This a word from Adam say Fire TV Stick 4K is an improvement in every way. Upgrade!.
I received the Fire TV Stick 4K on launch day. I own the previous model and this is a much better experience. First off the remote is a huge improvement. The power button on the remote can turn on my tv, my receiver, fire stick, and switch the inputs automatically so the fire stick is on screen and ready to go with just one click of the power button. It's really nice. This is how it should have been all along. It gets even better though... lets say my TV is already on, and my receiver is set to a different input such as my FIOS tv box? All you do is click the home button on the remote and the remote switches the receiver to the correct hdmi input on the receiver for the fire stick! One remote to rule them all, and yes it controls volume on the receiver too! This is excellent. It's highly configurable. The setup is quite nice. You can define which inputs get picked when hitting the power and home button. You can define which device the volume buttons control. Amazon has done a great job with the Fire Stick 4K.
It's faster than previous fire sticks. No more menu lag. Things are smoother and faster overall. I've used Roku, Chromecast Ultra and Fire Stick... I like them all for different reasons. I also dislike chromecast because 5.1 audio will not work on my receiver because chromecast refuses to support Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. Fire stick has no problem handling DD5.1. This makes my plex and netflix experience much more enjoyable. The remote is better than not having a remote (chromecast). Roku's are very nice as well. All 3 of these options are great in their own way and frankly I had thought fire stick was the least desirable but recently I've come to realize I prefer Fire stick so I pre-ordered the 4K fire stick and I could not be happier with it. Amazon needs to keep up the good work. The 4K stick is a solid product and an excellent upgrade from the previous model
I received the Fire TV Stick 4K on launch day. I own the previous model and this is a much better experience. First off the remote is a huge improvement. The power button on the remote can turn on my tv, my receiver, fire stick, and switch the inputs automatically so the fire stick is on screen and ready to go with just one click of the power button. It's really nice. This is how it should have been all along. It gets even better though... lets say my TV is already on, and my receiver is set to a different input such as my FIOS tv box? All you do is click the home button on the remote and the remote switches the receiver to the correct hdmi input on the receiver for the fire stick! One remote to rule them all, and yes it controls volume on the receiver too! This is excellent. It's highly configurable. The setup is quite nice. You can define which inputs get picked when hitting the power and home button. You can define which device the volume buttons control. Amazon has done a great job with the Fire Stick 4K.
It's faster than previous fire sticks. No more menu lag. Things are smoother and faster overall. I've used Roku, Chromecast Ultra and Fire Stick... I like them all for different reasons. I also dislike chromecast because 5.1 audio will not work on my receiver because chromecast refuses to support Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1. Fire stick has no problem handling DD5.1. This makes my plex and netflix experience much more enjoyable. The remote is better than not having a remote (chromecast). Roku's are very nice as well. All 3 of these options are great in their own way and frankly I had thought fire stick was the least desirable but recently I've come to realize I prefer Fire stick so I pre-ordered the 4K fire stick and I could not be happier with it. Amazon needs to keep up the good work. The 4K stick is a solid product and an excellent upgrade from the previous model
This a word from Vedgehammer said Fascist app environment, but useful otherwise.
Let me tell you, I was super excited for the launch of the new FireTV Stick with its leading edge technology and processing power. Well, it’s got that but there’s a couple bug, game breaking problems I have with this thing.
1) The Amazon platform is basically retooled Android, which is a crap interface. It’s cluttered, redundant, and Amazon being Amazon wants you to use all their services over everyone else’s so not only does their menu get in the way but the top third of the home screen is promotions for whatever they want to push.
2) Also because it’s Amazon they want you to use THEIR streaming services to rent movies so much so that there is no Vudu or Google Play app available to install. If Prime Video had a decent selection of rentals (it doesn’t) or a halfway usable interface (it doesn’t) I would have less of a problem.
3) Our FireTV Stick has issues with flickering and sound dropout. Tech support immediately supplied a series of less than helpful troubleshooting tips. “Did you try a different TV? Did you try a different HDMI port?” Despite my Roku working just fine. I elected to return this since I was already fed up with the closed interface and terrible menus.
Slightly less of an issue but still annoying is the inability to completely turn off HDR. Its either “always on” or “adaptive” meaning the content dictates HDR which is a problem especially with Netflix (which is calibrated too dark on some TVs)
For now I’m happier with my Roku Stick despite less robust HDR support.
Edit: updated my review for the following:
- Amazon reached out immediately after my review to get additional feedback and to offer more support. That actually means something these days. I’ll continue to monitor for problems
- I upgraded to a new TV and this makes the HDR issue better since it actually looks good on this TV. Problem still stands of not being able to disable HDR entirely if needed
- The smart controls feature is nice. I can use Alexa to change TV inputs now.
- Less flickering on new tv but still have sound dropouts
However my issue with not having a way to watch VUDU/UV movies is a huge issue. On top is that, MoviesAnywhere doesn’t tell you which movies were transferred over in 4K. So while the titles may sync, in cases of certain films (eg Deadpool 2) you only get the HD version and not the UHD/HDR one you paid for. Until this is fixed I’ll leave my review at 3 stars.
Let me tell you, I was super excited for the launch of the new FireTV Stick with its leading edge technology and processing power. Well, it’s got that but there’s a couple bug, game breaking problems I have with this thing.
1) The Amazon platform is basically retooled Android, which is a crap interface. It’s cluttered, redundant, and Amazon being Amazon wants you to use all their services over everyone else’s so not only does their menu get in the way but the top third of the home screen is promotions for whatever they want to push.
2) Also because it’s Amazon they want you to use THEIR streaming services to rent movies so much so that there is no Vudu or Google Play app available to install. If Prime Video had a decent selection of rentals (it doesn’t) or a halfway usable interface (it doesn’t) I would have less of a problem.
3) Our FireTV Stick has issues with flickering and sound dropout. Tech support immediately supplied a series of less than helpful troubleshooting tips. “Did you try a different TV? Did you try a different HDMI port?” Despite my Roku working just fine. I elected to return this since I was already fed up with the closed interface and terrible menus.
Slightly less of an issue but still annoying is the inability to completely turn off HDR. Its either “always on” or “adaptive” meaning the content dictates HDR which is a problem especially with Netflix (which is calibrated too dark on some TVs)
For now I’m happier with my Roku Stick despite less robust HDR support.
