There are so many entertainment-on-demand channels available these days for viewers with cable or Smart TV, so you can feel left out if you’re not connected. There’s no need to miss out, as there’s a simple and affordable way to turn your TV into an entertainment powerhouse.
What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick?
The Amazon Fire TV Stick fits into one of your TV’s HDMI ports and gives you access to a whole range of on-demand TV and movie channels through your wireless home network. You’ll be able to watch in resolutions up to 1080p Full HD and the stick is fast and responsive, so you can start streaming in seconds. It’s also small and portable – about the size of a USB memory stick – and you can control it with the included remote or through an app on your Smartphone.
The Smartphone app also gives you voice control; simply speak the name of the TV show, film, actor or genre you want to see and it’ll search the entire catalogue for your selection.
One of the key advantages of the Fire TV Stick is that you can connect it to TVs wherever you are. It’ll work with Wi-Fi networks that require authentication, so you’ll be able to watch your favourite shows and movies even when you’re staying in a hotel. It’s like a set top box you can carry in your pocket.
What’s new on Amazon Fire TV?
Amazon has just given the Fire TV Stick a complete overhaul, adding many new features.
Firstly, the Fire TV Stick is now up to 30% faster than the previous version, due to a new quad-core processor. The stick is also very slightly chunkier now, but this is due to added hardware that helps boost Wi-Fi performance – so you get smoother, faster streaming.
If you've used an Amazon Fire TV Stick in the past, you'll notice one change right away. The new interface has moved the navigation bar from the side to the top of the screen, and you'll find a new carousel suggesting shows and movies to watch next.
There are a few new categories to choose from. Firstly, the Recent category groups together movies and shows you've been watching of late. This makes binge watching those box sets very convenient.
Next, the Your Apps and Games section gives you easy access to partner apps such as BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Curzon Home Cinema.
One really exciting feature is the entire category dedicated to Netflix content, curated by Netflix itself. Amazon promise that other curated categories relating to other content providers will be added soon.
A big new feature has been added to the remote. Hold down the microphone button and you now have access to Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa.
This means you can speak your requests to Alexa – everything from "Play Man in the High Castle" to "Skip forwards five minutes" to "Launch Netflix". Alexa will also search the web for information for you – so you can ask questions like "what's the weather". And if you have the right Smart set up in your home, Alexa can even do things like turn your lights on and off or adjust your heating.
You now have access to all of the UK TV catch-up services through the Amazon Fire TV Stick. This means you can watch shows from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My 5 using the stick, letting you see shows from all the terrestrial UK channels whenever you want.
What else can I watch on the Amazon Fire TV?
You have access to all of the UK TV catch-up services through the Amazon Fire TV Stick. This means you can watch shows from BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4 and My 5 using the stick, letting you see shows from all the terrestrial UK channels whenever you want.
In addition to the catch-up channels, there’s a huge amount of entertainment available through the Fire TV Stick.
You get access to popular entertainment streaming services such as Amazon Video, Netflix and Curzon Home Video, as well as YouTube or Twitch. There are many different news and sports channels to select from, including BBC News, Sky News and BBC Sport.
There’s also a wide selection of apps and games to download and play on your TV, including popular titles like Crossy Road, Sonic The Hedgehog 2 or Hill Climb Racing.
