Smart online streaming media devices/players are becoming popular nowadays in India & all over the world. In this article, I’m writing about one such device which allows such to stream online media directly into our regular TVs the “Amazon FireTV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote”.
This online media streaming device effectively transform our basic tv into a smart tv where you can also browse websites, open social media sites by installing the apps from app store etc., the possibilities are endless & each day Amazon is adding new features into it
.I am sure you’ll this awesome cool electronic gadget from Amazon. Currently, it’s one of my favorite smart tech gadgets that you’ll find online.
If you’re planning to buy one, then hold tight I’m letting you know everything before purchasing it.
Okay, let’s get into more details…
What is Amazon FireTV Stick?
FireTV stick is an online media streaming device built by e-commerce giant Amazon. It is based on the Android operating system. By using this device you can access movies, music, youtube, Netflix, Amazon prime video etc., and can also browse the whole internet.
Amazon lets you watch your favorite shows from this top-tier services like Prime Video, Hotstar, Netflix, Zee5, Sony LIV, and JioCinema.(Talking from an Indian perspective only)
Then access hundreds of free music from leading services like prime music, gaana, saavn, Spotify etc.
Apart from all these great services you’re getting the new Alexa skills which you can use to view live camera feeds, check cricket scores, order food, ask for weather updates and stream music.
Fire TV Stick vs. Fire TV Stick 4K
This device is the successor of the Fire TV stick model which supports up to 1080p video & Dolby audio (basic).
The main difference between these two models are:
- 4K Ultra HD, HDR, or Dolby Vision video resolution that the later is providing.
- Alexa enabled voice remote control.
Remote:
- Volume control keys.
- Mute Button
- Power Button
Now, the next thing that I’ll discuss is how to use amazon fire tv stick.
How to setup amazon fire tv stick 4k
The set up is extremely easy no hard work is required. Just plug the stick in your tv’s HDMI.
- Insert the USB charger in the stick & plug the charger in the wall socket.
- Now select the HDMI in which you’ve inserted the stick & fire tv will start showing the Amazon logo.
- Choose the wifi or hotspot network to which you want to connect
- Sign in to your Amazon account.
- Select Language
- Country
- And you’re ready to go.
Remember: Make sure your account is registered at Amazon.in site, not on Amazon.com, it will create a problem. You’ll not be able to play Bollywood & other local contents due to the geo IP problem.
Amazon fire tv stick 4k remote
The Alexa voice remote for this online streaming media player is the game changer. It makes the task even easier. If you want to search for something just say Alexa and your query, rather than typing it onscreen using the remote which is time-consuming & irritating.
Fire tv stick 4k remote features:
- Microphone
- Voice Button
- Navigation
- Select
- Back
- Home
- Menu
- Fast Forward / Play / Pause / Rewind
- Increase / Decrease Volume
- Mute
The remote needs 2 AAA size batteries to operate. The battery consumption is high, as being said by some users.
Sometimes typing using the remote is very irritating, to over this you can download the amazon fire tv remote app from android & iOS app stores. It makes the job easy.
Make you the tv stick & the remote app are connected to the same network.
Amazon fire tv stick features:
- It lets you stream video, install apps from the store, plays music, surf the internet etc on your tv.
- You can play some genres of an android game like cut the rope etc., like those.
- Connect Alexa smart speaker to fire tv & use voice command.
- Use the fire tv remote to seamlessly browse through contents, apps & settings.
- You can access social media sites like Facebook, Twitter etc using the apps by downloading them from the app store.
- 1 Mbps speed plan is sufficient to stream HD quality movies.
- You can mirror your smartphone & laptop screens to the tv, smartphone having miracast can only be used to do so.
- It supports video formats 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR, HDR-10, HLG, and HDR-10+.
Amazon fire tv stick apps
Not much but it has enough apps to get you going. The Amazon fire tv stick apps are of all types for instance productivity, communication, news, games and so on.
You can install some useful apps like Amazon Music, Prime Video, Gaana, Saavn, Netflix, Kodi, JioCinema, Hotstar, Plex etc.
It also has Amazon app store which I’m yet to explore.
You can also download & install other android apps which are not available on fire stick, for this you need to tweak some setting & need to download the app from third-party app stores.
Remember the application needs to be compatible with this device.
Amazon fire tv stick review
Okay at last Amazon decided to launch the 4k version of their smart streaming device. The previous tv stick performance exceeded my expectations completely. This is one too will be the best in the business.
The picture quality is damn impressive, you need to have an ultra HD television in order to experience its true display.
The fire stick comes with 8GB storage out of which you’ll get 5.4GB approx free. In this storage, all your apps & downloads will be saved. Believe me, 5GB is enough if you settle for the primary apps like Amazon apps, Netflix, Hotstar, Gaana etc.
The Fire TV stick with Alexa Voice Remote is a life saver, it makes the device extremely easy to use but it is hard when you type to search anything for that use the fire tv remote app available on Android & iOS platforms.
The voice search does have some of its advantages & disadvantages. It is good to have voice search option but it does not give the result from the app you’re using at that moment, the search result will come from amazon apps.
Like for instance if you voice search Bollywood songs on Youtube, it will display result from Amazon prime music/video.
Adding Alexa smart speaker to the device is just great. Just say to Alexa what you want to listen or watch it will show it on the tv.
Now time for some pros & cons:
Pros:
- Streaming videos online effectively.
- Surf the internet
- Screencast music (using gaana.com app) & videos (youtube app)
- Alexa enabled Voice search
- Remote is very useful (Also use fire tv app to maximize your productivity)
- Download & install apps from a third party source.
Cons:
- Voice search – it only shows result from Amazon services, not others.
- Voice search is not that much reliable.
- Screen mirroring not that much good enough.
Is it worth the price?
Definitely, the fire tv stick 2nd generation is worth every penny.
Author Review
Product Name: Amazon FireTV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote
Price: 5,999
Currency: INR
Availability: OnlineOnly
- 4K video streaming
- Alexa enabled
- Remote with Voice Search
- Third Party App Install
- Screencast feature for some apps
Summary
Amazon FireTV Stick effectively transforms your normal tv into a smart tv. On which you can stream online media from sources like Netflix, Hotstar, JioCinema, Amazon Prime Videos etc. And you can also surf the internet to some extent.
