Amazon Fire TV Basic Edition
This is the first Amazon Fire TV device to be made available in Canada. The Amazon Fire TV Basic Edition can stream content from a variety of apps or video streaming services at up to 1080p resolution.
- The basic Edition Fire TV features a quad-core processor, built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, plugs directly into a TV via HDMI and comes with a tiny Fire TV Remote for navigation. The same specs as the newer version of Amazon Fire Stick but without voice control or gaming support.
- With the Fire TV Basic Edition, you can access a number of Amazon apps over 4000 to choose from. Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify are all available but the main push is for Amazon Prime Membership to get the most out of Amazon Fire TV.
- Priced at around $50 dollars it is in the price range of many competitors, the same price as Roku Stick. Keep in mind you do need an Amazon Prime Membership to access Amazons Prime video content to get the most out of this device. If you dont like that idea I would suggest the Roku.
Interesting enough Amazon’s price for the Basic Edition is the same in Canadian dollars as in US dollars but with no exchange rate. Making them cheaper to buy in Canada. But I think this is an introductory price for a limited time. Although you can use it without, to get the most of your Amazon Fire TV you will need a Canada
The Magic Of The Alexa Voice Remote
Since the day it hit the market one of the aspects of the Amazon Fire Stick that set it apart was its top shelf remote. In an era where Chromecast launched with no remote and an attitude about it, Fire Stick gave everyone a great remote.
Previous Fire remotes were nothing to scoff at. They offered bluetooth support, Alexa voice search, could control your TV volume, etc. You could pull up a show by saying play Scrubs. Yet somehow the new version improves on what was already basically perfect.
How? By adding a smart channel guide button and quick select app buttons.
Smart Channel Guide Button
The biggest of these changes is the smart channel guide, which works like a streaming version of the cable guide button. With the press of a button your Fire TV will pull up a handy guide that aggregates all the live content currently streaming on your device.
Not just paid live Sling TV, YouTube TV, or Philo. This bad boy also pulls up your favorite live channels from free services like Tubi, Pluto TV, or IMDB TV. This feature has technically been available on Fire TV Sticks since 2020, but lets be real. Having the guide button on your remote means youll actually use the feature.
Quick Select App Buttons
Now, lets talk about quick select app buttons. How much mileage youll get out of this feature will wildly depend on personal preference. Any Roku owner whose remote has a PS Vue app button on it will tell you how annoying they can be.
How Fire TV Differs From Its Competitors
The streaming media player field is fairly crowded you can choose among Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV, and that doesn’t include several less popular models. Most of these devices have a lot of baseline features and capabilities in common, such as access to a vast library of streaming content and a range of products across all price points. Although, Apple TV is an outlier, with no low-end product to compete with the inexpensive Fire TV Stick Lite.
Fire TV distinguishes itself from competing products in a few important ways:
- Fire TV is built on the Android OS, but Amazon has modified the software substantially, so it cannot run Android apps. That’s in contrast to Chromecast with Google TV, which has access to the entire library of Android apps, including Android’s mobile games.
- Because Fire TV is an Amazon product, it emphasizes Amazon services. You certainly have full access to other channels and apps, but Amazon emphasizes its own services, like Prime Video and Prime Music, by default when you look for content.
- While other streaming players may or may not include voice control, Fire TV has voice control built into every Fire TV model using Alexa, the same personal assistant found in Echo smart speakers.
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Is Firestick Or Roku Better
However, there are some differences between Roku and Firestick when it comes to ease of use and functionality. Firestick is the best choice for Amazon Prime members and Amazon smart device owners. Overall though, Roku is the best option, it works with Google and Alexa. Overall, Roku offers more features and options for devices.
You Need An Hdmi Port On Your TV
The Amazon Fire TV Stick connects to your TV via an HDMI input port. There are no video cables included with the Fire TV Stick, and the HDMI connection is attached directly to the stick itself. If you have an older TV that does not have an HDMI port, then you can not connect this device to your TV with what is included with the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
You might be able to make the connection by using an HDMI to composite converter like , but these devices can be inconsistent in their ability to play both video and audio on certain TV models. You will also not be able to view any of the content in HD, as composite connections can only deliver a maximum of 480p video quality.
