Do I need a streaming stick?
Not with a recent smart TV. A stick helps once apps stop updating or menus lag, and costs from £21.99, 7.7% of a new £284 55-inch TV. When to buy one and which.
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A smart TV bought in the last few years does not need a streaming stick, because current Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL sets carry BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Netflix. A stick earns its place once the TV's apps stop updating, an app is missing or the menus lag, and it costs £21.99 to £99.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), against £284.00 for a new 55-inch TV.
The picks below match Best streaming stick UK 2026, which ranks every device on formats and apps.
| Situation | Need a stick? | Pick | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart TV from 2024 onwards, apps working | No | Keep the TV's own apps | £0 |
| Apps no longer updating | Yes | Fire TV Stick 4K Select | £21.99 |
| An app missing from the TV | Yes | Roku Streaming Stick Plus | £39.90 |
| Slow menus and apps | Yes | Google TV Streamer | £99.00 |
| Dolby Vision TV, soundbar with Dolby Atmos | Yes | Fire TV Stick 4K Max | £46.99 |
| Screen faulty or too small | No, a stick cannot fix it | New TV, such as the TCL 55V6D | £284.00 |
When does a smart TV need a streaming stick?
A smart TV needs a stick when its software, not its screen, is the weak part. Makers set that date: Samsung promises up to 7 years of Tizen OS upgrades from launch, LG up to 5 years of webOS upgrades on select models, and VIDAA up to 8 years on Hisense sets. Samsung's UK terms add that third-party content providers may remove apps or stop updating them at any time.
| Problem | Does a stick fix it? | Why | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Older TV, apps stopped updating | Yes | The stick brings a current, supported app store | Any of the four |
| App missing from the TV's platform | Yes, once the app is confirmed on the stick | Each stick runs its own app store | Roku Streaming Stick Plus, £39.90 |
| Slow menus | Yes | Apps run on the stick's chip and memory | Google TV Streamer, 4 GB RAM, £99.00 |
| Dolby Vision TV with aged apps | Yes | The stick sends Dolby Vision to a TV that supports it | Fire TV Stick 4K Max, £46.99 |
| Dolby Atmos to a soundbar | Yes | Atmos passes through the TV's HDMI eARC port | Fire TV Stick 4K Max, £46.99 |
| TV panel has no Dolby Vision | No | The display must support the format | A new TV |
| No 4K 120 Hz for a PS5 | No | Refresh rate is set by the panel and HDMI ports | A new TV |
| Live channels with no aerial | Partly | Mainstream sticks have the broadcaster apps, not Freely | Manhattan Aero 4K, £89.00 |
The quickest test is the TV's own app store. A set whose BBC iPlayer, ITVX or Netflix app has vanished from the store, or will not update, has reached the end of its platform support for that app, and a stick restores it on software its maker still updates. A set whose apps all update normally gains little from a stick.
Slow menus are the most fixable problem. Once the TV is switched to the stick's HDMI input, every app runs on the stick's own chip: Amazon lists 1 GB of RAM in the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and 2 GB with a 2.0 GHz quad-core chip in the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Google fits 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage in the Google TV Streamer.
Formats are the trap. A stick sends Dolby Vision only to a TV that already supports it, so a Dolby Vision stick on a TV without it plays HDR10 or HDR10+ instead. The same limit applies to gaming: a stick cannot add 4K at 120 Hz, as covered in Do I need a 120Hz TV for PS5?. Live TV without an aerial is a separate question: mainstream sticks carry the broadcaster apps but not Freely, explained in Can you watch Freeview without an aerial?.
Is a streaming stick cheaper than a new TV?
