Way back in the early 2010s, getting my first add-on media streamer — a Google Chromecast — was a revelation. I did own a smart TV, but like many sets of the era, its built-in apps were proprietary and not that well-supported. My Chromecast opened up a world of content and convenience, no matter that I was forced to use my phone as the interface.
There's less incentive to buy an add-on device now that just about every TV is based on a standardized OS like Roku OS or Google TV, but it can still be a handy way of carrying apps and settings from one TV to another, or switching to your preferred operating system. You'll want to be cautious if you're buying a budget product like an Amazon Fire Stick or a Roku Streaming Stick, though. They deliberately cut corners to keep prices down, so insist on these specs if you want something futureproof.
Dolby Vision or HDR10+
Setting a new bar for HDR
Frequently, HDR (high dynamic range) is one of the most impressive changes for someone upgrading from an old TV. With compatible content, you'll not only see brighter highlights and more shadow detail, but better color representation as well. HDR makes movies and shows “pop” far better than switching your TV's Picture Mode over to Vivid. Arguably, it's a more valuable feature than 4K or 8K resolution.
You'll certainly get enhanced color and…