See what Alexa can do
Having used original Fire TV device, it’s an easy decision getting this Fire TV 4K, whether or not you have 4K TV. Amazon itself says, "over 80% more powerful than the best-selling Fire TV Stick.” Just that you need to pay a little extra to get extra performance and it will matter a lot to many users. (check performance & general comparison below)
P.S. Review is detailed one, so you may wanna directly skip to last section of comparison and final verdict.
My sole purpose of purchase is to switch to this wonderful fire TV device & extend things beyond DTH channels with several of streaming services at our disposal, all via big screen instead of small mobile screen.
It can very easily replace your DTH connection for good, provided you have high speed internet at disposal.
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INTRO TO FIRE TV 4K
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A perfect 4K streaming device which brings in Alexa voice smartness & goodness of Internet TV with curated content by several providers. As add on you also get Screen Mirroring (Miracast) & Cast. So if you have a 4K TV (or even not), whether or not it is smart, you can always have this device.
It’s a world of entertainment contained in small Android platform based standalone HDMI stick with 1000’s of movies, TV shows, apps etc, all in Full HD (1080p). Number of apps are preinstalled with a lot of FREE content and you are free to install others.
For 1080p: Min connection speed of 4Mbps is recommended for pleasant experience.
For 4K: Min connection speed of 15Mbps is recommended for pleasant experience.
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INBOX CONTENTS
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1. Fire TV stick
2. Alexa enabled voice remote with IR support (connects via BT)
3. Power adapter (5V | 1A | 5W)
4. USB cable (~ 5 feet or 60 inches or 152 cm)
5. HDMI extender (~ 4.25 inches or 11.7 cm)
6. Quick start guide
7. Alexa voice guide
8. 2AAA batteries
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ABOUT DEVICE
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Fire TV Stick Dimensions: 98 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm | Weight: 52.4 g
Remote Dimensions: 38 mm x 142 mm x 16 mm | Weight: 65.5/43 g (with/without batteries)
Ports: HDMI male connector, micro-USB female port
Key Specs: Quad-core ARM 1.7 GHz processor, IMG GE 8300 GPU, 8 GB Internal
Wi-Fi: Dual-band, Dual-antenna 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT: Bluetooth 5.0 + LE
Device storage available: 5.28 GB
User available after first boot: 4.71 GB
Fire OS Software v6.2.6.3
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PROS
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1. Good quality, solid build device with easy setup (make sure to use high speed broadband instead of mobile hotspot, else be ready for ‘amazon home not reachable’ issue).
2. Fully capable standalone streaming device based on Android platform.
3. Highly capable Bluetooth remote with Alexa voice support. It does not require pointing to device.
4. Remote also has IR capability for general TV functions (on/off/volume/mute). This requires pointing to TV’s receiver.
5. Mobile app available to control device. So dependency on physical remote is less.
6. Intuitive, fast & snappy interface without any lag.
7. Rich curated free content with almost all of streaming services supported. Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Spotify, Gaana etc. Premium content requires subscription.
8. Capable Amazon app store to find many of required apps.
9. Since android based, you can just side load any other android app. Compatibility is another thing.
10. Supports Screen cast/Mirroring/Mira-cast. So covers up Chrome-cast as well.
11. Web browser available to virtually support any content on web, if app not available. E.g. YouTube (YouTube will be officially launched, later this year for Fire TV)
12. Wake up of fireTV via home button also switches on TV if not on. (HDMI CEC required)
13. Alexa can also switch on TV. “Alexa, Turn on TV” (HDMI CEC required)
14. Deep integration with Prime video and music. Alexa voice or fireTV search will not work for content of other apps. It though works fine for music across other apps.
