I had become exasperated trying to get by using a "smart" Sony Bravia TV for all my streaming services. It sort of worked but didn't work well. Slow, cumbersome, and prone to freezing up (especially with Hulu for who knows what reason.) I had previously used Directv streaming, which was functional but expensive. I then had a brief flirtation with a Tivo streaming stick, which had potential, but needed rebooting more times than could be counted. I was reluctant to go with a Fire because of its alienation from Google and the wondrous Play Store. But I finally decided to give this a try -- partly because I have had recent good experiences with Echo devices and Alexa. The 4k Max seemed like the best choice because of its larger storage. I reconfigured my system somewhat by plugging the Fire into a Yamaha receiver HDMI rather than the TV. I believe this helped achieve success -- with a more straightforward audio integration. The installation process was very smooth. Hulu, MAX, Apple, Peacock, Paramount+, Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney all installed and fired up without a hitch. I was annoyed that Google Play wasn't available and that a key mapper for the remote was apparently forbidden. But navigation and app loading were delightfully fast, and the stick quickly became friends with my Echo Dot. Alexa made changing between streaming services easy, and a more social experience -- albeit artificial. VLC was available and worked perfectly with my network storage drive. I was wary of the wireless network connection, but a test showed ample speed. I have had no internet glitches so far, and no freeze ups or weird behaviors in general. I want to get a remote with a few more shortcut buttons, but the supplied one works fine. Overall a better experience than I had dared to hope for. So far so good.

Typically I use AppleTV and Roku in my home. Recently I’ve gotten more into gaming again and in that process stumbled upon xcloud gaming from Xbox. I tried it on my tablet and wanted to try on a larger screen. Screen mirroring didn’t work, the latency was horrendous, and Apple doesn’t have support for Xbox xcloud services by default. I was about to order an adapter from Apple to output HDMI for my tablet. The price? $49.99. Seemed steep for a cord but was going to bite the bullet until I heard Firestick had the support I was looking for and that they had a sale on the newer firestick. For a little more than half the cost of the adapter, I opted to buy the firestick and I do not regret it at all. It does everything I need it to do and does it well. The upgraded Wi-Fi features(6/6e) are absolutely amazing if you’re running a proper router that supports it. Latency is near non existent. Even with heavier demand titles on xcloud it rarely has a stop or stutter. It’s small, but definitely packs a punch. Ease of use means switching from tv to tv takes mere moments and you’re back up and good to go. Excellent design overall and I appreciate the extensive list of controller support. In testing ps4/5, Xbox one/series s/x, 8bitdo, and a few off brand/generic have connected without issue. I can’t speak on the new Luna controller for now, but considering how this device performed, I think the controller will be my next purchase to use alongside my new Firestick.

This is my 5th Fire TV device. Not because they fail, but because I want the latest and greatest version, so I usually upgrade every couple of years. I did have one ‘fail’ on me recently after two years of daily use, but I ended up finding a fix on the interwebs that involved pushing two remote buttons at once to reset it. It’s working perfectly now, and apart from that one issue, you just can’t kill these things. I had been using a little add-on device to connect an Ethernet cable to my old one, but I recently read that these are so good at wireless transmission now that they can actually work better wirelessly. Since my high-speed wireless router sits very close, I decided to try it like that. I was shocked to find that I have absolutely zero buffering, and I watch Amazon Prime 4K movies every night. The setup is so simple, a child could do it. 1: Plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and connect the power adapter. 2: Insert batteries into the remote and follow the on-screen instructions to connect to Wi-Fi and sign in to your Amazon account. Done. Amazon’s been putting more and more commercials into their movies lately, and Fire TV in general. But if you’re a Prime member, I think it’s still the best deal out there, and this device gives you the latest and greatest features. I have an expensive sound bar that’s capable of Dolby Atmos, and this Fire TV stick delivers it perfectly. My last one didn’t, and that alone was worth the upgrade. It’s mind-blowing to me how quickly streaming technology is advancing, but I’ll gladly upgrade every couple of years to get the best. Presently, in 2025, this is the best streaming device out there, and when you add the Prime benefits you get with it, nobody can touch it. I hope this helps!

I feel there is no review required for this, as this is a very competitive TV stick in market. Absolutely easy to use, almost all TV's compatible, Great design with pocket size and voice enablement and good speed for navigation.

Very nice overall! Voice commands are quite helpful—slightly unintuitive at first, but easy to get the hang of. Setup takes a bit of effort, but nothing too difficult. The mirror function works great, and the picture and sound quality are excellent—much better than the Sling I used before. It also supports a wide range of visual and audio codecs.