10 Things You Should Know Before Buying An Amazon Fire TV Stick

While Amazon’s streaming device is lightweight and widely compatible, there are some cases where you simply won’t be able to use it. All Fire Sticks plug into displays using an HDMI connection. With old CRT TVs making a big comeback in recent years, and many TVs not having more than a few HDMI ports, you might have to spend a bit more to use them with a Fire Stick. If there’s no available HDMI port, you’ll need an adapter like the Belkin HDMI to VGA adapter kit.

You’ll also need to make sure the device’s HDMI port is for input rather than output. For example, while many laptops have an HDMI port of their own, this only sends signals to other displays instead of accepting new signals to show on their screen. You can still use a Fire Stick with these devices, but it once again requires a separately purchased adapter. Most other dedicated displays — monitors, TVs, and even projectors — will work without extra tinkering as long as they have an HDMI input.

There’s a wide variety of Fire Sticks, and it’s not always easy to avoid getting the wrong version. Older HD models will claim to be the latest version on Amazon despite a newer HD stick being available at similar prices, and the more expensive 4K stick includes additional benefits like faster Wi-Fi. The 4K Max Fire Stick, which is the highest-end model, also includes double the storage space and a better processor, which could make a big difference if your experience with cheaper models was soured by stutters and lag. This can make the higher-end models more attractive even if you don’t have a 4K display, as their benefits go well beyond resolution.

On top of these various models, there are also bundles including extra technology with the Fire Stick. One includes a USB power cable to let you charge your Fire Stick from the TV itself, while another has a “pro” Alexa remote that connects to your smart home and makes use of other smart devices you might own. You don’t need these bundles to get everything you need out of your Fire Stick, but they can be helpful to those who can make use of the additional features.

One of the most important things about any streaming device is knowing which apps it supports. After all, you can’t make much use out of a Netflix or Disney+ subscription without having something that will let you actually use it. Luckily, the Fire Stick has a large list of supported apps, covering pretty much every essential service you could need. There are even apps from competing companies such as Roku and Apple.

There are plenty of apps available for the Fire Stick outside of those designed for streaming, too. Video games and even VPNs are just a few examples of what you can find, and there are quite a few other underrated Amazon Fire TV apps worth checking out. In case more new streaming services end up appearing, it might not be a bad idea to take a look through Amazon’s available apps yourself, even if you already use the Fire Stick daily.

One Amazon app that deserves its own mention is the Silk browser. This is a quick, easy way you’ll get to have a web browser on Amazon’s streaming device, allowing you to view most webpages. Its optimization and general speed are a few reasons why you should be using the Silk browser on your Amazon Fire TV Stick, but its basic utility makes it even more useful for lower-end models. After all, there’s no need to download the YouTube app and take up more space when you can just visit the website on its own.

While it’s the one option you’ll have on Fire Stick that’s officially supported by Amazon, some users have mentioned a few criticisms about the Silk browser. Many pages you access through the browser will be simplified as though you were using a phone to visit them, and some websites might not work at all depending on how advanced they are. Some users have faced issues with trying to access school websites, for example. It’s something you might have to struggle through, but Silk is at least an option if you don’t have free access to other computers or browsers nearby.

Even if you don’t have a 4K TV, a higher-end Fire Stick is a pretty good way to test out some of the best budget-friendly soundbars and sound systems out there. If you decide to get your hands on the 4K Fire Stick models, you’ll be able to use Dolby Atmos audio for greater immersive sound. This feature is not available on the low-end HD stick, but you’ll still be able to make use of Dolby’s basic audio encoding on that cheaper version. This all depends on having equipment that can support this sort of audio, so buying a Fire Stick won’t turn your living room into a booming theater all on its own.

All of the Fire Stick models also support High Dynamic Range video, with the 4K models including the bonus of specially enhanced Dolby Vision HDR as well to provide greater color clarity and contrast. As with Atmos, this will require a display that actually has HDR support, so you should make sure this is an option beforehand. Even so, considering how widely supported these features are outside of the basic HD stick, you should probably focus your purchasing decisions on the other features supported by each model.

