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Debate: Dropping $80 on a streaming stick vs. just using the smart TV apps built in

So here's where I'm at. I got a new TCL TV last month, the Roku one, and the interface is fine but kinda slow. I also have an older Fire TV Stick 4K I bought for like $80 two years ago. I swapped between them for a week. The stick loads stuff faster but the TV remote feels nicer in my hand. The stick also has that stupid Amazon ads on the home screen. But the TV apps randomly crash on me during a big episode. So did I waste $80 on the stick or did I save myself from frustration? Who else has strong feelings about this? What do you use for your main streaming?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliam4013h ago

Right there with you on this one. Got a Samsung smart TV a year ago and the built in apps are so laggy it makes me want to throw the remote through the screen. The thing freezes up during the climax of a show and I'm left staring at a spinning wheel. Hooked up my old Apple TV and it's night and day difference, everything just snaps right open. The smart TV interface feels like it's running on dial up from 1998. So no, you didn't waste your money, you bought peace of mind. That little box earns its keep every time you don't have to watch a spinning circle.

patricia_king2334m ago

Three seconds of a loading circle and you're ready to throw a remote through a screen? That's a bit much. It's annoying sure but it's a minor slowdown not a total meltdown.