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Door staff@engadget.com (Matt Tate) - 14 Oct 2026
In Europe, the majority of Hisense TVs run on the company's proprietary VIDAA OS. Since 2025, it has pledged support for "up to" a whopping eight years on these models. Unfortunately for those in the US, you're less likely to pick up a Hisense TV that uses VIDAA, with many models instead running Android TV, Fire TV, Google TV or Roku TV. Therefore, long-term support is in the hands of the company whose OS your TV ships with.
For a long time, Roku was known for its streaming devices and operating system that it licenses to TV brands like those listed above. But what if you buy one of Roku's own Pro, Plus or Select Series TVs? Roku doesn't specify a fixed period of support for these, and the first came out in 2023, so it's still too early to establish a pattern. But given that software is the company's focus and it frequently pushes out updates, you can reasonably expect a healthy lifespan for its TVs. Roku doesn't publish end-of-life dates for its streaming boxes either, though some people claim to have used one unit for as long as 10 years.
What about the ultra-affordable TV brands like Vizio and Insignia? The former runs its own Vizio OS, which functions in much the same way as its better-known rivals and includes more than 300 apps. Vizio pushes out automatic firmware updates regularly, but doesn't guarantee a fixed period of support for any of its models.
Insignia TVs employ Amazon's Fire OS, so you can assume you'll get software and security updates for as long as Amazon commits to with its own devices. The Amazon Fire TV Software Security Updates page says that commitment is at least four years.
Don't fret once your model is out of support. Buying a streaming box is an inexpensive way to extend your smart TV's life and maintain access to updated versions of your favorite apps.
For a long time, Roku was known for its streaming devices and operating system that it licenses to TV brands like those listed above. But what if you buy one of Roku's own Pro, Plus or Select Series TVs? Roku doesn't specify a fixed period of support for these, and the first came out in 2023, so it's still too early to establish a pattern. But given that software is the company's focus and it frequently pushes out updates, you can reasonably expect a healthy lifespan for its TVs. Roku doesn't publish end-of-life dates for its streaming boxes either, though some people claim to have used one unit for as long as 10 years.
What about the ultra-affordable TV brands like Vizio and Insignia? The former runs its own Vizio OS, which functions in much the same way as its better-known rivals and includes more than 300 apps. Vizio pushes out automatic firmware updates regularly, but doesn't guarantee a fixed period of support for any of its models.
Insignia TVs employ Amazon's Fire OS, so you can assume you'll get software and security updates for as long as Amazon commits to with its own devices. The Amazon Fire TV Software Security Updates page says that commitment is at least four years.
Don't fret once your model is out of support. Buying a streaming box is an inexpensive way to extend your smart TV's life and maintain access to updated versions of your favorite apps.