Amazon Fire TV Stick

[GoCubsGo]

I received my Fire TV Stick just before the holiday, but only hooked it up this past weekend. I am super impressed. I have owned a few Apple TVs (1st, 2nd, and 3rd gen) and I use a Chromecast during the week in my office. This Fire TV stick more or less blows the Chromecast out of the water for my needs/wants. I love not needing my iPad, which I actually said I loved being able to control the Chromecast from my iPad before, and the remote is pretty great.

Like others, I got mine for $19, but I'd buy another at $39 in a heartbeat. I'll keep the Chromecast in my office and the Fire Stick downstairs. It is even easier than running Hulu and Netflix off my Blu-ray player.

 

[D.T.]

Mine showed up yesterday. I ordered late during the Prime Only sale, and it originally said Jan 5th, but it got bumped up a few weeks - I guess the elves made them faster than expected 😀

We already have a number of media streaming/consumptions devices (2x AppleTVs, PS3, Smart TVs, XB, iPads, etc.), so this was kind of an impulse buy, but for $19 I figured it would be handy for _something_, at the very least fun to tinker with 😀

So my initial thoughts so far (only an hour or so of use and setup).

When these were first announced and it showed the power supply was USB via a “wall wart”, I hoped it could be powered directly via USB ports on the TV, though the power output on USB ports tends to be inconsistent. Well, I set ours up this way, and while it did actually throw up a warning about the USB port, it still started up, configured and it worked just fine.

Configuration (after the painful and way too long intro movie ... skip option[?]) took no time - it found our network, u/p entered and it’s up and running. They come pre-configured for your Amazon account you used for the order, kind of cool, one less step - unless, of course, you’re like us and my account isn’t the prime account, so I had to reconfig for the wife’s (very easily done).

Like other folks have mentioned, the UI is fast, there’s little-if-any latency, the remote doesn’t need LOS (not sure if it’s a proprietary RF or using BT[?]). Overall the UI design is fine, it’s not like much is needed in order to show lists/icons of content, select, toggle a few options.

The PQ seemed a little subpar, now granted the HDMI port I’m using wasn’t as perfectly dialed in as the main port (we need a single HDMI in via a Pioneer AVR), and in actual use I’d probably connect the Fire Stick to an HDMI port on the AVR as well - but I’m wondering if the power warning means it’s running in some kind of “limp mode”, maybe not getting the full bandwidth[?] Could also have just been the connection last night, Amazon, etc. I’ll have to do a back-to-back test vs. the PS3 (which is how we consume Amazon content downstairs).

Overall, it’s solid, for the price - factoring out the need/want for iTunes media consumption - it’s stellar, and it’s a complete, works-terrific-out-of-the-box experience.

 

[s0nicpr0s]

just curious, I saw the mirroring option in settings but how do you actually get it to mirror what is on your tablet?

Not sure if you've figured it out yet. But to get it to work on my Nexus 4, I had to go into the settings on the FireTV -> Display -> Screen Mirroring. From there, it'll wait for a device to start sending it a signal. On the Nexus devices, screen sharing can be turned on by going to Settings ->Display -> Cast Screen -> Options button in top right, and then enable wireless display. After about 20 seconds, my FireTV showed up, and after selecting it, it took roughly 10 seconds before it was mirrored. There was a slight delay between action on the phone being represented, but it does still work pretty well. Very consistent from my little bout with it. I am not sure that you can just activate it from your device without going to that settings menu on the tv. It'd be fantastic if it could just detect it and launch, but I haven't played around enough to know if it can do that.

If you need anymore help, please let me know. I'd be happy to try.

 

[mattopotamus]

Mine showed up yesterday. I ordered late during the Prime Only sale, and it originally said Jan 5th, but it got bumped up a few weeks - I guess the elves made them faster than expected 😀

We already have a number of media streaming/consumptions devices (2x AppleTVs, PS3, Smart TVs, XB, iPads, etc.), so this was kind of an impulse buy, but for $19 I figured it would be handy for _something_, at the very least fun to tinker with 😀

So my initial thoughts so far (only an hour or so of use and setup).

When these were first announced and it showed the power supply was USB via a “wall wart”, I hoped it could be powered directly via USB ports on the TV, though the power output on USB ports tends to be inconsistent. Well, I set ours up this way, and while it did actually throw up a warning about the USB port, it still started up, configured and it worked just fine.

Configuration (after the painful and way too long intro movie ... skip option[?]) took no time - it found our network, u/p entered and it’s up and running. They come pre-configured for your Amazon account you used for the order, kind of cool, one less step - unless, of course, you’re like us and my account isn’t the prime account, so I had to reconfig for the wife’s (very easily done).

Like other folks have mentioned, the UI is fast, there’s little-if-any latency, the remote doesn’t need LOS (not sure if it’s a proprietary RF or using BT[?]). Overall the UI design is fine, it’s not like much is needed in order to show lists/icons of content, select, toggle a few options.