Edit: updated my review for the following:
- Amazon reached out immediately after my review to get additional feedback and to offer more support. That actually means something these days. I’ll continue to monitor for problems
- I upgraded to a new TV and this makes the HDR issue better since it actually looks good on this TV. Problem still stands of not being able to disable HDR entirely if needed
- The smart controls feature is nice. I can use Alexa to change TV inputs now.
- Less flickering on new tv but still have sound dropouts
However my issue with not having a way to watch VUDU/UV movies is a huge issue. On top is that, MoviesAnywhere doesn’t tell you which movies were transferred over in 4K. So while the titles may sync, in cases of certain films (eg Deadpool 2) you only get the HD version and not the UHD/HDR one you paid for. Until this is fixed I’ll leave my review at 3 stars.
A review rich said Doesn't work with DirecTV Now.
Our main streaming service is DirecTV Now, and this stick doesn't run it right. The app seems to works and then just freezes. When I go to run a speed test, the connection is super low, and then ramps up over time back up to full speed. It's as though the app crashes the stick. Other things seem to work fine, but not the app we use the most. Will return and continue to use gen 2 and gen 3 devices. Too bad.
UPDATE: So, I deleted DirecTV Now and did a fresh install. For the past three days, things actually worked well and considered revising my rating. Then I tried to watch a little Sunday football. CBS froze over and over again and caused the app to continually crash. Thought maybe it was the local CBS stream because other channels worked fine. Then I tried the Roku I have in my kids room, DirecTV Now worked fine. Figured I'd give it another go for the second game, same result. Watched Rams/Seahawks in my kids room with no issue on the Roku device. Again, other apps seem to work fine (I think) on Fire, but this stick isn't right just yet. I'd wait for problems to work itself out.
Our main streaming service is DirecTV Now, and this stick doesn't run it right. The app seems to works and then just freezes. When I go to run a speed test, the connection is super low, and then ramps up over time back up to full speed. It's as though the app crashes the stick. Other things seem to work fine, but not the app we use the most. Will return and continue to use gen 2 and gen 3 devices. Too bad.
UPDATE: So, I deleted DirecTV Now and did a fresh install. For the past three days, things actually worked well and considered revising my rating. Then I tried to watch a little Sunday football. CBS froze over and over again and caused the app to continually crash. Thought maybe it was the local CBS stream because other channels worked fine. Then I tried the Roku I have in my kids room, DirecTV Now worked fine. Figured I'd give it another go for the second game, same result. Watched Rams/Seahawks in my kids room with no issue on the Roku device. Again, other apps seem to work fine (I think) on Fire, but this stick isn't right just yet. I'd wait for problems to work itself out.
While Achint Talk Few limitations but excellent value for money.
I was looking for replacing my Roku LT streaming box which was released 100 years ago (in electronics years.) I couldn't resist when Amazon threw the trade-in offer at my face with $25 off for a Fire TV, and 2.99 cash value.
The new Fire TV retains the same form factor from the old Fire TV but has packed in some new features such as faster processor, power, volume, and mute buttons for TV, and support for newer 4K media standards such as Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos surround sound.
I was really surprised that how convenient the Alexa voice command feature is. Especially even with my thick accent, Alexa was able to understand what I was saying. Though apps have to support integration with Alexa (e.g. it couldn't open a website with voice command, maybe I was not giving a specific enough command) but all I need to play videos on Netflix or Amazon prime, and Alexa handles it beautifully.
Alexa voice commands work even if the TV is switched off. Though it takes a while for Alexa to switch the TV on but the fact that it works is simply amazing.
The User-interface is quite responsive. However, I found the user interface to be cluttered with information that I did not want on my home screen. The home screen can be improved a lot in order to present the content that I want and not what Amazon wants to advertise.
I also had issues with WiFi. During the setup process, the Fire TV prompted that it was not connected to WiFi. But on trying again it worked fine. Also, after some time the Fire TV could not reach the internet and displayed the message that "Home screen is currently unavailable." I had to power off the Fire TV and power it back up again to make it work.
All in all I love this new Fire TV. It is fast, responsive and has lots of features that I found useful in my daily operation.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE BUYING A FIRE TV
1. In order to be able to stream content at 4K, you would need to have a good broadband connection. Amazon recommends having a broadband connection of at least 15 Mbps. So if you have a dial-up or are on an economical internet plan, then you might not be able to stream in 4K.
2. As a result of an ongoing tussle between Amazon and Google, Google's apps are not available on Fire TV. Youtube app is not officially supported on Fire TV. There is a Youtube app for Fire TV but that simply opens Youtube in the web-browser. Google Play movies are also not supported on Fire TV as well.
3. The 4K content is limited and cost more e.g. Netflix charges more for their 4K subscription plan. Most of the movies that you can buy in 4K would be costlier than their SD/HD counterparts. As of writing this review the only Google Play movies and Apple iTunes would upgrade the purchased content to 4K for free. Neither of these two is available on Fire TV. I hope Amazon video follows the same suit and upgrades the purchased content to 4K for free.
4. Ethernet adapter has to be bought separately. Wi-fi is great but can be unreliable, especially if there are too many wi-fi devices causing interference. If you need wired ethernet then you would have to buy an ethernet adapter separately that plugs into the mini-USB port, unlike Fire TV cube that already comes with an ethernet port.
5. Fire TV stick does not support an external sd card. Though Fire TV stick has an internal memory of 8GB, it can fill up pretty quickly. It would have been nice to be able to connect an external storage media, but at this price, it would be asking too much. Although you can buy an OTG hub and use VLC to play the media from the USB drives (I have explained this further in the tips section below)
SOME TIPS FOR NEW FIRE TV USERS
1. If you hold down the home button, then a new menu pops up which gives you three options to go to apps directly, sleep the Fire TV, or go to setting. I find this shortcut really useful for navigating to apps directly.
