Most of the televisions that we can currently buy are already smart TVs. A team with which we can carry out many actions that make our lives easier and improve our audiovisual experience. Although, if you don't have a very high budget or you still have one of those screens that are not smart at all, don't worry, there is a solution. You can give it a second life and get much more out of it with gadgets like Amazon TV Stick. Today we tell you everything you need to know to get the most out of it to this device.
What is an Amazon Fire TV Stick?
Today, surely you have heard of him on some occasion. But if not, I'll explain what it consists of.
It is a device that we can connect to the HDMI port of our old TV, or to a current one, whether or not it is a smart TV. What does an Amazon TV Stick allow us to do? In case we have a most outdated tv, without internet, we can turn it into a smart tv in less than five minutes (the time to make the connection and initial configuration). When it is ready to be used, we will have an interface that is extremely similar to that of a smart screen that we can manage with the remote control that this accessory includes. In addition, we will have the possibility of carrying out certain actions such as playing content from streaming platforms, browsing the Internet, playing games or even making purchases through it.
However, if you already have a more current television, you will know this type of use quite well. Therefore, today we want to show you some Tricks and tips What are they going to allow you? get the most out of it to this accessory, beyond what you can do with a smart tv.
Types of Fire TV
As for the Amazon Fire TV catalog, there are different models with different characteristics and, of course, designed to meet the needs of different users.
fire tv stick lite
El fire tv stick lite It is one of the latest models presented by the company. Its design is identical to the rest of Stick but, in the case of the remote control, things change. It's about a renewed driver What the company has called "Alexa Lite", a simplified remote that allows you to use your voice to find, play and control all the content.
This new model allows you to play series and movies at a maximum resolution of Full HD and, according to Amazon, they have included a new processor that is a 50% more powerful than the previous generation. In addition, this model is compatible with technology HDR. The price of this new member is 29,99 Euros.
View offer on AmazonFire TV Stick
El Amazon Fire TV Stick It has also been renewed in the company's latest launch but, like the rest, not aesthetically but internally. It has a processor that, as in the case of the Lite, is done by a 50% more powerful than the previous generation. This gadget can play content at a 1080p maximum resolution with a rate up to 60 fps. To further enhance the playback experience, it supports technology HDR and Dolby Atmos to have surround sound if we have speakers that also have this capacity.
As for the remote controller, it has the usual command with controls for volume, silence, mute and other possibilities. The refreshed Fire TV Stick is available for a price of 39,99 Euros on Amazon.
View offer on AmazonFire TV Stick 4K
In this case, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K it is the same model that the company had so far before its last update. owns a 50% less powerful processor than their younger brothers but, in exchange, we can have a 4K max resolution.
The controller remains the same as what we can see on the "dry" Fire TV Stick, with its usual keypad system and the voice button to invoke Alexa. Its price is 59,99 Euros via Amazon.
View offer on AmazonFire TV Stick 4K Max
Looking virtually identical to the rest of the Fire TV Stick lineup, the 4K Max is the final model for now. Its big difference is inside, with a processor MediaTek 8696 quad core with a maximum frequency of 1,8 GHz. It comes with 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. Thanks to these changes, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max behaves with a great fluency, improving the experience a little more, which was already very good in the rest of the models.
This model, like the TV Stick 4K, also offers compatibility with content in UHD resolution, as well as with content that makes use of technology HDR and HDR10+. It also supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. Regarding connectivity, the 4K Max also has another advantage over the model immediately below, and that is that it has Wi-Fi 6, so it should have greater range and coverage even in highly congested environments.
Its recommended price is 64,99€, just six euros more expensive than the 4K model.
View offer on AmazonFire TV Cube
Finally, we have another of the new members of the family, the Fire TV Cube. New, yes, in the European market because in America it was presented a long time ago. This model has a series of characteristics that clearly place it ahead of the rest of the members:
- A long-range speech recognition system a 8 microphones around your body. In addition, thanks to its noise cancellation technology, it makes Alexa able to listen to us from anywhere in the house without problems.
- hexa core processor much more powerful than the rest of the members of this family. This makes the browsing and playback experience much smoother.
- Reproduction of content at a maximum quality of 4K is 60 fps.
- Technology Compatibility HDR 10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. These will offer us the best quality visually and soundly.
- Use the technology multidirectional infrared, with protocols based on the Cloud and HDMI CEC. This combination means that it can control not only our television, but also other equipment such as a sound bar, an A/V receiver and all those devices in the home that are compatible with this function.
El Amazon Fire TV Cube is priced 119,99 Euros through the manufacturer's website.
View offer on AmazonSqueeze all the uses out of the Fire TV Stick
There are users who think that a smart TV is only good for watching series on Netflix or videos on YouTube, but I am sorry to tell you that you can do many more things with them. That is why this accessory is so interesting, especially if you do not have a smart TV and want to enjoy these advantages or even some more than the ones that I am going to list now.
Some of these uses you will know and others will seem obvious to you. But, so that everything is clear, we are going to show you everything you can do with it from the simplest to the most complex.
