Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is one of the most popular streaming devices on the market. This little device allows you to turn almost any TV into a smart TV. Then, you can start streaming movies and shows from the internet. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fire TV Stick, how it works, how much it costs, where to buy one, and which model you should choose.
What Is a Fire TV Stick?
A Fire TV Stick gives you access to different kinds of streaming services, like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify. All you need to do is plug a Fire TV Stick into your TV, connect it to WiFi, and you’ll be able to stream over 1.5 million movies and TV episodes, live sports, local news, and more.
What Is Streaming Anyway?
Any time you watch a video or listen to music on the internet, it’s considered “streaming.” Unlike cable TV, streaming gives you instant access to huge libraries of content that you can watch anytime, using your smart TV, smartphone, streaming device, laptop, or any connected device.
Do You Need WiFi to Stream?
Streaming always requires an internet connection, whether it’s wirelessly via WiFi or wired via an Ethernet cable. You cannot download movies to a streaming stick and watch them later, but you can bring a streaming device with you on vacation to watch your favorite shows wherever WiFi is available.
Read More: What is a good WiFi speed for streaming?
What Kind of TV Do You Need for Streaming?
In order to use a streaming device, you will need a TV with at least one free HDMI port. You can use a Fire TV Stick with any TV that has an HDMI port. You can even plug your streaming stick into one TV during the day, and then plug it into a different TV at night.
How Does a Fire Stick Work?
To get your Fire TV Stick working, all you need to do is plug it into an HDMI port in your TV. Then, plug it into a power source, use the remote to follow the setup instructions, and connect it to WiFi. Finally, you can download apps to start streaming movies and shows.
Read More: How to set up a Fire TV Stick
Your device will come with everything you need to get started, including the streaming device itself, a USB cable, a power adapter, and a remote. Some models also come with an HDMI extender, which helps you plug your streaming stick into hard-to-reach HDMI ports and provides a better signal for your remote.
What Does a Fire Stick Do?
The main purpose of a Fire TV Stick is to stream movies, live TV, music, and podcasts. However, this streaming stick can do a lot more than that. You can play video games, ask Alexa about the weather, answer your video doorbell, and much more.
The latest models all come with an Alexa Voice remote, which allows you to control your TV with simple voice commands. The remote has a built-in microphone, so you can ask Alexa to open apps, search for movies, pause, turn up the volume, and more.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max also comes with a new Ambient Experience feature. This lets you display artwork when you aren’t watching TV, turning your flat screen into a living painting. You’ll also get lots of helpful widgets, weather reports, and on-screen controls for all your smart home devices connected to Alexa.
How To Use a Fire TV Stick
To stream content on a Fire TV Stick, all you need to do is download streaming service apps. These apps are similar to TV channels, except you can watch anything on-demand. Whether you’re downloading a free or paid app, you can search for all of them right from your home screen.
Read More: How to download apps on a Fire TV Stick
What Channels Can You Get with Fire TV?
With a Fire TV Stick, you can download all the same apps that are available on other streaming devices. If you’re already an Amazon Prime member, you’ll get access to Prime Video for free, but it now comes with ads unless you upgrade to the ad-free version for $2.99 a month.
According to a 2024 Forbes survey, the 10 most popular streaming services are Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+, Hulu, Peacock, ESPN+, AppleTV, and Starz. All of these streaming services are available on the Fire TV Stick, as well as many more.
Read More: The best streaming services to replace cable
While most popular streaming services usually require you to pay a monthly subscription fee, there are also many streaming services that provide free content. Amazon has its own free streaming service called Freevee, where you can watch thousands of movies and TV shows, but you’ll have to sit through ads.
Read More: The best free apps for Fire TV
Where To Buy Fire Stick
If you’re going to buy a Fire TV Stick, the best place to start is Amazon. You can often find different models on sale, giving you the opportunity to grab one at a significantly reduced price. Otherwise, you can also buy a Fire TV Stick at retailers like Best Buy, Target, and Staples.
How Much Does a Fire Stick Cost?
There are currently four different Fire TV Stick models you can buy. The Fire TV Lite is the cheapest model at $29.99, while the Fire TV HD goes for $39.99. The more expensive Fire TV Stick 4K usually costs $49.99, while the Fire TV 4K Max costs up to $59.99.
The cheapest Fire TV models are both limited to 1080p video output. The Fire TV Stick Lite comes with a remote, but it doesn’t have a power button or volume controls. The Fire TV Stick HD gives you the power and volume buttons, and it supports Dolby Atmos surround-sound audio.
The more expensive models both stream video in 4K, and they both work with Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, and HLG video. The Fire TV 4K Max is also a little faster, and it comes with new features like ambient experience.
Read More: What is HDR?
Is There a Monthly Fee for the Amazon Fire Stick?
You don’t need to pay a monthly fee to use a Fire TV Stick. Once you pay for the device, you can use it to stream movies and TV shows for free. However, it will cost money if you want to use the most popular streaming services, like Netflix, YouTube TV, Hulu, and Disney+.
What Is the Best Fire Stick?
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the best option to choose for video quality, speed, and performance. However, if you don’t have a 4K TV, the best model would be the Fire TV Stick HD because it allows you to change the volume and turn your TV on and off without switching remotes.
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