Staying up to date on every new show and movie is a task. But, if you’re someone who doesn’t like to not be up on everything going on in the zeitgeist, you have to stay relevant on your pop culture. You’re watching a reality show on Bravo one minute and the next you’re streaming a new show on Netflix before checking out the latest Disney+ drop with your kids the next day. It can feel overwhelming to have to find time for the best shows and movies.
You could get to the point where you need to call it quits with your streaming options. Okay, I can’t imagine a situation where I’m giving up TV altogether, but some people do quit cold turkey. They realize they don’t watch it much and, rather than spend money on streaming services or a cable subscription they don’t use, they cut the cord. This can also mean getting rid of your streaming devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick. If you want to cut back on your streaming, but don’t want to get rid of it altogether, there’s a way to repurpose those sticks for good use.
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6 Easy Ways to Watch Streaming Services On Your Dumb TV
Why get a smart TV when you could try these methods?
Streaming sticks are major time savers for streaming purposes
They bring so much to the table
I personally have two Roku Streaming Sticks in my home. I’ve been a huge fan of the streaming device for years now. While I have a Samsung Frame TV in my other room, the other two TVs aren’t smart TVs. So the Roku Streaming Stick turns them from a dumb device to a smart one.
If you have a smart TV, you can still use a streaming device with it. You may have gotten a good price on the smart TV, but prefer another company’s operating system. Maybe you bought an Amazon Fire TV but like Roku or like an LG TV but prefer Apple TV 4K.
Using a streaming device can deliver fast access to your favorite and preferred apps. You may have access to specific apps that aren’t available on other streaming devices. It can also bring you a different interface to the TV that you’re using.
Streaming devices can completely change how you use your TV. You can connect your smart home devices with them and make them part of your automations. You can send push notifications to them to let you know what’s going on around your home.
But, you may not enjoy using one and that’s fine. You may also find that you want to replace one with another option because you don’t like the operating system. Maybe you decide to upgrade to the latest streaming device from the manufacturer you’re already using. Whatever you do, don’t throw away your old streaming device.
Use it to transform your projector
This can be a fun way to inject life into your projector
Let’s say you are sick of using your TV or don’t want to buy a new one when your old one has met its end. You might want something with more flexibility to enter your life. A projector can give you just that, as they have become incredibly popular.
It’s portable and can provide you with great visuals, especially at nighttime. The more premium version of a projector you get, the more expensive it will be. This will also improve its colors, projection, keystone correction, and audio.
Many projectors have ports in the backs of them that let you connect devices to them. This is important because you can use them for presentations at work. They almost always have a USB port, so that you can plug in a flash drive or something of that nature to show files from it. This is how many projectors were strictly used for many years.
But many of them have Wi-Fi capabilities these days and can be used for streaming. Many projectors also have HDMI ports, meaning you can plug your streaming devices into either the USB or HDMI port and use it to overlap the projector’s operating system.
Make sure that the projector you have has the capability and accessibility for your streaming device. Not all may work with whatever streaming device you use. Consult your product’s user manual.
If you are able to use your streaming device with your projector, it eliminates you having to potentially use your laptop to stream from or phone to screen mirror. Repurposing your device as the operating system of your projector is a great way to keep your device alive.
If you want to get rid of it, do it the right way
Recycle your device properly
Credit: Roku
Don’t just throw your streaming device in the garbage. You might be tempted to because you’re holding onto too many old gadgets and cords. I have bags and bins of cords, chargers, and old devices that I’ve been meaning to get rid of for years. But they’ve also been in my basement as long as I’ve been planning on getting rid of them.
Once you’re finally ready to get your devices out of your house, handle them like you should handle e-waste. This means that they could have potentially toxic materials that are bad for the environment should they be thrown away.
You can contact Roku, Amazon, Apple, and others to send your device back to them so they can dispose of it properly. Some electronic stores near you might also take it. Your local recycling center might also have a specific way of handling e-waste as well.
It’s important to look into this so you’re helping the planet in the long run. It also won’t clog up your garbage.
Repurposing your streaming device is possible
The best way that I’ve used older streaming devices is to plug them into a projector. But you can find other ways to use your streaming devices. If you want to give up on them and cut the cord, it’s okay to move on. Just remember to be responsible about it.
Connective Technology
HDMI
Brand
Roku
Wi-Fi
Yes
Ethernet
No
The Roku Streaming Stick HD is a super handy way to transform any HDMI-enabled TV into your next entertainment hub, providing near instant access to more than 500 free TV channels in Full HD (1080p). The package also includes a handy remote you can use to control the Roku Streaming Stick, along with voice remote functionality.
