Setting up the Fire TV Stick 4K is easy, at home or on the go—sticks are great for traveling, btw. Why let a vacation or business trip interfere with your Marvelous Mrs. Maisel binge?
Simply plug the Fire TV Stick 4K into an HDMI port, connect to your Wi-Fi network, sign in to (or create) your Amazon account, and start watching. Since the Fire TV Stick 4K is a bit fatter than a cable that would usually be plugged into an HDMI input, the included HDMI extender can alleviate port crowding.
Fortunately, the Fire TV Stick is powered with an AC adapter, not a TV USB port like older streaming stick models—this is preferable because it remains “on” all the time. USB port power shuts off when the TV does, so you used to have to wait for the stick itself to power up again with the television the next time you turned it on. Time is TV, people.
Once you’re in, you’ll be greeted with a screen filled with TV shows, movies, and app recommendations, headlined along the top with Search, Home, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, and Settings. Navigate via buttons the old-fashioned way or press the microphone icon and tell Alexa what you’re looking for.
Unlike Roku or Chromecast with Google TV, the Fire TV Stick 4K isn’t neutral in its search functionality and program recommendations. Amazon content is always front-and-center—kind of like how “Amazon’s Choice” for socks is always above the pair you really want.
But, if you’re buying a Fire TV Stick 4K, you’re probably already an Amazon fan and its brand-heavy interface won’t be all that obnoxiously off-putting.