# How to row on your TV with a SmartRow or WaterRower

> Put your rowing machine’s numbers and a world to row through on the big screen. What you need, how to connect, and the best way to get it onto your TV.

Published 2026-10-27 on https://rowingbuddy.com/blog/row-on-your-tv/

Rowing at home is honest work, and staring at a wall or a small monitor for half an hour makes it feel longer than it is. With a TV in front of your rower, you can follow your pace, stroke rate and power at a glance, and row somewhere other than your living room.

This guide shows how to do that with RowingBuddy, a rowing game that runs in your browser. It takes about five minutes the first time.

## What you need

- **A rower that talks Bluetooth.** A SmartRow, a WaterRower S4 with the WaterRower Bluetooth ComModule, or any rowing machine with standard fitness Bluetooth (called FTMS). The SmartRow app’s broadcast mode works too.
- **A computer, or an Android phone or tablet,** with Chrome or Edge. These browsers can connect to a rower over Bluetooth. Browsers on iPhone and iPad can’t yet; a RowingBuddy app for them is on its way.
- **A TV** you can mirror or cast to, or plug a cable into.

No rower nearby? RowingBuddy has a built-in simulator, so you can try everything first.

## 1. Connect your rower

Open [RowingBuddy](https://rowingbuddy.com/play/) in Chrome or Edge and choose **Rower**. Pick your machine from the list:

- **SmartRow:** pull the handle once to wake the sensor, then choose it in the browser’s Bluetooth window.
- **WaterRower S4:** wake the monitor with a stroke or any button. If another rowing app on a phone or tablet is still connected to the rower, close it first: the rower only talks to one app at a time.
- **Other Bluetooth rower:** wake the monitor the same way and pick it from the list.

Once it’s connected, row a few strokes. The live numbers on the screen should match your rower’s own display.

## 2. Put it on the TV

Pick whichever of these suits your setup:

- **A cable.** A USB-C to HDMI cable from a phone or laptop gives the sharpest picture and no delay. It’s the best choice if your rower sits close to the TV.
- **Casting from Android.** Open quick settings and use Cast or Smart View to a Chromecast or Google TV.
- **A computer.** Use the TV as a second screen over HDMI, or cast the browser tab.

Turn your phone sideways before you start mirroring, so the picture fills the TV edge to edge, and keep it on a charger for long rows.

## 3. Pick a world and a workout

Choose where to row: an Alpine lake, the canals of Amsterdam, the Thames through London, a ring of light around a giant planet, or a road above the clouds. Then pick a piece: a 500 m sprint, the classic 2,000 m, 20 minutes against the clock, intervals, or just row with no target.

In a race you row against three pacers. One goes out hard, one holds an even pace and one saves it for the finish. Row a workout twice and you can race your own best as a ghost.

## Tips for a better session

- **Sit the TV at eye level** if you can, so you look ahead rather than down. Your neck will thank you on long rows.
- **Watch pace, not speed.** The big number is your pace per 500 m: lower is faster. Hold it steady before you try to push it down.
- **Use the stroke rate.** For steady rows, 18 to 24 strokes a minute is plenty. Long, strong strokes beat short, fast ones.

Ready? [Open RowingBuddy](https://rowingbuddy.com/play/) and row your first 500 m.

*SmartRow and WaterRower are trademarks of their owners. RowingBuddy isn’t made or endorsed by them.*