Don't throw your old streaming stick in the trash — do this instead

Don't throw your old streaming stick in the trash — do this instead Credit: Roku By  Chris Hachey Published May 24, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT Chris Hachey is a contributor for MakeUseOf with years of experience covering consumer tech. He has been published on XDA-developers.com , Pocket-lint.com , BGR.com , and other tech sites. He is passionate about finding great deals on tech, testing out new consumer electronics, and sharing his insights into smart home devices. From Bluetooth speakers and earbuds to 2-in-1 laptops, Chris has tested hundreds of products to provide his audience with real analysis on how well something works. When he's not looking for the latest and greatest in tech, he's probably spending too much time on his phone, playing with his dog or daughter, or watching his favorite sports teams. Follow him on X @hach_tag MuckRack Sign in to your MakeUseOf account Add Us On Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap 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. Related 6 Easy Ways to Watch Streaming Services On Your Dumb TV Why get a smart TV when you could try these methods? Posts By  Brady Klinger-Meyers 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