Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

Since I've never met an electronic gadget that I didn't like, I just
had to run out and buy one of these as soon as I heard about it. The
Fire Stick basically turns an ordinary (dumb) TV into an internet
connected (smart) TV, and it costs less than $40 depending on where
you buy it. You need a high speed wifi connection for it to work
properly, and an open HDMI port on your TV. It installs and self
configures in seconds, needing only your wifi sysID/password to get it
working. After that you have full access to all of your favorite
movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. It comes with a fairly slick
remote control that accepts voice commands.

No financial interest in any of this - just a happy user.

In my case I already had a fairly nice Samsung smart TV but apparently
Samsung and Amazon are dueling with each other, and the Amazon Music
app no longer works on any Samsung devices. The Fire Stick device has
fixed all that and enabled a few other nifty features.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 19 Feb 2017 12:03:41 -0500, wrote:

Since I've never met an electronic gadget that I didn't like, I just
had to run out and buy one of these as soon as I heard about it. The
Fire Stick basically turns an ordinary (dumb) TV into an internet
connected (smart) TV, and it costs less than $40 depending on where
you buy it. You need a high speed wifi connection for it to work
properly, and an open HDMI port on your TV. It installs and self
configures in seconds, needing only your wifi sysID/password to get it
working. After that you have full access to all of your favorite
movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. It comes with a fairly slick
remote control that accepts voice commands.

No financial interest in any of this - just a happy user.

In my case I already had a fairly nice Samsung smart TV but apparently
Samsung and Amazon are dueling with each other, and the Amazon Music
app no longer works on any Samsung devices. The Fire Stick device has
fixed all that and enabled a few other nifty features.


If this is what you're referring to, I got mine Thursday.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Haven't hooked it up yet, but it seemed to be a good buy. I'm glad to know you've got one in case I
need help.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 19 Feb 2017 15:27:35 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Sun, 19 Feb 2017 12:03:41 -0500, wrote:

Since I've never met an electronic gadget that I didn't like, I just
had to run out and buy one of these as soon as I heard about it. The
Fire Stick basically turns an ordinary (dumb) TV into an internet
connected (smart) TV, and it costs less than $40 depending on where
you buy it. You need a high speed wifi connection for it to work
properly, and an open HDMI port on your TV. It installs and self
configures in seconds, needing only your wifi sysID/password to get it
working. After that you have full access to all of your favorite
movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. It comes with a fairly slick
remote control that accepts voice commands.

No financial interest in any of this - just a happy user.

In my case I already had a fairly nice Samsung smart TV but apparently
Samsung and Amazon are dueling with each other, and the Amazon Music
app no longer works on any Samsung devices. The Fire Stick device has
fixed all that and enabled a few other nifty features.


If this is what you're referring to, I got mine Thursday.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Haven't hooked it up yet, but it seemed to be a good buy. I'm glad to know you've got one in case I
need help.

===

That's the one. It's an especially good value if you are already an
Amazon Prime member because it gives you free access to the entire
Amazon Music collection which is quite extensive - including a fair
amount of Bluegrass.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/19/2017 11:03 AM, wrote:
Since I've never met an electronic gadget that I didn't like, I just
had to run out and buy one of these as soon as I heard about it. The
Fire Stick basically turns an ordinary (dumb) TV into an internet
connected (smart) TV, and it costs less than $40 depending on where
you buy it. You need a high speed wifi connection for it to work
properly, and an open HDMI port on your TV. It installs and self
configures in seconds, needing only your wifi sysID/password to get it
working. After that you have full access to all of your favorite
movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. It comes with a fairly slick
remote control that accepts voice commands.

No financial interest in any of this - just a happy user.

In my case I already had a fairly nice Samsung smart TV but apparently
Samsung and Amazon are dueling with each other, and the Amazon Music
app no longer works on any Samsung devices. The Fire Stick device has
fixed all that and enabled a few other nifty features.


I love my Fire Stick. I have one on each TV in the house.

I never use my TV for music (I have an Echo for that), but I now use
the Fire Stick in place of my Vizio smart tv apps, because the apps on
the Fire Stick are always up-to-date (its Android-based). And the UI
for the Android version of Prime Video was LOADS better than the Vizio
version!

I also use it to play "You Don't Know Jack - Party Pack" with friends.
(Yes, we had a hopping New Year's Eve party! lol)

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime
Video. I understand why, of course, but it would be nice if you could
configure it to search any of the major (legit) VOD providers (Netflix,
Hulu, etc).

