![]() Interface Simon Cohen / Digital TrendsĪmazon’s Fire TV interface, which is the same across all of its Fire TV devices, is heavily focused on curating content for you to watch.īut that curation feels more like a heavy-handed promotion for Amazon’s own Prime Video content. Even though Amazon has the Alexa app - the de facto way to interact with a Fire TV device from a phone - there’s no way to use it for text entry. It’s a tedious process that Apple and Roku have made somewhat more bearable thanks to the ability to use your smartphone as a text-entry tool. Right now, when you download and fire up apps like Netflix, which require you to sign in, you need to use the on-screen keyboard to hunt and peck your way through your credentials. There’s one aspect of setting up these devices that could be improved considerably. The Fire TV Stick has one extra step that the Lite doesn’t - it walks you through a quick procedure for identifying your TV and/or soundbar or A/V receiver so that the power and volume buttons work correctly. You’ll be able to install additional apps once the setup is complete. These are simply the apps that Amazon is promoting, not the full list of available apps. You’ll be given a choice of a few recommended apps to install - these vary by region - but don’t worry if your favorite apps aren’t among them. As soon as you connect them to power and plug them into your TV, the on-screen instructions guide you through pairing the remote, accessing your Wi-Fi, and logging into your Amazon account.Īnd yes, an Amazon account is required to use any Fire TV device, so if you don’t already have one, it might be a good idea to set one up on another device, like a laptop, before you begin the setup procedure. ![]() Setup Amazon Fire TV Stick remote (above) and Fire TV Stick Lite remote Simon Cohen / Digital Trends Otherwise, it simply takes you to the Live screen, something that you may or may not find especially useful. Pressing it will bring up the live TV guide - but only if you subscribe to a live TV streaming service like Sling TV or YouTube TV. The Stick Lite’s remote, on the other hand, lacks these two features but has a dedicated Guide button. The Fire TV Stick comes with a standard voice remote - which includes a power button for controlling the Stick, as well as the TV and any other HDMI-connected devices - and volume buttons. The remotes look similar, but there are a few differences. This not only lets them communicate with the sticks without line-of-sight requirements, but it also enables advanced features like voice access to Alexa. ![]() Design Simon Cohen / Digital Trendsįor a completely wire-free installation, you can try running the MicroUSB power cable to an available USB port on your TV, but since Amazon includes a power adapter, I recommend using it - that way, you’re guaranteed to get the best performance and faster startup since it receives constant power.īoth the Fire TV Stick and Stick Lite come with Bluetooth remotes. ![]() Inside, you’ll find everything you need: The Stick, a remote control, two AAA batteries (mercifully not shrink-wrapped), a MicroUSB cord for power, a USB power adapter, and an HDMI extender dongle for TVs with cramped HDMI ports. It’s tiny, portable, and totally disappears behind your TV.
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