15. It comes preregistered to Amazon account used to make purchase.
16. Compatible with smart home devices via Alexa enabled remote. E.g. Philips Hue, Smart switches, Cameras etc.
17. Sufficiently long USB power cable.
18. Remote range is more than 55 feet. I was able to check up to 55 feet and it worked well.
19. Video quality setting, low, medium, high to have a check on data usage. To set, Settings → Preferences → Data monitoring → Video quality
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CONS
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1. Biggest issue is the search which is exclusive to Prime content. For rest it displays browser or YouTube link. For such a streaming device, search should extend across all apps.
P.S. It works ok for playing music across other apps. If songs not found on prime, it searches it on others and play accordingly or you can even specify app.
2. Not much of 4K content available as of now.
3. Limited storage with no card support. So you are left with only ~5 GB for deployment.
4. Since it’s just another HDMI device connected to TV so if you switch inputs and does not exit streaming content on Fire TV, it keeps on running and consuming data.
5. Sending device to sleep does not auto switch off TV unlike waking up which switches it on. It need to be manually done.
6. No Google Playstore support & Amazon store has limited apps.
7. No YouTube native app as of now. (Official app is coming later this year)
8. Costly accessories be it remote or Ethernet adapter.
9. Screen mirror is slow with ~1 sec delay but so happens with TV’s built in Miracast too. You just can’t avoid this lag due to high bandwidth & processing requirement.
Here cons are having slight effect on functionality of device. For that 1 star deducted. So a 4 STAR device.
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FEATURES
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▶ SMART TV
# simply converts dumb TV to smart TV by proving world of internet & entertainment on screen
# Comes with a lot of goodness of Android platform
▶ ALEXA VOICE REMOTE & SMART HOME
# Now a day’s Alexa works well in Indian context and can very well understand the accent.
# Alexa enabled remote is there to impart smartness to home too with voice control for smart home devices like Philips Hue, Smart switches, Smart bulbs etc
# All Alexa skills work here. Like booking cab, ordering food, news flash, weather update etc
▶ IR FEATURE IN REMOTE
# Can control compatible TV with same remote. No need to manage multiple remotes. Supported options: on/off, volume +/- & mute.
▶ Wi-Fi & BT connectivity
# Wi-Fi simply helps it to connect to internet
# BT helps it to connect to remote and other devices like keyboard, or headsets (I was unable to make BT mouse work with fireTV)
▶ STREAMING APPS
# Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Zee5, Voot etc for video content while Prime Music, Gaana, Spotify etc for audio content.
# Subscription may be required for premium content while some may be ad supported. Lots of free content available on all of apps though.
# At least one subscription of your choice is recommended. Prime may be a good choice owing to extra benefits.
# Regular TV shows are available without subscription on all of apps after 1 day.
# News channel live app are available.
▶ SCREEN CAST / SCREEN MIRRORING / MIRACAST
# Many TV’s don’t have Miracast support built in, which helps to mirror mobile or laptop screen on to TV
# Fire TV stick comes with screen cast support letting you mirror content playing on device to enjoy on TV’s big screen
# To mirror, either long press home button and select 'Mirroring' or choose that option from settings. Then toggle corresponding option on mobile or laptop.
▶ CAST
# It’s different from screen cast in way that, screen cast just mirrors whatever’s on mobile screen to TV while cast only casts relevant content be it video or audio on Fire TV via its app.
# Many of apps on mobile like Prime music, Prime Video, Netflix etc will have cast or watch now option.
▶ SOFTWARE & FIRE OS
# Interactive interface with apps and content on main screen.
# Top part have tabs that split up main screen into Home, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, and Settings.
# Below you have recent, my apps & games etc
# You can configure data tracking & parental control during initial setup or from settings
# Video quality, reboot, reset to factory settings, deregister device etc options also available.
# Equipment control is wonderful thing. It lets your FireTV device control TV & AV receiver, power on, volume control etc. (this is done via HDMI CEC or IR)
# While on other TV inputs, pressing home button takes TV to FireTV input.
# Screensaver option is nice to have. You can have your own set of images by uploading to available cloud storage.
# Regular updates provided by Amazon.
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SETUP
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1. Connect Fire TV to HDMI port of TV directly or via HDMI extender.