2. When I setup the fire TV I realized that the picture was rather dull as compared to the picture in my Samsung Smart TV app (e.g. the same movie in Netflix app would seem more vibrant than on Fire TV.) I found that changing the "Dynamic Range Settings" to "Adaptive" made the picture look more vibrant. You can navigate to this setting by going to Settings > Display & Sounds > Dynamic Range Settings. My Fire TV was set to "Always HDR" and I changed it to "Adaptive"
3. If you have kids and prefer to listen to TV quietly then you should play with two audio settings "Volume Leveler" and "Dialogue Enhancer" (which are OFF by default.) These settings are found in Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > Advanced Audio.
4. You can play external media (videos) from USB drive using an OTG (On-The-Go) hub which has USB drive support. I got an OTG hub Micro USB LAN Ethernet Adapter with RJ45 3 USB Hub Compatible TV Stick Streaming Device that has ethernet and USB ports. With this Hub, I can launch the VLC app VLC App for Fire TV and it can browse and play the media on the USB drives attached to the hub. You can also directly connect the Fire TV to the laptop and copy over the files to the Fire TV stick, but with 8Gb of storage space there might not be enough space on the Fire TV (since that space would be shared by the Fire TV OS, utilities and apps as well)
SPECS
1. Supports 60 Hz refresh rates for 4K at 60Hz, 1080p, and 720p
2. Internal storage : 8GB
3. RAM: 1.5GB DDR4
4. Processor: Quad Core 1.7GHz
5. OS: Fire OS 6, which is based on Android 7.1 (Nougat)
6. Wi-Fi: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi supports 2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
7. Ethernet: 10/100Mbs (though the ethernet adapter needs to be purchased separately)
8. Bluetooth : 5.0
9. Ports: HDMI output, Micro USB 2.0 for power or optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter
SETUP
Upon plugging in the Fire TV for the first time the setup process will do the following:
1. Selecting the language
2. Configure Wireless internet's configuration.
3. Once that is done Fire TV installs and downloads the latest software. Software download did not take much time but the installation took 3 minutes.
4. Fire TV then sets up the remote to control the TV. It asks you to control the volume of TV using Fire TV's remote.
5. After that, you can connect the Fire TV to your account. If you purchased the Fire TV from Amazon, then it is already connected to your account.
6. You can set up parental controls after connecting the Fire TV to your account.
7. After this, a brief video of Fire TV's features is shown.
8. After the video interface of Fire TV is shown.
The next time I turned on the Fire TV, it straight away goes to Fire TV's interface
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS FIRE TV
This latest Fire TV model has added lots of new functionalities as compared to
1. The processor has been upgraded from 1.5GHz to 1.7GHz quad-core processor. This is better than Fire TV cube's processor as well, but Fire TV cube has 16 GB of internal memory while Fire TV stick has 8 GB only.
2. This new Fire TV supports streaming in 4K, Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos surround sound.
3. The remote has received a fair amount of new features such as IR transmitter that can be used to control other devices as well. The dedicated buttons for power, volume, and mute can be used to control the TV directly, instead of having to lug around the TV's remote separately.
4. Fire TV's remote also has the Alexa button using which you can give voice commands to the Fire TV.
WHAT IS DOLBY ATMOS
Dolby Atmos was is a technology that was introduced to provide a more immersive sound experience. This involved adding more speakers (up to 64) around and above the listener and using 128 audio channels. This sound format is usually best experienced in theatres, however, you could purchase sound systems that support Dolby ATMOS experience on 7 to 24 speakers (although more than 12 speakers might not provide any benefit.) So although the FIre TV will support transmitting the audio in Dolby ATMOS format, you would need receivers (probably 11.2 or 7.2 channel receivers) and speaker setup to be able to enjoy this feature.
There is Dolby content available on Netflix and iTunes. On Prime Video the Dolby ATMOS content limited to only some of their original content.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface of Fire TV is very similar to Prime video's interface with rows of tiles in various categories. This is basically Prie Video interface with an extra row for the apps and recently used apps. The home screen of Fire TV contains the "Your apps and channels" and below that there are rows of sponsored content and recommendations that you would see on prime video app.
I personally found the home screen of Fire TV to be cluttered with tiles and information that I did not want. If you are coming from Roku where you find your channels displayed prominently, you might feel a little disappointed. There is one row of my apps and channels, while there are rows after rows of recommended content that I did not pin on my home screen. I have not been able to customize the home screen as of yet.
I personally found searching for new apps on Fire TV to be really cumbersome as well. I have to navigate through several menus hoping to find a useful app. It would probably be easier to go to Amazon's website, search for an app there and install it from there.
USING TV CONTROLS FROM FIRE TV's REMOTE
Once the Fire TV's remote was set up to control the TV, I could easily control the volume of TV and turn the TV on or off. There was no lag and it works simply every time. I did not need a line of sight between the remote and the TV for it to work.
USING ALEXA
In order to use the Alexa commands you simply hold down the voice button on remote, say the command while holding down the button, and release the button. The even works when TV is switched.
WHY BUY A STREAMING STICK WHEN I HAVE A SMART TV
Even though I have a smart tv which in theory should provide mostly the same functionality as the streaming stick, I found my smart TV's experience to be extremely inferior to these streaming solution. The Samsung smart TV I have is plagued with slow and unresponsive apps. The apps crash often. Sometimes the TV itself freezes to the point that I cannot use the remote to turn the TV off. Often when I turn the TV on it would not launch any add until it loads up an advertisement.
It shouldn't be surprising that the overall user experience is not enjoyable on Smart TV mainly because the software is not the primary focus of TV manufacturers. However, the streaming sticks dedicate the hardware and software for a single purpose only and that is to provide a pleasant viewing experience for the user. Therefore they update their software more often and try to be on top of resolving issues in their product.
Also, the number of apps/channels for my Samsung TV are not as much as are available on the streaming devices.
FIRE TV VS ROKU TV/CHROMECAST
While looking for a replacing my ailing Roku LT for some time now. The Roku LT couldn't handle all weight of shiny new apps. I was looking for something around $50 and all the devices fit the bill we Roku Streaming stick+, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV.
Roku streaming stick+ does provide very similar functionality as Fire TV such as 4K support, UHD support, Voice controls on Remote. Both of them also lack some functionalities that would have wanted such as Micro SD card, ethernet port. Though Fire TV does have volume and power controls for TV on the remote, which is a big plus for me. However, considering the discount I was getting for trade-in, Fire TV stick was the obvious choice for me. In addition to that since Fire TV is based on Android, there are some apps available on Fire TV which are not available for Roku such as VLC, Kodi, VPN service.