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P." wrote:

On 2/19/2017 11:03 AM, wrote:
Since I've never met an electronic gadget that I didn't like, I just
had to run out and buy one of these as soon as I heard about it. The
Fire Stick basically turns an ordinary (dumb) TV into an internet
connected (smart) TV, and it costs less than $40 depending on where
you buy it. You need a high speed wifi connection for it to work
properly, and an open HDMI port on your TV. It installs and self
configures in seconds, needing only your wifi sysID/password to get it
working. After that you have full access to all of your favorite
movies, music, YouTube videos, etc. It comes with a fairly slick
remote control that accepts voice commands.

No financial interest in any of this - just a happy user.

In my case I already had a fairly nice Samsung smart TV but apparently
Samsung and Amazon are dueling with each other, and the Amazon Music
app no longer works on any Samsung devices. The Fire Stick device has
fixed all that and enabled a few other nifty features.


I love my Fire Stick. I have one on each TV in the house.

I never use my TV for music (I have an Echo for that), but I now use
the Fire Stick in place of my Vizio smart tv apps, because the apps on
the Fire Stick are always up-to-date (its Android-based). And the UI
for the Android version of Prime Video was LOADS better than the Vizio
version!

I also use it to play "You Don't Know Jack - Party Pack" with friends.
(Yes, we had a hopping New Year's Eve party! lol)

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime
Video. I understand why, of course, but it would be nice if you could
configure it to search any of the major (legit) VOD providers (Netflix,
Hulu, etc).

I've not hooked mine up yet. You mean you can't say, "Turn on Netflix"? Hell, that's one thing I was
looking forward to.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:13:09 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.

===

Just got a Samsung KS9000 recently and it has a pretty decent search
function that goes across different sources. And the video quality
is spectacular. My only gripe was the lack of Amazon Music and the
Fire Stick has fixed that issue.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 23:51:47 -0500,
wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 15:13:09 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.

===

Just got a Samsung KS9000 recently and it has a pretty decent search
function that goes across different sources. And the video quality
is spectacular. My only gripe was the lack of Amazon Music and the
Fire Stick has fixed that issue.

I still have PCs connected to 3 TVs. That seems to give me the most
flexibility. The one in the Tikibar is just a jukebox for the most
part.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P." wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

I got real smart. I left the thing in the envelope from Amazon, and gave it to my wife as a 'Welcome
Home' present from a recent trip she took. She thinks it's a really cool gift and will install it
tonight. I haven't started getting the emails yet. I'll probably get them after she installs it.

I am glad to hear it 'does' Netflix though!

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/17 4:20 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?


This must be a device for older flatscreens... ???

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:20:41 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Yes.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:25:03 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 2/25/17 4:20 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!



What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?


Yes, HDMI.

This must be a device for older flatscreens... ???

Not necessarily older. I put one on a brand new Samsung "smart tv"
because Amazon Music and Samsung are not playing nice together. Since
the stick is an Amazon product the issue is resolved at a fairly
inexpensive price. You could do the same thing by coupling up a PC
with an HDMI output, but it would take up a lot more space and you
wouldn't have the slick remote control.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/2017 4:10 PM, Poco Deplorevole wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:20:41 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Yes.

As an added FYI, if your TV has a USB port, you can use the Fire Stick
WITHOUT having it plugged into a wall outlet for power. Its a standard
USB-type charger with a micro USB port on the stick itself to receive
power. You can take a cable and connect it directly from the Stick to
the USB port on your TV (if it has one) for power. The "sownside" is
that it runs just a bit slower to compensate for the lower power level.
Not enough to be bothersome, though.

On newer TV's, these ports stay powered even when the TV is turned
off, so the stick just goes into "sleep" mode, which allows you to
resume wherever you left off with minimal effort...usually. On older
(and newer cheapo TV's) the USB port probably loses power when the TV is
turned off the Stick will be powered down, requiring a reboot and slower
startup of the Stick.

Lots of free movie apps to choose from, if you don't mind occasional
commercials. Crackle is a good one.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/2017 3:25 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/25/17 4:20 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else
new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?


This must be a device for older flatscreens... ???

For any TV with an HDMI interface... doesn't have to be an older TV.
Sometimes new smart TV's have poor support for their apps, or the lose a
license with a provider and an internet update removes a capability from
your TV (my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update).

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:25:03 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?


This must be a device for older flatscreens... ???

It sounds more like an Amazon marketing tool but it does seem popular.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

--
Posted with my iPhone 7+.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 17:10:23 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:20:41 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Yes.

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/17 9:20 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 17:10:23 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:20:41 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Yes.

