Today, most new TVs have the Hulu, Netflix, and HBO GO apps built in. But more often than not, those services will either be slow or it will be hard to type in search terms.
With a Chromecast, your laptop and phone can serve as the remote.
Chromecast allows you to stream almost anything — your computer screen, a PowerPoint presentation, a slideshow, Spotify, Netflix, you name it — to your TV or monitor, so long as it has an HDMI slot and you have a working Wi-Fi connection. In most apps, you can mirror the screen to a TV by selecting the "casting" icon (it looks like a Wi-Fi signal attached to a TV).
Google's newest Chromecast model costs just $69. For that price, you can stream 4K videos to the device. But beware — if you're planning to stream 4K, make sure you have a fast enough connection speed. If you don't, the $35 Chromecast, which you can get at Best Buy, will do just fine.
Other streaming device options include Apple TV ($150 for the latest model) which is more expensive but smooth and easy to use if you're already tethered to Apple's ecosystem. The Amazon Fire Stick, which is getting a renewed design at the end of October, is also a great buy at $39.99, and gives easy access to Amazon Prime Video plus a bundled remote.
But for sheer simplicity and one less remote in your life, the Chromecast is a good bet.