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RCman

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It is going to depend entirely on the individual situation and especially here. Telmex doesn't have the speed unless you are in a location with fibre.  iLox wifi is the worst on the planet. TotalPlay has both the speed AND the wifi strength. What Natasha has is TotalPlay. If it works perfectly with no buffering why on earth would she want to tether herself to a cable?

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Taken directly from Amazon U.S. order... technical details MY MODEL:

******************************************************************************************************

System Requirements: High definition television with available high-speed HDMI input, high-speed internet connection via WI-FI

TV Compatibility: TV must support minimum HDCP requirements for protected content playback. Compatible with 1) 4K ultra high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2 or 2) high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz.

*******************************************************************************************************

You will note HDMI and WI-FI specified. And at no place elsewhere in these specs does it offer the option of using ethernet.  And with this info....I'm DONE here.

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4 minutes ago, Natasha said:

Taken directly from Amazon U.S. order... technical details MY MODEL:

******************************************************************************************************

System Requirements: High definition television with available high-speed HDMI input, high-speed internet connection via WI-FI

TV Compatibility: TV must support minimum HDCP requirements for protected content playback. Compatible with 1) 4K ultra high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2 or 2) high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz.

*******************************************************************************************************

You will note HDMI and WI-FI specified. And at no place elsewhere in these specs does it offer the option of using ethernet.  And with this info....I'm DONE here.

I believe it says that because the ethernet connection is sold separately. So you can only use the stand alone product if you have wifi. You must order the ethernet box separately if you want it.

So those are the requirements for the firestick Without purchasing an adapter.

 

I've sent a PM to Rich asking him to post here.

 

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Deep in the weeds here. (HDMI WiFi is not a thing with Firestick. It's a special and not cheap adapter used for a different reason.)

You plug the Firestick into the HDMI port on your TV, and connect the Firestick via WiFi (unless you have an ethernet adapter, of course).

If you can use ethernet, it's always going to be better. However, if your Firestick works just fine using WiFi, then that's all you need to care about. As Tels says, having cables run is a different story that many folks don't want, and that's why the Firesticks don't come with ethernet.

However, typical of US companies that use Internet for their services, the assumption is that the lowest common denominator user has excellent and broad WiFi. Which many users don't yet. Especially in places like this.

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18 hours ago, Natasha said:

Taken directly from Amazon U.S. order... technical details MY MODEL:

******************************************************************************************************

System Requirements: High definition television with available high-speed HDMI input, high-speed internet connection via WI-FI

TV Compatibility: TV must support minimum HDCP requirements for protected content playback. Compatible with 1) 4K ultra high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 2160p at 24/25/30/50/60 Hz and HDCP 2.2 or 2) high-definition TVs with HDMI capable of 1080p or 720p at 50/60 Hz.

*******************************************************************************************************

You will note HDMI and WI-FI specified. And at no place elsewhere in these specs does it offer the option of using ethernet.  And with this info....I'm DONE here.

Not to be rude, but this information is useless.  Can I please explain this once and for all?

1.  Ethernet is almost always faster and more secure than wireless.  The reason a tech person would recommend wireless on the Firestick 4k is as follows:  the ethernet adapter that Amazon sells for their FS4K is a 10/100mbps adapter.  This means that data downloads are capped at 100mbps.  I have a 350mbps account with ILOX.  So using the Amazon internet adapter would significantly lower my speeds.  In this case, WiFi is the better choice.  So, this is not saying that WiFi is faster than Ethernet (it's not).  It is just in this case WiFi makes more sense  due to the limitations of the adapter cable.  There is a way to get higher speeds on the FS4K ethernet port, but it's not certified by Amazon.  Since I don't use the FS4K, I can't vouch for it's usability.

2.  Another thing to take into consideration is that sometimes the ethernet ports on older modems are 10/100 ports and not 10/100/1000.  My ILOX modem has 2 ethernet inputs.  1 is 10/100 and the other is 10/100/1000.  Make sure you check the documentation before you set up an ethernet connection.

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On 9/21/2021 at 7:58 PM, TelsZ4 said:

It amazes me the misinformation people post on here.

You cannot get the latest version of the Firestick on Amazon USA

Amazon MX has the latest Firestick and best one available for 1,399 peso, it was on sale 2 weeks ago for 999 peso.  It has the 2021 firmware installed.  and is voice activated with Alexa, In my opinion that is the best one to get.,  I think it’s better than the 4K version because the 4K one doesn’t have 2021 firmware and it’s really difficult to stream 4K video. I would also purchase an Ethernet adapter for 399 peso so you can plug an Ethernet cable into your Firestick. Using an Ethernet cable is usually better than WiFi ..

 

 

Sorry, but this is horrible advice.  

 "I think it’s better than the 4K version because the 4K one doesn’t have 2021 firmware."

Amazon updates their firmware for all devices regularly.  If you're unsure if your Fire Stick has the latest update, just go to Settings, My Fire TVAbout, Check for Updates.

