Firestick?

[Weirdfish]

Have we had a thread about the firestick?
Advantages/disadvantages regarding alternative tv viewing.
How easy to use
We’ve just signed up again to skyq but with gigaclear broadband as it was much quicker and cheaper.
But I’d like to try a firestick to see if it’s for us whilst we’ve got the sky alternative, that way when sky contract finishes I’ll know whether to jump ship.

[Stringer]

I haven’t had any issues with my Firestick.

Was becoming hugely irritated with a buggy Toshiba TV inbuilt interface which crashed regularity. Firestick hasn’t missed a beat.

Handy to have all streaming (Netliix, Prime, Apple, Disney etc.) and other apps in one interface.

What I really like is that the Firestick platform searches all streaming services, so you can search all of them for a particular film, rather than each one individually.

Voice control also makes use easier.

The remote is tiny and my toddler likes to hide it, which is frustrating. But you can search for it using the app, and can also control the TV using the iPhone app if you can’t be bothered moving to fetch the remote.

All in all, a great job. Wait until a Black Friday sale or similar for a good offer.

[Jubal]

Got both. Very similar suite of apps. Easy to use. It’s basically like the interface you get selecting Apps on your Sky. What specifically do you want to know?

[Weirdfish]

I haven’t had any issues with my Firestick.

Was becoming hugely irritated with a buggy Toshiba TV inbuilt interface which crashed regularity. Firestick hasn’t missed a beat.

Handy to have all streaming (Netliix, Prime, Apple, Disney etc.) and other apps in one interface.

What I really like is that the Firestick platform searches all streaming services, so you can search all of them for a particular film, rather than each one individually.

Voice control also makes use easier.

The remote is tiny and my toddler likes to hide it, which is frustrating. But you can search for it using the app, and can also control the TV using the iPhone app if you can’t be bothered moving to fetch the remote.

All in all, a great job. Wait until a Black Friday sale or similar for a good offer.

Which channels have you got with yours, any of the sports channels?
I also hear that you can also get the box office channels, but I’m not sure if they are the non Amazon ones!!!

[Weirdfish]

Got both. Very similar suite of apps. Easy to use. It’s basically like the interface you get selecting Apps on your Sky. What specifically do you want to know?

Basically I’ve slimmed down the sky package as it was stupid money, but lost some sport’s channels.
How does firestick compare cost wise with skyq

[Jubal]

Basically I’ve slimmed down the sky package as it was stupid money, but lost some sport’s channels.
How does firestick compare cost wise with skyq

Same apps, same price. You still have to subscribe to them all.

[paw3001]

Firestick has all the standard apps for all streaming services, Netflix, Disney, Apple as well as Prime. It also has Now TV if you still wish to get sky channels

Also has access to BBC, ITV, C4 and C5 streaming apps and where you can watch live TV if you wish. There are sport apps but I do t use them so cannot advise how that compares. I am afraid.

There are a few different Firestick models but the top of the range stick has better 4K streaming IMO and also has Dolby Atmos if that’s important.

I suspect price is a little less than sky if you take all streaming services!

The key advantage is that you can easily jailbreak the stick, which isn’t illegal, and then side load off-Amazon apps such as Hulu, HBO etc. Of course you still need to subscribe to those but gives you much more choice

[Bravo73]

Same apps, same price. You still have to subscribe to them all.

Is the OP referring to a hacked/hooky Firestick? If so, it’s obviously much cheaper than subscribing to all of the various apps.

[Weirdfish]

Is the OP referring to a hacked/hooky Firestick? If so, it’s obviously much cheaper than subscribing to all of the various apps.

I'm listening!

Sent from my SM-T590 using TZ-UK mobile app

[Chinese_Alan]

Have all those posts above gone into loads of detail…when the OP is maybe looking for a £30 a year solution where you pay someone you’ve never met via Paypal?

[demonloop]

There’s Firesticks and then there’s Firesticks!

The “fully loaded” type has the full Sky package, and about 20000 other channels from around the world. Plus 3pm kick offs, usually some VOD content (box sets, movies) and all the PPV stuff

The Sky stuff is pirate I assume, I’m unsure about the other channels if they’re free to air somewhere else (not UK)

[paw3001]

Yes but be careful the fully loaded sticks are illegal due to the use of copyrighted material and you need to use a VPN as well to access many of the channels and to protect yourself.

The risk is low of course but real.

[number2]

Is the OP referring to a hacked/hooky Firestick? If so, it’s obviously much cheaper than subscribing to all of the various apps.

