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Question

Connecting wireless keyboard/mouse to Smart TV

by Apr 25, 2016 8:39AM PDT

I have a Samsung UE40JU6000K smart tv. Unfortunately it does not have integrated bluetooth, but it does have wi-fi direct.

The TV works fine with wired USB keyboard and mouse. But that's not very useful if I want to use the keyboard for iPlayer searches, internet browsing etc from the comfort of my armchair.

I've tried two wireless keyboards, (one bluetooth, one RF - both came with USB receivers which I plugged into the TV) - neither worked. Although the tv doesn't have integrated bluetooth, I thought it might still work with the USB adaptor/receiver plugged in, but not so.

I'd like to know if there is such a device that can be plugged into a USB port as a proxy to make the smart TV (or anything else for that matter) think the wireless keyboard is a wired keyboard plugged in directly.

I know it's a long shot. Does anything like this exist?

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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Answer
As you know
by Forum moderator Apr 25, 2016 8:43AM PDT

Bluetooth USB dongles are not supported and don't work.

Which RF USB keyboard did you try? Many find that Logitech K400 line to work.

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Keyboards tried
by GusterF Apr 25, 2016 8:54AM PDT

Firstly - that was a very quick response - thank you!

The RF keyboard was "ESYNiC LED Backlit 2.4G Mini Wireless Keyboard Touchpad Mouse Combo" (from Amazon, which I have now returned)

I'll look into the K400.

Thanks

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Logitech K400 keyboard works with Samsung Smart TV!
by GusterF Apr 26, 2016 2:53AM PDT

Thank you R.Proffitt, the Logiteck K400 does indeed work with my Samsung smart TV. In fact, I'm typing this post on the Samsung UE40JU6000K tv using the K400 keyboard. This is despite a Samsung advisor telling me the tv did not support ANY wireless keyboard.

It's a shame the smaller "mini" keyboards aren't compatible as they would have been perfect, but at least this one works.
I should add that not all apps support the keyboard. For example, you can't use it to type search terms in the BBC iPlayer or YouTube, although the touchpad does work in YouTube and the arrow and Enter keys work in the iPlayer. Anyway, I can use my tablet synced to the tv for YouTube. And the whole keyboard works perfectly in the Web Browser.

Thanks again!

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Thanks for the feedback. And those apps.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Apr 26, 2016 9:39AM PDT

I had a phone conversation with one of the Samsung CNET Ambassadors and we touched on the app and keyboard issue briefly. While we both agree it's no excuse the horrible reason why is that keyboards like the K400 represent less than a percent of the user base.

On top of that, Samsung doesn't write all the apps. So for YouTube it's Google and for a time I found lacking keyboard support in the Android version. That was 2 or so years ago and unless I find an older Android Google cleaned that issue up over time.

The release cycle of apps to these Smart TVs is nothing short of a gauntlet. How do I know? I attended a Smart TV development seminar and took pictures. This one shows that gauntlet.
http://i.imgur.com/GVlYYvo.png

It's a tightly controlled system which I have heard is quite painful to get an update out there that unless you are say Netflix and revenue share with the Smart TV maker, there's little chance of an update.

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