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How To Use Apple Airplay On Amazon Fire TV
Requirements for Connecting Amazon TV to AirplayHow to Connect Airplay to Amazon Fire?
- First you have to download and install AirReceiver on your Amazon Fire TV.Open the Search function of your Amazon Fire TV and type in AirReceiverPurchase and install AirReceiverLaunch AirReceiver from your App drawerSelect the Airplay option on the start screen of AirReceiver Change your Amazon Fire TV name, depending on your preference Your Amazon TV is now available for connection on your Apple devices Airplay app.
From Your Apple Device You can Follow the Following Steps to Connect to Your Newly Set Up Amazon Fire TV
- Connect the Apple device and the Amazon Fire TV to the same wireless network to allow easy communication between devices. Open the Airplay app on your Apple device Check the list of available devices for your Amazon Fire TV Click on the name of your Amazon Fire TV if you changed the name on the AirReceiver appYour Apple devices screen should be automatically mirrored on your Amazon Fire TV at this stage.To disconnect, simply disconnect from the shared wireless network.
What Is The Amazon Fire Stick
The Amazon Fire Stick is a smart TV device, much like a NOW TV Stick, which essentially allows you to access a range of channels and platforms straight to your TV simply by plugging it in.
The Fire Stick is one of the market leaders for this type of streaming device and boasts a generous 8GB of storage for apps such as Netflix and the BBC iPlayer.
There are two versions of the Fire Stick the standard model and the 4K version. The has a slightly higher price tag but will allow you to watch in higher quality, with ultra HD streaming.
If you want to see how the Fire Stick stacks up against other smart home tech, read our . And if you want to use the streaming device to watch sport, head over to our guide on .
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What Are Some Pros And Cons Of Roku
- Content. Roku provides access to video and audio content.
- Team. The Roku is a small black box that plugs directly into your television.
- Speed. The speed at which Roku downloads your video and audio content is highly dependent on the speed of your Internet connection.
- Video and sound quality.
Screen mirroring firestickWhat is difference between firestick and Roku?Overall, Roku is a better choice as it has more device specific features and options, and more channels/apps in general, including free content.Firestick is the best choice for Amazon Prime members and Amazon smart device owners.If you want the best Roku option, they recommend Roku Ultra.How to reboot Amazon Fire stick?In the FireStick main window, locate t
How Much Is A Fire Stick
The Fire TV Stick Lite currently costs $29.99, but it doesnt come with a power button or volume controls. The Fire TV HD currently costs $39.99, but it only lets you stream in 1080p high-definition resolution. If you want to stream in 4K Ultra-HD, youll have to get the more expensive Fire TV Stick 4K, which currently costs $49.99.
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How To Set Up The Fire TV Stick’s Text Banner Feature
Those with vision impairments will be happy to hear that Amazon’s rolling out a new feature called Text Banner. Once enabled, the Fire TV interface will make it much easier to tell what section of your screen is highlighted or selected.
To enable it, open Settings and Accessibility and select Text Banner. It may not be on your device yet, so look out for upcoming system updates.
Can Amazon Fire TV Stick Be Used On Any TV
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Best Media Player For Fire TV Stick
There are many media players available for your Windows or Mac computer that you can use to stream, mirror, and watch content through the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Leawo Blu-ray Player is one of those media playback software programs, and it is the best of them all for several reasons. Most importantly, this media playback software plays videos very smoothly. It is able to deliver lossless-quality video playback with resolutions of 720P, 1080P, 1080i and 4K .
That is very important if you want to stream content through the Fire Stick TV. With support for over 180 video and audio formats , you can play any audio or video you throw at it. As a dedicated Blu-ray and DVD player, you can play Blu-ray Discs, folders and associated file formats, from the regions A, B or C, and you can play DVD Discs from regions 0 to 6, for instance, its utterly simple to play region A Blu-ray in Europe with this program.