Chromecast is also based on Android and you can install apps on it as well, but chromecast is for casting from another device. This means that I would always need a device (such as laptop, tablet or Mobile) to start the stream. This in itself was a deal breaker for me for buying chromecast.
WOULD THIS PLAY ALL MEDIA IN 4K
If you are playing HD content then the Fire TV will upscale the content to 4K (this means that it will try to fit the HD content to a 4K screen by trying to add the missing details.) Although if you have a 4K TV then most probably the TV is capable of doing that as well. You might want to disable the upscaling of Fire TV and see if your TV can do a better job at it.
DO I NEED TO HAVE A 4K TV TO USE THIS
You don't need to have a 4K TV to be able to use Fire TV. If you have an old TV/monitor which can display in HD only, even then you can play HD content simply fine on Fire TV. In fact as of now, 4K streaming content is relatively hard to come by, so it's very likely that you won't miss out on much.
SHOULD I BUY THE ETHERNET PORT ADAPTER FOR FIRE TV STICK
Generally, the word of wisdom is that ethernet is more reliable and faster than wi-fi. However, the ethernet adapter will connect to the micro-USB port and supports only 10/100 ethernet (which means that it supports working at 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps.) The Wifi can also provide bandwidth much more than this. If the ethernet on Fire TV had been 10/100/1000 which means it can go up to 1Gbps (making it Gigabit port) then ethernet would have been a much better option. Also, consider the internet plan you have. If you have an internet plan for say 40Mbps, so Fire TV stick will never reach 100Mbps anyways.
The only reason you would want to use an ethernet adapter is if your wifi router is far away from the Fire TV and there is interference in the WiFi signal. I would suggest to connect to WiFi test and perform a speed test using the browser on the Fire TV by going to any of the speed test websites. If the speed test reports good enough speed and you don't encounter bad wi-fi service then there is no need to have an ethernet adapter.
I was looking for replacing my Roku LT streaming box which was released 100 years ago (in electronics years.) I couldn't resist when Amazon threw the trade-in offer at my face with $25 off for a Fire TV, and 2.99 cash value.
The new Fire TV retains the same form factor from the old Fire TV but has packed in some new features such as faster processor, power, volume, and mute buttons for TV, and support for newer 4K media standards such as Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos surround sound.
I was really surprised that how convenient the Alexa voice command feature is. Especially even with my thick accent, Alexa was able to understand what I was saying. Though apps have to support integration with Alexa (e.g. it couldn't open a website with voice command, maybe I was not giving a specific enough command) but all I need to play videos on Netflix or Amazon prime, and Alexa handles it beautifully.
Alexa voice commands work even if the TV is switched off. Though it takes a while for Alexa to switch the TV on but the fact that it works is simply amazing.
The User-interface is quite responsive. However, I found the user interface to be cluttered with information that I did not want on my home screen. The home screen can be improved a lot in order to present the content that I want and not what Amazon wants to advertise.
I also had issues with WiFi. During the setup process, the Fire TV prompted that it was not connected to WiFi. But on trying again it worked fine. Also, after some time the Fire TV could not reach the internet and displayed the message that "Home screen is currently unavailable." I had to power off the Fire TV and power it back up again to make it work.
All in all I love this new Fire TV. It is fast, responsive and has lots of features that I found useful in my daily operation.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE BUYING A FIRE TV
1. In order to be able to stream content at 4K, you would need to have a good broadband connection. Amazon recommends having a broadband connection of at least 15 Mbps. So if you have a dial-up or are on an economical internet plan, then you might not be able to stream in 4K.
2. As a result of an ongoing tussle between Amazon and Google, Google's apps are not available on Fire TV. Youtube app is not officially supported on Fire TV. There is a Youtube app for Fire TV but that simply opens Youtube in the web-browser. Google Play movies are also not supported on Fire TV as well.
3. The 4K content is limited and cost more e.g. Netflix charges more for their 4K subscription plan. Most of the movies that you can buy in 4K would be costlier than their SD/HD counterparts. As of writing this review the only Google Play movies and Apple iTunes would upgrade the purchased content to 4K for free. Neither of these two is available on Fire TV. I hope Amazon video follows the same suit and upgrades the purchased content to 4K for free.
4. Ethernet adapter has to be bought separately. Wi-fi is great but can be unreliable, especially if there are too many wi-fi devices causing interference. If you need wired ethernet then you would have to buy an ethernet adapter separately that plugs into the mini-USB port, unlike Fire TV cube that already comes with an ethernet port.
5. Fire TV stick does not support an external sd card. Though Fire TV stick has an internal memory of 8GB, it can fill up pretty quickly. It would have been nice to be able to connect an external storage media, but at this price, it would be asking too much. Although you can buy an OTG hub and use VLC to play the media from the USB drives (I have explained this further in the tips section below)
SOME TIPS FOR NEW FIRE TV USERS
1. If you hold down the home button, then a new menu pops up which gives you three options to go to apps directly, sleep the Fire TV, or go to setting. I find this shortcut really useful for navigating to apps directly.
2. When I setup the fire TV I realized that the picture was rather dull as compared to the picture in my Samsung Smart TV app (e.g. the same movie in Netflix app would seem more vibrant than on Fire TV.) I found that changing the "Dynamic Range Settings" to "Adaptive" made the picture look more vibrant. You can navigate to this setting by going to Settings > Display & Sounds > Dynamic Range Settings. My Fire TV was set to "Always HDR" and I changed it to "Adaptive"
3. If you have kids and prefer to listen to TV quietly then you should play with two audio settings "Volume Leveler" and "Dialogue Enhancer" (which are OFF by default.) These settings are found in Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > Advanced Audio.
