Streaming Services.
Premium:
Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, HBO Go, HBO Now, MLB.TV Premium, WWE Network, UFC, Showtime, Sling Television, Disney Movies Anywhere, Playstation Vue
Other:
YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, Watch Disney Channel, Watch Disney Junior, Watch Disney XD, Watch ESPN, Crackle, Vimeo, Plex, Slingplayer, Showtime Anytime, TuneIn Radio, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, RealPlayer Cloud, Rdio, and more
Description. Amazon's Fire TV Stick w/ Voice Remote is one of the latest small (about 0.5 x 1 x 3.3 inches) gum pack-sized players available. The Stick itself is fairly nondescript, with the Amazon logo embossed on the top of the all black unit. Like the other stick style players, it only has the HDMI jack at one end and a mini USB port, which is used for power. While you can power it by plugging the provided USB cable into a nearby USB port (presumably on the TV itself), Amazon recommends that you use the provided wall adapter for best performance. The Fire TV Stick comes with a relatively simple remote that operates via Bluetooth rather than infrared (IR). It has a circular navigation control and just six other buttons for menu navigation and video controls, and includes the built-in mic and dedicated voice search button.
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up. After plugging it into an HDMI port on your TV and connecting the power adapter an onscreen setup guide comes up, which syncs the Bluetooth remote and then automatically scans for available WiFi networks, but it doesn't support WPS connections that let you pair the device without entering a password. Since you are buying it right from Amazon, if you have a Prime account, your account information and any content stored in the Amazon Cloud Drive or Amazon Music services will be automatically loaded onto the player. At the end of the setup, it even has a tutorial video that shows you how to use the more advanced features, including the Fire TV remote app and the voice search feature. We found updating the player's firmware was easy thanks to automatic prompts.
Ease of use. For everyday use the box is generally easy to use:
Interface. The main home screen uses a list on the left side to go through the main categories (home, movies, TV, apps, etc.) and graphic tiles divided into sub-sections (most popular, recent, new releases, etc.) on the right. All of the movie and TV content displayed on the home screen is from Amazon Instant Video. However, you cannot manually organize your apps, which can make it harder to use if a favorite app is not at the beginning of the default layout. Though, if you use it often it will stay in the "Recent" section of the home screen. It also has a very responsive voice search function that will search a few of the video streaming services and your Amazon Music account for content. The voice search also uses Alexa, Amazon's answer to Apple's Siri, to add to shopping and to-do lists, find out the current weather and news, and other information.
Remote control. The provided remote is very simple, with few buttons. The buttons' size and labeling is good, with high enough contrast that they can still be seen in a room with low light conditions. However, some buttons use non-standard icons, so it may take a while to get used to their functions. The remote uses a Bluetooth connection so it doesn't require line of sight to control the box. It also has a built in mic and a dedicated button to easily bring you to the voice search. You can download an iOS, Android, or Fire OS app that lets you use a phone or tablet to control the player, use the device's mic for voice searches, and use the device's QWERTY keyboard to enter text, making it easier to enter passwords.
Picture quality. This player supports 1080p output. In general we found the streaming picture quality to be very good, better than standard DVDs but not quite as sharp or detailed as from a Blu-ray disc. However, the quality of the video that you'll get is largely dependent on the speed of your wired or wireless network. Since this player has no Ethernet port we had to test it using a wireless connection.
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI output, but it also requires that your TV will pass through the digital signal, or you can plug it into your A/V receiver.
Connections. Expected from its design, this player has a very limited number of connections, namely an HDMI output. It has built-in WiFi and supports dual-band 5GHz networks, but it lacks an Ethernet jack. It lacks a USB or memory card slot and DLNA support, so you can't play any pictures, videos or music directly through the device. In order to play your personal photos and videos they need to be loaded to your Amazon Cloud Drive through a computer or mobile device, and your music needs to be loaded to your Amazon Music account. It supports "casting," which allows you to load content from YouTube and Netflix onto the player and control the video from the app on your mobile device. It also supports Miracast, so you can mirror the screen of any Android, Fire OS, or Windows device on to your TV via the player.
Miscellaneous. While this box does not have a traditional standby mode, it does have a sleep mode that will reduce the power consumption after a certain amount of time. It comes with a female to female HDMI connector. Even though it does not support the more complex, console-like games being developed by Amazon's gaming studio which can be played on the original Fire TV, you can play the other available games with an optional game controller ($50). This player also has one of the most advanced parental controls seen, called FreeTime. It allows you to set up a different profile for each child ($2.99 for one profile and $6.99 for up to four profiles with a Prime membership) in which you can select what apps and videos can be accessed, set a viewing length, a bed time, and a wake time for both weekdays and weekends. Finally, you can use a Kindle Fire HDX to "cast" content from Amazon Instant Video onto the player, and, once playing, will provide you with X-ray information. X-ray displays additional information from the IMDB database - character names, actor information, and other trivia - on your mobile device. So, for instance, as a character enters a scene, the actor's picture will appear on the device's screen, along with the character's and actor's names, and tapping on the actor's picture will bring up his or her bio.
Firmware Version. All players are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing.
Firmware version for the Amazon Fire TV Stick w/ Voice Remote is: 5.0.3.2 (535062120)
About Firmware Version. Our test results are valid for the version of firmware indicated above. If your player's firmware differs from the one shown you either have an older or a newer version of firmware. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the players’s firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware upgrades may be downloadable directly to your player via a wired or wireless network, USB port, or memory card, depending on your player’s capability. You can check your player’s firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by pressing the menu button on your remote and navigating to the appropriate submenu, typically under settings. Consult the user manual or manufacturer’s website if further guidance is needed.
