Back to Amazon.com
customer reviews
811,741
4.7 out of 5 stars

Top positive review
2 people found this helpful
🤔 6 Months Later... 📺 Some glitches but STILL GREAT!!
By Unik on Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019
This firestick is great but not perfect. I had this Firestick device for about 6 months and replaced it for my Xbox, which I only used to watch movies and Youtuber LOL. I wanted this Firestick device for streaming and this is super quick access to everything!!! Netflix, Hulu, Premium channel apps (IE: HBO, Cinemax, Crackle), Youtube, all the popular apps are already pre-installed on this stick (expect Kodi). So if you want to plug this into your tv's HDMI port and get started in under 10 minutes, you definitely can. FREE CHANNELS? Although everything is pre-installed, this does NOT include any "free" subscriptions, you have to pay for everything. Unless you have Amazon Prime (where you can watch Prime Video for free), you will not have access to anything "free" unless you go on Youtube or use the free trails some apps offer. My firestick came with a free 3-month trial with SlingTV, live tv subscription, which I did not use so I don't know if that's worth it or not. If you want to install Kodi (VPN protection needed) you can but I would watch a Youtube video on how to install that since I haven't done this. ALEXA VOICE FUNCTION??? Alexa, the digital voice personal assistant, acts "right" most of the time but she does have her glitches LOL. I would say 70% of the time she listens and is accurate but sometimes she is so off it's comical. You press/hold-in the mic button at the top of the control to reach Alexa. Alexa is only able to find/play music and movies (that are usually included in Amazon's Prime Video or Paid Music services), open the pre-installed apps or authorized apps (Amazon has approved). So you can ask Alexa to open downloaded games, Youtube, play a song, find a movie, search the internet (in Amazon's own internet browser called "silk), order/find stuff on Amazon.com, do basic task (close, open a program, turn off, go to sleep, etc) and ask her questions like you can with Google (Example: Who, what, when, where, and why questions). However, she can do anything too advance like open settings, provide too many additional options for your questions, or make any phone calls or turn on/off lights (but you can buy other Alexa operated devices that do so you can do them from this Firestick device too). THE CONTROLLER The controller is the most glitchy of it all. Sometimes it freezes and some buttons simply don't work until you unplug to reset the Firestick device. I had the Firestick for 2 weeks before I had problems with the controller and had issues with the Firestick device not connecting (remote to the device). So there was a lot of unplugging to reset the device, which only required you to disconnect the device not literally reprogram the remote/device again (I only had to program the remote once in 6 months). The batteries (two AAA) included have NOT died in the remote yet... so yeah LOL. THE BLUETOOTH CONNECTION??? Every single time, you have to reconnect/repair your Bluetooth devices (if you turn them off) to the Firestick device. This is super annoying but only takes a few seconds to do. However, there ARE times that the Bluetooth devices (IE: wireless headphones) do NOT want to connect until you unplug the Firestick device. Again you only have to unplug for a few seconds and replug then you are good. Once you replug the firestick, magically the Bluetooth device reconnects WITHOUT having to pair it again.... STRANGE. The Bluetooth connection stays connected until your device turns off, so there is a strong connection WHEN connected. THE WIFI CONNECTION???? I have this Firestick device connected to a WiFi modem and have NO ISSUES AT ALL with a lost internet connection. I've had more issues with my Xbox losing its wireless internet connection than this Firestick. So I would rate the wifi connection great. THE SET-UP / WIRING So the Firestick needs to be plugged into your tv directly via an HDMI port. Then the other end of the connected Firestick device needs to be plugged into the wall for power. You have a decent amount of cord but you want to put this directly into the wall and not into a cheap extension cord (power surge also will work). Obviously, you need to have your tv plugged in and then the Firestick plugged into the wall to work properly. Then you need to connect your wifi, sign in to your Amazon account, connect your remote, and you're basically done. This was easy to do, self-explanatory and you don't need the manual as its all prompted step-by-step on your tv screen. OVERALL I would recommend this Firestick device as you're getting a lot for $50 (even though cheaper during black Friday and on Prime Day), especially conveniences and a space-saving device. This makes your tv's color quality significantly better (especially if you don't already have a 4k tv) and it makes you want to watch all your movies on this device (instead of your computer). It's a lot more simply than streaming from your computer and takes up a lot less energy/space. This device is for the beginner too and it's not hard to set up. The Bluetooth is descent (paired with Sony headphones) and the wireless connection is strong. I would reorder again if need be, especially if they have better remote control and an upgrade to Alexa (which are glitchy). I'm not a tech person (I'm a female but so what LOL) but I think this is a great product and better than the $400 RVEAL device I bought in the past. I would recommend $50 without question. I hope this helps :)
Top critical review
4,992 people found this helpful
Fascist app environment, but useful otherwise
By Vedgehammer on Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2018
Let me tell you, I was super excited for the launch of the new FireTV Stick with its leading edge technology and processing power. Well, it’s got that but there’s a couple bug, game breaking problems I have with this thing. 1) The Amazon platform is basically retooled Android, which is a crap interface. It’s cluttered, redundant, and Amazon being Amazon wants you to use all their services over everyone else’s so not only does their menu get in the way but the top third of the home screen is promotions for whatever they want to push. 2) Also because it’s Amazon they want you to use THEIR streaming services to rent movies so much so that there is no Vudu or Google Play app available to install. If Prime Video had a decent selection of rentals (it doesn’t) or a halfway usable interface (it doesn’t) I would have less of a problem. 3) Our FireTV Stick has issues with flickering and sound dropout. Tech support immediately supplied a series of less than helpful troubleshooting tips. “Did you try a different TV? Did you try a different HDMI port?” Despite my Roku working just fine. I elected to return this since I was already fed up with the closed interface and terrible menus. Slightly less of an issue but still annoying is the inability to completely turn off HDR. Its either “always on” or “adaptive” meaning the content dictates HDR which is a problem especially with Netflix (which is calibrated too dark on some TVs) For now I’m happier with my Roku Stick despite less robust HDR support. Edit: updated my review for the following: - Amazon reached out immediately after my review to get additional feedback and to offer more support. That actually means something these days. I’ll continue to monitor for problems - I upgraded to a new TV and this makes the HDR issue better since it actually looks good on this TV. Problem still stands of not being able to disable HDR entirely if needed - The smart controls feature is nice. I can use Alexa to change TV inputs now. - Less flickering on new tv but still have sound dropouts However my issue with not having a way to watch VUDU/UV movies is a huge issue. On top is that, MoviesAnywhere doesn’t tell you which movies were transferred over in 4K. So while the titles may sync, in cases of certain films (eg Deadpool 2) you only get the HD version and not the UHD/HDR one you paid for. Until this is fixed I’ll leave my review at 3 stars.

Sort by:
Filter by:
By -
Verified Amazon Purchase
Vine Customer Review of Free Product
Sorry, no reviews match your current selections.
Try clearing or changing some filters.Show all reviews
Show more reviews


people found this helpful
By -
Verified Amazon Purchase
Vine Customer Review of Free Product