4. You can play external media (videos) from USB drive using an OTG (On-The-Go) hub which has USB drive support. I got an OTG hub Micro USB LAN Ethernet Adapter with RJ45 3 USB Hub Compatible TV Stick Streaming Device that has ethernet and USB ports. With this Hub, I can launch the VLC app VLC App for Fire TV and it can browse and play the media on the USB drives attached to the hub. You can also directly connect the Fire TV to the laptop and copy over the files to the Fire TV stick, but with 8Gb of storage space there might not be enough space on the Fire TV (since that space would be shared by the Fire TV OS, utilities and apps as well)
SPECS
1. Supports 60 Hz refresh rates for 4K at 60Hz, 1080p, and 720p
2. Internal storage : 8GB
3. RAM: 1.5GB DDR4
4. Processor: Quad Core 1.7GHz
5. OS: Fire OS 6, which is based on Android 7.1 (Nougat)
6. Wi-Fi: Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi supports 2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
7. Ethernet: 10/100Mbs (though the ethernet adapter needs to be purchased separately)
8. Bluetooth : 5.0
9. Ports: HDMI output, Micro USB 2.0 for power or optional Amazon Ethernet Adapter
SETUP
Upon plugging in the Fire TV for the first time the setup process will do the following:
1. Selecting the language
2. Configure Wireless internet's configuration.
3. Once that is done Fire TV installs and downloads the latest software. Software download did not take much time but the installation took 3 minutes.
4. Fire TV then sets up the remote to control the TV. It asks you to control the volume of TV using Fire TV's remote.
5. After that, you can connect the Fire TV to your account. If you purchased the Fire TV from Amazon, then it is already connected to your account.
6. You can set up parental controls after connecting the Fire TV to your account.
7. After this, a brief video of Fire TV's features is shown.
8. After the video interface of Fire TV is shown.
The next time I turned on the Fire TV, it straight away goes to Fire TV's interface
WHAT'S NEW IN THIS FIRE TV
This latest Fire TV model has added lots of new functionalities as compared to
1. The processor has been upgraded from 1.5GHz to 1.7GHz quad-core processor. This is better than Fire TV cube's processor as well, but Fire TV cube has 16 GB of internal memory while Fire TV stick has 8 GB only.
2. This new Fire TV supports streaming in 4K, Dolby Vision HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos surround sound.
3. The remote has received a fair amount of new features such as IR transmitter that can be used to control other devices as well. The dedicated buttons for power, volume, and mute can be used to control the TV directly, instead of having to lug around the TV's remote separately.
4. Fire TV's remote also has the Alexa button using which you can give voice commands to the Fire TV.
WHAT IS DOLBY ATMOS
Dolby Atmos was is a technology that was introduced to provide a more immersive sound experience. This involved adding more speakers (up to 64) around and above the listener and using 128 audio channels. This sound format is usually best experienced in theatres, however, you could purchase sound systems that support Dolby ATMOS experience on 7 to 24 speakers (although more than 12 speakers might not provide any benefit.) So although the FIre TV will support transmitting the audio in Dolby ATMOS format, you would need receivers (probably 11.2 or 7.2 channel receivers) and speaker setup to be able to enjoy this feature.
There is Dolby content available on Netflix and iTunes. On Prime Video the Dolby ATMOS content limited to only some of their original content.
USER INTERFACE
The user interface of Fire TV is very similar to Prime video's interface with rows of tiles in various categories. This is basically Prie Video interface with an extra row for the apps and recently used apps. The home screen of Fire TV contains the "Your apps and channels" and below that there are rows of sponsored content and recommendations that you would see on prime video app.
I personally found the home screen of Fire TV to be cluttered with tiles and information that I did not want. If you are coming from Roku where you find your channels displayed prominently, you might feel a little disappointed. There is one row of my apps and channels, while there are rows after rows of recommended content that I did not pin on my home screen. I have not been able to customize the home screen as of yet.
I personally found searching for new apps on Fire TV to be really cumbersome as well. I have to navigate through several menus hoping to find a useful app. It would probably be easier to go to Amazon's website, search for an app there and install it from there.
USING TV CONTROLS FROM FIRE TV's REMOTE
Once the Fire TV's remote was set up to control the TV, I could easily control the volume of TV and turn the TV on or off. There was no lag and it works simply every time. I did not need a line of sight between the remote and the TV for it to work.
USING ALEXA
In order to use the Alexa commands you simply hold down the voice button on remote, say the command while holding down the button, and release the button. The even works when TV is switched.
WHY BUY A STREAMING STICK WHEN I HAVE A SMART TV
Even though I have a smart tv which in theory should provide mostly the same functionality as the streaming stick, I found my smart TV's experience to be extremely inferior to these streaming solution. The Samsung smart TV I have is plagued with slow and unresponsive apps. The apps crash often. Sometimes the TV itself freezes to the point that I cannot use the remote to turn the TV off. Often when I turn the TV on it would not launch any add until it loads up an advertisement.
It shouldn't be surprising that the overall user experience is not enjoyable on Smart TV mainly because the software is not the primary focus of TV manufacturers. However, the streaming sticks dedicate the hardware and software for a single purpose only and that is to provide a pleasant viewing experience for the user. Therefore they update their software more often and try to be on top of resolving issues in their product.
Also, the number of apps/channels for my Samsung TV are not as much as are available on the streaming devices.
FIRE TV VS ROKU TV/CHROMECAST
While looking for a replacing my ailing Roku LT for some time now. The Roku LT couldn't handle all weight of shiny new apps. I was looking for something around $50 and all the devices fit the bill we Roku Streaming stick+, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV.
Roku streaming stick+ does provide very similar functionality as Fire TV such as 4K support, UHD support, Voice controls on Remote. Both of them also lack some functionalities that would have wanted such as Micro SD card, ethernet port. Though Fire TV does have volume and power controls for TV on the remote, which is a big plus for me. However, considering the discount I was getting for trade-in, Fire TV stick was the obvious choice for me. In addition to that since Fire TV is based on Android, there are some apps available on Fire TV which are not available for Roku such as VLC, Kodi, VPN service.
Chromecast is also based on Android and you can install apps on it as well, but chromecast is for casting from another device. This means that I would always need a device (such as laptop, tablet or Mobile) to start the stream. This in itself was a deal breaker for me for buying chromecast.
WOULD THIS PLAY ALL MEDIA IN 4K
If you are playing HD content then the Fire TV will upscale the content to 4K (this means that it will try to fit the HD content to a 4K screen by trying to add the missing details.) Although if you have a 4K TV then most probably the TV is capable of doing that as well. You might want to disable the upscaling of Fire TV and see if your TV can do a better job at it.
