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Converting a dumb tv to a smart TV

EvilBetty

EvilBetty

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2012
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I've never done this and am more or less a tech dolt. Scored a free 65" hitachi tv from work. Its probably 5 years old and not equipped for smart technologies. All I really need it to do is run prime, hulu, youtube and netflix. For reg TV all I have is digital bunny ears. I don't game or anything, just occasionally watch some netflix and stream sports through my computer via HDMI. I have google fiber if that matter for any reason.

Anybody out there got any advice on which products out there have the best price per features value?
 
Amazon Fire stick, Roku stick, or Google Chromecast with Google TV. They all work essentially the same with just minor interface differences.

My preference is the Chromecast
 
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Google Chromecast with Googletv. Not just a standard Chromecast. Works perfect and live the simple remote.
 
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Agclone91 said:
Amazon Fire stick, Roku stick, or Google Chromecast with Google TV. They all work essentially the same with just minor interface differences.

My preference is the Chromecast
Click to expand...
Concur with Chromecast....their new ones have all the bells and whistles of apps and stuff....and can cast to it from devices.

Given age of that tv, you likely wouldn't need the 4k version. The 3rd gen is on sale for $20 at target now.
 
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I can only speak to the difference between Roku Stick and Fire stick, but I much prefer Roku in that one. It just runs better. The only advantage of the fire stick is price. Plus the Roku remote can control the TV power and volume which is handy. If casting is a big deal to you you can pretty much cast to everything these days. I personally rarely use it, but both the fire stick and Roku stick have the capability.
 
NorthCyd said:
I can only speak to the difference between Roku Stick and Fire stick, but I much prefer Roku in that one. It just runs better. The only advantage of the fire stick is price. Plus the Roku remote can control the TV power and volume which is handy. If casting is a big deal to you you can pretty much cast to everything these days. I personally rarely use it, but both the fire stick and Roku stick have the capability.
Click to expand...
I do kind of like the idea of having a separate remote. I know I can get an app for my phone, but I like having a separate remote for the TV
 
NorthCyd said:
I can only speak to the difference between Roku Stick and Fire stick, but I much prefer Roku in that one. It just runs better. The only advantage of the fire stick is price. Plus the Roku remote can control the TV power and volume which is handy. If casting is a big deal to you you can pretty much cast to everything these days. I personally rarely use it, but both the fire stick and Roku stick have the capability.
Click to expand...
I agree that either is going to work fine. Fire stick also can control the TV power and volume, and depending on the model, has voice control built into the remote. Not something I use very often, but my kids do.
 
what if my other tv came equipped with ROKU? I Keep 2 TV's in my living room durning football season. I can do that, as I am not married. My other smaller tv has roku software(?) already on the TV and has a roku remote. If i get a roku dongle will that remove cross between tv's and make it difficult to run both TV's at the same time on different channels and such?
 
EvilBetty said:
I do kind of like the idea of having a separate remote. I know I can get an app for my phone, but I like having a separate remote for the TV
Click to expand...

Most of these devices will control your TV. One small difference is that the Chromecast remote has a source button that the Roku doesn't. So if you're putting another device on the TV, then that may be important. Makes it easier for our kids to switch back and forth for their Playstation and Switch.
 
Mr Janny said:
I agree that either is going to work fine. Fire stick also can control the TV power and volume, and depending on the model, has voice control built into the remote. Not something I use very often, but my kids do.
Click to expand...
I probably just had an older version of fire stick. The Roku has the voice control too, but I don't use that.

I would say that contrary to what others may say, I would spend a little extra and get the 4k model or whatever the latest version is of what you're getting. Often times you aren't saving that much money because these things aren't that expensive to begin with, and the newer models tend to run better and you never know, you may end up with a 4k TV in a couple of years. If this is something you think you will use everyday spending 20 or 30 extra dollars for the best version is worth it IMO.
 
EvilBetty said:
what if my other tv came equipped with ROKU? I Keep 2 TV's in my living room durning football season. I can do that, as I am not married. My other smaller tv has roku software(?) already on the TV and has a roku remote. If i get a roku dongle will that remove cross between tv's and make it difficult to run both TV's at the same time on different channels and such?
Click to expand...
The remotes link to a specific device, so you shouldn't have any trouble with cross talk.

Although the TV controls run off of IR, so if you have the same model or possibly even the same brand there could be some issues there.
 
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NorthCyd said:
The remotes link to a specific device, so you shouldn't have any trouble with cross talk.

Although the TV controls run off of IR, so if you have the same model or possibly even the same brand there could be some issues there.
Click to expand...
I had 3 rokus in one room during the NCAA Tournament last year. No issues.
 
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EvilBetty said:
got it. i would just have to spray paint one of them pink so I know which tv each roku remote goes with.
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The Chromecast come in three different colors FYI. You could get a different color for each room if you really wanted to. May have to order directly from the Google store to get the colors other than white though. Not sure if they are available in store.

We have 4 in our house and never had an issue with cross talk. The remotes are Bluetooth and they connect to each specific device.

Buy Chromecast with Google TV - Google Store

Chromecast with Google TV turns any TV into a smart TV with one seamless experience for all your streaming apps. Use the remote or your phone to watch your favorite shows, movies, or videos.
store.google.com store.google.com
 
Agclone91 said:
The Chromecast come in three different colors FYI. You could get a different color for each room if you really wanted to. May have to order directly from the Google store to get the colors other than white though. Not sure if they are available in store.

We have 4 in our house and never had an issue with cross talk. The remotes are Bluetooth and they connect to each specific device.

Buy Chromecast with Google TV - Google Store

Chromecast with Google TV turns any TV into a smart TV with one seamless experience for all your streaming apps. Use the remote or your phone to watch your favorite shows, movies, or videos.
store.google.com store.google.com
Click to expand...
Agree with this. In addition, you can assign multiple remotes to each chromecast. So for our living room TV, my wife and I each have a remote. Same for the bedroom.
 
NorthCyd said:
I probably just had an older version of fire stick. The Roku has the voice control too, but I don't use that.

I would say that contrary to what others may say, I would spend a little extra and get the 4k model or whatever the latest version is of what you're getting. Often times you aren't saving that much money because these things aren't that expensive to begin with, and the newer models tend to run better and you never know, you may end up with a 4k TV in a couple of years. If this is something you think you will use everyday spending 20 or 30 extra dollars for the best version is worth it IMO.
Click to expand...

I would second this. Whether you go Roku, Fire, or Chromecast I would get one of the higher tier models that will be 4k capable. Forget the actual 4k feature, the key is that they also have faster processors and potential better WiFi chipsets as well. This will make apps launch faster, navigation to be more fluid, streams to be more stable, etc. I would also get a model that can use ethernet instead of WiFi if it happens to be in a location where you can hard wire, as that will always be a more stable connection. The small bump in price for one of these models will be well worth it, and you are future proofed in the case you get a new TV later on.
 
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