I have several Fire Sticks, Roku TVs, and a Roku Express. I don't have a need for 4K, so that feature found on the more expensive models is not important to me. Price and basic performance are what counts. The new Fire TV Stick Lite delivers—especially at the current promotional price. All three of my basic Fire Sticks are standard models and identical in appearance with slightly different remote controls. The oldest standard stick has the most basic features and no volume or power button. The newer standard model has the same controls but with the addition of a power button, mute button, and volume controls. The newest Lite model removes the power and sound buttons but adds a guide button not found on the other two. They removed the power and sound buttons on the Lite model. With these buttons, I pretty much don't have to use the TV remote control at all. For a few dollars more, you may want to consider the basic Fire TV stick just to get the power and sound buttons. Just make sure that you are getting a newer model with these features and not the original stick without these buttons. UPDATE 12/13/2020: I discovered that you CAN control the TV Power ON/OFF with the Fire Stick Lite if your TV is CEC capable (most are.) Pressing the HOME button on the Fire remote should turn the TV on and switch to the Fire input. If the TV is already on, pressing the HOME button will switch to the correct input. To turn the TV off, press the MIC button and say "TV POWER OFF," and it should turn the TV off. Make sure that your TV HDMI settings have CEC control turned on for this hidden feature to work. So far, I haven't been able to control the volume this way. All of the remote controls use RF (radio frequencies) to control the stick, rather than the usual infra-red (IR) controls found on TV remotes. That means that they don't have to be pointed at the TV to work. In fact, they wouldn't work with the Fire Sticks if they were IR remotes since the Stick sits behind the TV. The downside to the RF remote is that they are specific to the individual stick. The menu allows you to pair a new remote to the Fire Stick if you replace one. You can also access the Fire Stick with your cell phone using the Fire TV app. This has come in handy when I've misplaced the remote control or worn down the battery and not had a replacement. By comparison, the Roku Express (and my Roku TVs) use IR remotes that you have to point. They are interchangeable, and the batteries seem to last longer than the RF remotes used with the Sticks. Performance, picture quality, and speed are good on all three Fire Stick models. The Lite model is the newest of the basic models and should have the fastest speed, but I haven't detected any difference. To save on network bandwidth, I force all of my devices to operate at 720P. The picture quality is quite good on my TVs (up to 50"), and pushing higher resolutions just wastes bandwidth, in my opinion. However, picture quality is heavily dependent on the particular app and type of content being watched, so I can't really make any predictions about how it will work for you. The Fire TV Sticks plug directly into the HDMI connector on your TV. A short extension cable is provided if there is not enough space for the Stick to be plugged directly in. The unit is provided with a 5V 1.0 amp AC adapter and a short USB cable. Amazon recommends plugging the stick into a separate outlet rather than using the USB jack on many TVs. In fact, if the unit detects that the TV USB connector doesn't have enough amperage, you'll get a message telling you not to use it. It's more convenient to use the TV to power the Stick, but there are drawbacks aside from the lack of power. The TV often turns off the USB connector when powered down, meaning that when you turn on the TV, the Fire Stick will have to reboot and reconnect to your network, slowing down your start-up. It would also be possible, in rare instances, to accidentally power down your Stick with the TV when an upgrade is being performed, which could cause problems. All that said, I still use the Fire Stick.

The Amazon Fire Stick is a fantastic device for transforming any TV into a smart entertainment hub. Here’s why it stands out: Easy Setup and User-Friendly: • The Fire Stick is incredibly easy to set up—just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port, connect to Wi-Fi, and you’re ready to go. The interface is intuitive, making it simple for anyone to navigate and find their favorite shows, movies, or apps. Access to Tons of Content: • With the Fire Stick, you get access to a wide range of streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and more. You can also download countless apps, including games, music, and even fitness programs. Voice Control with Alexa: • The included remote features Alexa voice control, allowing you to search for shows, adjust the volume, or even control your smart home devices just by speaking. It’s a convenient way to navigate without endlessly scrolling. Fast and Reliable Performance: • The Fire Stick offers smooth, fast streaming with minimal buffering. It’s equipped with a quad-core processor, ensuring you can switch between apps or load content quickly. Compact and Portable: • Its compact size makes it easy to take with you when traveling. You can bring your favorite streaming services to any TV with an HDMI port, whether you’re staying in a hotel or visiting friends. Overall, the Amazon Fire Stick is an excellent choice for anyone looking to upgrade their TV experience. Its ease of use, wide range of content, and voice control features make it a must-have for streamers.

I have had Firesticks for several years now and they are a very good option for streaming. The first few sticks I had didn't last as long as the newer versions but that is likely due to advances in technology. It comes with all the things you need to get it up and running immediately, even batteries for the remote. The OS is user friendly and works very well. It makes sense how its laid out is easy to navigate. Something else I like about it is that it is an android based OS so there are developer options which allow you more opportunity for customizing your experience. In the past the most common issues Ive had with it are the OS slowing down. There is 5gb of internal storage on it and it can get bogged down if you have a lot going on. Over time I notice there is a delay in the responsiveness to remote commands. Resetting the device does improve the lagging for a short period of time but it isn't a permanent fix and it never goes back to how it ran when it was brand new...just a little less lag. In my experience these devices will last several years before needing to be replaced. In my opinion, that is a great bang for your buck. Something else great about them is that you can find them on sale all throughout the year on amazon. There are also numerous areas for support on the amazon site as well as live customer service to help if you need it. I have used other streaming devices before but keep coming back to these. One side note....we have phillps hue ecosystem for our lights and use the hue sync box to control the lights to match the colors on the screen. We bought the 4k stick and it wasn't compatible with the hue sync box. Our sync box is several years old so perhaps the newer ones have a patch that fixes the issue but we weren't able to use the 4k stick with our hue sync box. The HD stick works just fine with our setup. I will say that there was a noticeable picture and audio quality difference with the 4k stick, but not being able to work with our lights was a deal breaker for me. Overall I would recommend this device for anyone. It's affordable and works great for all of our needs

Amazon Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote is a great way to put all your entertainment needs in the same place. You can download almost any kind of app onto your Fire TV stick for free and then sign into your account one time within that application, then stream anything and everything you want! It has just about every app that's available to stream or be entertained on. You simply sign into your Amazon account when you first plug in your Fire TV stick into your TV's HDMI port (cable is included with the Fire Stick and remote) and then you can move on to download any apps you want to stream on including Amazon PRIME, YouTube, Twitch, Paramount +, Hulu, Sling TV, Philo, Peacock, Roku Channel, Apple TV, and the Fire TV stick even has its own channel that's free! Other apps include ESPN ESPN +, NETFLIX, Discovery +, HBO MAX HBO, STARZ, plus all your local news channels such as CBS, and even FOX, CNN, NBC, and MORE! It even has other applications from Amazon like LUNA. It's quick and easy to set up and sign into. You can push the mic button on the remote and tell Alexa what you want to watch on whatever platform or application and she does the work for you! You can even whisper into it if you don't want to wake your sleeping kids or spouse and Alexa picks up on that and will respond in a soft subtle way. The remote takes 2 AAA batteries and is even to connect and it's easy to navigate. Very entertaining and convenient!