8 Smart Gadgets To Help Upgrade Your TV & Entertainment System

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Decades ago, having the best TV display would have been enough for solid entertainment. But now, even if you spend thousands on an ultra-slim TV with top-of-the-line visuals, it doesn't guarantee a flawless and highly immersive entertainment experience.

There's much that could be lacking — maybe the TV's processor lags and makes navigation a chore. Or maybe the dialogue isn't clear despite high volume. Or maybe there's excess light pouring in from outside and hampering your immersion. Dropping more cash to purchase an even better TV won't make much of a difference when there are many other gaps beyond the display.

What you need is the right ecosystem of smart peripherals that synergize with your TV to massively elevate immersion. And in 2026, the options are very exciting, from seamless streaming devices to voice-operated smart curtains and XR glasses that bring Imax screens to your face. The smart gadget categories and product suggestions we cover in this list are the definitive upgrades your TV and entertainment system need to go from basic to cinematic.

Whenever you're on the TV, you spend time navigating, seeking, and scrubbing, but if the interface isn't smooth, you're in for a world of frustration. Since a TV's primary focus is visuals, manufacturers max out on display and picture quality, but skimp on processing power. A dedicated streaming device lets you skip the underpowered chips in smart TVs. It'll have more RAM and processing power for lag-free navigation, swift app loading and switching, and high bitrate 4K video streams. You also get convenient smart home integration for controlling compatible home appliances.

The Apple TV 4K undoubtedly handles most tasks better than smart TVs thanks to its energy-efficient A15 Bionic processor. Its tvOS looks and feels premium because it's clutter-free, ad-free, and lag-free. You get remarkable Apple ecosystem synergy, like AirPlay, TV color calibration (via the iPhone camera), instant AirPods connection, and remote control through the iPhone.

The Google TV Streamer (4K) is less expensive than the Apple TV but has an Ethernet port, a remote-finder button, and superior AI integration. Its built-in Gemini is excellent for getting content recommendations across subscriptions and content-related answers. There's also Google Home integration, which is convenient for controlling smart lights and other home appliances.

The Roku Ultra stands out with its smooth, simple interface and a headphone jack on its remote for wired (and wireless) private listening. There's Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, a remote-finder button, and an Ethernet port. Although it has homescreen ads, you can disable them.

A smart soundbar fills in the sonic gaps in your TV's audio by consolidating audio drivers to produce high, mid, and low frequency sounds from a single unit. A good one has powerful acoustic processors to tailor audio to your space and ensure clear dialogue. Advanced units also have spatial audio features to produce convincing, highly immersive surround sound, and even overhead Atmos sound, without a complex rear or ceiling-speaker setup. In addition, these speakers have built-in smart assistants and casting support, so you can use voice controls and stream audio directly from your phone.

The Samsung HW-Q990H is a premium powerhouse with 11.1.4 channels and built-in voice assistants. Its wireless Dolby Atmos and wireless rear speakers (with upfiring sound) guarantee immersion and a clean, wire-free aesthetic. Its AI room calibration feature adjusts frequencies and volume in real-time based on your room's acoustics, dimensions, and ambient noise.

The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a compact, mid-range soundbar suited for small apartments or TVs under 65 inches. It links with iOS devices to analyze room acoustics and calibrate the sound accordingly. As we mentioned in our Sonos Beam (Gen 2) review, despite its small size, the soundbar supports Dolby Atmos to create a wide 3D soundstage.

For those on a tight budget, the Vizio 5.1 SE Soundbar presents excellent Dolby Atmos and a wireless subwoofer for superior bass. You get rear speakers for enhanced surround sound, but these are wired, and you also miss out on a built-in voice assistant.

Screen-syncing lighting or bias lighting illuminates the space behind and around your TV to increase perceived contrast, boost immersion, and minimize eye strain. A major reason you'll want LED strip lights behind your TV is that when synced with the screen, the display appears to extend and the on-screen action spills out. Sync lighting products operate in two ways — camera-based systems and sync boxes. The budget camera-based systems visually track on-screen colors to replicate them, and the premium sync boxes process video over HDMI cables to display accurate colors without lag.

The Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite is a budget-friendly, camera-based sync light compatible with TVs ranging from 40 inches to 85 inches. It needs a more hands-on setup than the sync boxes, but the colors are accurate, it works with the TV's built-in apps, and there's voice-assistant integration for hands-free commands.

The Govee AI Sync Box 2 is a premium HDMI 2.1 sync box that supports 4K at 144Hz, VRR, and ALLM for ultra-smooth visuals — ideal for gamers. It contains an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) that can choreograph lights by identifying in-game events, including level-ups, and HDMI 2.1 cable-connectivity reduces latency between the game and lights.

Film buffs with no budget constraints will appreciate the Philips Hue Play Sync Box 8K, which is designed for serious home cinema setups. It has multiple HDMI inputs for devices, zero latency, 8K (60Hz) and 4K (120Hz) support, and highly accurate colors to precisely match the on-screen visuals.

For cinema enthusiasts and gamers seeking content immersion, XR glasses bring a personal theater right in front of their eyes, while costing less than a home theater setup. These glasses have micro-OLED projectors transmitting images through bird-bath optics — a folded optical system with curved lenses. The optical arrangement creates full-HD visuals ranging from 120 to 500 inches. Additionally, the high-pixel-density ensures stunning picture quality with infinite contrast, vivid colors, and no visible pixel grid.

The Xreal 1S has a spatial computing chip for enhanced performance and a built-in anchor mode (3 DoF) to keep the screen fixed in one place and improve eye comfort. The screen scales to a colossal 500 inches for unparalleled immersion, and the electrochromic auto-dimming lenses can isolate the virtual display by blocking out external light.

