Quote :

"Or do I need to dumb it down even more for you?"

No, you started out dumb enough for everyone, thanks.

Still, maybe having a point wouldn't hurt the situation any at all though. So they are the latest device on the market. Who cares? The Fire phone didn't do poorly because it was the last to market. It did poorly because nobody wants to carry around a phone who's sole purpose in life is to get you to buy stuff from Amazon. TV set-top devices are a completely different story.

10/29/2014 6:48:44 PM

Their device is specifically to get you to sign up for Amazon Prime to stream their media

All I said was that they were late to the party, which they are, and you decided to have one of your pointless patented bitch fests, even though in the following post you admitted that they were late the party which is all I said in the first place

Even when I compliment Apple, you still go off on a tirade. Angry much?

10/29/2014 7:17:39 PM

Like I said, I just don't see what point you were trying to make when you said they were late to the party. How is that relevant in any way, shape or form? For that matter, how is it a compliment to Apple that they already had an existing product in this field? Am I supposed to blow you because you said something positive about Apple?

10/29/2014 7:22:56 PM

I pointed out that similar to their Fire Phone, Amazon was late in introducing this device. That they routinely are behind other companies when it comes to releasing hardware technology. It was a pretty simple and valid statement. Then for some reason, you decided you wanted to argue against the point I made, and then admit it was a valid point, and then change your argument

[Edited on October 29, 2014 at 7:26 PM. Reason : .]

10/29/2014 7:24:13 PM

'I like cheese' is a pretty simple and valid statement too, but it doesn't really add a lot to the conversation.

I guess I just thought that you were trying to actually add something to the conversation at hand. Sorry for assuming. In my first reply to you I said "Sometimes I think you type out messages just to see the words in your head appear on a computer screen." Thanks for confirming that is, indeed, the case

10/29/2014 7:28:13 PM

Quote :

"That they routinely are behind other companies when it comes to releasing hardware technology."

Yeah but when I think of routinely releasing hardware that other companies have already pioneered I think Apple not Amazon. I usually think Kindle for Amazon and that was for the most part pioneering a new device and it's still incredibly popular today.

10/29/2014 7:31:44 PM

I think the price is certainly what's driving the initial sales. I think the additional storage capacity over something like Chromecast is fairly useless for a lot of people who will only use it to stream media. And I think, if they had released something like this 2 years ago, sales would be huge because it would be a lot more innovative than being late to the party.

^Apple tends to take features that others have used, and release them later. Amazon seems to say "oh shit, there's a big market for this that we could've gotten in years ago. Better late than never."

[Edited on October 29, 2014 at 7:33 PM. Reason : .]

10/29/2014 7:32:33 PM

I like cheese.

10/29/2014 7:34:19 PM

Quote :

"Amazon seems to say "oh shit, there's a big market for this that we could've gotten in years ago. Better late than never.""

You mean like the Kindle?

10/29/2014 7:37:16 PM

That's the last successful product they've had

This isn't all due to the Fire Phone: http://www.androidcentral.com/amazon-posts-544-million-operating-loss-net-sales-2058-billion-q3-2014

10/29/2014 7:44:11 PM

Quote :

"^Apple tends to take features that others have used, and release them later. Amazon seems to say "oh shit, there's a big market for this that we could've gotten in years ago. Better late than never.""

Apple wasn't the first to release a hard drive based large capacity MP3 player. Nor were they the first to release a touch screen smart phone. They certainly weren't the first to release an ultrabook or tablet either. Sure they revolutionized a lot of these markets but someone else always does it first. They're just like Amazon releasing a product years after the game.

Regardless $19 is a sweet deal (for Prime users) for a device that has market interest. It doesn't matter when they released it. What matters is when it gets released and how it's received. With all technology in today's market it's silly to argue over who REALLY released an idea first.

Quote :

"I think the price is certainly what's driving the initial sales. I think the additional storage capacity over something like Chromecast is fairly useless for a lot of people who will only use it to stream media."

I think we're still comparing apples and oranges here. Chromecast (I don't have one so correct me if I'm wrong) streams stuff from an Android device and is very limited by that fact. The Roku stick and Fire stick are very small form factor devices that excel at streaming all kinds of media in all the popular formats to a TV by itself. It doesn't rely on any other device. I think that's a big difference.

10/29/2014 11:54:30 PM

Quote :

"They're just like Amazon releasing a product years after the game. "

I wouldn't go that far. Apple actually innovates, in both design and features (not looking to get into a "who innovates more" debate here, just that they do it to some degree) Amazon doesn't try to innovate at all. They just take off the shelf parts and put together decently spec'd devices with custom builds of an open source OS and sell it at cost (or even sometimes at a small loss) in order to get devices into your hand so you will buy their services and products that they sell. Really it doesn't make a lot of sense to compare their devices that much when both companies use completely different strategies and reasoning for selling their devices.

