A tech neophyte’s review of the FireTV

Here’s a disclaimer: I like gadgets in as much as they make my life easier. Beyond that, I don’t really bother with the specifics. So, when the husband — aka the resident tech geek — insisted we add the latest FireTV stick to our burgeoning collection of gadgets, my first question was, “Why?”

We already had the Chromecast, and I was happy with it.

However, while most streaming applications available in India come with a convenient casting icon, Amazon Prime does not. In fact, neither does it have an app for Apple TV. These seemed odd, until Amazon launched its FireTV Stick in India last month: It was because Amazon wants to peddle its own gadgets.

Good thing, too, because even though the FireTV Stick Second Generation doesn’t come with the Amazon voice service Alexa, it is by far the best casting device I have found for its ease of use. The best feature is the exceptional streaming clarity. Since we can watch our Amazon Originals on the television, our viewing experience is not limited to the screen size of individual phones or tablets.

So, for Rs 3,999, we ended up buying the FireTV stick. It was delivered within 24 hours of placing the order.

As an existing user of Amazon’s products, I was a bit disappointed by the absence of their “recycled packaging material”, but it was still compact and nicely categorized. The pack contained the FireTV Stick, its remote, a charger/adapter, a USB cable, and two AAA batteries for the device. I connected the FireTV Stick to the television following the stepby-step instructions provided in the package. Setup took me about five minutes and I didn’t even have to register the device; because it had been bought by a verified customer off Amazon, it came preconfigured to my husband’s ID. The device took about 30 seconds to boot the first time—roughly half the time that the Chromecast takes to boot each time.

Having used the Chromecast for nearly two years now, I was prejudiced against the FireTV Stick. But the ease of set-up and the interface won me over.

My first realization — the FireTV stick is not just a casting device. It comes preloaded with the Amazon Prime library. Moreover, unlike the Chromecast, I do not require my phone or Google’s Chrome web browser to operate it. I just need the remote.

A little bit of research informed me that Amazon’s has utilized Android base code for its custom Fire OS: no wonder the entire FireTV user interface (UI) seemed familiar and easy to use. Since I can install apps directly onto the FireTV stick, I no longer need to install them on my phone and then cast them. No more fumbling around on the phone to pause streaming while I receive a call. No more low-resolution casting to watch Amazon Prime! I can even voice search for content on Prime with the press of a button. However, this feature does not work for any content that is not Prime.

My first install was Netflix so that I could continue binging on a show I’d been watching via Chromecast earlier. My only gripe was the slightly cumbersome onscreen keypad. Once the content started playing on FireTV stick’s Netflix app, it was actually crisper and minus the lag that I’d become accustomed to with the Chromecast! I tried some of the other apps such as ErosNow and SonyLIV, but these needed me to sign up and enter a PIN I received via SMS. This somewhat dampened the experience for me. Given my only recent separation from my phone, I wish there was an easier way for the registration.

The Chromecast for me was the benchmark for easy-to-use casting devices — I could cast from my phone or my browser. This has changed since my encounter with the FireTV stick. I am no longer dependent on my phone for my media—news and videos are just a fancy remote click away.