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Amazon Fire TV Box or Fire Stick
Old 08-01-2017, 09:52 AM   #1
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Amazon Fire TV Box or Fire Stick

I'm trying to decide between the two and would appreciate feedback and recommendations from others.

Currently I have Verizon Fios, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I do have a Sony 4K TV and I know the Fire Stick doesn't stream 4K. There really isn't much 4K so not a biggie there.

I here you need to download Kodi for both, will that give me access to lots more 4K? Is it worth spending the $89.99 for the Fire TV or just pay $39.99 for the Fire Stick?

Feedback is appreciated?

Thanks
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Old 08-01-2017, 10:06 AM   #2
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If you only need one, I would go with the Box version.

Faster, more RAM. Browsing, navigating and transitions are faster on the Box.

We use sticks on smaller/less often used TVs. I have not used Kodi. Seems hacky. I don't want to be in the gray areas of what is legal/not legal.

I think it is worth the $50 (extra) one time purchase.
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Old 08-01-2017, 11:54 AM   #3
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+1 for the box... I have 2 and 2 sticks... box is faster.
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Old 08-01-2017, 11:55 AM   #4
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Box is supposed to be getting Alexa soon.
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Old 08-01-2017, 11:57 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by bloom2708 View Post
If you only need one, I would go with the Box version.

Faster, more RAM. Browsing, navigating and transitions are faster on the Box.

We use sticks on smaller/less often used TVs. I have not used Kodi. Seems hacky. I don't want to be in the gray areas of what is legal/not legal.

I think it is worth the $50 one time purchase.
I just cancelled a 3rd Firestick order on Amazon and replaced with Fire Box based on the comments. I also plan to move the Internet Modem to where the main TV is and use ethernet to it, so should be much faster. Will use the Firesticks on other 2 TV's with less than 4K resolution.

$89 though, not $50.
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Old 08-01-2017, 12:11 PM   #6
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$89 though, not $50.
Sorry, meant $50 extra as compared to the Stick.
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Amazon Fire TV Box or Fire Stick
Old 08-01-2017, 07:09 PM   #7
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Amazon Fire TV Box or Fire Stick

I've got several of each (box and stick) and the box definitely outperforms the stick. If you're using it for your main tv, I'd go with the box. I recently bought a new stick for our motorhome, but don't watch a lot of tv in the RV, so I'm ok with it for that application.
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Old 08-01-2017, 09:39 PM   #8
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Thanks for the feedback. I just ordered the Fire TV Box for $89.99. I went a head and got the Amazon Prime Visa and got an instant credit of $70.
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Old 08-02-2017, 07:27 AM   #9
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Just purchased my 2nd FireTV box for the master bedroom. The other one is in the living room. Love this little box. Very fast, powerful and easy to use. I have a older Fire Stick in one of the guest bedrooms. Not near has fast as the box because it has the slower core and it is wireless only. I got the Box vs the Stick because we "cut the cord" and the LAN connection is better (not perfect) if you are watching/streaming "live" HD-TV. It also supports Kodi side load for our PVR interface with WMC on WIN7 PC. My goal was to get all of our TV watching (OTA, Netflix, Prime and PVR) onto one box and the Fire TV does the job for us. I will probably upgrade the guest bedroom with the latest FireTV stick with faster core. Great product and if you are a Prime member it is even better. Still learning and finding more capabilities.
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Old 08-02-2017, 11:09 AM   #10
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We dropped cable earlier in the year. At the time I researched both the stick and box and decided on the box. It has preformed well.

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Old 08-02-2017, 11:42 AM   #11
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I'm new to FireTV and am considering gifting a Fire box to my BIL for his upcoming birthday.

I see that Amazon used to sell a bundle (box, with cablE and HD ultra-thin flat antenna). This bundle is no longer available. The antenna is only available from 3rd party sellers.

My question -- do you need this antenna or how are you using the Fire box?

How easy are these to set up? (I live 3 hours away and would prefer not having to drive 6hrs r/t to set this up. He and my sis are not very tech-savvy.)

omni
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Old 08-02-2017, 11:59 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omni550 View Post
I'm new to FireTV and am considering gifting a Fire box to my BIL for his upcoming birthday.

I see that Amazon used to sell a bundle (box, with cablE and HD ultra-thin flat antenna). This bundle is no longer available. The antenna is only available from 3rd party sellers.

My question -- do you need this antenna or how are you using the Fire box?

How easy are these to set up? (I live 3 hours away and would prefer not having to drive 6hrs r/t to set this up. He and my sis are not very tech-savvy.)

omni
My Fire TV Box doesn't arrive until Friday. You do need a HDMI cable to connect. You can find videos on youtube regarding set-up. You don't need the antenna for Fire TV. I think that has something to do with local TV stations who have no cable access. I have FIOS so I'm not worried abut that.
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Old 08-02-2017, 12:55 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omni550 View Post
I'm new to FireTV and am considering gifting a Fire box to my BIL for his upcoming birthday.

I see that Amazon used to sell a bundle (box, with cablE and HD ultra-thin flat antenna). This bundle is no longer available. The antenna is only available from 3rd party sellers.

My question -- do you need this antenna or how are you using the Fire box?