DO I NEED TO HAVE A 4K TV TO USE THIS
You don't need to have a 4K TV to be able to use Fire TV. If you have an old TV/monitor which can display in HD only, even then you can play HD content simply fine on Fire TV. In fact as of now, 4K streaming content is relatively hard to come by, so it's very likely that you won't miss out on much.
SHOULD I BUY THE ETHERNET PORT ADAPTER FOR FIRE TV STICK
Generally, the word of wisdom is that ethernet is more reliable and faster than wi-fi. However, the ethernet adapter will connect to the micro-USB port and supports only 10/100 ethernet (which means that it supports working at 10 Mbps and 100 Mbps.) The Wifi can also provide bandwidth much more than this. If the ethernet on Fire TV had been 10/100/1000 which means it can go up to 1Gbps (making it Gigabit port) then ethernet would have been a much better option. Also, consider the internet plan you have. If you have an internet plan for say 40Mbps, so Fire TV stick will never reach 100Mbps anyways.
The only reason you would want to use an ethernet adapter is if your wifi router is far away from the Fire TV and there is interference in the WiFi signal. I would suggest to connect to WiFi test and perform a speed test using the browser on the Fire TV by going to any of the speed test websites. If the speed test reports good enough speed and you don't encounter bad wi-fi service then there is no need to have an ethernet adapter.
My friend Birdman experience How well it works compared to others.
Ok, so if your like me you wonder what exactly does Fire Stick do? Well 1st. saves you a lot of money Compared to having say, a Genie with 5 tv's hooked up. 2nd. gives you the option of more, lots more to watch, may even be overwhelming in choices. 3rd. Less HDMI cables to purchase. So lets get to what it really does, gives you apps like Prime video, Netflix, Hulu, and too many channels to list here. That's I think why they don't. Get every channel including many local channels that you can think of, like TNT,SYFY, PBS and so on. HBO, Starz, and those channels like Netflix are at a cost but add it up and you will probably, more then likely save a lot over cable or satellite. Sports are a little different as far as some places have, local sports channels you can get included in your cable package. This you will have to pay for unless your watching live on local channels.
Now what's different between Fire tv and Roku Ultra besides the price? No VUDU on Fire tv, which if you are like me I have movies on there for yrs. Anyway no HDMI cable is needed for Fire tv it plugs straight in to your TV, Receiver or equipment like an OPPO Blue-ray player and so on. The two are the same except those four things. VUDU, HDMI cables, and price. each have quad-core processors, 4k at 60fps. and Voice control. Fire stick seems to preform very well if you hook it up correctly. So in the short of it go with FireTV stick, if you want to spend far less depending on how many TV's you have, and you like ALexa voice control. If you don't mind paying more and want things like VUDU go with the other. You could do like I did because we have 4 people watching TV's to get both. Each give you two people at a time watching other channels or devices. I have two FIRETV Sticks and two ROKU's. 2 are straight into TV's for full 4k at 60fps, 1 straight through my receiver and another through my OPPO 105D which give me 4k at 30fps. True 4k at 60fps is very rare out there yet so most equipment that's just a few yrs. older will still give you 4k but at 30fps. I personally don't see a difference but it's hard to find a show that is recorded at a true 4k 60fps. as of NOV. 2018. Oh I missed something important to me but not others as much which is ROKU Ultra has a net cable connector and wi-fi which FIRETV does not. I like the fact that there is never a problem with connection or speed with a net cable versus wireless, plus you don't have to type in your security code with a net cable connection to setup.
Ok, so if your like me you wonder what exactly does Fire Stick do? Well 1st. saves you a lot of money Compared to having say, a Genie with 5 tv's hooked up. 2nd. gives you the option of more, lots more to watch, may even be overwhelming in choices. 3rd. Less HDMI cables to purchase. So lets get to what it really does, gives you apps like Prime video, Netflix, Hulu, and too many channels to list here. That's I think why they don't. Get every channel including many local channels that you can think of, like TNT,SYFY, PBS and so on. HBO, Starz, and those channels like Netflix are at a cost but add it up and you will probably, more then likely save a lot over cable or satellite. Sports are a little different as far as some places have, local sports channels you can get included in your cable package. This you will have to pay for unless your watching live on local channels.
Now what's different between Fire tv and Roku Ultra besides the price? No VUDU on Fire tv, which if you are like me I have movies on there for yrs. Anyway no HDMI cable is needed for Fire tv it plugs straight in to your TV, Receiver or equipment like an OPPO Blue-ray player and so on. The two are the same except those four things. VUDU, HDMI cables, and price. each have quad-core processors, 4k at 60fps. and Voice control. Fire stick seems to preform very well if you hook it up correctly. So in the short of it go with FireTV stick, if you want to spend far less depending on how many TV's you have, and you like ALexa voice control. If you don't mind paying more and want things like VUDU go with the other. You could do like I did because we have 4 people watching TV's to get both. Each give you two people at a time watching other channels or devices. I have two FIRETV Sticks and two ROKU's. 2 are straight into TV's for full 4k at 60fps, 1 straight through my receiver and another through my OPPO 105D which give me 4k at 30fps. True 4k at 60fps is very rare out there yet so most equipment that's just a few yrs. older will still give you 4k but at 30fps. I personally don't see a difference but it's hard to find a show that is recorded at a true 4k 60fps. as of NOV. 2018. Oh I missed something important to me but not others as much which is ROKU Ultra has a net cable connector and wi-fi which FIRETV does not. I like the fact that there is never a problem with connection or speed with a net cable versus wireless, plus you don't have to type in your security code with a net cable connection to setup.
This a word from Lea say Finally, the one ring to rule them all!.
I pre-ordered this a few weeks ago, and it just arrived on 10/31.
Ok guys, real talk, I'm not 17 any more. What I care about now is function, design and efficiency. So the fact that this new edition of the Fire Stick can control the volume and the power to my TV... Umm, put me down for 200 please, and I'll throw them out to the parents as they slug along behind their sugar-fueled 5 year old trick or treaters tonight. And I will instantly become their hero. Well, second only to the guy pouring the witches brew cocktails later. But I digress.
