Amazon FireTV Stick announced

[GA Russell]

I purchased the original for $19, and have never opened the box. I am a Prime member.

If I set up the unit now, will I be required to pay something? I am thinking that the Prime videos (which I can watch for free) could be shown on my TV. Correct?

Can I purchase cable channels (like sports channels) and then cancel my cable tv subscription?

[AnemicOak]

Prime video's would be "free" (other than internet bandwidth). Amazon will also occasionally have free content you can "buy" for $0.00 and add to your library if it's something of interest.

As far as purchasing cable channels there are a few services that offer "skinny bundles" like SlingTV which runs $20 and up depending (I have Sling Blue and an add-on which is $30). Depends on your cable subscription as to if that's a better deal or not. You can't really buy "al la carte" and just pick up 3 or 4 channels or anything like that. Other options besides services like Sling would be to get something like Hulu and watch shows "on demand" provided they have content you want (Hulu does a live TV version for a bunch more $$$). Another sports option, besides something like Sling, is ESPN+ but note that it's like "bonus ESPN" and not regular ESPN.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I purchased the original for $19, and have never opened the box. I am a Prime member.

If I set up the unit now, will I be required to pay something? I am thinking that the Prime videos (which I can watch for free) could be shown on my TV. Correct?

Can I purchase cable channels (like sports channels) and then cancel my cable tv subscription?

As long as you have an active Amazon account it'll work fine.
Unless you designated it a gift when you bought it, it comes pre-configured to your account when you bought it.

It will want to update the firmware, though. Possibly more than once.

It works pretty much like the tablets: it comes pre-configured for Amazon services and it connects to an app store to install apps for games, utilities, and services. It is extremely flexible so it takes a bit of research to figure out all it can do and decide how to configure it. I've found this site very useful for news and tutorials:

http://www.aftvnews.com/tag/guide/

It is a complete ecosystem, like PCs or Macs, just focused on media and casual gaming. It does have a couple of browser options so it can be put to other uses.

As a baseline, you'll have access to all the Prime perks (videos and music) and you can install apps and games to customize it to your taste. If you have libraries of music, photos, and videos on your home network, you can sideload Kodi (fast and easy) or install the paid MrMC media center app or free Plex client. There is a ton of video you can watch without subscribing to anything but Prime. This includes the free stuff available via cable channel apps without authentication plus services like the CW app, Sony's Crackle, Crunchyrole, VRV, etc. CBS NEWS, CBS SPORTS, and ABC, NBC, and Fox apps offer a lot of ad-supported content for free, too. CBS requires a paid subscription for almost anything worth watching. Assuming you consider anything on CBS worth watching. There used to be an app that let you watch live UK TV. Not sure if it's still available.

For cord-cutting, it supports all the major and most of the minor streaming services. Depending on the cable channel lineups you want, you might prefer Sling, Playstation Vue, Hulu Live TV, DirecTV Now, Philo (coming soon), or ATT Watch (ditto). Most of those cable services can be used to authenticate the various free on-demand Cable network apps (SyFy, Lifetime, AMC, etc) for on-demand viewing and extra content.

There is also a framework for true ala carte signups of streaming video services called Amazon Channels. These are mostly small startups but it includes most of the so-called premium cable channels like HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc, that can be signed up independently of the bundled live TV services. So you can sign up for HBO, for example, without having to sign up for a live TV service.

Finally, there are a couple of apps that let you watch and DVR broadcast TV channels via special home network gadgets.

Also, the FIRE TV line can be controlled via Alexa devices and the Alexa app on smart phones.

Bottom line: the thing is heavily-favored by home media enthusiast because it is ridiculously customizable and Amazon rarely blocks mods and hacks. (They do frown on apps that enable piracy or hide Amazon services, for obvious reasons. )

I bought two of the introductory sticks and never regretted it.

I recently added one of the second generation sticks.

Definitely explore what the stick can do and if you get hooked or find it a viable cord cutting tool, be aware that there is a fourth Generation Fire TV Cube coming soon. It will combine the FireTV features with Echo Alexa capabilities and (maybe! maybe not) a TV TUNER or other hardware features.)

Have fun!

[issybird]

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[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I purchased the original for $19, and have never opened the box. I am a Prime member.

If I set up the unit now, will I be required to pay something? I am thinking that the Prime videos (which I can watch for free) could be shown on my TV. Correct?

Can I purchase cable channels (like sports channels) and then cancel my cable tv subscription?

I forgot to mention the sports options:

The various live-streaming packages offer different options.

Some of the livestream bundles include ESPN, others don't.
The most popular ones are the ones that don't.

Sling, for example, offers two core packages to start with:

Orange features ESPN and a bunch of Disney-owned channels.
Blue features the Fox regional sports network for the subscriber's region and no Disney properties.
There is almost no overlap but they offer a discount if you subscribe to both.
They also offer a variety of add-on packs with 4-6 channels for $5 a month.
At least one is a bundle of sports channels.
Some are foreign focused with international sports included.

It all comes down to which specific channels/sport you prefer.
The more focused your interests, the more money you save.

