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Firesticks learn me about them
I have a friend that uses firesticks, she told me that she doesn't pay anything for internet, or TV, does anyone here use them and how do they work.
JAY
JAY
THE DEFINITION OF GUN CONTROL IS HITTING THE TARGET WITH YOUR FIRST SHOT
Replies
The Firestick is a little computer, running the same operating system as some smart phones, Android. There are third party applications you can load onto it, like Kodi, that allows you to stream video from anywhere it is hosted, whether legal or pirated. It takes a lot of learning to figure out Kodi, but you can get significant amounts of media for free.
The Firestick has little memory 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage which isn't a lot. It is worth the $39.00 price to play with it. It requires an HDMI connection to your TV and a USB based power source. I have two Firesticks, one here and one in Oregon, and I like them a lot.
Kodi is a lot of application for that little computer and its memory. If the idea is to run Kodi, I recommend running it on a different Android product.
Otherwise you need...
Wireless Internet
Power
HDMI capable video connection
Netflix ( optional )
Amazon Prime ( optional )
I have both Amazon Prime for my business and Netflix at home. I do not know what it would be like to have a Firestick without them, and they supply me a majority of my video / movies.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Only way she isn't paying for internet is if she is 'stealing' a neighbors open WiFi signal..........
What you can do with it is dependent on two things, mainly: 1) How fast your internet connection is, and 2) What streaming services you subscribe to. You can get cable news and other cable channels, and a limited amount of network tv (based on where you live). I have Netflix, Hulu, and PlayStation Vue.
I use Netflix for movies & TV shows - it's great for that, but you can't watch live TV or any current season of any show unless it's a Netflix original show
I use Hulu for movies & TV shows - also great for both, but you can also watch current seasons of certain network shows (like 24, Chicago PD, Law & Order SVU, and others). The best thing about watching shows on Hulu is that they skip the commercials for you.
I use PlayStation Vue for TV shows & live TV - in my area, I get a lot of cable channels that I can watch live (CBS, USA network, TNT, Velocity, AMC), and they provide a DVR service where I can have them automatically record shows for me so I can watch them later. I can watch the same stuff using On Demand, but if I use their DVR, I can fast forward through the commercials.
There's a bunch of services out there; you'll have to pick which one works best for you, but IMO, all of them are better than cable (Comcast, Cox, etc) because they're less expensive and I can watch when it's convenient for me without using a DVR
BTW, if at all possible, try to use an HD antenna for local channels, if they're not available to you through a streaming service. Totally free.
JAY
Yeah, we use them also, here in the south we call them " litter logs " pronounced " Lighter "
JAY
Been there, tried that. Didn't work for me. Most of the "channels" on the Apple TV require a activation code. Which you can only get by having a subscription to cable. You do get the abilities such as streaming from other Apple devices and such, but all you get with the TV portion of it is the ability to watch shows on demand, if you have a cable subscription. Very few of the channels let you watch much of anything without a subscription of some sort. So, when I did away with my cable, I got an HD antenna for local stations, and got an Apple TV. I have hardly used the Apple TV at all. Occasionally for streaming from my phone and I've used Netflix on it a few times, but my Bluray player and TV have Netflix on them already.
Last week I got a 60" 4K TV and a new subscription to Direct TV. I have not messed with the Apple TV much yet to try the subscription channels on it and see what I can get on it.
Right now I have DSL through the phone lines and DISH for satellite reception. I subscribe to Netflix and get it through the TV. I don't know what my download speed is but it's not the highest I can get, but I could pay for higher data speeds if I wanted to. I used to use Apple TV for Netflix, but the movies more often than not would stop playing and be interrupted by a spinning wheel with a notice that the thing was "Buffering." I assume that was because my data rate wasn't fast enough to have uninterrupted viewing. I'm guessing that having Firesticks would save me some money in the long run on movies, but would be a minor PITA to get the other stuff I want to watch. Thanks for the replies.
AppleTV does not have Amazon Prime, otherwise it would be my favorite. Rock solid performance.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
I also have DSL internet, but I use Direct TV. No other internet or TV options available where I live. Dish and I don't get along. I've had the same issue with buffering trying to use Netflix on my Apple TV. But I don't have the problem when I use Netflix on my Bluray player and didn't have that problem with Netflix on my old TV. Haven't tried it yet on the new TV. Not sure why, but that only happened with the Apple TV.
I've had the Apple cool aid. I have an iPad, iPhone and still use my old iPhone and iPod Touch for some things. I just have never been able to get anything out of that Apple TV since I got it. The only thing that's kinda cool is streaming from my devices to the TV.