2. Connect USB cable to Fire TV and adapter.
3. Insert adapter in socket.
4. Switch on power supply. It boots up with ‘firetv’ text with Amazons new arrow logo and then both animating with a sound for a while.
5. Install batteries in remote & follow on screen instructions to pair it. A press of home button required on prompt.
6. Follow on screen instructions for initial setup, Wi-Fi configuration etc.
7. If not preregistered, follow on screen instructions for same.
8. Enjoy the world of internet based content & you will just forget DTH, cable TV and all.
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REMOTE
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BT Range: 55 feet +
IR functionality tested ok: MI Smart TV (4A), LG Smart TV 47” (LA 6200), and LG Home Theatre
1. Easy pairing of remote. Just follow on screen instructions. Press home button on prompt, amber led flashes & upon pairing blue led flashes.
2. No need to point the remote to stick as it connects via BT
3. Press and hold home button to bring up shortcut menu. (Apps, Sleep, Mirroring, Settings)
4. Press and hold voice button, to give voice commands or interact with Alexa.
5. IR control viz on/off, volume up/down, mute requires pointing to TV or other device.
6. IR setup is launched on first start up. Plays an audio & asks to adjust volume. Switches different IR codes to find compatible one. Works similar to MI phones IR remote app configuration.
7. Remote firmware is also updated from time to time. Takes approx. 2-3 min.
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FIRE TV APP
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There’s wonderful app on Playstore which works as an alternative to remote with full functionality including Alexa voice.
In fact it will ease up your typing across FireTV interface with regular keyboard on mobile screen. Also helpful in copy paste operations across Fire OS.
Just connect stick to Wi-Fi and app discovers it. So only thing you need to key in via TV screen keyboard is Wi-Fi password. For rest there is app. ;)
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AMAZON FIRE TV APP STORE & APPS
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Having a built in store is a plus as you don’t need to fiddle around for apps. Amazon app store is quite good with a good set of required apps for devices core functionality. Prime apps come preinstalled. Some useful apps are listed.
VIDEO:: Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Zee5, Voot, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, VLC, MX Player
MUSIC:: Prime Music, Gaana, Spotify
WEB BROWSER:: Silk, Firefox
FILE EXPLORER:: ES Explorer
NEWS:: AajTak Live, ABP Live, NDTV, Aljazeera, BBC News, NBC News
Still it’s limited and not as rich as Playstore.
So for others, since device is android based, use your imagination. You can side load just any apk via wireless transfer. Download via web browser is disabled. Compatibility matters here as all are not optimized for TV experience.
E.g. some really useful apps but not compatible: AirtelTV, JioTV, TataSkyTV
For side loading,
a) Install ES Explorer on mobile & FireTV.
b) On your Fire TV, go to Settings → Device → Developer Options & turn on 'Allow apps from Unknown Sources’.
c) Download desired apk on mobile.
d) Transfer to FireTV using ES to ES LAN transfer and install.
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MUSIC PAUSE ISSUE WHEN HOME BUTTON PRESSED (Read if you are facing it)
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#Scenario: When you play music via home theatre (HT) connected with TV and press home button, if music mutes for a few seconds that may be due to CEC. Issue faced is when HT is connected via HDMI and audio is routed via optical cable. It won’t happen if music is played via BT headphones or TV speakers.
#About CEC (Consumer Electronic Control): There’s CEC to control one device via another via HDMI using CEC standard of HDMI. Say for e.g., your FireTV is able to switch on TV when you say Alexa.
#Solution: Simply disabling the CEC feature in FireTV or removing HDMI cable will resolve the problem. These workarounds defy the purpose of feature, but for now it’s the only solution I found out, till it’s resolved or may not be if it’s specific to my device.
It’s about preference of having smooth music playback in background or having auto inter control of devices. Amazon support was unable to resolve the problem.