Most of the major sports offer paid streaming packages of all their games.
baseball, for example has the MLB.TV service that lets you live stream all games all season long as well as watch archived games.

If you are *really* sports focused, the sport-specific subscriptions might be a better deal than the live-streaming bundle services.

[GA Russell]

Thanks guys! fjt, I'm going to need to study what you have written!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Thanks guys! fjt, I'm going to need to study what you have written!

Just hope it helps.

The FireTV ecosystem is still evolving on both the hardware and app/services sides but the first gen stick is still supported and it is a nice tool to explore the modern media landscape. And there is a lot of under-publicized activity in it as the transition from broadcast to streaming rolls on.

You may also want to look at the Roku streamers. They also have a low-cost entry-level stick product. They're not as open as the Fire stick but their interface is a bit more polished and source neutral, whereas the FireTV tries to put Prime content front and center as often as possible.

Have fun!

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

GA Russell
Argos win the Grey Cup!
Location: Raleigh, NC

I assume GAR is a Grey Cup fan living in the US posting to a Canadian forum.

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I purchased the original for $19, and have never opened the box. I am a Prime member.

I assume, too, that GAR is a subscriber to Prime with video. (I believe some of the discounted subscriptions do not include video.)

Originally Posted by GA Russell

If I set up the unit now, will I be required to pay something? I am thinking that the Prime videos (which I can watch for free) could be shown on my TV. Correct?

It costs nothing to activate a Fire TV device. Of course, you are already paying for Prime and an ISP.

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Can I purchase cable channels (like sports channels) and then cancel my cable tv subscription?

If you go to amazon.com, select apps and games and tick the Fire TV (1st Generation) box, you will see apps for your device. Click on 'Sports' to see the sports apps. Read the 'fine print' as most require a subscription to some kind of service (cable or satellite). Drill into Movies & TV to see TV apps including cable alternatives like DirecTV Now, Sling TV, and Vue. It looks like Sling TV and Vue are supported on the First Gen FTV Stick, but not DirecTV Now, but people say the new DirecTV Now app can be side loaded...

http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-conti...ire-tv-sticks/

I assume there are reasons other than 'too many paying customers' for DirecTV Now to discontinue support for the old sticks and would look at Sling TV for an inexpensive alternative to cable (about $20/mo plus $5/mo for the Extra Sports package) or Vue as a less expensive very good substitute for cable ($45/mo for Core which includes Sports).

Raleigh, NC has very decent broadcast television. Consider supplementing your streaming choice with an antenna (especially if you are an NFL fan)...

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9038c05eb3c7cb

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The FireTV ecosystem is still evolving on both the hardware and app/services sides but the first gen stick is still supported and it is a nice tool to explore the modern media landscape. And there is a lot of under-publicized activity in it as the transition from broadcast to streaming rolls on.

Not sure we are transitioning from broadcast to streaming. In the US, at least, broadcast television is acquiring eyes and adding networks. Most of the streaming growth is coming at the expensive of cable and satellite. We put an antenna on the roof of my sister's camp in Ebeemee Maine (which feels like Canada) because she could not get locals or HDTV from her satellite provider...

https://freetvforme.wordpress.com/20...patriot-games/

Originally Posted by fjtorres

You may also want to look at the Roku streamers. They also have a low-cost entry-level stick product. They're not as open as the Fire stick but their interface is a bit more polished and source neutral, whereas the FireTV tries to put Prime content front and center as often as possible.

I'm no fan of the Roku company, it's products (except for the tcl TVs), or its support, but there is a lot of free streaming content for those devices. Again, read the fine print and check their support forums because support for some popular apps is lacking or not very good on the low end models...

https://forums.roku.com/index.php?si...b0701bc3719b73

I think that GAR being a Prime subscriber and already owning a FTV Stick will be fine without shelling out for a new streamer.

That said, the Roku has some special interest content not otherwise available and it is the only mainstream streamer to support adult entertainment out of the box...

http://mkvxstream.blogspot.com/2014/...els-guide.html

On the other hand, Kodi can be installed on the FTV Stick...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PYRzqsuzN4

@GAR, if you want to look into broadcast television, post a link to your TVFool.com report here or PM it to me and I'd be happy to help you look into your options. The more precise your location, the better. I use an app on my phone to get GPS coordinates at the location where the antenna will be installed. AGL is the distance Above Ground Level the antenna will be installed. Whether it will be outside, in an attic, or on the television matters too.

Good luck!

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by wizwor

Not sure we are transitioning from broadcast to streaming. In the US, at least, broadcast television is acquiring eyes and adding networks. Most of the streaming growth is coming at the expensive of cable and satellite. We put an antenna on the roof of my sister's camp in Ebeemee Maine (which feels like Canada) because she could not get locals or HDTV from her satellite provider...

Good luck!

- Broadcast TV is continuing to see declines in viewership. That is a threat to their business model, which relies on selling mass audiences to advertisers.

- The big four are currently supplementing their OTA viewership numbers with streaming viewers and revenue.

- The value of affiliates to the networks is declining.

- A lot of the whining we hear from studios about "peak TV" and "too many shows" is because the audiences have scattered to the specialty channels.

