Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

A good way to look at the Amazon 4K Fire TV is an upgrade to the FireStick v2. I have two newer Firesticks and now this 4K FireTV. I have also set up many older firesticks for others so I have good experience. A bit about my background, I am an Automation Engineer and work for a major energy company. I live and work in China more than 6 months per year and getting around the Great Firewall of China is a big pain in the neck, so it’s super important for me to be able to have entertainment there. Roku and Apple TV 4K are also very good, but they do not have the flexibility of adding anything outside of their respective app stores. For those expats traveling or living abroad, VPN is a must. In China, the govt has cracked down hard and will do even more in early 2018 to stop all VPN and I have tried many services. The tried, true and tested service that is the most reliable and works the best with Amazon devices is Express VPN. Both Amazon and Netflix have rigorous detection schemes that prevent most VPN services from working. You will get “out of region errors” when outside of the US. Express VPN is one of the few that gets around this and you can load the app fairly easy by using Downloader to install the ExpressVPN.apk file. I use Express VPN when in China to watch Netflix and Amazon Prime without issue through a fire stick. Just search for Downloader using the magnifying glass and install it, then you can simply install any android application that you want. You can view a comprehensive tutorial on how to install downloader and Express VPN from their website in the support – VPN setup section as well as a video. Takes no more than about 10 mins max. After you have Downloader installed, then the same method is used for any app, you just need the link to the apk file. **In the device settings menu, go to: Developer Options and then enable both ADB debugging and Allow Apps from Unknown Sources options**. Then the downloader app will work on anything you are trying to install. Why not make the 4K FireTV your own? There is one app that is a one-stop shop and is all you need to quickly install any 3rd party app: Aptoid TV. Newtechrevolution has a simple and short tutorial video about Aptoid TV that you can refer to on You+ube. Another great resource is Reviewdork; just search for it. Unfortunately, I can’t provide any direct links due to Amazon’s review policies. What makes Amazon devices so attractive is that they can sideload just about any android app out there. VUDU is a direct competitor to Amazon so there is no app in the Amazon store available for the FireStick/Fire TV. *This also includes Youtube* that will soon be removed from the Amazon app store in Jan 2018. As it is an Android TV .apk file being loaded to the FireTV, it will function just fine just as my Vudu app does so don’t worry about losing it. By using downloader, you can easily get VUDU on your device. For now, I also have Dish Anywhere loaded on all of my fire devices as well. You can see a snapshot of my TV screen in the photos that I have attached. Hands down best movie and tv site out there is: Terrarium TV – they have everything. You can easily install it from either Aptoid TV application or from Review Dork; they have the “add free” version. A note about UHD/HDR; you need a consistent 20+MB data rate to stream in HDR. If the FireTV senses a drop below about 18-19MB, it will downgrade from HDR to 1080P. You can check network status at any time in the network settings. Also… no matter what Wifi you use, there will be some packet loss and this can not be avoided even though you may have a strong signal and good internet speed. If your budget is a little flexible, I strongly recommend using a FireTV Ethernet Adapter with a Powerline AV adapter for a steady and reliable stream with little or no buffering. As my router is in the front of my home and the TV room in the back, I use Powerline AV adapters to add a hard-wired network signal to my entertainment area. They are plug and play devices with very little speed loss. I have tried and tested several different ones and I highly recommend: TP-Link AV 2000 Powerline Adapter Kit sold here on Amazon. Regarding displays: HDMI 2.0 is the standard, but at least one of your TV’s HDMI ports must support HDCP Version 2.2 The ports must be enabled for High Dynamic Range support in your TV’s port settings or the 4K FireTV will not stream UHD. With 4K capable TVs, you not only need to meet the network speed requirement mentioned above, but you will need to go to settings/display/auto so it can detect your TV’s 4k ability. “Up to 4K Ultra HD). I personally have a Visio P series 65” TV that is more than 18 months old as of this review and it supports both XDR10 and Dolby Vision standards. I had to enable the HDMI port for HDR as it was disabled by default in order to get 4K to work. You can see in one of the attached photos that HDR appears at the bottom left corner of the screen. The very first 4K TV’s may or may not support HDCP ver 2.2 so please check your tech specs on your TV before writing a negative review about the fireTV when 4K streaming doesn’t work. For now, I am giving the FireTV 4k 4 stars: They should have included Ethernet port and SD card slot as standard and not prohibit so many native apps from their store. People will just find workarounds like I have shown above. Less technical folks and everyday users shouldn’t have to go through the hassle in the first place. Reviewers have also complained about the user interface with the FireTV 4K but praised the Fire TV stick. They both use the same menu interface with minor differences with the FireTV due to added features. Hope this helps everyone.