I've never really got the point of the various sticks - Roku, Amazon etc. What do they really offer over TV apps? Am I missing something re dodgy sideloading shenanigans? Or do they offer an infinite variety of eternally updated apps in a warm soapy bath of UX?
We have Sky Q a great service and excellent to use ... if you are ok with the monthly cost.
I also have a Fire TV Stick it is brilliant for adding all the films and TV streaming apps to any perfectly working TV that is of an age where the firmware is frozen & the apps have long since been deleted or stopped functioning.
The streaming sticks are massively popular because they are the means to make money rather than being subject to profit markups - so are dirt cheap especially as they might even be sold at a loss. App developers will always prioritise them, e.g. Fire TV Sticks and Roku, rather than the much smaller TV markets, so updates will be done. Having said that, if your TV has the working apps you want, like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and ITVX, then there is no point in getting a stick.
It's cheaper to but new devices such as firesticks, roku's, even Apple TV's than it is to buy new TV's when your prefered app(s) are no longer supported/updated. I must admit I have a roku streamer but I don't use the apps on it, I only use it as a soundbar. I've had various incarnations of firesticks and currenly use a firetv cube.
You don't have to pay extra for a smart TV if you haven't got one and are happy with your TV sets performance - you can simply buy a streaming stick/device.
The firesticks etc are often on sale very cheaply, for example the upcoming Prime Day(s)
Newer streaming devices with more memory, faster CPU's arrive as quickly as new TV's for a fraction of the cost.
Most of the streaming devices aren't as restricted as the closed shop app stores from such TV makers as Samsung and LG. Yes, there's the advantage of sideloading apps (they don't have to be dodgy links to free or cheap IPTV providers or apps) you can control the appearance of the Home screen to your liking on Prime devices etc as suggested by unisoft or have the device launch your favourite app(s) automatically or by setting up button shortcuts.
Interestingly Amazon Prime which runs on their modified android system (Fire OS) is soon to bring out it's own custom built operating system named Vega OS which is based on linux. It seems that all of it's current android apps will need to be rebuilt for the new platform which should help cut down on piracy (initially, as I believe there will soon be workarounds found) although with such a large user base I would expect currently supported apps will continue to work on the original Fire OS system.
Very timely. Amazon have now announced their new streaming stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select which is based on their own "Vega OS" operating system.
The new device is priced at $39.99 in the USA (VAT isn't included in most US states) and £49.99 in the UK. Amazon confirmed that BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Channel 5, and Sky’s NOW will be available on the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select from day one, however app developers need to invest time and resources creating entirely new apps for it.
The specs are inferior to the current firesticks with the new device delivering 4K streaming with HDR10+ support, WiFi 5 and 1GB of RAM.
In their "wisdom" Amazon have discounted the current firesticks until October 14 so if you want one then now is the time to bag a bargain. (Amazon is showing that the new device is avaiolable from 16th October)
The entry-level HD stick is discounted from £39.99 to £19.99 and has Full HD streaming with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG support, HDMI pass-through of Dolby-encoded audio, and includes the Alexa Voice Remote with TV controls for 1080p streaming.
The 2nd Gen 4K Fire TV Stick supports Dolby Vision, plus HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, Dolby Atmos audio, and has Wi-Fi 6 support and 2GB RAM. It's currently available for £25.99 (down from £59.99).
The 2nd Gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max has Wi-Fi 6E support, 2GB RAM, and 16GB storage (double the storage of the other sticks including the new one) It has the Enhanced Alexa Voice Remote, Dolby Atmos audio, and Dolby Vision, plus HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and is reduced from £69.99 to £39.99.
Basically, choice of apps may be more on a stick app store than a Smart TV in some cases
This and performance of the apps. I gave up on the Amazon Fire stick and now use an Apple TV box when I need to stream. TBH though, I still find I use my old Freeview recorder box more as I'm not really an avid TV watcher. I'd rather be mucking about with old tat in the garage ... ;-)
If your TV has all of the apps you want and in good quality then not much.
In practice if there are apps you want missing or in poor quality on your TV then a stick is more likely to carry them or carry them in good quality.
There are TVs that have as their operating system Google TV, Roku or Fire OS which will be similar to the relevant stick, it is largely just LG (WebOS) and Samsung (Tizon) that have their own operating system.
Cheers. I didn't know that. I have a 7 year old Samsung but the key apps still work okay for now.
They are cheap(ish) and portable. Staying in a hotel for a few days and they have fast enough WiFI? Use a stick. I've done that.
Basically, choice of apps may be more on a stick app store than a Smart TV in some cases, the hardware can be changed and updated without affecting the TV showing the content and gives life to Smart TVs where the underlying OS is EOL and not patched anymore for security and bug issues and where the apps are no longer updated or withdrawn due to age.
Then there is sideloading of some apps, for some people....
Personally, I detest the UI on Amazon Fire Stick 4K MAX I have and replaced the shell with another where I can completely configure the UI. Amazon got wind of customers doing this and introduced an alternate shell delay; meaning you have to see their UI for a number of seconds when it starts up.
Ta. I can see portability could be pretty handy if you travel a fair bit. I've also read that the Amazon sticks machine gun users with ads.