A streaming stick costs 7.7% to 34.9% of the cheapest new 55-inch TV in Compare Electronic's comparison, the £284.00 TCL 55V6D. The Fire TV Stick 4K Select saves £262.01 against that TV, and even the Google TV Streamer saves £185.00.
| Option | Price | Share of TCL 55V6D | Saving vs TCL 55V6D | Share of Samsung U7020H 55 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire TV Stick 4K Select | £21.99 | 7.7% | £262.01 | 6.7% |
| Roku Streaming Stick Plus | £39.90 | 14.0% | £244.10 | 12.1% |
| Fire TV Stick 4K Max | £46.99 | 16.5% | £237.01 | 14.3% |
| Google TV Streamer | £99.00 | 34.9% | £185.00 | 30.1% |
| New TCL 55V6D | £284.00 | 100% | n/a | 86.3% |
| New Samsung U7020H 55 | £329.00 | 115.8% | n/a | 100% |
The saving holds only while the panel is still good. A working TV with a sound screen, bought before its maker's support ended, gets years more use from a stick; a set with a fault, a dim panel or a screen too small for the room does not. The lifespan side of that decision, including Consumer Rights Act limits, is in How long do TVs last?.
Among the sticks, price follows memory and formats. The £21.99 Fire TV Stick 4K Select has 1 GB of RAM and no Dolby Vision; the £39.90 Roku Streaming Stick Plus adds AirPlay but no Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos; the £46.99 Fire TV Stick 4K Max adds both formats; and the £99.00 Google TV Streamer adds 4 GB of RAM and Ethernet.
Which streaming device should a smart TV owner buy?
The Google TV Streamer is the pick for an ageing or slow smart TV, at £99.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026). It is the one device here that fixes all four problems at once: 4 GB of RAM for fast menus, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and an Ethernet port for a steady connection.
Google TV Streamer specifications (Google)
- Memory: 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage
- Video: 4K 60fps
- Dolby Vision: Yes
- HDR10+: Yes
- Dolby Atmos: Yes
- Ethernet: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5
- Thread border router: Yes
The Google TV Streamer is a small box rather than a stick, so it sits beside the TV on its own power lead, and it doubles as a Thread border router for Matter smart home devices. Buyers who only need Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos pay £52.01 less for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Google TV Streamer - pros and cons
Where to buy
Check price
Three cheaper sticks suit narrower jobs, at Amazon UK prices on 6 October 2026. Homes that want live channels without an aerial should look at the Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer at £89.00 instead.
Also consider
Radar · 0-100 scores
- Google TV Streamer (4K)
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen)
- Streaming Stick Plus (2025)
- Fire TV Stick 4K Select
Verdict
A recent smart TV does not need a streaming stick; an ageing or slow one does, and a stick costs a fraction of a new set. The Google TV Streamer at £99.00 fixes slow menus and missing formats together, while the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at £21.99 restores current apps for 7.7% of the price of a new 55-inch TV. The full ranking is in Best streaming stick UK 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a streaming stick if I have a smart TV?
Not with a recent smart TV: current Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL sets carry BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Netflix. A stick helps once the TV's apps stop updating, an app is missing or the menus lag. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select costs £21.99 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026).
Will a streaming stick make an old smart TV faster?
Yes, for apps and menus. With the TV switched to the stick's HDMI input, apps run on the stick's own processor and memory. The Google TV Streamer has 4 GB of RAM for £99.00, and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max has 2 GB and a 2.0 GHz quad-core chip for £46.99 on Amazon UK in October 2026.
Can a streaming stick add Dolby Vision to my TV?
No. A streaming stick outputs Dolby Vision only to a TV that already supports it, so a stick cannot add the format to a panel without it. It keeps Dolby Vision streaming on a Dolby Vision TV whose apps have aged. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos for £46.99 on Amazon UK.
How long do smart TV apps keep working?
As long as the maker supports the platform. Samsung promises up to 7 years of Tizen OS upgrades from launch, LG up to 5 years of webOS upgrades on select models, and VIDAA up to 8 years on Hisense sets. Samsung's UK terms also state that third-party content providers may remove or stop updating apps at any time.
Is a streaming stick cheaper than a new TV?
Far cheaper. On Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026), the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select costs £21.99, 7.7% of the £284.00 TCL 55V6D, the cheapest new 55-inch TV in Compare Electronic's comparison. The Google TV Streamer costs £99.00, 34.9% of the same TV. A stick only fixes apps, not the screen.
Does a streaming stick give me Freely?
Not the mainstream sticks. Freely's own list of streaming devices names two boxes: the Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer and the Netgem PLEIO. The Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer costs £89.00 on Amazon UK at the time of writing (October 2026) and adds live BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 channels to any HDMI TV over broadband.