FireTv Stick Experiences

[leebase]

Now that we've all gotten our FireTv Sticks...how is it going?

I'm extremely pleased. I'd pay $39 for it now, but it's truly great at the $19.99 I paid.

I have 3 "smart tv" devices now: Apple Tv, Samsung Smart Bluray player, and FireTv Stick.

Worse device by far is the Samsung Bluray player...it's a great bluray player, and a so so "Netflix" player. It's on a living room Tv and the kids watch Netflix on it all the time.

The AppleTv is the best experience device. Great for iTunes media, and AirPlay streaming from iPhone, iPad and Mac. My 50" tv can be used as a second monitor to my Mac. Netflix app is best on the Apple Tv. But no Amazon Prime video and no Plex app. And it was $100.

The FireTv Stick lives on my bedroom tv. Great for watching prime videos and netflix. I also installed Plex so that I can stream movies from my Windows PC (attached to my downstairs living room tv along with the Apple Tv). The Plex experience is actually better than running movies from the Windows PC that is directly attached to the tv.

I'd love it if the Fire Tv remote had a headphone jack like the Roku has. Basically, if I want to watch tv in bed while wife sleeps, I'll watch on my iPad rather than the tv.

I bought a couple apps claiming to add Airplay abilities to the FireTv Stick. None of them worked. On the same wifi network I successfully Airplay to an AppleTv so it's something wrong with the apps.

Fire Tv Stick traveling is a mixed bag. Worked great at my mom's house over Christmas. Did not work at the hotel I went too. The hotel actually blocked the tv from being able to change the input source. I was expecting trouble connecting it to the wifi and for it to have bandwidth issues. I never expected the tv's from being locked to the point you can't connect an external hdmi device.

I have hopes that other hotels won't be that way. And with the Plex app, I should be able to use the FireTv Stick to stream movies from my laptop via an ad-hoc wireless network when the hotel has too poor of service for streaming video (very common).

For now, though, the FireTv Stick is earning it's keep as my bedroom Netflix, Amazon Video and Plex streamer device.

[frahse]

My wife watches ours all the time while she knits and relaxes.

Mostly series so far. Just finished "John Adams." I walk through and ask a question occasionally about the politics of the time.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by frahse

My wife watches ours all the time while she knits and relaxes.

Mostly series so far. Just finished "John Adams." I walk through and ask a question occasionally about the politics of the time.

So much to watch wth Prime Video and Netflix. John Adams is on my list. Still working my way through Dexter and I've begun watching Alpha House

[HarryT]

This has nothing to do with MobileRead's areas of interest. Moved to the Lounge.

[Ripplinger]

I hooked it up to a 2nd TV and it works great for watching Amazon Prime. But watching content from my PC since it relies on Plex just doesn't work. I have the same headaches with Plex from my BD players as well. I much prefer Serviio which works by directory structure and not lumping everything all together and just about instantly shows the contents. Plex has a long scanning wait, and then often it doesn't show the movies until you repeat that process several times.

So just for Prime usage, it's worth the $19.99 for me, but it's now put away for traveling or emergency use. I bought a 2nd BD player for that TV when on sale and love it.

In fact after typing this and realizing I probably won't be using it, I'm thinking I just might return it since it only half works as I wanted to use it and replaced it with a better option.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by HarryT

This has nothing to do with MobileRead's areas of interest. Moved to the Lounge.

I put it in General discussion for lack of another category that fit AND they 30 some odd page thread with 90% posts saying "mine is due to arrive xyz date".

[leebase]

Originally Posted by Ripplinger

I hooked it up to a 2nd TV and it works great for watching Amazon Prime. But watching content from my PC since it relies on Plex just doesn't work. I have the same headaches with Plex from my BD players as well. I much prefer Serviio which works by directory structure and not lumping everything all together and just about instantly shows the contents. Plex has a long scanning wait, and then often it doesn't show the movies until you repeat that process several times.

I'll check out Serviio. I only have a couple dozen movies so lack of a directory structure isn't much of a problem. Wonder why "just doesn't work" for you when serving movies from my PC via Plex works great.

