I bought the fire TV as a temporary solution for a few months, after my Apple TV broke down after many years. In the summer, I planned to buy Apple TV again and keep the fire TV stick for the second TV. The main uses I wanted were YouTube, Plex to watch the movies I have on my computer, and finally the Apple TV+ channel to which I have a subscription. On paper, the device does all these things, but overall the picture quality is very low and noisy, and the handling is a mess, it can't handle fast changes and often froze when scrolling. It threw me back to the home screen twice because it was pressed. After connecting and entering passwords etc., I opened Plex, the UI for some reason was not 1080p and looked terrible. It also didn't have automatic aspect ratio, so every time you play something, you have to go into the settings and choose whether you want letterbox or original, etc. If you permanently choose original, when you watch something that is 720p, it only plays as a rectangle in the center of the screen with huge gaps on the right and left. Also, due to the lack of Ethernet, the connection to the computer is slower, resulting in some high-resolution movies pixelating or constantly buffering. Every time the video had fast movement, the quality dropped, obviously it doesn't have enough processing power. Then I tried YouTube, which played correctly, and then I tried to watch Apple TV+. I tried 4 episodes from different series and all after 5-6 seconds showed me a gray screen that said video could not be played, check your internet connection. I have 29Mbps speed and the router is right below the TV. That's when I got frustrated and decided to return it. I understand that it's not a premium device and coming from an Apple TV that costs four times the money, I shouldn't expect the same quality, but honestly, I prefer to keep these 40€ and save another 100€ to buy Apple TV and know that it does the job. I'm ashamed to waste 40€ on this device and I wonder how the second largest company in the world released such a product.

It is the second Amazon Fire TV Stick that I have purchased, I have been using the first one for a year now and the device was such a pleasant surprise for the price of €40 that I bought a second one for my sister's old Plasma TV. I initially bought the first device and chose this specific model (not the 4K) because I was looking for something small, portable, and affordable to take with me on vacation to watch Netflix on hotel TVs, which are usually not smart, and to make my decade-old TV at my parents' house smart for watching Netflix, YouTube, Spotify, etc. So, I wanted to spend as little money as possible but I also wanted something that wouldn't take up much space and have many cables. On the other hand, I didn't want an Android TV box that would have glitches and have Netflix blocked, etc. It also played a big role that it is a certified device for AppleTV+ and Disney+!

I had tried to order this specific one from Amazon UK in the summer when it was on sale for about €20, but then I realized that Amazon doesn't ship it to Greece, so my only option was to order it through Skroutz from a Greek store that had imported it, which is why its charger is British and not European.

The box includes the Amazon Fire TV Stick (UK version), a wireless Bluetooth remote control, a small HDMI extension, two batteries, a micro USB cable, and a charger (British, but the store had sent me a free European adapter for the socket). It doesn't suffice to be powered by a USB port on the TV (it gave me a message that the voltage is not sufficient), but it is enough to connect it to a mobile charger. The only problem I encountered when I used a different mobile charger to power it was that the device, because it didn't have enough voltage, got stuck in a continuous loop where it kept optimizing the operating system and files and didn't load at all. As soon as I used a different mobile charger (simple, no-name even), it immediately worked.

The setup is very simple, it requires an Amazon account at the beginning (it's free, I had one on Amazon UK) and it immediately connects to Wi-Fi (in my case, to 802.11ac at 5 GHz), automatically upgrading the software. It opens quickly and loads almost instantly. Its operating system is FireOS, a modified version of Android by Amazon. The interface is mainly loaded with Amazon content (movies, series, etc.) that it constantly promotes either through Amazon Prime subscription or for purchase and rental. However, despite the intense promotion of this content, the operating system is simple and responds relatively well. Anyone who wants a faster response to commands and greater agility should consider the FireTV 4K, which has a more powerful processor. Overall, all this promotion of digital content is the downside of the device, but that's why Amazon offers it at this price, so personally I accept it.

On the home screen, apart from the advertising of Amazon movies and series, there are the installed applications and those that are used more frequently, as well as recommendations for applications and games. Netflix is pre-installed and of course, it works normally in Greek with Greek subtitles. I used Amazon Prime for a month (free trial period with my Amazon UK account) and it worked perfectly in the British version, although it didn't have Greek subtitles. It played movies and series without any issues. From the Amazon Appstore, I downloaded Spotify, VLC, Archos Media Player, Plex, and other apps that are optimized for use with FireTV. It has a variety of applications. Plex worked flawlessly with any movie I watched (720p, 1080p, x265, etc). The casting function from my mobile for YouTube works, but with some delays. However, the Amazon Appstore doesn't have all the Android apps. I easily installed the Aptoide TV Appstore (instructions on www.firesticktricks.com along with many other tricks) and installed even more apps from there. The most important addition, of course, is Kodi (I don't need to say anything more). The implementation of PopCornTime is fantastic! I installed the RetroArch emulator and it worked perfectly with NES and SNES roms. In short, it is an Android TV box, but with the Amazon environment, fast and stable, with the ability to install whatever you want. Its settings menu is simple but has great depth and allows you to customize many functions, although it doesn't cover the entire user interface, catering to both average and advanced users up to a certain point. The assistant Alexa is very useful, although it only works in English, it understands everything and saves you from a lot of typing.