Perhaps the first thing you should know is what features and options are hidden in each menu and interface option. Relatively recently, Amazon began updating its remake that changes in certain aspects with respect to the previous one and, of course, includes new features. We recommend that you take a look at our video guided tour that we post on YouTube.
Play multimedia content
This is perhaps the main function and what most people use it for, as I told you. Thanks to the Fire TV Stick we can watch content from the main streaming services such as Netflix, HBO or Amazon's own Prime Video. We just have to install the application, register and start using it.
Send multimedia content
Taking the above a step further, we can also send content such as photos, videos or music to our television screen in a very easy way. You just have to know if the app you are using supports sending content by locating the share icon.
Once you have located it, you just have to press it and select the Fire TV that you must already have active on your television. You can do this on both Android and iOS devices. Some of the applications compatible with this use are: Prime Video, HBO, Netflix, YouTube or Spotify. Although, with the latter, you will need start the Spotify app on the Stick for the first time from Amazon so that it then appears among the devices to be sent.
Surfing the Internet
Just like we can do on a smart tv, on this stick we can install applications from the store. Among them, we have the possibility of downloading browsers such as Firefox and then browsing the internet as if you were doing it from your phone or computer.
Share the screen of our teams
Another of the interesting functions that we can do in this gadgets it is to share the screen with the mirror mode of the rest of our devices to, of course, see it in a big way.
This, once again, we can do with both Android and iOS. After trying different methods, the easiest way is to install the app on your stick Airscreen. Once you have it in your catalog, follow the tutorials at the bottom so that, depending on the operating system you have, you can send the screen of your equipment to the television.
Remote control with your smartphone
If by any chance you have lost the remote control that this accessory includes or it has run out of battery, don't worry, you can use your phone as a remote.
You just have to install the Amazon Fire TV app that you will find in your Android or iOS application store and synchronize your Amazon account. Once here, choose the stick that you have connected to the TV and that's it. You already have a controller on your smartphone.
play big
As you may have noticed, within the application store of this gadgets we find games for the big screen. Many of these titles are the ones that we can download on any adapted Android TV, that is, to be operated using the remote control of this equipment. And I can already tell you that, depending on the type of game, it is not the most comfortable thing in the world.
Connect Bluetooth devices
Amazon has thought of everything and, to alleviate the previous problem a bit, we have the possibility of connecting different equipment to our stick via Bluetooth. We just have to go to the device settings and enter the “Bluetooth remotes and devices” option. here we can add a gamepad to play comfortably on our Fire TV or even connect a Bluetooth headset so as not to disturb anyone while we enjoy a movie or series, or a more powerful wireless speaker (even Home Cinema) to make it seem like we're in a movie theater and everything.
Listen to the Fire TV Stick without disturbing anyone
A direct consequence of that ability of the Fire TV Stick to connect to other Bluetooth devices is the possibility of pairing wireless headphones to listen to movies and series through them, which prevents us from disturbing him if we are in the same room as another person who is studying or working.
To do it, we just have to do the following:
- Go to the Settings of the Fire TV Stick.
- Now select the option Bluetooth controllers and devices.
- Put the headphones in pairing mode (see the manufacturer's instructions).
- Search and click on Other Bluetooth devices.
- Now select the option Add Bluetooth devices to start looking for helmets.
- When the specific model appears in the list, select it.
- You will then receive the message that the entire process has gone successfully and you can now listen to all the content through them.
Poor Wi-Fi connection? Connect via Ethernet
If your TV is located far from your router, you may have difficulty using all the features of your Fire TV Stick or even the connection may be slow. Fire TV Sticks do not have an Ethernet port. Only the Fire TV Cube has this connector natively. However, this does not mean that you cannot use your Fire TV Stick with a network cable.
Amazon separately sells an Ethernet adapter compatible with its devices for televisions. Installing it is very simple —just click on the cable and that's it, you won't need unusual knowledge— and it will help you solve the problem in one fell swoop. If you were wondering, the product is quite affordable.
View offer on AmazonManage Fire TV Stick using voice commands
Another of the best functions that we can give to this equipment is its management through voice commands. By pressing the microphone button that we enter on your remote control, we can talk to Alexa, Amazon's intelligent assistant.
We can ask it to show us series or movies on a specific theme, ask about the weather, or even make purchases through it as in any of the company's smartphones.
Increase the interface
It has happened to us. If you have the television far from the sofa and you have astigmatism or myopia, it will be difficult for you to read the content on the screen. Having to go up to the TV to read what the Netflix series you want to watch is about is not very practical. That's why your Fire TV has a built-in feature to scale the content and that this can be read in a simpler way. To activate it, follow these steps:
- Long press the Home button on the remote and select Settings.
- Go to Accessibility Settings.
- Look for the option 'Land'.
- Activate it and read the instructions for use carefully to be able to enable and disable it at the times you see necessary.
Turn TV on or off
Thanks to the previous function, we will be able to turn the television on or off with our voice. This is more useful if we have an Amazon smart speaker since, in this case, we will have to press the button to invoke the remote assistant and this function loses its grace.