"...and it’s really difficult to stream 4K video"

This has nothing to do with the Firestick being 4K or not.  It has to do with connectivity and download speeds.  If you purchased a TV in the last 4 or 5 years, most likely it is a 4K set.  If you are planning to purchase a TV, it will be either 4K or 8K.  Why on earth would you connect a device that outputs 1080p and force the TV to upscale all content. Most mid-range and cheap TVs do not do upscaling well, so you're sacrificing quite a bit in picture quality. This makes no sense. If you have an internet connection that gets 40-50mbps downloads, you should have no problems with 4K content.  If I were purchasing an internet account I would get at least 100mbps, just for the added headroom.

 

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Getting even deeper into the weeds. First, Natasha and everyone, Amazon says "you must have WiFi" simply because there is no ethernet port on the device. Period. They do not have an ethernet adapter designed for Firesticks: any adapter will do, if that is what is wanted.

I see no instance where ethernet would be slower than WiFi, although there are always extenuating circumstances. Technically speaking, ethernet is always better.

A 100 Mbps speed cap from either a modem, or based on the Cat5 cable in use, can be a problem. But if you are only paying for 40 Mbps, then you are never going to reach the theoretical broadband limit of 100 Mbps anyway, so it makes no difference in theory. However, I agree with All Day: the more the merrier. He is also correct in that one port on all iLox boxes is capped at 100 Mbps for some $%&/()ic reason. But the documentation does not say that, or which one... and there are boxes with 2 ports and with 4 ports.

And he is correct again: Firesticks, even the older versions, all receive automatic or soon-to-be-scheduled updates to the latest software. I cannot find any information that says the 4K model cannot receive the 2021 update. https://troypoint.com/update-firestick/

 

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4 hours ago, All Day said:

Sorry, but this is horrible advice.  

 "I think it’s better than the 4K version because the 4K one doesn’t have 2021 firmware."

Amazon updates their firmware for all devices regularly.  If you're unsure if your Fire Stick has the latest update, just go to Settings, My Fire TVAbout, Check for Updates.

"...and it’s really difficult to stream 4K video"

This has nothing to do with the Firestick being 4K or not.  It has to do with connectivity and download speeds.  If you purchased a TV in the last 4 or 5 years, most likely it is a 4K set.  If you are planning to purchase a TV, it will be either 4K or 8K.  Why on earth would you connect a device that outputs 1080p and force the TV to upscale all content. Most mid-range and cheap TVs do not do upscaling well, so you're sacrificing quite a bit in picture quality. This makes no sense. If you have an internet connection that gets 40-50mbps downloads, you should have no problems with 4K content.  If I were purchasing an internet account I would get at least 100mbps, just for the added headroom.

 

It appears we have another genius on the Webboard…

Amazon are telling me  that my Firestick 3rd generation is better than previous generations. Better firmware better software..  Should I have purchased an older version and waited for them to update it to the latest specs.. ?

If you have consistent high speed internet and only watch Netflix or Amazon Prime 4K streaming works well  but my interests are a little broader than that,  Trying  to stream 4K from a 3rd party app such as Tea TV or Morpheus TV or any of the live TV apps doesn’t work well…You are better off streaming in 1080 or less with no buffering.  
I don’t claim to be an expert or  try to impress readers of this Webboard with technical terms… I just know what works for me on my TV

 

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Problem with Firestick Ethernet is that it connects through a USB port. Since it's not even a USB3 port, your bandwidth will be limited, and maybe that makes the Wifi faster.

I can tell you though, I have two 4k Firesticks connected with Ethernet, and they work just fine when streaming 4k content.

Ethernet will always be more consistent and reliable, but if Wifi works ok for you, great.

 

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Maybe Amazon is calling it "Amazon ethernet adapter for Amazon Fire TV devices", but that's a marketing gimmick. They source millions of products in massive amounts and put their name on it. This just happens to be one of them. It works to do that and people who would not know otherwise are happy, and there is nothing wrong with that.

But if it was really designed for Fire products, it wouldn't be, as All Day points out, 10/100 Mbps. Just read the reviews. https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Ethernet-Adapter-Fire-Devices/dp/B074TC662N?tag=detailedview-20#customerReviews

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3 hours ago, TelsZ4 said:

It appears we have another genius on the Webboard…

Amazon are telling me  that my Firestick 3rd generation is better than previous generations. Better firmware better software..  Should I have purchased an older version and waited for them to update it to the latest specs.. ?

If you have consistent high speed internet and only watch Netflix or Amazon Prime 4K streaming works well  but my interests are a little broader than that,  Trying  to stream 4K from a 3rd party app such as Tea TV or Morpheus TV or any of the live TV apps doesn’t work well…You are better off streaming in 1080 or less with no buffering.  
I don’t claim to be an expert or  try to impress readers of this Webboard with technical terms… I just know what works for me on my TV

 

I concur with most of what you are saying, but Amazon telling you that a newer product is better is simply good marketing. Telling you that there is no need to spend more money to upgrade, because it will upgrade anyway, would be pretty counter-productive.

