Google Chromecast

The r/BuyItForLife community consistently recommends Chromecast as the preferred companion device for any TV, rather than relying on built-in smart TV software. Users praise it as an affordable, portable, and regularly updated alternative that extends the useful life of both older dumb TVs and newer smart TVs whose built-in software has become sluggish. The main BIFL caveat is Google's history of discontinuing older Chromecast models, which has frustrated some users.

Chromecast is widely praised as an affordable, practical way to extend any TV's useful life, but Google's track record of discontinuing older models without long-term support prevents a strong BIFL endorsement.

Users overwhelmingly value the Chromecast for its low cost, portability, and ability to outperform built-in smart TV processors while keeping older TVs functional for years longer than they otherwise would be.

• Inexpensive at $25–$50, cheap to replace when outdated
• Extends usable life of old dumb TVs by many years
• Receives OS and security updates more frequently than smart TVs
• Portable — easily moved between TVs or taken to vacation homes
• Consistently outperforms sluggish built-in smart TV interfaces
• Chromecast Audio units praised as long-lasting even after discontinuation

The most significant criticism is Google bricking older Chromecast models without warning, leaving users without functioning devices. Some users also report reliability issues like random crashes, and a few feel the casting model (requiring a phone) is less convenient than a full remote-based experience.

• Google has bricked older Chromecast models, frustrating long-term users
• Some units experience persistent crashing despite factory resets
• Casting requires a phone, which some find less convenient than a remote
• Data harvesting concerns similar to other streaming devices
• Google TV interface seen as adequate but not best-in-class versus Shield or Apple TV

One user noted that plugging a $40 Walmart streaming box into a $1,200 TV — because it performs dramatically better than the onboard hardware — makes them feel like a sucker, but it's the reality of built-in smart TV processors.

A commenter described keeping a 2010 Sony TV running indefinitely by pairing it with a Chromecast over HDMI, arguing that sound quality matters more than ever upgrading the display.

One user expressed frustration that Google bricked their older Chromecasts, making previously functional dumb TVs useless and breaking casting support for certain apps on their LG TV.

A longtime user said the Chromecast is the only Google product they still buy, after being burned by multiple Pixel phones — suggesting it stands out as unusually reliable within Google's hardware lineup.