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SMART TV REMOTE AS FIRE TV REMOTE
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My LG Smart TV LG LA6200's remotes (both normal and magic remote) are able to control FireTV stick via IR. Browsing through interface via arrow keys, selection of option or content & back button is imitated via TV's own remote.
So find out if yours is able to do that too. It could be handy in many situations or an easy way for parents who are not tech savvy enough to learn another smart remote.
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PERFORMANCE 4K STICK VS 1080P STICK
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4K Stick:
▶ Device boot time: 35-40 sec
▶ App Install & launch:
# Firefox: Install 5 sec, launch 2 sec
# Silk: Install 10 sec, launch 2 sec
# Netflix: Install 8 sec, launch 10 sec
# Hotstar: Install 6 sec, launch 6 sec
# Spotify: Install 5 sec, launch 5 sec
# ES explorer: Install 12 sec, launch 4 sec
1080p Stick:
▶ Device boot time: 45-50 sec
▶ App Install & launch:
# Firefox: Install 11 sec, launch 8 sec
# Silk: Install 50 sec, launch 5 sec
# Netflix: Install 30 sec, launch 15 sec
# Hotstar: Install 30 sec, launch 12 sec
# Spotify: Install 10 sec, launch 7 sec
# ES explorer: Install 48 sec, launch 7 sec
Rest values for both:
▶ System Update time: 3-4 min
▶ Remote Battery backup (TBU)
▶ Remote Update time: 2-3 min
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FIRE TV 4K VS FIRE TV DEBATE
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I have used both the devices so can put in different perspective of both the devices, for you to decide on.
▶ Departments where Fire TV 4K is better:
1. Most important one is better hardware. 1.7 Ghz processor vs 1.3 Ghz and IMG GE 8300 vs Mali 450, leading to fast and responsive interface. I have included install and launch time values in performance section above. 4K is clear winner.
In 1080p Fire stick, it lags and shutters a bit when some install process or music is running in background.
2. Bluetooth 5.0 vs 4.1. Better connectivity and efficient power consumption.
3. 4K resolution & other goodies like Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ etc
4. Faster boot times, 35-40 sec vs 45-50 in case of 1080p stick.
▶ Departments where Fire TV 1080 p is better:
1. Price point. Cheaper by Rs 2000 during normal days and by Rs 1300 approx. during sale. For a casual user performance issue might not be relevant, so it may be a big deal saving some bucks.
2. 4K content availability. Our country is still catching up with Full HD content. 4K is far from reality for at least a few years. So just investing in it to have 4K is not wise.
3. Data consumption i.e. 1080p consumes approx. 2 GB per hour while 4K consumes approx. 7 GB per hour. So if you have that much data at your disposal, then you can think of enjoying 4K content. Jio's preview offer aside, someday you will have to pay for it.
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FINAL VERDICT
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▶ If you want to convert you old TV or even old smart TV with limited content to full featured smart TV with lots of content from different providers, Alexa goodness & smart home control,
OR you have a 4K TV and want to add more of 4K content to your portfolio along with extras listed above,
→ You are good to go with this Fire TV stick.
In fact it can even act as replacement for DTH as all of channels are live with premium/subscription packages for apps or you can watch your favourite shows a day later on respective apps.
▶ General suggestion would be to avoid 4K if you are not performance crazy and can live with minor lag & shuttering here and there, slow app loading etc. This way you can save some bucks for subscription services.
As per Amazon 4K stick is 80% more powerful as compared to 1080p stick. In general also it’s fast as is evident from specs & app install-launch times above. But an average user won't notice much of difference. Then again, future proofing is another thing. As every electronic device tends to slow down after say a year or two.
Performance & future proofing are two aspects which if are important to you, go for 4K. Else settle with normal one.
▶ If on previous generation of FireTV stick, and want to have further fast and responsive device with lesser app launch times and other goodies like 4K, Dolby Atmos, HDR etc then get this device.
▶ We also have MI TV box and other android TV boxes available. MI TV box is not officially launched here while other boxes are have quality issues.
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