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?


The constraints of the vendor's operating system.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:55:04 -0500, Alex wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update
Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)

Have you tried a firmware update?

It updates all the time. They just do not have a deal with Show time.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:30:25 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 2/25/17 9:20 PM, wrote:

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?


The constraints of the vendor's operating system.

I assumed that, Like what?

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:03:31 -0600, "Ryan P." wrote:

On 2/25/2017 4:10 PM, Poco Deplorevole wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:20:41 -0500, wrote:

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 12:59:22 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

On 2/24/2017 2:13 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 24 Feb 2017 11:11:54 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

My one complaint is that the voice search feature only searches Prime

Well that fact alone will keep my Echo in the box until I can regift
it. The only reason I wanted it is so my wife could call up movies and
we have a bunch of movie channels. I was already disappointed that it
could not talk Samsung and I was going to buy a stick. Now that is not
happening either.


So I did a little experimenting... I meant to answer Poco with
something that I knew to be true, and then discovered something else new.

Apparently in a recent update, the added the complete "Alexa"
interface (its seamless, so you don't have to do anything but push the
talk button on your remote). Along with this, searching for movies DOES
now access Amazon Video AND Netflix (and apparently 75 other "top
streaming services" including HBO.

I assume you have to have these services installed on your device for
Alexa to bother searching them. I tested this, and it does indeed
work... It gave me results from Amazon Video, Netflix, HULU and STARZ.

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?

Yes.

As an added FYI, if your TV has a USB port, you can use the Fire Stick
WITHOUT having it plugged into a wall outlet for power. Its a standard
USB-type charger with a micro USB port on the stick itself to receive
power. You can take a cable and connect it directly from the Stick to
the USB port on your TV (if it has one) for power. The "sownside" is
that it runs just a bit slower to compensate for the lower power level.
Not enough to be bothersome, though.

On newer TV's, these ports stay powered even when the TV is turned
off, so the stick just goes into "sleep" mode, which allows you to
resume wherever you left off with minimal effort...usually. On older
(and newer cheapo TV's) the USB port probably loses power when the TV is
turned off the Stick will be powered down, requiring a reboot and slower
startup of the Stick.

Lots of free movie apps to choose from, if you don't mind occasional
commercials. Crackle is a good one.

The Roku is powered the same way. We'd had an Apple TV before the Roku, and it seemed to 'reboot'
much faster than the Roku. It was powered with a transformer into a wall. I might just try the Stick
plugged into the wall.

Thanks for the Crackle tip.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/17 10:25 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:30:25 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 2/25/17 9:20 PM, wrote:

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?


The constraints of the vendor's operating system.

I assumed that, Like what?


Well, I don't know anything about these firesticks, but when you
jailbreak an apple cell phone, you have access to literally hundreds of
apps that won't run on a stock cell phone, and many of these let you
control, display, operate the phone in ways you can't with a stock
phone...more rows of applets, more easily accessible controls, et cetera.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/26/17 8:47 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.


Ahh, I'll try that. Never have, actually. :)

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/26/17 8:55 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/26/17 8:47 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.


Ahh, I'll try that. Never have, actually. :)



You're correct...no Prime Music on my Samsung TV. But when I listen to
music I don't own (CDs), I usually listen to WETA-FM (local classical
station) or internet radio.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:07:37 -0500, Keyser Soze wrote:

On 2/26/17 8:55 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/26/17 8:47 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.


Ahh, I'll try that. Never have, actually. :)



You're correct...no Prime Music on my Samsung TV. But when I listen to
music I don't own (CDs), I usually listen to WETA-FM (local classical
station) or internet radio.

You Tube has some great classical music selections, and also some fine 'Best of...' collections.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:42:40 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:07:37 -0500, Keyser Soze wrote:

On 2/26/17 8:55 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/26/17 8:47 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.


Ahh, I'll try that. Never have, actually. :)



You're correct...no Prime Music on my Samsung TV. But when I listen to
music I don't own (CDs), I usually listen to WETA-FM (local classical
station) or internet radio.

You Tube has some great classical music selections, and also some fine 'Best of...' collections.

I have my own music and if I do hear something I like on a stream, I
just record it. Then it is on my server and available everywhere.