How easy are these to set up? (I live 3 hours away and would prefer not having to drive 6hrs r/t to set this up. He and my sis are not very tech-savvy.)

omni
When we dropped cable earlier in the year, we purchased both the fire box and the HD antenna. The fire box allows you to stream internet programming like HULU, Netflix, etc. You need an internet connection for the fire box. The HD antenna lets you pick up local broadcast channels assuming they are in range. But, you can do either of these or both. We use both instead of cable. The fire box set up was very easy. Plug it in and follow the prompts. The HD antenna can be easy or difficult depending our where you mount it. Ours is in the attic.
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Old 08-02-2017, 03:21 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by bradaz2488 View Post
Just purchased my 2nd FireTV box for the master bedroom. The other one is in the living room. Love this little box. Very fast, powerful and easy to use. I have a older Fire Stick in one of the guest bedrooms. Not near has fast as the box because it has the slower core and it is wireless only. I got the Box vs the Stick because we "cut the cord" and the LAN connection is better (not perfect) if you are watching/streaming "live" HD-TV. It also supports Kodi side load for our PVR interface with WMC on WIN7 PC. My goal was to get all of our TV watching (OTA, Netflix, Prime and PVR) onto one box and the Fire TV does the job for us. I will probably upgrade the guest bedroom with the latest FireTV stick with faster core. Great product and if you are a Prime member it is even better. Still learning and finding more capabilities.
We have same exact same set-up, including running Kodi on both Fire TV boxes for live TV and EPG/DVR functionality. We have an old Windows 7 desktop running WMC that does all the work, along with a pair of HDHomeRun tuners. We never switch inputs on the TV. It stays on Fire TV. To view live or recorded TV, we just launch Kodi on the Fire TV box.

We love the box itself as well as the remote. It's fast, responsive, lots of eye candy, and probably the best way to get maximum value for your Prime subscription. Even the Netflix app looks amazing on Fire TV. We get lots of use from the voice search on the remote with Alexa. It searches across all apps, which makes Fire TV feel more integrated than other streaming boxes, which tend to be just a patchwork of apps. Similarly, it also merges watchlists and recommendations from various apps on the homepage.
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Old 08-02-2017, 05:14 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Cobra9777 View Post

We love the box itself as well as the remote. It's fast, responsive, lots of eye candy, and probably the best way to get maximum value for your Prime subscription. Even the Netflix app looks amazing on Fire TV. We get lots of use from the voice search on the remote with Alexa. It searches across all apps, which makes Fire TV feel more integrated than other streaming boxes, which tend to be just a patchwork of apps. Similarly, it also merges watchlists and recommendations from various apps on the homepage.
Agree on all. I always recommend the Fire TV when someone has questions about cord cutting.
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Old 08-02-2017, 08:34 PM   #16
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You need an internet connection for the fire box. The HD antenna lets you pick up local broadcast channels assuming they are in range. But, you can do either of these or both. We use both instead of cable.
Thanks, Flintnational.

Next Question: Does the internet connection for the Fire box need to be a hard wire/cable...or is WiFi somehow an option?

omni
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Old 08-03-2017, 04:38 AM   #17
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Thanks, Flintnational.

Next Question: Does the internet connection for the Fire box need to be a hard wire/cable...or is WiFi somehow an option?

omni
Omni, we are using the ethernet cable. But, I found the following from Amazon. Apparently Wifi works. https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...deId=202104860

"Amazon Fire TV
You can connect your Amazon Fire TV device using a Wi-Fi or wired (Ethernet) connection.

To connect to a Wi-Fi network:

Select Settings > Network from the Fire TV menu. Your device automatically detects nearby networks (that broadcast their network name).
Select your preferred network. If you don’t see your preferred network, it might be hidden—try selecting the Join Other Network or Rescan options at the bottom of the list.
Enter the network password, if needed. Some networks are open for everyone to join, while others require a password to connect.
You'll see a confirmation message on-screen when your device is connected to your selected network.
Note: If you're switching from a wired connection to a Wi-Fi connection, first make sure to disconnect the Ethernet cable from your Fire TV before trying to connect your device to Wi-Fi."
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Old 08-03-2017, 07:07 AM   #18
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We love our Harmony remotes but they do not work with FireTV (Bluetooth). The new Harmony remotes do support Bluetooth but do not want to spend another $250/each. I'm going to try this device for $22. Seems to be a good solution for IR programmable remotes to control FireTV and other Bluetooth devices. Will use a USB extender cable to bring device from FireTV box (hidden) to in-line of sight for the IR Harmony remote. The FireTV remote is a great "simple" remote to navigate the FireTV but does not control volume and some other features we like when watching live TV. I'll let you know how it works.

https://www.amazon.com/FLIRC-Generat...TK3CQD4V4EPWGZ
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Old 08-03-2017, 08:49 AM   #19
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We love our Harmony remotes but they do not work with FireTV (Bluetooth). The new Harmony remotes do support Bluetooth but do not want to spend another $250/each. I'm going to try this device for $22. Seems to be a good solution for IR programmable remotes to control FireTV and other Bluetooth devices. Will use a USB extender cable to bring device from FireTV box (hidden) to in-line of sight for the IR Harmony remote. The FireTV remote is a great "simple" remote to navigate the FireTV but does not control volume and some other features we like when watching live TV. I'll let you know how it works.

https://www.amazon.com/FLIRC-Generat...TK3CQD4V4EPWGZ

I bought one of these about a year ago for the same reasons you cited. But, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I haven't yet attempted the installation. The setup is somewhat complex, and the FLIRC device needs to be programmed with your computer. Please let us know how your installation goes.
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Old 08-03-2017, 09:45 AM   #20
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Received the Fire Box yesterday, put in use last night. Better picture than the stick, and much faster. I am using WiFi at the moment, but plan to move modem downstairs and will tie in ethernet, might speed up some.

One thing I found out, some apps are not live streaming on Fire Box or stick. For example, Fox Now will not live stream, have to watch shows delayed. I have apple tv, and it seems to live stream during prime time only.

Cable and Sat are going to hinder cord cutting if at all possible. and yes, I have tried HD OTA antenna, btu I am smack in a valley between foothills so issues. Not such a big deal to watch delayed for me, but wife is kind of perturbed by that, along with "learning another system".

I keep reminding of the savings.
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