My family lived for 6 months in an Airbnb with TVs that had decent screens, but terrible, clunky and slow smart TV interfaces. We weren't going to buy new TVs when we had perfectly decent ones at home, so we hooked up a Roku stick to the set in my kid's room and a Google TV streamer on the living room TV. All was much better in the world.ย
For $30 to $90 or so, a streaming stick can give an ailing TV a whole new lease on life. But keep in mind, it can't work miracles. Sticking a 4K streaming device on your lower-resolution (HD) TV won't magically make it a 4K set. It also can't fix burn in, dead pixels or a dim screen. But if the picture quality is good, an inexpensive streamer can replace the interface, making it feel like a new set the next time you turn it on. They can also add some bonus features like smart home control and a peek at your security cams.ย
In my case, we knew we weren't going to get new TVs, but for those of you who aren't totally sure, I rounded up some advice. I asked a few experts, including our own TV tester, Chris McGraw, how to tell when it's time to say goodbye to your set and when you can just spruce it up with a streaming device.ย ย
A clear, bright picture is one sign your TV may still have plenty of life left in it.
(Dennis Fischer Photography via Getty Images)How's the picture?
If your TV still displays a clear and bright image and you're satisfied with the resolution, it makes sense to hang on to it. Jitesh Ubrani, director of consumer devices research at the market intelligence company IDC, says, “If users are satisfied with the overall size and picture quality of their TV then it's better to get a new streaming device to improve the experience.”
[The streaming sticks] were huge improvements, saving me hundreds of dollars.
But say you've got an HD (1080p) TV and are ready to upgrade to the improved resolution 4K screen. Or maybe your screen shows grayish blotches, the corners glow or you see dark…