Here are some great TV dongle/streaming stick options you can plug into your HDMI port to make any TV smart:

🔥 Top Mainstream Streaming Dongles

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD
• Most popular, affordable (~$35) with Alexa voice control. Great for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and live TV (thesun.co.uk, amazon.com).

Roku Streaming Stick HD
• Renowned for a clutter‑free interface and minimal ads. Ideal if you prefer simplicity and a neutral ecosystem (amazon.com, thesun.co.uk).

onn. Google TV 4K Streaming Box
• Google TV interface on a stick; supports 4K, voice search via Google Assistant. Offers great smart-home integration.

💡 Why Choose These?

Value & popularity: Fire Stick and Roku stick are the top-selling devices for their price/performance (amazon.com, lifewire.com).

Smooth user experience: Roku delivers a clean, fast UI with fewer distractions (thesun.co.uk).

Smart‑home friendly: onn. with Google TV plays well in Android/Google ecosystems.

🎯 Which One’s Right for You?

Budget & variety → Go with Fire TV Stick HD, especially if Alexa helps.

Clean interface & neutrality → Roku is your friend.

Google ecosystem + 4K/AI features → Choose onn. Google TV for a smart upgrade.

🔄 Alternatives & Considerations

Chromecast with Google TV: Still solid, but Google is phasing out support in favor of the new streamer (cincodias.elpais.com, bestbuy.com).

Nvidia Shield TV: A full-featured Android TV box with superior audio/video and gaming—overkill for simple streaming (en.wikipedia.org).

Generic Android dongles (like ACTi or T2): Often pricey and unreliable—stick with well-supported mainstream devices.

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD

Budget + Alexa

$34.99

Roku Streaming Stick HD

Simple & ad‑light

$29.99

onn. Google TV 4K Streaming Box

Google ecosystem 4K

$19.88

✅ Recommended Pick

If you’re looking for a reliable, user‑friendly dongle under ~$50, the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD offers the best combination of affordability, content access, and voice control. But if you want the cleanest interface or 4K/Google smart-home support, consider Roku or onn. respectively.

Let me know if you want help choosing based on your streaming subscriptions, ecosystem, or if you’re shopping locally in NYC!