Anyway! We all have had half a dozen Fire Sticks by now, and we can all agree- they're great. But at the end of the day, I still needed to fondle 3 remotes in the dark, steal half-alive batteries from 3 of my kids toys, and ask my 2 year old where he put the remotes, for all three devices... just so I can lock myself in my room for 9 totally unselfish hours just to watch the latest season of Stranger Things.
Because of my current setup, I had one remote to control the TV, one remote to control the Fire Stick, (and because my sound bar was connected to my TV via optical cable and therefore could not be controlled by the TV remote for some crazy reason) one remote to control the volume of the sound bar. BUT NOT ANY MORE BABY! This latest Fire Stick has added volume, mute and power buttons. And I'm pretty much invincible now.
Additionally, I think the Fire Stick knows how much of a bada$$ it is. I've caught the remote levitating on my night stand a handful of times. I think it's self aware.
Of course this does the usual blah blah blah, and yes it's 4k if you have it connected to a compatible TV. But all that is soo #yesterday. So what I'm really trying to say here guys- I ONLY NEED ONE REMOTE NOW!!!
Happy Halloween ;)
I pre-ordered this a few weeks ago, and it just arrived on 10/31.
Ok guys, real talk, I'm not 17 any more. What I care about now is function, design and efficiency. So the fact that this new edition of the Fire Stick can control the volume and the power to my TV... Umm, put me down for 200 please, and I'll throw them out to the parents as they slug along behind their sugar-fueled 5 year old trick or treaters tonight. And I will instantly become their hero. Well, second only to the guy pouring the witches brew cocktails later. But I digress.
Anyway! We all have had half a dozen Fire Sticks by now, and we can all agree- they're great. But at the end of the day, I still needed to fondle 3 remotes in the dark, steal half-alive batteries from 3 of my kids toys, and ask my 2 year old where he put the remotes, for all three devices... just so I can lock myself in my room for 9 totally unselfish hours just to watch the latest season of Stranger Things.
Because of my current setup, I had one remote to control the TV, one remote to control the Fire Stick, (and because my sound bar was connected to my TV via optical cable and therefore could not be controlled by the TV remote for some crazy reason) one remote to control the volume of the sound bar. BUT NOT ANY MORE BABY! This latest Fire Stick has added volume, mute and power buttons. And I'm pretty much invincible now.
Additionally, I think the Fire Stick knows how much of a bada$$ it is. I've caught the remote levitating on my night stand a handful of times. I think it's self aware.
Of course this does the usual blah blah blah, and yes it's 4k if you have it connected to a compatible TV. But all that is soo #yesterday. So what I'm really trying to say here guys- I ONLY NEED ONE REMOTE NOW!!!
Happy Halloween ;)
This a word from cuco said Constantly reboots only shows the fire tv logo. Replacement does the same..
I have tried it on 4 different TV's (Toshiba, Seiki, Element and LG) with the same issue. Maybe it's a manufacturing defect. I am using the supplied power adapter and USB cable. Sometimes I can it to boot if it's not connected to the tv.
I have tried it on 4 different TV's (Toshiba, Seiki, Element and LG) with the same issue. Maybe it's a manufacturing defect. I am using the supplied power adapter and USB cable. Sometimes I can it to boot if it's not connected to the tv.
As Furbaby Dad tell us Fast, the on/off to control TV, sound, and mute.
I found the new 4K (HDR) Firestick to function much better than the 2nd Gen Firestick. It downloads app pages much faster.
And with the added on/off function of the TV, and controlling my surround system volume/mute, awesome. There are no special settings to get through to use those functions! I was using the Ethernet adapter on the 2nd Gen Stick, but found it useless to use with this Stick. It only caused interference problems and appears to only see WiFi. So I unplugged the adapter and went with just using the WiFi. The interference stopped and now it works great! Now to only get a 4K TV!
I found the new 4K (HDR) Firestick to function much better than the 2nd Gen Firestick. It downloads app pages much faster.
And with the added on/off function of the TV, and controlling my surround system volume/mute, awesome. There are no special settings to get through to use those functions! I was using the Ethernet adapter on the 2nd Gen Stick, but found it useless to use with this Stick. It only caused interference problems and appears to only see WiFi. So I unplugged the adapter and went with just using the WiFi. The interference stopped and now it works great! Now to only get a 4K TV!
My friend Corey Hansen experience Do real research into what risks you take....
So you’ve heard about cutting the cord and you’re excited to save a little money, or you remember when you could stream just about any movie on Netflix, and you think a Fire TV Stick is the answer. The Amazon Fire TV Stick isn’t very expensive, but if you don’t wish to deal with the stress or disappointment, do your research first.
After getting sick of paying for a whole cable subscription to watch nothing but local news, I installed a $600 antenna, only to find out the only channels available over the air in my area are PBS. After hearing about the Fire TV Stick, I thought I had found the answer. I was wrong.
NOTHING on the Firestick is free. You will still have to create accounts through secondary companies. Most require a subscription which also risks identity and personal security. Based upon my significant other’s three favorite shows and my three favorite shows, the fees and subscriptions would pay our cable bill, and we’re unable to view everything on Firestick that we can with our basic cable subscription.
Even worse, all the Fire TV Stick does is function as a hardware device which combines your choice of apps for viewing on a television. All my phones and all my laptops do that with most of my televisions already. The Fire TV Stick doesn’t magically let you watch anything for free.
It’s Christmas time and we want to watch Christmas Vacation. Even with a Netflix subscription, I’m still expected to pay a rental fee. I thought I could find it and stream it for free, somewhere. Nope. The Fire Stick must have it somewhere. Nope. I finally got mad and jail broke my Firestick and installed Kodi. Still no! I can find it and I can stream it, but I still must pay a rental fee. This was the final straw and my Firestick just moved to its final resting place in the dumpster.
If not being able to cut the cord and watch similar programming for free isn’t an issue, there’s more. You want to watch a specific movie or TV program? There’s no search function. Select your category or genre and click, click, click………..it’s been thirty minutes and I still haven’t found Christmas Vacation, AND IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!
