Smart tv apps discontinued - best option

[roobyred]

We have an LG smart tv, it's about 6 years old, possibly older, but there's nothing wrong with it.

Got rid of Virgin Media due to costs, but now the IPlayer and Netflix app are being discontinued as not compatible - these are the main ways that we use the TV.

Should I buy a new Smart TV or just buy a Chromecast to stream these services? Not sure what to do, it seems such a waste to just get rid of the TV and it's really irritating. Do Chromecasts go out of date too?

I've got a an original gen one chromecast attached to a 16 year old Samsung
plasma TV, works fine.

Picture is fine but the sound is very tinny, but that is because my tb downstairs is a new 4k Samsung haha

You'd be good with a Chromecast!

We bought a £20 roku box to stream from almost immediately after we bought our smart tv, as we discovered our smart tv wasn't as smart as we thought it would be. Our first roku box has become defunct as it would no longer update but our second is still working well. Definitely no need to buy a new tv, our roku remote just works like our tv remote and turns tv on and adjusts volume etc

We use an Apple TV for our main tv. The remote operates the whole thing. We can watch live tv through iplayer, C4 and ITV apps if we want to, and everything else we watch streaming.

We’ve got a Google TV (not just chromecast) upstairs. It doesn’t get nearly as much use and the interface is more clunky than the Apple.

We use an Amazon fire stick for this - not expensive and works well.

Thanks for the responses.

Apple TV just seems way more expensive.

Chromecast isn't compatible with 4OD. We don't get this on our current tv but it's probably the channel I use the most so that puts me off a bit.

Also another family member has a Disney+ subscription which isn't linked to my email account, will it be possible to use it. Can you log on to different accounts?

Excuse my ignorance of tech please!

A Firestick will do all that (I think! It does for us anyway).

I'm not very tech minded but have a Google Chromecast which I run via my phone. I can use the Channel 4 app to watch channel 4 programmes in catch up, or watch live. Is that the same as 4OD?

Firestick

Firestick. There's a Prime Deals Day coming up soon, so you might be able to get a big discount.

I read that Disney are going to start charging extra if a non account holder wants to use it, so your family member would have to set up an account for you and pay for it.

We have a similar tv in the spare room and use an Amazon firestick.

We have different apps on the Apple TV and the Google TV some are logged in as me and some DH. It doesn’t seem to make a difference.

I've used chromecast and firestick and firestick has been better.

Have had them all over the years. Apple TV is the only one that lasts for years without slowing down or missing a beat.

But they will all be compatible with my 'old' tv?

Actually can't get my head around how it works re the ch4 app. Am I controlling it from my phone? And what if another family member wants to use it when I'm not here.

Chromecast isn't compatible with 4OD

You can't watch live but you can watch on catch-up.

I use Chromecast to watch all catch up stuff on my older-than-yours TV. I control it all from my phone or iPad depending what is to hand.

As far as I know they will be. We have the Apple TV plugged into our LG which is about 10 years old now.

The Google TV is plugged into a Philips of about the same age.

When you cast 4OD to the chromecast you control it through the TV and you can use your phone as normal.

And what if another family member wants to use it when I'm not here.

Any one who is on the same WiFi connection as the chromecast can cast to it from their own phone.

I got my parents a Firestick for Christmas a few years ago, and they use it all the time. Firestick and Chromecast usually just needs you to plug them into the hdmi port in TV.

I recently looked into all this for our old smart tv and went with the Roku steaming stick. It’s fantastic, has all the apps. The remote controls the tv fully and it’s also fast - so opening/using apps is quick. Previous devices I found quite sluggish. Couldn’t be happier. I got it in the argos sale for about £36ish.

Second that! Just buy a Roku box from Asda etc!

I've got Chromecast with our old LG, works like a charm. Has all the channel apps on it, mine has a separate remote control. Really easy to use. You just plug it into an HDMI slot on the back of the TV and a power point and then it will run off your wireless internet.

Chromecast is a pita in experience, can be a bit flaky, and, as you've discovered, the smart functions are only as good as the app support, and, google have announced theyre discontinuing chromecast in favor of a dedicated streaming platform.

Firesticks work well and have good support, but i personally hate the amount of amazon branding and adverts.

Personally id go with an android tv box like a mi box or an nvidia shield.

I had the same issue with my old telly stopping support for key apps, so I ended up getting a Firestick and using UK IPTV on it. It's way more flexible and I don’t have to worry about what apps the TV does or doesn’t support.