Wed 211020 Brought Amazon Fire TV Stick(3rd generation): £39.99

BROUGHT AMAZON FIRE TV STICK(3rd generation): £39.99

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZZW3KJY/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

For a long time, because my YouTube wasn't working, anymore...due to really poor WiFi connection; it's been over a year, at least, since I haven't watched YouTube inside of the bedroom(the app stopped working/and, then, wouldn't let me update?!); so, I decided to go remedy this situation by buying an Amazon Fire TV Stick.

I had already gone and saved £25.00 with Amazon...so, was able to use that pre-saved amount...and, just add £14.99 total to it...in order to make up the full sum of £39.99.

I must say I am very deeply impressed...

> Ordered through: Amazon.co.uk online...search to find: 'Amazon Fire HD Stick'/then, click 'buy'/pay online using debit card. Delivery was fairly quick...2 days/'tracked' delivery...so you can 'sign in' to Amazon, from your computer, to see just how far the delivery van is away from your own road/door. I very eagerly kept track of exactly where the parcel delivery, currently, is...; then, rather hastily, I opened the door to receive the parcel as soon as it came,.,without any delivery person needing to go 'knock' on my own front door/(you can also leave instructions telling them where to place the parcel if you're not in).

> Setting up the stick was really straight forwards and simple -(you don't need to read through any manual to set it up...I didn't/though, there is a short 'picture based' set up manual)-. 

The box contains 5 separate parts: 

1> Plug

2> USB leads

3> Stick

4> HDMI Extender leads 

5> Remote control (together with 2 spare batteries/both of which you need to insert yourself)

One part of the USB leads attaches to the plug/while the other side of the USB leads attaches to the stick itself

The stick now has 1 port still left empty...to which you attach the HDMI Extender leads. 

So, you now have 3 things all attached together: Plug/USB leads/HDMI Extender leads

Simply, place the plug into the mains; and, plug the HDMI Extender leads end into one of your TV's empty HDMI ports. 

Now, to check everything is working ok; first , insert the 2 spare triple AAA batteries into the remote. Turn on your TV...and, choose Amazon Fire Stick as being the current 'source'. Point the Fire remote towards the TV...; and, from the menu, select your chosen communication language, I choose: English. After that the system seemed to do the rest on it's own...connecting to WiFi seemed to be 'automatic' (I don't remember being 'forced' to type in any WiFi password)-...there was a long wait...as it said, 'updating/downloading software'; then, when that was all over with(perhaps, 10-20 minutes)...you use the remote to select options, 'next', repeatedly...until you've gone and reached the end of the menu items needing to be clicked on in order to complete set up. Things such as choose which 'channels' you wish to use...; I didn't choose the 'kids' channel...but, choose all of the other channels...somewhere around 20...including:

- BBC iPlayer

- YouTube

- Sky News

- Audible

- Amazon Photos(unlimited)/(Being able to see all your photos/and, then, being able to classify these into separately named albums: 'family'/'friends'/'pets'/-etc.; as well as, watch videos you took/then, automatically, uploaded from your phone/tablet...for watching on your big screen home TV is really pretty cool.)

- etc. 

> The quality of the TV picture is really crystal clear (an electrical engineer once told me...either 'digital' TV works, and, you get 'perfect' picture/or else, it don't...and, then, you get absolutely nothing?!)

> Use the remote to select from the list of channels...a particular channel to go watch...and, then, with another click you find your self watching that channel.

The remote has a 'back button'...that allows you to return back to seeing the main menu...so, you can choose a different channel to go watch.

There is also an 'up' button on the remote...which, also, seems to take you back to the main menu. 

> Too, there is a voice button on the remote; click it...and, say, "Alexa, go to YouTube, and, show me 'subject'...and, a list of YouTube videos appears which is related to your chosen subject matter...simply, scroll through to select which particular video you wish to watch...click it, and, then, that video plays.

The remote has: 'Backwards/Pause/Forwards' buttons...so, at anytime you can either choose to 'pause' what you are currently watching...then, resume from where you left off whenever you return/or, alternatively, choose to scrub through the video...either going backwards/or, forwards...until you've reached the point you wish to continue watching from.

The remote also has buttons to both lower(-)/raise(+) the volume sound.

CONCLUSION

I really can't believe I didn't buy this device far sooner rather than later; after all, it's fairly 'cheap'. Plus, it's great fun to use...either doing 'manual' selections through using the remote/or, else, searching using 'voice'.

The amount of stuff I get to select from to watch, now, is huge. (Meaning, totally forget watching normal TV/Free TV channels; though, all of those same options do still remain available for me to use...with your TV remote control select the normal TV as 'source'/instead of Amazon Fire HD TV as 'source'...it's easy to switch going from one to the other as being 'source'.)

OTHER ADVANTAGES

NOTE(1): They say it's possible to set up your Alexa device -(if you already own one)- to couple with the Fire HD stick; then, you could use the Alexa device to speak to the Fire Amazon Stick(still haven't tried doing this, yet, though)...and, select what you want to watch on TV that way, instead, using only 'voice'. 

NOTE(2): I'm also an 'Amazon Prime' customer...so, I get to see many FREE Prime videos, as well.

NOTE(3): There are films you can 'buy'...; but, so far to date, I haven't been tempted to do any of that, yet; I hope I never will(as costs tend to mount, endlessly, going up and up...)?! FREE works perfectly fine with me; or, at least, at the moment.

POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES

a> 2 x remotes: I still need to use 2 separate 'remote control' devices...one to use with the main TV/and, another smaller remote to control the Amazon Fire Stick. (Both of these devices can easily get lost, somewhere?! Maybe, it might be worth buying a 'spare' remote...in case, you can't find where one went.) 

b> Which model to choose? This type of Fire HD Stick was the 'cheapest' option costing: £39.99. There was another one costing just £10.00 more...at £49.99; which offered 4K TV. (But, as I really wasn't too sure if my own TV is 4K or not...; therefore, I decided to go for the 'cheaper' option...thus, saving me £10.00.

There is also a Fire TV Box...which costs a whopping £110.00; I believe that is, currently, the most expensive option; but, as I'm fairly broke...and, wasn't too sure if this type of technology was going to work inside my own home/or, not...so, I decided to go for the 'cheapest' option, first.

c>  Sale time: Every year, Amazon, puts on a 'half-price sale'. So, I don't think I choose the best time of the year to go and buy this device...; as I had to pay 'full price'. I just didn't want to 'wait' for the sale...as I wanted to watch TV/YouTube/Amazon Prime/-etc., right NOW!