The PQ seemed a little subpar, now granted the HDMI port I’m using wasn’t as perfectly dialed in as the main port (we need a single HDMI in via a Pioneer AVR), and in actual use I’d probably connect the Fire Stick to an HDMI port on the AVR as well - but I’m wondering if the power warning means it’s running in some kind of “limp mode”, maybe not getting the full bandwidth[?] Could also have just been the connection last night, Amazon, etc. I’ll have to do a back-to-back test vs. the PS3 (which is how we consume Amazon content downstairs).

Overall, it’s solid, for the price - factoring out the need/want for iTunes media consumption - it’s stellar, and it’s a complete, works-terrific-out-of-the-box experience.

I was hitting all of the buttons trying to skip that damn thing!

 

[s0nicpr0s]

I was hitting all of the buttons trying to skip that damn thing!

Did any of you accidentally hit the back button? I did that and panicked thinking it was going to start over from the beginning. Big sigh of relief when it picked back up from where it was. 😀

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Did any of you accidentally hit the back button? I did that and panicked thinking it was going to start over from the beginning. Big sigh of relief when it picked back up from where it was. 😀

LOL .... I did that. I even turned my TV off and back on to see if I could bypass it.

 

[D.T.]

I was hitting all of the buttons trying to skip that damn thing!

Did any of you accidentally hit the back button? I did that and panicked thinking it was going to start over from the beginning. Big sigh of relief when it picked back up from where it was. 😀

LOL .... I did that. I even turned my TV off and back on to see if I could bypass it.

Hahaha, same here, I was pounding buttons, and it jumped back to the start screen ... I almost flipped out 😀

 

[eclipse01]

Not sure if you've figured it out yet. But to get it to work on my Nexus 4, I had to go into the settings on the FireTV -> Display -> Screen Mirroring. From there, it'll wait for a device to start sending it a signal. On the Nexus devices, screen sharing can be turned on by going to Settings ->Display -> Cast Screen -> Options button in top right, and then enable wireless display. After about 20 seconds, my FireTV showed up, and after selecting it, it took roughly 10 seconds before it was mirrored. There was a slight delay between action on the phone being represented, but it does still work pretty well. Very consistent from my little bout with it. I am not sure that you can just activate it from your device without going to that settings menu on the tv. It'd be fantastic if it could just detect it and launch, but I haven't played around enough to know if it can do that.

If you need anymore help, please let me know. I'd be happy to try.

I have actually since found out (with a lot of research) that the 2012 Nexus is not capable of doing this.

 

[brentmore]

Just installed XBMC on the two fire sticks that I preordered and I have to say they run pretty smoothly. Did a few tests with Airplay and streaming from my NAS and I'm pretty happy. It's very quickly replacing my Chromebox and ATV2 as the go-to streamer.

 

[numlock]

Just installed XBMC on the two fire sticks that I preordered and I have to say they run pretty smoothly. Did a few tests with Airplay and streaming from my NAS and I'm pretty happy. It's very quickly replacing my Chromebox and ATV2 as the go-to streamer.

was gonna order with other last minute shopping but delivery isnt until early jan.

few questions

• how does xbmc on the fire stick compare to atv2?
• how would you rate the firestick remote?
• from the videos ive seen its a few menus you have to go through to access sideloaded apps like xbmc. can you leave it constantly in xbmc or does it automatically revert to the main menu after x hours?
• what protocol do you connected xbmc to your nas with?
• how would you rate the other fire apps pre installed and sideloaded?

 

[brentmore]

[*]how does xbmc on the fire stick compare to atv2?

It's significantly faster. I upgraded from the ATV2 to an ASUS Chromebox, and the Fire Stick's performance is just slightly lower than that of the Chromebox. There are some issues that I noticed with the stick when streaming audio over AirPlay. The audio will drop when the visualizations start, so I've disabled visualizations for now.

[*]how would you rate the firestick remote?

The remote is small - about double the thickness and width of the ATV remote. Fit well in my hands.

[*]from the videos ive seen its a few menus you have to go through to access sideloaded apps like xbmc. can you leave it constantly in xbmc or does it automatically revert to the main menu after x hours?

You can leave XBMC running, but if you want to play something via Prime, then you'd have to leave the app. There are methods to make it less cumbersome, such as creating a 'sacrificial app', than going though all of the menus.

[*]what protocol do you connected xbmc to your nas with?

My NAS is DLNA compliant.

[*]how would you rate the other fire apps pre installed and sideloaded?

I think the stick is an excellent value - especially at the pre order price.

 

[numlock]

It's significantly faster. I upgraded from the ATV2 to an ASUS Chromebox, and the Fire Stick's performance is just slightly lower than that of the Chromebox. There are some issues that I noticed with the stick when streaming audio over AirPlay. The audio will drop when the visualizations start, so I've disabled visualizations for now.

The remote is small - about double the thickness and width of the ATV remote. Fit well in my hands.

You can leave XBMC running, but if you want to play something via Prime, then you'd have to leave the app. There are methods to make it less cumbersome, such as creating a 'sacrificial app', than going though all of the menus.

My NAS is DLNA compliant.


I think the stick is an excellent value - especially at the pre order price.

thanks a lot. think im going to order at least one right away

 

[eclipse01]

Just curious, what are some benifits to sideloading XBMC and Kodi?

and yes, I did Google but all I see is many "how to's" I just want a few bullet points of reasons people do this?

 

[gotluck]

Just curious, what are some benifits to sideloading XBMC and Kodi?

and yes, I did Google but all I see is many "how to's" I just want a few bullet points of reasons people do this?

I've been reading about this and for me airplay is a big reason. Doesn't support mirroring but does support regular airplay it seems

It also seems to support acestream for live sports streaming. P2p-streams is the module on kodi

Blew my chances to order one on sale

 

[mclld]

was gonna order with other last minute shopping but delivery isnt until early jan.

few questions

• how does xbmc on the fire stick compare to atv2?
• how would you rate the firestick remote?
• from the videos ive seen its a few menus you have to go through to access sideloaded apps like xbmc. can you leave it constantly in xbmc or does it automatically revert to the main menu after x hours?
• what protocol do you connected xbmc to your nas with?
• how would you rate the other fire apps pre installed and sideloaded?

I had a atv2 and sold it, no regrets

 

[eclipse01]

I've been reading about this and for me airplay is a big reason. Doesn't support mirroring but does support regular airplay it seems

It also seems to support acestream for live sports streaming. P2p-streams is the module on kodi

Blew my chances to order one on sale

nice! might be nice to stream things from my phone since my tablet is apparently to old (with kit kat) to mirror

 

[Lloydbm41]

Just got the Fire TV on sale for $59 (this was just sheer luck on my part. Normal sale price is $79 at places like Amazon.) Having used the Fire TV stick the last few weeks, I can def say the Fire TV is head and shoulders faster and smoother than the Fire TV Stick. It is much faster at connecting to my NAS, as well as loading movies from Prime or Hulu/Netflix than my ATV3, Chromecast, Roku 3 or the Fire TV Stick.

My new favorite streaming box for sure!

 

[balamw]

I picked up both a Chromecast and a Fire TV Stick for Christmas. I must say that I'm liking the Fire TV stick. The addition of Prime Video which is unavailable on Apple TV, and it seems quite a bit faster than my ATV2.

EDIT: The Chromecast on the other hand I'm underwhelmed by. It's too dependent on other devices.

Hopefully Apple updates their hardware soon.

B

 

[numlock]

now amazon says its not in stock until the 17th of February. Is the demand so immense or what is going on?

 

[Lloydbm41]

now amazon says its not in stock until the 17th of february. Is the demand so immense or what is going on?

The Fire TV sticks low holiday pricing had it listed as the #1 Amazon selling product. For around $20, it was kind of a no brainer buy. Amazon also said they increased Amazon Prime subscriptions by 10 million over the XMas holiday, so it would not surprise me that they sold out of stock.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

The Fire TV sticks low holiday pricing had it listed as the #1 Amazon selling product. For around $20, it was kind of a no brainer buy. Amazon also said they increased Amazon Prime subscriptions by 10 million over the XMas holiday, so it would not surprise me that they sold out of stock.

If only I could get 10 million people to give me each $99 a year. 😀

 

[thelookingglass]

I've been reading about this and for me airplay is a big reason. Doesn't support mirroring but does support regular airplay it seems

It also seems to support acestream for live sports streaming. P2p-streams is the module on kodi

Blew my chances to order one on sale

I'm pretty sure there's an app on the Amazon App Store accessible through the Fire Stick that can airplay. I can't remember the exact name, but I've definitely used it.

 

[Lloydbm41]

I'm pretty sure there's an app on the Amazon App Store accessible through the Fire Stick that can airplay. I can't remember the exact name, but I've definitely used it.

I haven't downloaded any of the 'airplay' apps yet, because they all are 3 star or less, with some pretty awful reviews.

If Amazon could add Google Play Movies or allow for built in ios/Android mirroring, it really would be the best on the market IMO. Right now I use Plex for all my videos, but it would be nice to mirror or be able to play the movies I have on Google Play and iTunes. I'm sure there is a way, I just prefer if it was a built in app.

 

[kdarling]

If Amazon could add Google Play Movies or allow for built in ios/Android mirroring, it really would be the best on the market IMO. Right now I use Plex for all my videos, but it would be nice to mirror or be able to play the movies I have on Google Play and iTunes. I'm sure there is a way, I just prefer if it was a built in app.

I was reading this thread, and almost got a Fire Stick, but...

All that you mentioned (and more) is why I ordered another Roku instead.

Roku has everything from Amazon Prime, to Google Play, to HBO Go, to YouTube, to a great search ability.

Yes, it costs more, but man!