As for the other topic, all of my TVs power down the USB when the TV
is off. That is actually pretty dandy because you can hook an SSR up
to the 5v and power anything else you have hooked up when the TV comes
on. On one TV it is the PC and amp. The other (smart) TV it powers a
disk drive, sound bar and a back light

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:52:33 -0500, wrote:

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:42:40 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 09:07:37 -0500, Keyser Soze wrote:

On 2/26/17 8:55 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/26/17 8:47 AM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:06:56 -0500, Keyser Söze
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 18:07:48 -0600, "Ryan P."
wrote:

my dad has a Samsung TV that took away the Amazon Prime app
after an update

Our Samsung still does fine with prime. It would have a bullet hole in
it if that stopped, It doesn't talk Showtime tho. ;-)


I have a Samsung and I am watching a Prime movie right now.

===

Prime Music is the issue with Samsung, not movies.


Ahh, I'll try that. Never have, actually. :)



You're correct...no Prime Music on my Samsung TV. But when I listen to
music I don't own (CDs), I usually listen to WETA-FM (local classical
station) or internet radio.

You Tube has some great classical music selections, and also some fine 'Best of...' collections.

I have my own music and if I do hear something I like on a stream, I
just record it. Then it is on my server and available everywhere.

As for the other topic, all of my TVs power down the USB when the TV
is off. That is actually pretty dandy because you can hook an SSR up
to the 5v and power anything else you have hooked up when the TV comes
on. On one TV it is the PC and amp. The other (smart) TV it powers a
disk drive, sound bar and a back light

===

Is there any particular type of SSR that you like?

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/25/2017 7:58 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 16:25:03 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

This was added in late 2016... I generally ignore most "What's new
with Alexa..." emails I get, so I missed it!

What is the stick to TV interface? HDMI?


This must be a device for older flatscreens... ???

It sounds more like an Amazon marketing tool but it does seem popular.

Well, of course its a marketing tool... but it has the handy side
effect of being useful if you explore a little and don't limit yourself
to the first icon that is clickable.

I imagine when HULU and Netflix start their own streaming "live" TV
service, their interface will be biased towards their own products...
which is fine be me.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/26/2017 7:11 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/25/17 10:25 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:30:25 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 2/25/17 9:20 PM, wrote:

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?


The constraints of the vendor's operating system.

I assumed that, Like what?


Well, I don't know anything about these firesticks, but when you
jailbreak an apple cell phone, you have access to literally hundreds of
apps that won't run on a stock cell phone, and many of these let you
control, display, operate the phone in ways you can't with a stock
phone...more rows of applets, more easily accessible controls, et cetera.

That's pretty much it. Just like jailbreaking an iPhone or rooting
and Android phone.

I never saw the point of rooting a Fire Stick (or Fire TV). I'm sure
some people do it just because they can, but I don't see an advantage.
Its primarily a streaming video/audio device, and you already have
access to pretty much all the streaming services out there that also
support Android.

I suppose it would allow you to sideload an app that doesn't
specifically have a Fire Stick/TV version, but then you'd be using an
app designed for swiping on a phone rather than navigating with a 12
button remote.

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On 2/26/2017 7:11 AM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 2/25/17 10:25 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 25 Feb 2017 21:30:25 -0500, Keyser Soze
wrote:

On 2/25/17 9:20 PM, wrote:

Looking at these things I see regular sticks and sticks that are jail
broken. What are they breaking out of?


The constraints of the vendor's operating system.

I assumed that, Like what?


Well, I don't know anything about these firesticks, but when you
jailbreak an apple cell phone, you have access to literally hundreds of
apps that won't run on a stock cell phone, and many of these let you
control, display, operate the phone in ways you can't with a stock
phone...more rows of applets, more easily accessible controls, et cetera.


I suppose another reason would be because some people want to try
installing VPN software to make any geo-locked content available to
them...

Amazon Fire Stick Gadget
 

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:56:25 -0500,
wrote:

On Sun, 26 Feb 2017 10:52:33 -0500, wrote:

As for the other topic, all of my TVs power down the USB when the TV
is off. That is actually pretty dandy because you can hook an SSR up
to the 5v and power anything else you have hooked up when the TV comes
on. On one TV it is the PC and amp. The other (smart) TV it powers a
disk drive, sound bar and a back light

===

Is there any particular type of SSR that you like?

Crydom is a pretty good brand. IBM used a bunch of them in 3890 check
sorters. These days they show up on Ebay a lot in the $4 range. It
will fit in the bottom of a "handy box" then you put a line cord in, a
USB connector to the LV side and top it off with a duplex receptacle
and cover. It is an easy way to control 120v with a low voltage input.
Typically a 5v input is around 5ma, well within the capability of a
USB port. If you put a wall wart in there in place of the USB
connector, you can easily split your Xmas lights across a couple of
circuits if you are going nuts with the lights and still control them
with one switch.