Amazon Fire TV (2015 Edition)
If you read my previous post on the Fire TV stick you’ll know that I’m a BIG fan of this device and have been using it for close on 11 months now.
My overall impression of the device hasn’t changed in all this time but what I did notice is that it sometimes struggles to render HD content without buffering even on my local hard drive. Look it is just a tiny little $39 USB sized device, so how much can you expect?
Nevertheless and not that I even need an excuse 🙂 I decided to buy the new model and this time went for the full Fire TV which now comes with support for 4K and Alexa!
I was pleasantly surprised to see TakeAlot was offering the Fire TV which meant I get eBucks YAY!
So, what’s in the box?
- Fire TV
- Wireless Remote
- Batteries
- Instructions
- US Power Adaptor
- South African Plug (provided by TakeAlot)
Note: No HDMI cable is included!
The unit itself is a sleek black box which is very unassuming and would look good next to any TV or Home Theatre System.
The Setup
As I’m well versed in the Amazon world, the setup was quick and painless and I was up and running in no time.
If you are wondering whether Amazon will automatically download the apps you had previously then alas that’s a NO. I kind of thought once I added my account they would ask me but no real stress as I only had a few to download and it wasn’t too much of a mission.
Why it’s better than its older cousin?
(Remember I’m comparing the 2014 Fire TV Stick and 2015 Fire TV)
- Quad core processor (Dual Core on the TV Stick)
- GPU (Dedicated Graphics Engine)
- RAM (An extra Gig giving you 2GB in total)
- Better Wi-Fi ( More letters LOL)
- Ethernet Port (Non-existent on the Stick)
- USB Port (Also not included on the Stick)
They claim it has up to 75% more processing power and the GPU allows for better gaming and rendering of HD content.
Alexa
No, she’s not my girlfriend but rather Amazon’s new voice assistant! She comes with the new Fire TV as well.
Alexa originated from the Amazon Echo, a device resembling a can of Pringles which was designed for the home as a standalone Mic and Speaker unit allowing you to ask it questions and perform a few simple tasks for you.
You don’t get the full functioning Alexa with the Fire TV, but with a quick press of the button you can ask her just about anything available on Wikipedia or to find movies or launch apps!
It’s a cool addition although I don’t see it being used that often!
My Overall impressions
The speed improvements are definitely noticeable and I have yet to see the horrid (Buffering… 59%) across my screen LOL.
The interface is snappy and launching apps is an absolute dream!
So far I’m thoroughly enjoying my experience with the new 2015 Amazon Fire TV!
There is no product available on TakeALot? Where should I buy this product?
Hi Claire
Apologies for the very late response for some reason I did not get any email about this from you till i logged into my site 🙁
I see TakeALot has removed the iteam, your next bet is maybe BidorBuy?
Thanks,
Jon
When setting up the stick, there is no South Africa option in the dropdown. What did you choose?
Hi There,
I remember having the same problem when I first did it!
I think I choose USA, and then had to make my Amazon account on the web the same.
After setting everything up, you can change the country on the web again.
Thanks,
Jon