(Disclosure, I may receive a small referral fee when you make a purchase through links on this post.)
Amazon has finally began its pre-order much anticipated Fire TV Stick which will go head on against Chromecast. The price is for $39 and will be expected to be shipped Nov. 19th. There is a disclaimer on it’s website indicating that if you order today, it will arrive AFTER January 15, 2015 so it won’t make it in time for Christmas which is a major disappointment. Not suprisingly, it touts better hardware than Chromecast considering it is released a whole year after Chromecast. One major advantage over Chromecast is that you can finally stream Amazon Prime movies, TV shows, games , and music. On the downside, this will tie you in more with your Prime account making you more dependent on it.
Some other vital details:
- 4 times the storage and 2 times the memory of Chromecast including dual-core processor and one GB of memory
- Over 200,000 TV shows, several million songs, games, and movies.
- Instant streaming with ASAP. Obvious knock on Chromecast as it takes several seconds to cast your content to your TV.
- A TV remote for your Fire TV stick. This feature was received with mixed feedback. Some people don’t want to deal with another remote and there is no word if there will be a remote dedicated on the app like the Chromecast.
- App not available for iOS! Only Android available at the time of launch. With the use of the App, you will be able to use voice search.
- Stream personal photos and videos through your amazon cloud drive.
Setup is similar to Chromecast. If you look at the first icon, it looks like it will be powered via the same manner as the Chromecast. Will there be overheating issues? I’m not sure. We will see when we get the device!