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16 hours ago, TelsZ4 said:

It appears we have another genius on the Webboard…


I don’t claim to be an expert or  try to impress readers of this Webboard with technical terms… I just know what works for me on my TV

 

You "don't claim to be an expert", yet here you are, making recommendations on a web board based upon personal anecdotal evidence.  Recommending a HD device for people with UHD displays is still horrible advice, regardless of firmware.  If you don't understand the terminology, or understand that the resolution of the source device has nothing to do with streaming issues, that's not my problem, but I will try to warn others before they make a purchase they later will regret based upon your recommendations.

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16 hours ago, AndyPanda said:

I concur with most of what you are saying, but Amazon telling you that a newer product is better is simply good marketing. Telling you that there is no need to spend more money to upgrade, because it will upgrade anyway, would be pretty counter-productive.

You concur?   Let me give you an example.  Someone goes to Costco,  sees a TV (let's say a 65" LG C1) playing "Our Planet" on Netflix, and are so impressed they spend the $54,000,  take the TV home, plug in TelsZ4 recommended Firestick and start watching the same show at home.  But it looks awful, and they don't know why.  Here is why. 

Because the recommended Firestick can only output 1080p resolution, and the show is shot in 4K and Dolby Vision, which the Firestick doesn't support.  So the TV has to upscale all of the content, which means it has to artificially create about 6 million pixels using AI and algorithms.  So now your $54,000 TV is really just a TV with 10 year old technology.  And chances are the buyers won't know why the picture looked so much better in the showroom.  But if they had spent 100 more pesos, they could have purchased the Firestick 4K which supports Dolby Vision, and the picture would look just like it did in the showroom.  

This is why it is such horrible advice.

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22 minutes ago, AndyPanda said:

I said "most", but you are picking and choosing now. Have you used Tea or Morpheus? Probably not. So let's stick to what he was referring to. Add my comment to that, and that's all that needs to be said.

Why would you assume I've never used Tea or Morpheus.  I've used Tea, CinemaHD, CatMouse, BeeTV and countless others.  I know what he/she is talking about when it comes to 4K streaming issues, but it has nothing to do with the type of Firestick one uses.  It has to do with file size and internet speeds.  The only reason 4K movies and shows are difficult to stream is if you don't have the download speed to handle the bitrates.  It has nothing to do with the resolution capabilities of the source device.

Also,  check out Syncler+.  It's the best streaming service I've found.  It costs $1.25 per month US for 5 devices, but it's the best of all the services if you have a Real-Debrid account.

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Can the poster or someone here expand on this part of a post above:

"Also,  check out Syncler+.  It's the best streaming service I've found.  It costs $1.25 per month US for 5 devices, but it's the best of all the services if you have a Real-Debrid account."

I, like many others here am tech challenged but looking at better ways to receive TV through Firestick apps. There are 2 services here that I have never heard about before. Gracias

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1 hour ago, All Day said:

Why would you assume I've never used Tea or Morpheus.  I've used Tea, CinemaHD, CatMouse, BeeTV and countless others.  I know what he/she is talking about when it comes to 4K streaming issues, but it has nothing to do with the type of Firestick one uses.  It has to do with file size and internet speeds.  The only reason 4K movies and shows are difficult to stream is if you don't have the download speed to handle the bitrates.  It has nothing to do with the resolution capabilities of the source device.

Also,  check out Syncler+.  It's the best streaming service I've found.  It costs $1.25 per month US for 5 devices, but it's the best of all the services if you have a Real-Debrid account.

I assumed you had not because if you did, I don't think you would be arguing with him. I've seen the same streaming difficulties with those services, and many others, and I have mega speed, so I just gave up on them. Now, maybe he hasn't told us what his speed is, and maybe that would help to understand.

I still don't understand what you mean by "resolution capabilities of the source device". What source "device"?

And if you don't have a Firestick that can handle 4K, then you ain't gettin' 4K. It has everything to do with what type of Firestick it is, a consideration long before Internet speed.

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3 minutes ago, AndyPanda said:

I assumed you had not because if you did, I don't think you would be arguing with him. I've seen the same streaming difficulties with those services, and many others, and I have mega speed, so I just gave up on them. Now, maybe he hasn't told us what his speed is, and maybe that would help to understand.

I still don't understand what you mean by "resolution capabilities of the source device". What source "device"?

And if you don't have a Firestick that can handle 4K, then you ain't gettin' 4K. It has everything to do with what type of Firestick it is, a consideration long before Internet speed.

Source device = Firestick.   Do you have Real-Debrid?

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That's not the source; that's the receiver.

No, I don't. Because I don't mess with any of that crap anymore. I have boxes of useless Android devices. I have Roku, Chrome TV, Firestick. I don't play jailkeeper with any of them. I hired Rich to set up his version of Firestick, which saved me endless hours of research and work, and I don't use it much anymore either. These rigged user devices are so far from being average-Joe friendly, and I don't care anymore. So futzing with Real-Debrid for it's purpose doesn't interest me.

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