Bluetooth headphones, dedicated wireless headphones, and media streamers.
Bluetooth headphones
Most smart TVs already have built-in wireless technology, so you can immediately use your Bluetooth headphones to listen on your TV. Simply look for the Accessory menu on your TV, and check the settings for Bluetooth. Set both your TV and headphones to Pairing Mode. Most Bluetooth headphones have a button that you have to press for a few seconds in order to make a connection between the two devices. Once Pairing mode is enabled, your headphones will be listed on your TV’s on-screen display. Using your remote control, select your headphones and you’re all set.
The only downside is that most Bluetooth headphones only have an estimated range of 30-feet or less, but this shouldn’t be too much of an issue if you’re using them on a TV in the living room.
Dedicated wireless headphones
Most people think that using Bluetooth headphones are the only wireless way to watch TV, but how about TVs without any built-in Bluetooth features? Don’t worry, there’s still a way!
Another wireless option is to buy dedicated wireless headphones. They come with a base station that is plugged into the TV using a 3.5 mm headphone jack or optical port and uses radiofrequency as a mode of transmission. The great thing about this gadget is that you get a significantly wider range compared to the 30-feet range of Bluetooth headphones.
However, if you have other audio devices such as speakers or a soundbar connected to your TV using an audio jack, you’ll have to unplug those if you want to watch with your wireless headphones. As for price range, dedicated wireless headphones range from affordable right up to the ‘you’re joking’ price tag.
Media streamers
A third option is to use media streamers like Apple TV, Android TV boxes, and Amazon Fire TV, in which all three allow a Bluetooth connection.
For Apple TV, set your headphones to pairing mode and look for the Bluetooth option in Settings. Select your headphones once it appears to pair the devices and connect.
Android TV boxes have a built-in Bluetooth feature, but some models only support connection with a mouse or keyboard so you have to check first if your media streamer does support Bluetooth headphones. If they do, then just set the headphones to pairing mode and choose your headphones on the Android TV box’s settings.
Bluetooth headphones can be used on the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. Set your headphones to pairing mode, then search for Bluetooth Devices in Settings on either Fire TV or Fire TV Stick. Once it appears under Discovered Devices, just select your headphones to complete the connection.
Check out all the various ways you can connect your wireless headphones to almost any TV in this video: