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Amazon Launches $39 'Fire TV Stick' to Compete With Chromecast, Apple TV

Anybody know if the netflix app is up to date? The one on my samsung TV hasn't been updated in years and doesn't include the profile feature.
 
brentsg said:
They copy the Roku Stream Stick and that's innovation?
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Don't look at the stick, look at it's features.

Chromecasts allows users to play their content over any chromecast device, even on a device that did not belong to them. Apple responded by adding a similar feature to Appletv a few months later.

Here Amazon and Google are providing hardware that will provide similar value to many users at a much lesser cost than an AppleTv.
 
Chupa Chupa said:
Better question is what are you reading? It's not the news or you'd know Amazon will likely take a $40m loss the year after reporting disastrous losses for the previous quarter last week.
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That's not entirely accurate. They're making tons of money but they're spending more than they're making on new products/ideas.

I'm not an investor of AMZN but a company runs into big trouble when they're not spending money on new ideas. I'm not concerned that Amazon will go out of business anytime soon.
 
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I would love it if some of these companies would occasionally remember that Canada exists (and other countries, too).

If the pressure in the US makes Apple step up their game I'll be glad, though.
 
but can I stream UFC, NBA, and NFL off my phone to the Fire stick? If so I would just put the Apple TV away.
 
ctdonath said:
Amazon makes enormous profit, they just throw all of it back into taking over he entire retail sales industry.
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Then it's not actual profit, you can't just say "but, for this we make money" if you never actually cut out the "but for". Not only that, it's debatably irresponsible to never actually profit take.
 
Bearxor said:
Can we please stop calling these things 'Apple TV Competitors'?

At this point ATV is so far behind that it's unfair to the rest of the devices being released.
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You know, I have every single possible one of these devices and still prefer AppleTV. Picked up 2 FireTV sticks today, knowing damn well they don't support HBOGO like my Apple TV. Just for the rooms of the house without Amazon Prime.
 
jeffe said:
Don't look at the stick, look at it's features.

Chromecasts allows users to play their content over any chromecast device, even on a device that did not belong to them. Apple responded by adding a similar feature to Appletv a few months later.

Here Amazon and Google are providing hardware that will provide similar value to many users at a much lesser cost than an AppleTv.
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I see no value in a Chromecast. That leaves your argument to be based on price. Lower price is not the same as innovation.

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ctdonath said:
Amazon makes enormous profit, they just throw all of it back into taking over he entire retail sales industry.
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You need to examine the definition of profit.
 
This is fantastic. I've been eyeing the Chromecast, but unwilling to pull the trigger because of some desired features that the Fire had.

Just preordered this.
 
For me no matter how cheap a device is, it's the ecosystem around it that is far more important. I don't even want to waste my time when i have more functionality with my setup.

Synology NAS, apple tv and the associated synology apps trump this stick. I can download files to the NAS from anywhere in the world and stream it where ever i am or airplay to apple tv with plex like content organisation.

hundreds of movies and tv shows bought in iTunes means thousands in content invested that can't be transferred to this stick, saving a $70 on hardware price is idiotic when the amount spent inside that ecosystem is so much higher.

They want you in the door to buy content and the sale value is not realistically covering even cost price.

The problem for any apple user is usually a fire tv or other product will cause more issues than it solves, it's going to separate you from accessing content, it's really just a dumb box that doesn't interconnect, it might do simple TV stuff well but it's not part of a bigger picture like the apple tv is with it's associated 3rd parties.
 
brentsg said:
I see no value in a Chromecast. That leaves your argument to be based on price.
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No it doesn't, you are just one person whose opinion is just that. The facts speak for themselves. Chromecast and Roku are both outselling Apple TV. Plenty of people see value in these devices otherwise they wouldn't be buying them and using them. Google has previously said that chromecast was used more than 400 million times in it's first year and is now at over 650 million.

brentsg said:
Lower price is not the same as innovation.
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I never said it was. It is good these devices are available and that companies are trying different things as they'll push apple to upgrade their own platforms and devices. (as they already have)


http://www.mactrast.com/2014/07/roku-chromecast-outsell-third-place-apple-tv-2013/
https://gigaom.com/2014/10/21/google-exec-chromecast-v2-is-coming-users-have-cast-650-million-times/
 
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mdelvecchio said:
as if they weren't. I'm always stunned by those who think apple, the biggest, most successful company in the history of earth is just sitting around, twiddling its thumbs, picking its ear.... how many successful initiatives must they produce since 1977 to give you a clue??
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Below are snippets of your response - rebuttals come from my original post. You've caught me before my morning coffee... :)

mdelvecchio said:
'....as if they weren't.
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From my original post: They're rarely first to a category

~ Exactly, just like I said. But being a player on the side lines watching the game is far different from being in the game.

mdelvecchio said:
'....I'm always stunned by those who think apple, the biggest, most successful company in the history of earth is just sitting around, twiddling its thumbs
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FMOP: They have a matured iOS. An App Store. Their own distribution model. As well as the chops to make an highly effective incremental update to the Apple TV

~ Exactly, like I point out, they have many matured innovations that they are amazing at. What was your point in response to my post again?...

mdelvecchio said:
'....how many successful initiatives must they produce since 1977 to give you a clue??
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FMOP: create a new dent in the universe.

~ Exactly, many dents in the universe. Here is a chance to 'create a new dent in the universe'.

Reading comprehension can be hard - but like the old adage, measure twice cut once. Maybe we should adopt, read twice respond once.

:rolleyes:
 
The longer Apple waits to release their "revamped set-top box", the more attractive options like this and Chromecast become. Come on, Apple. It has been YEARS since a real update.
 
octothorpe8 said:
Please. This little stick is missing a lot of features ATV has.
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Such as what - access to itunes? What are "a lot" of features it's missing?

Colpeas said:
Well, Fire TV stick seems to me like a brilliant device, but the remote is such a blatant rip-off of Apple's remote...
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Seriously? the only things in common are that it's a rectangle and has a round top button. The fire remote also has several buttons and the Apple remote has very few.

Such a blatant rip off? Wow.
 
gavroche said:
Don't forget a #2 Pencil! :D
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That's remained blocked from my memory since my last Scantron formatted exam. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble. Ha!

ghsNick said:
That's not entirely accurate. They're making tons of money but they're spending more than they're making on new products/ideas.

I'm not an investor of AMZN but a company runs into big trouble when they're not spending money on new ideas. I'm not concerned that Amazon will go out of business anytime soon.
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The poster was suggesting Amazon was making money; i.e., profit, not generating cash flow; i.e., revenue. Amazon is not currently a profitable enterprise right now. Yes, Amazon generates a heck of a lot of revenue, but that's not at the heart of the posters statement which I responded to.
 
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