After all, many PCs use DisplayPort cords, while TVs rely on HDMI for their inputs. Even with this bit of mismatching, it’s still incredibly easy to use a TV as a computer monitor.

Samsung’s Smart Monitor M9 works not only as a TV and a regular computer screen, but in sky-high portrait mode.

Next I’d suggest getting the Roku Streaming Stick ($50), which I relied on before getting a smart TV, or the recently redesigned Google Chromecast ($30), another streaming stick.

The Samsung OLED G8 is an attractive QD-OLED monitor packed with Smart TV features rarely found on competitors. Though useful, the Smart TV functionality makes the monitor more confusing to use.

LG MyView Smart Monitor 32SR85U SDR image quality While the LG MyView 32SR85U and the Samsung Odyssey G8 are similar in terms of display size, resolution, and Smart TV features, the similarities ...

To my surprise, I liked using my desktop monitor as both a normal PC monitor and a smart (albeit imperfect) TV. I often preferred the built-in streaming apps over a browser page.