Amazon Fire Stick

Fire Stick

The Amazon Fire Stick is only similar to Google's Chromecast series in basic functionality, both are streaming devices that expand the TV's range of access. The Fire Stick also gets inserted into the HDMI port. As Amazon is trying to bolster their subscriptions to Amazon Prime, their streaming platform, their Fire Stick opens up directly to that. With some support for screen beaming from phones and tablets but works only for a few apps and not for a computer with the web-browser. This is due to the fact that the Amazon Fire Stick is not designed to be a casting device but more for streaming. Also, a reason why none of the Google Apps feature on the Fire Stick and the visual interface goes directly to Amazon Prime.

There are options to download apps onto the Amazon Fire Stick, including a variation of games and the music streaming app Spotify (worth a note that Chromecast doesn't have a Spotify app).

The remote that comes along with the Amazon Fire Stick also has voice command systems, essentially Amazon has incorporated Alexa. This lets users talk to their remote if they find typing cumbersome. The streaming quality has improved with time and keeps doing so. The newer Fire Stick has support for 4K streaming, with more visual quality slated for the future.

The Amazon Fire Stick is a relatively cheap product as far as the initial cost goes. Subscriptions are what one ends up paying more for in the long run.