Local TV? Not on Firestick! Local broadcasts and over the air TV are necessary to aid in keeping the population informed. If you cut the cord and rely on Firestick for entertainment, you and the rest of the Firestick population will certainly be so uninformed that certain politicians may or may not make it into office. Yet, at least you’ll be shielded from the stress of the campaign. Forest fires are heading in your direction and it’s time to evacuate. You won’t have local programming so at least you won’t have to pack your belongings since you don’t know your house will burn down. Amazon needs to realize what laws now apply to them and they need to make local programming and over the air broadcasts available on the Fire TV Stick FOR FREE! That’s why it’s free. Amazon’s technology has exceeded current systems which identifies a change in infrastructure. If the Firestick is reaching a broader population, Amazons structure must change as well.
Enjoy watching a specific TV show? If you find it and pay to watch it, you must select it by the season and episode. For a device which is marketed for its ease of use, there are excessive steps necessary just to view the latest episode of your favorite show. I downloaded other apps and even when using the search bar in the apps, if I try to use the voice control it reverts to the Firestick and not the app I’m using. It will kick me out and take me back to the home screen with basically a Netflix search, nothing else. It’s not easy to use, as marketed.
Even worse, I heard I had to install Kodi to make it work the way I want. I did and as I previously explained, everything still requires a subscription. I’m not done yet, I didn’t realize what I was doing is called “jail breaking” and now I’m at risk of my IP address being tracked and if I’m caught illegally viewing TV or movies, I will lose my internet service and I can be liable for royalties and fees. I can’t risk losing what I’ve worked so hard to gain, hence why my Firestick went in the trash can. If you think you can cut the cord and view TV or movies for free, you will be taking a legal risk of liability.
This is actually my second review. After my first review an Amazon representative called me and asked what and why and all kinds of other questions; not interested in my true opinion, but simply to argue with me over the valid points I was making. In the end, when I explained my problem is not with Amazon, my complaint is that the Firestick does not operate as I expected it to, based upon the marketing and advertising intended to deceive the public. The Firestick functions as Amazon intends it to, but the deception Amazon has created is where my disappointment stems. The Amazon representative deleted my review…yet another deception. The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a big deception, disappointment, and legal liability.
So you’ve heard about cutting the cord and you’re excited to save a little money, or you remember when you could stream just about any movie on Netflix, and you think a Fire TV Stick is the answer. The Amazon Fire TV Stick isn’t very expensive, but if you don’t wish to deal with the stress or disappointment, do your research first.
After getting sick of paying for a whole cable subscription to watch nothing but local news, I installed a $600 antenna, only to find out the only channels available over the air in my area are PBS. After hearing about the Fire TV Stick, I thought I had found the answer. I was wrong.
NOTHING on the Firestick is free. You will still have to create accounts through secondary companies. Most require a subscription which also risks identity and personal security. Based upon my significant other’s three favorite shows and my three favorite shows, the fees and subscriptions would pay our cable bill, and we’re unable to view everything on Firestick that we can with our basic cable subscription.
Even worse, all the Fire TV Stick does is function as a hardware device which combines your choice of apps for viewing on a television. All my phones and all my laptops do that with most of my televisions already. The Fire TV Stick doesn’t magically let you watch anything for free.
It’s Christmas time and we want to watch Christmas Vacation. Even with a Netflix subscription, I’m still expected to pay a rental fee. I thought I could find it and stream it for free, somewhere. Nope. The Fire Stick must have it somewhere. Nope. I finally got mad and jail broke my Firestick and installed Kodi. Still no! I can find it and I can stream it, but I still must pay a rental fee. This was the final straw and my Firestick just moved to its final resting place in the dumpster.
If not being able to cut the cord and watch similar programming for free isn’t an issue, there’s more. You want to watch a specific movie or TV program? There’s no search function. Select your category or genre and click, click, click………..it’s been thirty minutes and I still haven’t found Christmas Vacation, AND IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!
Local TV? Not on Firestick! Local broadcasts and over the air TV are necessary to aid in keeping the population informed. If you cut the cord and rely on Firestick for entertainment, you and the rest of the Firestick population will certainly be so uninformed that certain politicians may or may not make it into office. Yet, at least you’ll be shielded from the stress of the campaign. Forest fires are heading in your direction and it’s time to evacuate. You won’t have local programming so at least you won’t have to pack your belongings since you don’t know your house will burn down. Amazon needs to realize what laws now apply to them and they need to make local programming and over the air broadcasts available on the Fire TV Stick FOR FREE! That’s why it’s free. Amazon’s technology has exceeded current systems which identifies a change in infrastructure. If the Firestick is reaching a broader population, Amazons structure must change as well.
Enjoy watching a specific TV show? If you find it and pay to watch it, you must select it by the season and episode. For a device which is marketed for its ease of use, there are excessive steps necessary just to view the latest episode of your favorite show. I downloaded other apps and even when using the search bar in the apps, if I try to use the voice control it reverts to the Firestick and not the app I’m using. It will kick me out and take me back to the home screen with basically a Netflix search, nothing else. It’s not easy to use, as marketed.
Even worse, I heard I had to install Kodi to make it work the way I want. I did and as I previously explained, everything still requires a subscription. I’m not done yet, I didn’t realize what I was doing is called “jail breaking” and now I’m at risk of my IP address being tracked and if I’m caught illegally viewing TV or movies, I will lose my internet service and I can be liable for royalties and fees. I can’t risk losing what I’ve worked so hard to gain, hence why my Firestick went in the trash can. If you think you can cut the cord and view TV or movies for free, you will be taking a legal risk of liability.
This is actually my second review. After my first review an Amazon representative called me and asked what and why and all kinds of other questions; not interested in my true opinion, but simply to argue with me over the valid points I was making. In the end, when I explained my problem is not with Amazon, my complaint is that the Firestick does not operate as I expected it to, based upon the marketing and advertising intended to deceive the public. The Firestick functions as Amazon intends it to, but the deception Amazon has created is where my disappointment stems. The Amazon representative deleted my review…yet another deception. The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a big deception, disappointment, and legal liability.
As Amazon Customer say Very disappointed.
Bought my fire stick about 1 1/2 years ago. first the remote went within a year then just last week the product itself stopped working. Tried it on three different televisions and would not connect on any of them. I love amazon but this is one product I don't think I will purchase again.
Bought my fire stick about 1 1/2 years ago. first the remote went within a year then just last week the product itself stopped working. Tried it on three different televisions and would not connect on any of them. I love amazon but this is one product I don't think I will purchase again.
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