Kindel Firestick

[Acorn]

Anybody have one that can 'splain it to me? I know that you have to buy it but are there monthly charges? There are links on Amazon's own page that lists "jailbrake Firesticks" which I assume are some kind of hacked units and I also assume are illegal. Why does Amazon allow these links if they are illegal? I am reallllllllllly confused.

 

[ditto1958]

You don't need one if you have a "smart" tv. If you don't have a "smart" tv, the Fire stick gets your tv connected to your high speed internet to watch streaming video. I'm not sure what, if any, free content is available these days. Mainly, the device allows you to watch paid subscription services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Hulu.

So, you do need:

1. The Fire stick
2. High speed internet
3. Sunscription(s) to streaming video service(s)

There are no monthly charges for the Fire stick itself.

 

[SamV]

I don't have one but I do have a couple of Roku streaming devices. Basically the same thing. If you have Amazon Prime, you are already paying for their video streaming services. Prime does have quite a bit of included "free" content. You can sign up for a lot of free content from other providers. All the major networks have streaming channels so you can mostly watch shows at your convenience. Some are available almost immediately, some a short time later. Some are free, some are not. There are thousands of channels out there, many are free, most aren't worth your time. Hulu and Netflix are probably the most popular but both charge a subscription fee. Streaming devices can be great if you want to cut your cable bill, but I found that I really didn't cut cable but I added alot more content for just a few dollars more. Some of the streaming channels require you to already an account for "free" content. If you decide to try a streaming devices, be aware that many streaming channels or services will often let you have a short free trial before paying. If you are trying to cut a cable bill, look into Sling tv options. Go to their website and look at their packages. I like my Roku. When there seems like there is nothing on, I seem to find something streaming. I especially like PBS.

 

[Acorn]

OK, but are the jailbreak units illegal? I don't want to steal or do anything illegal.

 

[coach]

I don't believe the jailbreaked (jailbroken?) units are illegal, but using them to get content you haven't paid for technically is. Remember the FBI warning at the beginning of movies. If some company wanted to they could trace your IP address.

 

[Acorn]

I really have no interest in most any of the current crop of movies. My main interest is old movies and tv shows.

 

[BIGBISLEY]

The firestick is basically a streaming video player for online content. It allows your tv to have access to free and paid services such as hulu, Netflix, amazon prime, YouTube as well as specific cable networks that you can purchase access to. You need 5-10 Mbps internet to stream smoothly and a tv with an hdmi port to connect the device. Don't buy the hacked models if you choose to make changes later there are videos on YouTube to guide you.

 

[caryc]

I purchased a TCL TV with built in Roku. I have a high speed internet connection so all I needed to do was hook up a wireless wifi router to my computer. The TV picks up the wifi signal.

I can now stream a lot of stuff. I watch a lot of Netflix and Amazon.

 

[Pat-inCO]

And how many of your home conversations are monitored?