As you might expect, using a Fire Stick will make it easier to access shows only available through Amazon’s Prime subscription. These benefits go beyond watching media, however, as other Prime benefits are available to use through the Fire Stick as well. Prime Music and Prime Gaming can both be accessed either through the device’s OS directly or through specialized apps, and Prime-supported services like Photos can connect to the stick with very little issue. If you’re already all-in on Amazon, the Fire Stick is an easy way to use your benefits on an even bigger screen.

Extra downloads might be necessary to take advantage of these benefits, but the Fire Stick will usually at least have the Prime Video app pre-installed. This app can be accessed without a Prime subscription, too, so you can see what’s offered if you’re hesitant about getting a membership for yourself. You might also be limited in what you can do with Amazon’s Prime Gaming features due to the stick’s limited power and storage. To circumvent this, you can use Xbox cloud gaming instead, which doesn’t even need a Prime membership to work on your Fire Stick.

There are a lot of ways to check out your favorite shows or watch the news on your Amazon Fire TV device, but there’s one restriction you’ll need to be aware of. You can’t actually access these shows without having extra apps installed. The Fire Stick has its own special channel guide where you can see live shows, but these are sourced from apps already installed on the device. You must have at least one of these extra apps installed if you want to watch anything free on your Fire Stick.

But many of the Fire Stick’s show-adding apps are completely free. This includes Tubi, a service featuring a wide array of shows and movies. You can pick and choose from these apps to add as live TV sources, and if you have a physical connection to a source like satellite or cable, you can add that to Fire TV’s repertoire as well. It really just depends on how far you’re willing to go with what the Fire Stick gives you.

One important thing to note about the Fire Stick is how limited its storage capabilities are. At most, you can only get 16 gigabytes of storage on the top-end models, and the only connection available on the stick itself is used for power. What you need to do if your Amazon Fire TV runs out of storage is basically just to delete existing apps or data. Without the help of additional tools, you’re always going to be limited by the available space.

It’s not impossible, though, to add storage to the Fire Stick. You’ll need a specialized cable to do so, and you’ll also have to format your external storage correctly to make it work. It’s not simple, which can make it frustrating for those who just wanted a quick-and-easy solution for everything they’re interested in streaming. Without the extra steps required, however, there’s no other way to circumvent the lack of storage on these sticks.

While getting a Fire Stick might be useful for many buyers, there isn’t much of a reason to get one if you already own a smart TV. These have similar streaming-friendly operating systems built in, and you’ll get practically zero functionality out of a basic HD Fire Stick if you connect it to an Amazon Fire TV. Basically, this TV already has a Fire Stick built into it, letting you browse Amazon’s lineup without the need to use up an HDMI port. If you splurge on a more expensive Amazon Fire 4K TV, you’ll get pretty much all the bonuses that come from the 4K Fire Stick as well.

Amazon isn’t the only company offering stick-based streaming devices, either. The Roku Stick is a powerful competitor, with the only major differences coming from interfaces and available accessories. Today, pretty much every major streaming app on the Fire Stick can be found on its competitors as well. If you stumbled across an alternative streaming stick in the past, you don’t have much reason to splurge on an additional offering from Amazon.

While the Fire Stick has some limitations, it has a few extra capabilities outside of what’s advertised — if you’re willing to go outside of the official bounds. You can use unofficial programs by following guides and using the model’s Downloader app. Using this to sideload apps on the Amazon Fire TV will basically grant access to the entire Android lineup at no additional cost. You can’t do this for Apple apps, but it will still give your device the chance to do far more than it ever could before.

As mentioned, you’ll need to be wary of the Fire Stick’s storage and processing power if you try to download particularly bulky apps. There are also some risks that come with these sorts of unofficial methods, and falling victim to them could lead to your data being stolen by malicious downloads. But with enough care and due diligence, a bit of personalized tinkering could make your Fire Stick into one of the most capable devices you own.