- It is pretty clear that ATSC is the last broadcast TV standard we will ever see.

I'm not saying broadcast is going to die soon. But the amount of money available from OTA is eventually going to pale before the alternate revenue streams as ads move to streaming services and the Networks are eventually going to have to part ways with affiliates because there won't be enough money in OTA to satisfy both sides.

It will take decades but the process is well underway and I see nothing on the horizon that might change it. There are too many forces at play; the rise of serialized season arcs rewards waiting and bingeing, for one. Narrowcasting and specialty channels continue to grow and "appointment tv" is fading.

There is a strong parallel with book publishing where ebooks and the eternal backlist are degrading new release peak sales as readers lose their sense of urgency for new releases or pass on them in favor of known-good backlist.

The networks themselves will endure since they are both branching out into specialty channels and setting up their own streaming operations but over time too much viewership will move to streaming for the tiered broadcast model to endure. With "over time" equalling a couple of decades.

The affiliates are the ones at risk and local news isn't going to be enough to keep them afloat. I think they'll go the way of local newspapers.

[wizwor]

@fjt, I would dispute all you said...

https://www.google.com/search?q=broa...hrome&ie=UTF-8

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...lds-in-the-us/

at least in the US, broadcast television is doing fine...

https://www.statista.com/topics/977/television/

Intuitively, on my 80 mile daily commute, antennas are sprouting like daises. On my street, three of eleven homes have an antenna -- 27%.

Of course, statistics don't matter much to GAR. The Raleigh area should be able to pull in...

The CW
Stadium (sports)
TBD
Antenna TV
CBS
Grit
Escape
ABC
Livewell
Laff
ION
Qubo
Shop
QVC
HSN
PBS
PBS Kids
Explorer
The North Carolina Channel

with a set top antenna. That covers the NFL, college football, and other network sports and allows for use of a streaming service with no or limited locals.

[ApK]

If this is too off topic, please let me know and I'll start a thread elsewhere:
Does anyone know of a good and inexpensive DVR for OTA? It would have to have decent program guide capability and, ideally for my personal needs, IR remote and composite output.
That would make cord cutting a lot easier.

P.s. when I play guitar, I often simplify complex harmonic arrangements into something easier. Yup, I'm a chord cutter.

[wizwor]

Originally Posted by ApK

If this is too off topic, please let me know and I'll start a thread elsewhere:
Does anyone know of a good and inexpensive DVR for OTA? It would have to have decent program guide capability and, ideally for my personal needs, IR remote and composite output.
That would make cord cutting a lot easier.

P.s. when I play guitar, I often simplify complex harmonic arrangements into something easier. Yup, I'm a chord cutter.

This is a very complicated issue. The DVR market is pretty volatile right now. As far as I am concerned, the TiVo Roamio/OTA is the very best available DVR at this time. It's only real competition went our of production last year. Those cost around $400 with a 1t disk and include all the important streaming apps (for OTA'ers, anyway). TiVo has had very good sales in the last two years and I purchased two at <$200. This is a set top DVR, but you can use these in conjunction with TiVo Minis to extend your service to as many as three other televisions at $150 per set.

After the TiVo, I like the TabloTV. This device requires a disk, a streamer, and a service to function. Setup for one television will be a little more than a TiVo, but additional sets only add the cost of a streamer. These do not stream Netflix, Prime, or anything other than what comes in the antenna. I do not think performance is very good (ie., channel surfing is slow).

You can also find a LOT of digital to analog converters that provide a guide, let you record programs, and support trick play for $30-$50. These tend to be single tuner and the UI is not particularly intuitive, but they represent a great bargain as far as I am concerned.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ApK

If this is too off topic, please let me know and I'll start a thread elsewhere:
Does anyone know of a good and inexpensive DVR for OTA? It would have to have decent program guide capability and, ideally for my personal needs, IR remote and composite output.
That would make cord cutting a lot easier.

P.s. when I play guitar, I often simplify complex harmonic arrangements into something easier. Yup, I'm a chord cutter.

Check out the SiliconDust HD Homerun series.
They use your home network and have clients for the FireTV streamers as well as Xbox and other platforms.

There are a bunch of cheap ones from China, Inc too.
Dunno if they're still available but Philips used to sell a line of DVD burners with HD tuners, hard drives, and component inputs. I captured a lot of movies off HDNET movies to good quality 480p. The MrMc FireTV app also upscales the iso's off my media server nicely.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

There are a bunch of cheap ones from China, Inc too.
Dunno if they're still available but Philips used to sell a line of DVD burners with HD tuners, hard drives, and component inputs.

I bought the Magnavox equivalent circa 2009 and I still use it to record over-the-air TV. There is a many-years-long discussion about these DVRs at http://www.avsforum.com/forum/106-dv...l#post12244086

Looks like someone is keeping the first page of the thread updated with links on where to buy used/refurb models, find instruction manuals, etc.

I'm not a member of that forum but did some reading there at the time of the digital TV conversion back in 2009. The above-linked thread was what let me to purchase my DVR.

[GA Russell]

I cut the cord today.