The Amazon Fire TV Stick is a Streaming Stick, the size of a USB flash drive, that plugs into one of your TV’s HDMI ports. The Fire Stick turns your TV into a Smart TV, allowing you to access content from streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and more.
How Does it Work?
The Fire Stick plugs into your TV’s HDMI port, connects via WiFi, and gives you access to your favourite TV shows, movies, subscription services, music, photos and games. It comes with a Bluetooth remote control that works with both buttons and voice commands.
The latest versions of the remote now come with Alexa, Amazon’s Virtual Assistant. In this instant Alexa works when you hold the microphone button - she is not always listening for remote commands as with the Amazon Echo Dot.
If you need help connecting your Remote with the Fire Stick, this troubleshooting article will explain what to do.
How Much Does it Cost?
There is a one off fee when you purchase your Amazon Fire Stick, starting at 39,99$ for the Fire TV Stick and 49,99$ for the 4K option. It is free to use, however you will need to pay fees for any subscription services that you sign up to, ie. Netflix.
Main Features
1 GB of memory
8 GB of internal storage
Quad Core Processor
Optional voice support
802.11ac Dual-band MIMO WiFI
Dolby Audio
4K option available for compatible TV's
There is also an official Amazon Fire TV app that allows you to turn your Mobile Device into a Remote.
What's in The Box?
The box contains the Fire TV Stick, the remote, a USB cable and power adapter, HDMI extender, 2 AAA batteries and a setup guide.
Installation
The Fire Stick needs to be plugged into the HDMI port on your TV.
It needs power. This can be supplied through a USB connector, or an AC power supply.
Once the TV is turned on, you need to select the appropriate HDMI input channel (ie. HDMI 1)
An on-screen setup guide will appear. Follow the necessary steps to connect to WiFi.
Once fully connected, you can begin to choose which streaming services to use.
Getting Started
After having finished the setup process, you can now select which streaming services you want to use. To add a service, follow these simple steps:
From the main screen, select Search .
. Enter the name of the service you want, for example ' Netflix '
' Select Netflix
Select Download
When the download has finished, select Open .
. Select Sign In .
. Enter your Netflix details if you already have an account, if not, create a new account.
Your device will now be connected to your Netflix account, and you can start streaming.
These steps are essentially the same for most streaming services.
Summary
Ultimately, the Amazon Fire Stick is an excellent low-cost option for anyone looking to access streaming services on their Non-Smart TV, without having to purchase a new TV. You are able to access all kinds of content, from your favourite TV shows and films, to games and music.
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