The RayNeo Air 3s Pro is a comparatively budget option featuring a 120Hz refresh rate. With a 1,200-nit display and 20 brightness levels, it gets brighter than the Xreal 1S and has a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut for rich colors. Its screen size scales to 201 inches, but the missing 3 DoF can cause some eye strain when binge-watching.

The Viture Luma has built-in myopia adjustment, making it a convenient and cost-effective option for nearsighted folk. It's brighter than the Xreal 1S and has a 52 degree field of view that's great for daily media consumption and eye comfort. Its screen size scales only to 146 inches, but that's still large compared to a standard living room TV.

Ultra-short-throw (UST) projectors bypass several pain points of traditional projectors. While long-throw projectors need extensive setup with ceiling mounts and lengthy cables, UST projectors can sit mere inches from the wall to create a 100 to 150-inch display. Setup takes just minutes, and due to the wall proximity, people won't cast shadows on the display. Many of these products have a built-in OS, so you won't require another streaming device and can issue voice commands.

The elegant Xgimi Aura 2 brings crisp 4K resolution and a 100-inch projection from 7 inches away. Its incredible contrast ratio (1,000,000:1), paired with Dolby Vision and Imax Enhanced, creates vibrant visuals even with ambient light. Its Advanced Intelligent Screen Adaptation automatically corrects distorted images and turns off when no one's around, and the four-speaker Dolby Atmos system is surprisingly immersive. 

The Hisense PX3-PRO caters to cinephiles and gamers, supporting a 150-inch display with 4K resolution at 120Hz (and 1080p at 240Hz), Dolby Vision and Imax Enhanced formats, and Dolby Atmos sound. It also gets a bit brighter than the Xgimi Aura 2 and has a wider color gamut for more accurate visuals.

The Epson EpiqVision Ultra LS650's 3,600-lumen brightness prevents faded pictures even in brightly lit spaces. It projects 4K resolution and a 120-inch screen size with no rainbow artifacts. Although less expensive than the options above, it's not great for dark room viewing because of its mediocre black levels. Still, it's a solid replacement for the living room TV.

Wireless HDMI's a good solution for your entertainment system, helping you create a clean, cable-free setup without structurally modifying the wall. These kits have a transmitter that plugs into your media source to wirelessly send the AV signal to the HDMI receiver connected to your TV or projector. Along with a minimalist aesthetic, these kits free you from the design constraints of cabled entertainment setups. That means you can have your TV floating on a bare wall with the streaming devices or gaming consoles hidden away in cabinets. Even while casting from your laptop, you can sit at a comfortable distance without any cables hindering your movement.

The Nyrius Aries Home+ reliably routes 1080p video and surround sound, with a resilient 100-foot range and minimal latency for gamers. It has an HDMI loop-through so you can broadcast to two displays simultaneously, with one display cable-tethered to the transmitter and the second display receiving a wireless signal. It's good for gaming and great for house-wide media sharing, but the missing 4K resolution is a trade-off.

The Svbony TransAir4 has a 165-foot range and 4K (30Hz), 2K (60Hz), and 1080p (60Hz) video support. Although the 4K video transmission is capped at 30Hz, it's acceptable for film viewing. The transmitter also has dual-band transmission to ensure minimal latency, and works with AirPlay and Miracast. It's considerably less expensive than other 4K wireless transmitters and it's good for 4K cinema, but avid gamers should skip it.

Streaming device, TV, sound system, AC, fan — that's tedious remote clutter to sift through. You can consolidate everything by learning how a universal remote control works, or go further by turning your smartphone into a universal remote. You achieve this by attaching a universal remote control adapter to your phone or setting up a smart hub that bridges your Wi-Fi with the IR and RF appliances at home. 

The Ocrustar universal remote control is a low-cost, compact USB-C adapter for iOS and Android phones that turns your device into an IR blaster. Compatible with popular brands like Sony, Samsung, Hisense, and LG, it lets you control TVs, projectors, ACs, fans, motorized curtains, and more. The setup and app walkthrough barely take a few minutes, and the 50-foot range offers high responsiveness.

The BroadLink RM4 Pro is a universal remote hub that lets your smartphone control IR and RF devices in the hub's line of sight. You can issue commands to the hub and control devices from anywhere. It works with Google Assistant and Alexa to voice-control your IR appliances, and supports timers and triggers (through IFTTT). The remote hub has over 50,000 IR codes in the cloud and can learn IR codes manually.

For Matter compatibility, you'll want the SwitchBot Universal Remote and Hub. Its gigantic database has over 83,000 remote control models and works with IR and Bluetooth devices, but there's no RF support. And unlike the above options, SwitchBot has a dedicated remote.

As we move toward futuristic smart furniture, motorized curtains that open and close at the touch of a button or with voice control are becoming more common. These blackout curtains or drapes are a must if your entertainment setup gets ample light and glare, and they also enhance the room's acoustics by dampening reverb. Motorized and automated control gives you incredible convenience and a premium cinema experience.

SmartWings motorized drapery is apt for anyone who's building their own home theater/entertainment setup and doesn't mind spending a bit on a permanent drape solution. This is a high-end custom installation with 100% blackout fabric and complete window coverage. These curtains have quiet, powerful motors, and they work with Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit (Matter), Samsung SmartThings, and other smart-home integrations.

SwitchBot Curtain 3 is a more budget-friendly option for people seeking a simple curtain opening solution rather than replacing their entire drape decor. The robot is simply hung onto the curtain rod, taking barely a few minutes to set up. It's compact, but it can quietly push drapes weighing 33 pounds and has an 8-month battery that's USB-C rechargeable (with a solar panel add-on).