Quote :

"Chromecast (I don't have one so correct me if I'm wrong) streams stuff from an Android device and is very limited by that fact."

It's not just Android Devices. It also works on iOS devices and any PC/Mac running Chrome. It's also capable of streaming from the web for things like netflix and youtube, you just have to use your phone to tell it what to stream. My biggest problem with the Chromecast was a lack of a real remote. You are definitely tied to a different device, and the Chromecast ends up feeling like a 2nd screen instead of an actual standalone device that's hooked into your TV.

10/30/2014 12:03:11 AM

Quote :

"the Chromecast ends up feeling like a 2nd screen instead of an actual standalone device that's hooked into your TV "

+1. Apples and Oranges.

10/30/2014 1:44:32 AM

Quote :

"Their device is specifically to get you to sign up for Amazon Prime to stream their media"

no, it's not...sure, they WANT you to sign up for prime if you haven't already, but it's essentially a roku for $10 less (normal price) that also happens to stream prime media

10/30/2014 7:48:25 AM

I have Prime and order a bunch of shit on Amazon therefore $19 is a sweet price for the device. Apparently the Prime Video interface is much better than on the Roku or anything else.

10/30/2014 9:34:25 AM

i have never paid for prime, just keep rotating through free trials whenever i want something in 2 days

at $8 and some change per month, it's on the same level as netflix or hulu (who actually has hulu, anyway?) and probably worth it for the prime video alone...but i have never actually watched anything on prime, so maybe i'll try it after getting the stick

10/30/2014 10:13:06 AM

There's a pretty large selection including a lot of HBO content

10/30/2014 10:18:47 AM

I still get Prime Student (thanks, MBA program) so I'm definitely pleased with the idea of this device and ordered one for the 19 dollar price point. if it ever gets the Comcast App I will be ordering more to use as replacement receivers in my upstairs rooms.

10/30/2014 11:30:03 AM

Quote :

"probably worth it for the prime video alone"

It's worth it for the free 2 day and $4 next day shipping. The video is gravy.

11/7/2014 12:12:41 AM

^this.

I just started using AIV/APV, but I must say, the Amazon Original Series are damn good. Transparent and Alpha House are probably my favorite new shows now.

11/7/2014 8:41:09 AM

Mine came in today. For whatever reason, it is incredibly difficult to plug/insert in the HDMI ports. I finally got it in, but it was hard to do on all 3 on my panasonic plasma & the samsung lcd in the playroom. The first time I got it plugged in, it found my wifi network, I logged in, it starts to download an update. It gets to the installing point, says it's not able to install & to restart the device by unplugging it. So I did that, fought to get it plugged in again, & it started installing again. That update process took about 15 minutes (not including the download time or the time unplugged). Not so quick. When it was finally actually working, it was fine. There's some lag in browsing content, which could be due to my internet, but I don't experience that lag with my Apple TVs.

I unplugged it from the panasonic, & plugged it into the samsung when my kid wanted to watch some space cartoon made by amazon. Plug it in, it goes to the splash screen again, then finally to menus. This takes longer than it should, but it's tolerable. Especially for $19.

Oh, and the battery compartment cover on the remote was CRAZY difficult to remove too. My husband finally was able to do it, but it was hard for him too.

11/19/2014 10:12:17 PM

http://www.aftvnews.com/fire-tv-stick-can-run-xbmc-kodi-and-sideload-apps/

Not that it was really ever in doubt, but now it's official. It does run XBMC and other sideloaded apps.

11/19/2014 11:18:45 PM

So probably a dumb question. I keep seeing people saying that it can run Android. Can it also stream from iOS on iphone or ipads?

Doesnt look like it's on sale anymore. I am probably going with the Roku stick for just a few bucks more.

[Edited on November 19, 2014 at 11:59 PM. Reason : 1]

11/19/2014 11:45:53 PM

^^^Odd. The initial reviews have been great.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/hands-amazons-fire-tv-stick-slick-speedy-super-affordable/

Quote :

"Unlike the Roku Streaming Stick, which is a bit sluggish compared to its full-sized streaming set-top box brethren, the Amazon Fire TV stick is quick to respond to commands, and any differences in app/content loading times are so minute, we’ll need a stopwatch to chart them. Its interface is identical to the Fire TV Box, and its functionality is very similar, too. At this point, it seems the only real advantage to using an Amazon Fire TV box would be its Ethernet connection for faster HD video throughput, and its faster processor for smoother gaming."

