Cheap streaming sticks are a painless way of accessing an exhausting list of content. However, they come at the expense of so many features and benefits that I just don’t bother—and neither should you.
5You Miss Out On Useful Features
You know the saying, “It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”? I apply this to streaming sticks, too. Do you need a streaming stick that can output in 4K even though your TV is 1080p? Maybe not, but it doesn’t hurt to future-proof some of your setup.
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More expensive streaming sticks also come with oodles of convenient features, not just better performance and app support. The Roku Express, for example, is limited to 1080p and a standard remote, while the Roku Ultra has a rechargeable remote with voice controls, Dolby Vision, HDR, and 4K. I still found interesting ways to use my Roku Express, but I yearn for a better model.
4Performance Tends to Be “Good Enough”
It’s nice that cheaper streaming sticks are more accessible, but the trade-off is middling performance that can be downright frustrating to deal with. I love my Roku Express, but the number of times I’ve had to press a button before it registered or had to wait what felt like forever for an app to load and buffer is enough to make me want to upgrade.
Performance is increasingly a problem, especially now that I use my Roku Express more regularly, and this issue will rear its ugly head for you, too. It’ll only get worse as apps are updated and inevitably require more processing power to run. You then introduce more chugging, lagging, hiccups, and buffering problems.
While buying a more expensive streaming stick doesn’t solve the issue, per se—it will become obsolete eventually—but it will keep the inevitable at bay for much longer. Sure, the higher upfront cost sucks, there’s no doubt about it. However, I’d argue you’re the one getting the better deal. It’ll last longer, be less frustrating to use, and futureproof your setup.
3Off-Brand Streaming Sticks Can Be a Security Risk
I totally understand the urge to buy a really cheap streaming device to save money. You’re probably already paying for at least two streaming services, so it makes sense to save money elsewhere. You know, the off-brand ones with weird names. It’s cheap all right—a cheap way for viruses and malware to infect your home. It’s understandable to think viruses are downloaded on your computer or your smartphone, but they can also hit your network.
It’s a simple, yet diabolical plan: as soon as you’ve connected your cheap streaming stick to the Internet, via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, you’ve opened yourself to getting your data stolen, or worse, your identity. Even if you aren’t opting for a cheap streaming device, it’s always good to know the signs of a virus!
2App Support Can Be Inconsistent
Speaking of performance, having a cheaper streaming stick runs the risk of some apps being unavailable to download or losing support over time. Apps reach a certain version, older streaming sticks can’t keep up, and are completely phased out. It’s particularly worse with smart TVs, given that you can’t upgrade the internals.
Here’s an example—the Roku 2 3100X can no longer run several popular streaming platforms. It isn’t compatible with Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and Max. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, but that’s a big iceberg, given that all of those are very popular streaming services.
In a sense, buying a cheaper streaming stick is like buying a smartphone that’s a generation or two behind the current models. Yes, it is much more affordable, but the smartphone’s window of security updates is much shorter than it was when it was first released. If you’re upgrading your streaming stick every two years or so, you might as well opt for a better model and save yourself money in the long run.
1Customer Support isn’t as Helpful
Good customer support can be life-changing; bad customer support (or none at all) can make or break a product for me. In the case of cheap streaming sticks, you’re bound to contact customer support more often to fix problems. Of course, if you bought an off-brand streaming stick, you may end up with what is effectively no customer support at all.
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It’s a benefit, I think, that is often overlooked. However, it’s unreasonable to expect customer support for an older product indefinitely, especially for one that receives new upgrades every year.
While cheap streaming sticks can be a very easy way of accessing your streaming services and even turn a dumb TV into a smart one, you’ll always get a better deal if you go up a tier or two. It’ll last longer, perform better, and come with features you’ll love.
