Amazon Fire TV?

was_butnotnow wrote:
I'm wondering why these companies are bringing out all these Internet access devices. They are for TVs that don't have internet access built in. Don't most TVs that are sold today have this already? It seems to me these devices will be useless as people buy new TVs. So it seems a loosing market down the road. What am I not seeing.

Most internet-ready TV's have built-in capabilities for a specific set of content providers and are rarely updated after purchase. We found it much more cost effective to buy a "dumb" TV with no internet connectivity and to purchase a Roku for <$100. The TV manufacturers charge several hundred dollars more for the same TV in a smart version. The Roku's firmware is continuously being updated and there are hundreds of channels available, far more than are built into "smart" TV's.

Looking for what differentiates from a 35-50 dollar box, seems to be voice commands and access to Amazon content. At least it does include apps for other streaming services, more than Chromecast has just now.

docj wrote:

was_butnotnow wrote:
I'm wondering why these companies are bringing out all these Internet access devices. They are for TVs that don't have internet access built in. Don't most TVs that are sold today have this already? It seems to me these devices will be useless as people buy new TVs. So it seems a loosing market down the road. What am I not seeing.

Most internet-ready TV's have built-in capabilities for a specific set of content providers and are rarely updated after purchase. We found it much more cost effective to buy a "dumb" TV with no internet connectivity and to purchase a Roku for <$100. The TV manufacturers charge several hundred dollars more for the same TV in a smart version. The Roku's firmware is continuously being updated and there are hundreds of channels available, far more than are built into "smart" TV's.

I'm finding the same for streaming functions in BluRay players. After a year or two, there is no longer support, although capabilities have been extended in newer models from the same vendor. Whatever the function, these are computers, software support is important.

Good to know that Roku keeps up.

I bought a high end Sony flat screen a couple of years ago and it came with all the bells and whistles so didn't get it that other TVs don't have this stuff.
Now I will say at our winter seasonal place we have WiPower WiMax and can use Netflix and Amazon services. BUT when 7-8 months of the year on the road that's not the case of course. Then it is DirecTV east and west coast feeds. No streaming with Datastorm satellite Internet or even on Verizon unlimited data. It may say unlimited but I'm sure they would yell if I went much above 3-4 G.

tatest wrote:
Looking for what differentiates from a 35-50 dollar box, seems to be voice commands and access to Amazon content. At least it does include apps for other streaming services, more than Chromecast has just now.

And they have access to Android games. It appears to be limited initially, but they're promising thousands more soon.

Jim Cindy wrote:
Just something else to suck up all the bandwidth in a park so most people cannot even check their mail. Very bad manners to stream movies and videos unless you have your own personal wifi

Fully agree. and though I toss video around here by the gigabyte (About one gig per hour) It is only tossed within the motor home, NO internet access needed ((Just shared by different devices inside the house on the same LAN).

I have unlimited data on my cell phone and use the phone as a Hot Spot to send movies to my TV (Netflix, YouTube etc) via Chromecast, my Android tablet runs the actual Chromecast app and also attaches to the phone. This works really well although Google says it won't work !! Go figure.

Now, I would like to do the same thing with Amazon Fire and of course they say it won't work through a cell phone Hot Spot also, it must go through a traditional stand alone router..for all intents and purposes a Hot Spot is really just a simple router so has anyone tried the Amazon Fire app like that?

thanks

Ron W.

rjsurfer wrote:
I have unlimited data on my cell phone and use the phone as a Hot Spot to send movies to my TV (Netflix, YouTube etc) via Chromecast, my Android tablet runs the actual Chromecast app and also attaches to the phone. This works really well although Google says it won't work !! Go figure.

Now, I would like to do the same thing with Amazon Fire and of course they say it won't work through a cell phone Hot Spot also, it must go through a traditional stand alone router..for all intents and purposes a Hot Spot is really just a simple router so has anyone tried the Amazon Fire app like that?

Your phone hotspot "is" a standalone router and should work fine with the Amazon Fire. We also have an unlimited Verizon plan and stream countless hours of video using our phone as a hotspot. We have it connect to our Roku to which the phone simply appears as another wifi access point. You can also use your phone to connect a laptop to a wireless printer just as you could with a standard router.

Actually, Chromecast is an "atypical" use of the phone because, as I understand it, you are actually mirroring on the TV what is on the phone. With the Roku and, I assume, the Fire, the phone can do anything else you wish while serving as a hotspot. With most phones, you can even have a voice conversation while continuing to use the hotspot.

My Sony media player works with my phone hotspot
I think the Amazon Fire media player should do the the same
Unless Amazon does something block that function

The Amazon Fire connects to your network via either WiFi or Ethernet just like any other network device. It should connect just fine to a phone's hotspot or to a router.

It appears to have many of the same attributes as a Roku. Here's a good description: Amazon Fire