11/20/2014 12:34:00 AM

Quote :

"Can it also stream from iOS on iphone or ipads?"

iOS support is supposed to coming out anytime

11/20/2014 9:24:35 AM

^^i've never used a roku so I can't really compare it to that. This wouldn't be the first lemon device I've recieved from Amazon but so far it's been fine. Just that initial hiccup in setup, & it's still difficult to plug in, but it's not like I need to do that frequently. I'm happy with it.

11/20/2014 6:51:49 PM

Quote :

"I am probably going with the Roku stick for just a few bucks more."

What is everyone's obsession with the Roku? There is nothing that the roku can do that this stick can't, and there are tons of things that it can do that the roku can't. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why the roku is so popular. I know for a while it was one of the best plex front ends, but that's not the case anymore. And for a lot of non-tech people roku is simply synonymous with "netflix box" but that's hardly relevant anymore (not that it ever was in the first place) I could see if the roku was cheaper, then you could claim that you were just trying to get out for as cheap as possible, but that's not true either. Why would you pay more for a lesser device? What's the draw?

11/20/2014 10:17:06 PM

I got it basically because Chromecast wont play videos from Amazon instant, and Amazon wont play videos from HBO GO. Roku does both.

11/21/2014 8:40:33 AM

^this. I'm tired of not having APV/AIV on my TV, other than hardwiring.

11/21/2014 9:03:03 AM

Yeah I thought Roku did the most. Prime and HBO Go. I don't have HBO Go so I'm fine with the Fire Stick.

11/21/2014 9:05:43 AM

You can sideload HBO Go on the FTV, but you do have to use a mouse to navigate. Amazon has the official app listed as "coming soon" but it looks like they made that announcement back in April and we're still waiting. I guess that could be a dealbreaker for some people, but I still don't think it explains the roku's immense popularity. I just really really loathe the UI on the Roku, but I guess I'm in the minority with that opinion.

11/21/2014 10:09:54 PM

http://www.aftvnews.com/best-buy-staples-to-sell-fire-tv-stick-for-24-starting-1123/

Not quite the original $19 price, but pretty darn close.

11/21/2014 10:50:26 PM

My Fire stick has shipped but I wonder why they did not notify me. I go to my Amazon account and the button to track the package is gray (not yellow) as if its not been shipped but when I click the button it shows the tracking history and that its in Durham.

11/21/2014 11:14:13 PM

Got mine today, I really like it. Setup was easy and the remote is a much welcomed improvement over how the chromecast works. I can't see my chromecast getting much use now, not that it got a lot of use before because it was always incredibly laggy.

11/23/2014 6:30:46 PM

Got the Roku today. The remote control doesn't work, so I couldn't set it up. I hate technology.

11/23/2014 9:05:04 PM

Got my Fire Stick today and I must admit it pretty cool and well worth $20. Is there a way to power it off? Or does it consistently pull power it if you are not using it?

12/2/2014 8:50:09 PM

does it being miracast certified mean that you can use it to display your computer screen?

How is the YouTube experience?

12/3/2014 9:46:19 AM

^ It pretty much the same YouTube experience on the PS4, which is pretty good.

12/3/2014 10:12:51 AM

does PS4 have the same interface as Xbox One? (which is terrible)

12/3/2014 10:13:16 AM

My ship date got moved from the 17th to the 10th!

12/3/2014 10:54:04 AM

I would think it would be pretty much the same thing. BTW, what do you expect?

12/3/2014 1:57:06 PM

hopefully something better. the reason i bought the chromecast in the first place was because youtube is so bad on the xbox one, and lately i've had problems with casting if i'm using my phone for other things while a video is playing. i don't have enough HDMI inputs for both, and don't want to waste money if its the same as Xbox One (YouTube is the only thing i'd use this for)

12/3/2014 2:02:11 PM

you know you can cast youtube directly to the xbox one, right?

12/3/2014 4:15:07 PM

Just got a shipment notification. Getting here even earlier on the 5th! Woohoo.

12/3/2014 5:23:41 PM

So if I needed to authenticate at a hotel AND run it through a proxy (e.g. Netflix internationally) I guess I could simply set up a wifi hotspot from my laptop and connect it to that. Just thought of that.

12/3/2014 5:42:54 PM

Quote :

"you know you can cast youtube directly to the xbox one, right? "

yeah, but it just uses the youtube app which is awful and has terrible video quality.

12/3/2014 5:55:41 PM

Youtube on the PS4 is very good quality and doesn't give me any problems, just like the Youtube app on the Fire Stick. Maybe its an Xbox problem.

12/3/2014 6:03:54 PM

yeah, i can't get HD video on the One

12/3/2014 8:36:00 PM

fuck it - guess i'll give in and get one if i can find one in stock somewhere

12/3/2014 8:53:13 PM

got mine today. it's alright, but i'm glad i only paid $29 for it. my Roku 3 is a much better device overall.

12/5/2014 2:07:54 AM