The remote control is small, larger than the FireTV Stick (!!), Bluetooth-enabled, a high-quality device that is extremely convenient and allows for easy button pressing. Overall, the remote control is one of the very positive aspects of this device and it also has a built-in microphone for Alexa commands in English. Additionally, you can use it to control the TV for power on/off and volume. Amazon also offers a related FireTV control app for mobile devices (Android and iPhone). Connecting via Bluetooth with an Xbox One Controller was very easy through the settings menu and worked perfectly.

As I mentioned before, the apps I used worked fine, quite fast (although not instant), without any freezing. Especially the apps from the Amazon Appstore work very well, such as the Silk browser. Movies on a USB stick connected to the router's USB port played perfectly, as well as movies from a shared folder on my computer. I believe it won't have any issues with NAS (supports UPnP and SMB). It outputs Full HD picture and 5.1 sound. It played Netflix and 1080p movie files without any problems, as well as movies encoded with the x265 algorithm (officially supported). It also has other features such as screen mirroring, which I haven't explored yet. Overall, it has a good quad-core MediaTek processor at 1.3 GHz, so it delivers good performance. It also has Bluetooth 4.1, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB internal memory (with about 3-4 GB remaining free), without the ability to expand. Although the RAM is only 1 GB, I didn't experience any freezing. However, as I mentioned before, the system's response is not very smooth, meaning you have to wait a bit for the app to open and load, which is expected at this price point. Nevertheless, all the apps work flawlessly. It didn't generate more heat than expected, normal levels. The next version of FireTV is 4K with HDR support, HDR 10, Dolby Vision, HLG, HDR10+, and it outputs Dolby Atmos sound. I believe it will be much sleeker and faster since it has a better processor and possibly more RAM. On foreign websites, the 4K version is compared to the AppleTV 4K and has received very good reviews.

Essentially, it is an affordable, very small, convenient, and powerful Android TV box, not just a simple Smart TV Stick. It is not a Google Chromecast or Anycast, but it is standalone. It can easily be hidden behind the TV, it doesn't take up space (especially with the HDMI extension), it is not visible (it is about 8-10 centimeters long, like a large USB stick), it has an excellent remote control, and it only needs one power cable. For someone who wants to spend less, carry it in their pocket, turn an old TV into a smart TV without compromising on quality, it is ideal. I would prefer it blindly compared to the XIAOMI MI BOX S. I believe it is one of the top choices for an Android TV box for the average user, especially at the price of 40 euros. For someone who wants more, better image quality, and faster operating response, they should look at the 4K version. The main negatives are the limited storage space of 8 GB, which cannot be expanded and is borderline (so more advanced users may need to look elsewhere), the custom Amazon Android operating system with its hardware promotions, and the not-so-fast response of the operating system.

UPDATE 18/12/2020: The FireTV still works flawlessly like the first day. Especially in the last three months, I use it daily on a non-smart TV and it has really been a lifesaver. Netflix, YouTube, Plex, PopCornTime, AppleTV+, NBA, everything works without problems. If someone wants better image quality and faster response, they should look at the 4K version. I consider it an excellent purchase, which I do not regret, as it has brought life to an old 42-inch plasma TV and has been very useful during vacations. Finally, as great as the PopCorn Time application is from Aptoide TV, unfortunately, the free storage space is not sufficient for streaming high-quality movies, so I am limited to 720p!

UPDATE 27/8/2022: The FireTV still works today but in a secondary role, accompanying me on my travels to watch AppleTV+, Disney+, and Youtube on hotel TVs. It still receives updates from Amazon, and recently its user interface has been completely renewed, making it simpler and more functional. However, it clearly shows its age... it is an old device with a now weak processor, and this is evident in the navigation through options and menus. Yes, the above-mentioned applications generally work (sometimes they crash, but not often), but the system response is slow. I will continue to use it until it dies, but I can no longer recommend it to anyone for everyday use at home. It is better to look for a newer FireTV with a more powerful processor and, of course, in 4K. A very capable device, at an excellent price, with many capabilities, which plays all the important streaming applications (Netflix, AppleTV+, Disney+), with great support from Amazon, but unfortunately, it is now an old device that cannot be recommended due to its weak processor. And yet, it is worth much more than any Chinese Android TV boxes!

I am thrilled!
I had read the incredible reviews on Amazon UK (4.5/5 stars, over 150,000 ratings!) and I was planning to get it from there on my next trip to England since I also have an Amazon Prime account. However, I realized that the price through skroutz here in Greece was cheaper (!!) compared to buying directly from Amazon UK, considering the GBP/euro exchange rate.
The fire TV sticks here come from Germany (the manual has instructions in German/French/Italian/Spanish).
The installation was super easy - it took seconds, my Amazon Prime account connected instantly. You choose the language you want (it doesn't have Greek). It has the most user-friendly, functional, simple interface I have ever seen... and it's truly a great gadget for the house.
We love Alexa and have fun with her... it's incredible how quickly she follows your commands and takes you where you want... and she even responds!
We use the Fire TV Stick for Netflix, Prime, YouTube, various channels like BBC, sports, etc., and of course music. It has endless possibilities. The only thing left is to figure out how to connect my existing Apple TV+ account to the fire stick since it doesn't seem to find it yet, I just need to deal with it a bit.

Update 2021: Unfortunately, I haven't found a way to download an app specifically for ERTFLIX, however, you can easily watch ERTFLIX through the internet browser that the fire stick has.