Improve your privacy before Amazon
And, now that we talk about talking to the assistant, Amazon has always been in the privacy spotlight with this.
With Fire TV you can rest easy because you can:
- Limit the data you send to Amazon. Within the preferences section in the device settings.
- Reduce ads based on your searches. Within the preferences section in the device settings.
- Clear accumulated data for each app. Within the applications section, in the device settings.
You can also watch TV
And no, we are not talking about the antenna. Suppose you have a television that you usually use to play video games and watch movies, but the antenna cable does not reach it. Well, using the Fire TV Stick, you can see the national DTT channels without problems thanks to the Internet connection.
To do this process, you will first have to enable the installation of third-party applications on your device. Simply follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > My Fire TV > Developer Options
- Activate the ABD Debugging and Apps options Unknown origin.
Now, simply go to the Amazon AppStore and download the app 'Downloader'. Once you have it, use Downloader to install a third-party app store like Apptoide TV or enter the APKMirror repository. There, download to the TDTChannels application.
TDTChannels contains all the Spanish general channels, and it is a great way to be able to watch TV on a television that we do not usually use for this purpose, thus facilitating some occasional use. It is completely free and also supports radio channels.
set ambient mode
Surely you have noticed that, if you leave an inactive time this gadgets, automatically begin to display different photos as a screen saver.
The best thing about this is that you can customize it to your liking by entering the configuration section, here you must go to "Screen and sound" and enter the screensaver option. Here, as we mentioned, you can adjust different parameters of this screen to adapt it to your liking.
Take advantage of Alexa routines
By having the integration with Alexa, you can set up all kinds of automatic routines with your TV. For example, let's say that every day at 4 pm, you watch a Netflix series on your Fire TV Stick. To do this, you ask Alexa to lower your automatic blinds a bit, turn on the TV and also an LED strip that you have behind the television. Well, all this can be done automatically with a single command.
- Go to the alexa apps on your mobile phone.
- Then click 'More' in the lower right corner.
- Tap on 'Workouts' and add a new one.
- Now, put a name for the routine and a command that you will do to execute your actions. The command can be established automatically with the time or by means of an order that you will give yourself by voice.
- In 'Stocks', uses a string of commands to be executed with the action.
- Within 'Digital home', you can turn off the ceiling lights and turn on the lamps or LED strips that you have near the television. Also in this section you can lower a smart blind or blind in case you have one at home.
- In the option 'Fire TV', you will be able to configure the commands that will be launched within your Amazon device. Here you can turn on the TV, adjust the volume and open the app you want.
- Once you have everything set up, save the routine and ask Alexa to run it. You can do dozens of different routines depending on your needs. The possibilities are totally limitless.
If all fails, restart it
If at any time your stick freezes and doesn't respond, don't worry, there's a solution.
You will have noticed that this device does not have a shutdown button and, therefore, it does not have a reset button either. The solution passes for force said reset through the remote control itself. You must hold down the Play and Play buttons at the same time. Select (it is the central button of the crosshead that allows us to manage the interface) for 5 seconds and that's it, the restart will begin.
You also have the alternative of doing it the “old-fashioned way” and disconnecting the equipment from the current and plugging it back in. But, this is not the most recommended in any device that we use.
Show hidden diagnostic menu
Amazon Fire TVs have a hidden diagnostic panel that not many people know. If you manage to unlock it, you will have access to a lot of information that is essential for setting advanced settings. For example, you can learn more about frame rate, video codecs being used, CPU load, memory usage, screen resolution, current Internet transmission speed, and other data from diagnosis.
To go to the diagnostic menu you will have to do the following steps that we detail below:
- Hold down the center button on your Amazon Fire TV remote for one second.
- Hold it down, and then hold the down button.
- Wait three seconds and release both buttons at the same time.
- Finally, press the Menu button (the three horizontal lines on the remote).
A will appear popup menu. Activate the advanced and 'system x-ray' options. Now you can check and fix your Fire TV problems from this new advanced diagnostics menu. You will be able to know which applications you use the most, check the quality of the video resolution and adjust the settings of the video transmission. A whole hidden gem on your Fire TV that you surely did not know existed.
Give emulators a try
Did you know that if you have a Fire TV Stick, you can use it to emulate some of your favorite childhood video games? To do this you simply have to install RetroArch, which is a program that allows you to emulate a multitude of consoles in a simple way.
The process is not particularly easy, since you have to start from the Downloader app to be able to install RetroArch. On this same website you can find a very complete tutorial on how to do the process. The possibility of emulating one or the other console depends on the Fire TV Stick model you have. The most advanced can with PSX titles without problems.
Now that you know many of the things you can do with your Amazon Fire TV Stick, it's time to get the most out of it in your day to day. We hope that you have discovered some new function with this compilation that will help you to get the most out of this device. If you know of one that we have not named, it would be amazing if you could leave it for a comment so that everyone who reads this article can know it.
The links to Amazon in this article are part of our agreement with their Affiliate Program and may earn us a small commission on their sale (without affecting the price you pay). The decision to publish and add them has been made, as always, freely and under editorial criteria, without attending to requests from the brands involved.