Amazon FireTV Stick announced

[booklover6]

As I recall from the instructions, you are supposed to plug it into a wall outlet, not use the TV for a power source.

I should have tried the extender before I sold it!

But I have to say I love the Fire TV box. ZERO issues with that sucker.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

As I recall from the instructions, you are supposed to plug it into a wall outlet, not use the TV for a power source.

I should have tried the extender before I sold it!

But I have to say I love the Fire TV box. ZERO issues with that sucker.

And it has more apps.

[booklover6]

Originally Posted by Blossom

And it has more apps.

I know! I've been getting lots of free games. Now I just have to try some of them out I have plenty of xbox controllers here that will work with it.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by booklover6

I know! I've been getting lots of free games. Now I just have to try some of them out I have plenty of xbox controllers here that will work with it.

I need to get one. May have to hit the pawn shops for an old controller.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by xendula

How are you streaming over VPN? I gifted one outside the US and could not make the stick work with Hide My Ass VPN, even after going into the advanced network settings. Maybe we did something wrong there?

We have a permanent router set-up. It's not hard, but does require hardware (the router), and an account that supports it. We use StrongVPN with a router configured by Sabai Technologies. It was basically plug-and-play, and has been up and running for over two years now. Before that we used HMA, but it isn't a service that lends itself to a permanent connection and it didn't have the throughput.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I love my Fire TV Stick. I think it has better video quality than the Roku 2 I own. I have no problems whatsoever with mine. It plays video beautifully and I use it for music too. I have a cheap $40 router and no problems with stuttering or buffering. My TV is a Sony Bravia 40"

Ditto. My Fire Stick works great with my Sony Bravia and the video quality is excellent, equal to, if not better than, my Roku. Streaming from lowest tier of Time Warner via a dual band 'N' D-link. So glad I purchased two Fire Sticks when they were $20! :-) BTW, I am also using the extender cable that was included.

[xendula]

Originally Posted by CRussel

We have a permanent router set-up. It's not hard, but does require hardware (the router), and an account that supports it. We use StrongVPN with a router configured by Sabai Technologies. It was basically plug-and-play, and has been up and running for over two years now. Before that we used HMA, but it isn't a service that lends itself to a permanent connection and it didn't have the throughput.

I'll look into Strong VPN. Thanks!

[Shades]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I got my Fire TV Stick in the last week or two. I consider it to be a piece of junk.

• Resolution is terrible. It is closer to looking like standard definition than high definition. Very low quality.
• Once plugged in to my Sony Bravia TV and activated it takes over all control of the TV. TV and cable remotes no longer function and so I can no longer control volume or any TV settings. It will not allow me to change HDMI inputs to return to TV or BluRay player. I have to physically unplug the stick to regain control of my TV. I have no other plug-in device that takes over the TV like this one. All my other devices work well, but this one does not play nice at all.
• Seems rather slow and clunky to use. I have a very fast high speed internet via U-Verse, but the Fire TV Stick cannot seem to get a smooth video playback.
• Interface is not very good at all.

I much prefer my Apple TV over this piece of junk. I sent it back and gave it a 1-star rating on Amazon.com.

Sounds like it might not play well with HDMI CEC enabled TVs. Or it requires more fiddling in the devices settings.

CEC is Consumer Electronics Control, it allows an HDMI device, such as a DVR, to control your TV. That way you use one remote instead of two, etc.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Shades

Sounds like it might not play well with HDMI CEC enabled TVs. Or it requires more fiddling in the devices settings.

CEC is Consumer Electronics Control, it allows an HDMI device, such as a DVR, to control your TV. That way you use one remote instead of two, etc.

Could be, though I have a CEC TV and it hasn't hurt anything on the stick.
Ditto for my mother's Vizio.
But CEC implementations vary from brand to brand and model to model. It is known to be more trouble and it's worth for many people.

The one thing I would've expected to mess things up, running it through the XBOX, didn't.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Could be, though I have a CEC TV and it hasn't hurt anything on the stick.
Ditto for my mother's Vizio.
But CEC implementations vary from brand to brand and model to model. It is known to be more trouble and it's worth for many people.

The one thing I would've expected to mess things up, running it through the XBOX, didn't.

I think he just had a defective one like a few others in this thread did. Amazon is known for having a crapshoot when it comes to quality but for the Price it's worth playing the exchange game.

[leebase]

FireStick was just fine on maiden voyage. Had to use the power chord...but other than that...worked fine. More buffering Thani would have liked, but apparently my mom has slow internet.

Downloaded some apps purporting to allow AirPlay to work...none of them did. I haven't had time to trouble shoot.

We watched World War Z via Amazon prime ... Great flick. Interface is responsive

[leebase]

Wouldn't work in the hotel tonight. The TV had hdmi ports but they disabled the ability to switch input

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by leebase

Had to use the power chord...but other than that...worked fine.

I think you'll find that a "power chord" is something that you play on a guitar .

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by leebase

FireStick was just fine on maiden voyage. Had to use the power chord...but other than that...worked fine.

Is there a "no-power-cord" option? I just assumed I HAD to plug it in somewhere.

I'm using mine a lot more. Plex is still a little skippy at times, but I suspect that's Plex's fault, as Prime streams flawlessly. Hulu got better (after Fire and Hulu app updates), I've not been using Netflix much lately so I can't really comment on its performance on the stick.

I still don't like the main interface, but that's cosmetic, and not a deal-breaker for me. Certainly not on what's basically a $20 spare streamer for me, anyway

[Blossom]

Agreed on the UI the font is too small for my eyes. And when in music you have to scroll forever to find anything. Unlike the Roku version which has everything broken into alphabetical sections.