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Region-free Blu-ray player software to play Blu-ray disc and DVD disc for free, regardless of disc protection and region restriction.Play 4K FLV videos, 4K MKV videos, 4K MP4 videos, etc. without quality loss.Play 1080P videos, 720P videos with lossless quality.
What Is A Fire Stick And How Does It Work
The Fire TV Stick is Amazons most popular streaming device. It can turn any TV into a smart TV, which means you can watch movies and TV shows over the internet. It also comes in different models, giving you choices in terms of costs and features. Heres everything you need to know about the Amazon Fire TV Stick, how it works, how much it costs, and where to buy it.
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What Are The Benefits Of Using A Vpn On Firestick
VPNs also add a bit of anonymity by replacing an easily identifiable IP address with a secure, non-local IP address. Virtual IPs and encryption add some great benefits to your streams, even on Fire Sticks and Fire TVs. Installing a VPN gives you access to the following features and more:
How Does Amazon Fire TV Cube Work
The Fire TV Cube is designed to hear you even when theres music or other entertainment noises in the room. When you say, Alexa, or whatever wake word you choose, the content pauses and mutes, letting the device hear your command.
The Fire TV Cube has a few nice touches. If youre resuming a show that youve already started, it picks up where you left off. When you search for shows and movies found in multiple streaming services , the Fire TV Cube lists all of them and lets you choose where you want to watch it. For example, if a show is available on Netflix but costs extra to watch on Prime, the Fire TV Cube gives you enough info to make the right decision.
Just as with the Amazon Echo, the Fire TV Cube can also be the hub of your smart home, letting you control the lights, smart switches, remote security cameras, and so forth.
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Which Cable And Satellite Boxes Can Amazon Fire TV Cube Control
Because not everybody has cut the cord just yet
One of the really cool things about Amazon Fire TV Cube is that it can control other devices that are connected to your television, thanks to a few of technical features.
First, there’s always cloud-based control. You connect Alexa to some other device via an API, the two talk to each other over the internet, and they do their thing.
Then there’s always CEC , which works via the HDMI cable. It isn’t exactly new to Fire TV either.
But new this time around in the Fire TV Cube is infrared support. And that’s going to let it go a good bit further than what CEC was able to do, because the IR support basically lets it work as a universal remote control in conjunction with CEC. If you’ve got a cable or satellite TV box, it’ll control those, too.
As for what cable and satellite boxes can be controlled by the Fire TV Cube, Amazon has a handy list, though it doesn’t break things down by model number.
Here’s what you can roughly expect, however.
- AT& T DIRECTV
Amazon Fire TV Cube Cost And Availability
The Amazon Fire TV Cube is currently available from Amazon for $119.99. A remote control with batteries, infrared extender cable, and Ethernet adapter come included. You can bundle the Fire TV Cube with a Cloud Cam for a grand total of $199.98. Be sure to check the list of compatible devices for Fire TV Cube before you buy one to make sure your television set, AV receiver, soundbar, and other electronics will work with it.
READ MORE:
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Getting Started With The Amazon Fire TV
The process for setting up the Fire TV models is basically the same as it is for any streaming media player:
Note: If youre using the microphone button on your remote to use Alexa voice commands, have to hold the button until it makes a noise and then KEEP HOLDING IT while you say what youre looking for or when asking a question.
Congratulations. Youre now ready to enjoy your Fire TV!
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How Do Amazon Fire Devices Work With Alexa
You can control all devices with the included Alexa Voice Remote.
What makes the Fire TV Cube unique is that it is the only Fire TV device that can be controlled hands-free without pairing it with another device. It also can be used as an Universal Remote to control IR and HDMI-CEC devices.
You can control the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick hands-free, but it requires you to purchase an Echo device.
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What Are The Differences Between Amazon Fire Sticks
If youve been browsing Amazon Fire TV sticks, youve likely noticed that there are different models and maybe you’re wondering what the differences are between them. Lets delve a little deeper and uncover what makes each of these models unique and help you determine which one best suits your individual needs.