But yes...Amazon Prime videos alone would have made the product worthwhile. I buy prime for the "free shipping"...but it's nice to have so much movie and tv content thrown in "for free" too.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by leebase

I put it in General discussion for lack of another category that fit AND they 30 some odd page thread with 90% posts saying "mine is due to arrive xyz date".

You'll note that the description of the "General Discussions" forum is "General discussions about e-book reading not specific to a device, software or format.", while that of the Lounge is "Friendly banter and discussions unrelated to e-books" (emphasis mine). Given that, by any stretch of the imagination, this has absolutely nothing to do with e-book reading, clearly the Lounge is the appropriate place for it .

[Blossom]

We are enjoying ours. It's great for Prime and Netflix. I have Netflix set up to my profile so I can watch stuff without messing with my Husband's recommendations on his profile which the Roku uses only. I bought hubby a TV series Season last night so he has been watching that. I need a second TV.

[Ripplinger]

Actually I'll have to try it again on the Fire Stick, it's possible it's only my Sony Blu-Ray players that Plex doesn't work correctly from. I tried it from my tablet and it does work. Although I still absolutely hate that if you include a directory, all subdirectories are listed even if there's no video content. And you can't get a clean directory view to find your own content. It's probably good if you don't change your files constantly, like I do in some directories. With Serviio, if a subdirectory doesn't have any video content, it's not shown in the Folder list. And the folder list is an exact directory listing, very easy to navigate to series or movies or music videos when you prefer to keep things divided in directories. I do know about using the .plexignore file, but as often as I change things around, that would be a pain for me to use.

Too bad Serviio doesn't work on the Fire Stick, I'd be a happy camper then.

[leebase]

If you have a solution that works for you...great. It's nice to be able to stream movies from a central server/pc via an app on the firststick. If it's Plex or Serviio or something else doesn't matter that much. I do not have that option with my AppleTv. Or rather, I can use AirPlay to show a movie from my iphone/ipad or Mac...but that's not as nice of an experience as Plex.

Seems that all of the options have their recommendations. Airplay is a big usability win for my AppleTv. Yet I can't watch Amazon Prime content. FireStick has Prime content and Plex for streaming local content, but can't use AirPlay, does not yet have it's own home grown iOS app, and can't access iTunes content. HBO Go also not yet available.

Roku likewise can't do Airplay or iTunes content but has a remote control with a headphone jack. I'd love that...then I could watch movies at night on my big tv without disturbing my kids desire to sleep in peace.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by leebase

If you have a solution that works for you...great. It's nice to be able to stream movies from a central server/pc via an app on the firststick. If it's Plex or Serviio or something else doesn't matter that much. I do not have that option with my AppleTv. Or rather, I can use AirPlay to show a movie from my iphone/ipad or Mac...but that's not as nice of an experience as Plex.

Seems that all of the options have their recommendations. Airplay is a big usability win for my AppleTv. Yet I can't watch Amazon Prime content. FireStick has Prime content and Plex for streaming local content, but can't use AirPlay, does not yet have it's own home grown iOS app, and can't access iTunes content. HBO Go also not yet available.

Roku likewise can't do Airplay or iTunes content but has a remote control with a headphone jack. I'd love that...then I could watch movies at night on my big tv without disturbing my kids desire to sleep in peace.

It actually looks like there is an app that will allow you to use Airplay on your Fire Stick http://smile.amazon.com/x5434-x6C5D-...0649496&sr=1-2

Shari

[leebase]

Originally Posted by shalym

It actually looks like there is an app that will allow you to use Airplay on your Fire Stick http://smile.amazon.com/x5434-x6C5D-...0649496&sr=1-2

I tried a couple, maybe three. None worked. Even one made by a company who's product I use to Airplay from my iPhone/iPad to a windows pc.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by leebase

I put it in General discussion for lack of another category that fit AND they 30 some odd page thread with 90% posts saying "mine is due to arrive xyz date".

I have been wondering when that long long thread about the fire stick is going to be moved......