Dodgy sticks are available near enough everywhere, locally they're around £130 to buy and then about £35.00 yearly for software updates (basically all streaming channels are free) rightly or wrongly I associate them not paying the TV licence in other words 'theft', don't get me wrong I can understand the appeal but don't condone them as that's like condoning buying a stolen watch or wearing fakes.

[Weirdfish]

I can’t see the point of having a non legal stick if it’s going to play up or fail possibly, can’t really compare that against what I’ve already got, which is the point of the exercise.

[robcuk]

Have all those posts above gone into loads of detail…when the OP is maybe looking for a £30 a year solution where you pay someone you’ve never met via Paypal?

And who, when they get busted, will pass your details on to the Police who may then charge you with various offences.

[NikGixer750]

I'm listening!

Sent from my SM-T590 using TZ-UK mobile app

In theory, you could pay someone £80 a year, you don't need a fire stick as it could (again in theory) run off any TV with a android system once you can get the google play store to download the program. If not the Nvida shield is way better than a firestick to stop buffering issues, or there are cheaper options.

You would get a telegram app group for any issues and trouble shooting, and it would have every channel, all football, PPV, live channels, recent movies, box sets etc. I would also run a VPN, if you went down this route. Lots of these groups around that keep it all up and running so you don't need to do any of the work yourself.

There has been a few arrests recently for the people selling the pre-loaded fire sticks.

I believe the police are activity trying to catch the suppliers, over individual users.

[bubi]

I got a firestick because my panasonic smart tv is very stupid and runs obscene cheap software that does not even update.

---
BUBI
@porque.racing

[Griswold]

I got a firestick because my panasonic smart tv is very stupid and runs obscene cheap software that does not even update.

---
BUBI
@porque.racing

Same with our supposedly 'smart' Samsung!

[Chinese_Alan]

And who, when they get busted, will pass your details on to the Police who may then charge you with various offences.

Christ knows. I don’t have one but plenty of people seem to.

My Football Clubs Twitter feed is full of replies where fans have uploaded recordings of their TVs showing the 3pm KO.

I don’t really watch films, I go to most of our matches and the internet is full of free porn, I’d rather not take the risk.

What does kill me however is people running these things off Sky Broadband. 🤣

[classics]

The lowest 12 month subscription I heard someone said they paid was £20 and highest was £90 all boasting they are the best and no buffering.
I've had a subscription before, I paid with PayPal and Bank Transfer and as far as I know no unauthorised theft from my accounts. I used the Now box (does not work anymore), Roku box and Firestick, all 3 worked very well, sometimes there was buffering. Any issues or requests go via Texts, Messenger, Telegram or WhatsApp, I was told I didn't need a VPN and as far as I know I never had any issues with my ISP.
There are free apps you can download or go via the KODI route to get VoD Films/TV series, Live TV channels (domestic & international), 3pm KO's, etc... but it is suggested that you use a VPN with these apps.

[Ivan Drago]

And who, when they get busted, will pass your details on to the Police who may then charge you with various offences.

Don’t be daft.

There’s millions of fire sticks and mag boxes being used across the UK.

The risk is nil for being charged with any offence.

The only risk is to the actual streamers who provide the service.

You also don’t need to use a VPN.


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[wileeeeeey]

The risk is nil for being charged with any offence.

The only risk is to the actual streamers who provide the service.

https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/09/warni...down-20432338/

[Ivan Drago]

https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/09/warni...down-20432338/

Ha please there’s never been an arrest for someone using a fire stick or mag box in their home.

They’ve been running those stories for 10 years. Are the police going to start knocking on doors and having a signed warrant to enter your home to check for a fire stick ?

The police can’t even come to your home if it’s been ransacked.

As I said earlier there are tens of millions of fire stick and mag box users in the UK.


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[Mj2k]

https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/09/warni...down-20432338/

Exactly, you want your channels, pay the going price & don’t be a freeloading parasite. I pay for the whole lot with Sky, broadband through Virgin for the speed, plus Prime, Netflix & Disney, feel I get excellent VFM from the enjoyment I get.


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[stooo]

Same with our supposedly 'smart' Samsung!

Same, but went appleTV. So much better than any built in TV junk.

[stooo]

Ha please there’s never been an arrest for someone using a fire stick or mag box in their home.

They’ve been running those stories for 10 years. Are the police going to start knocking on doors and having a signed warrant to enter your home to check for a fire stick ?

The police can’t even come to your home if it’s been ransacked.

As I said earlier there are tens of millions of fire stick and mag box users in the UK.


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I feel like you may be making those numbers up.

10’s of millions? I know at least 6 people and no one has a hooky fire stick.

It’s more likely to be rights holders pushing you than the fuzz.

[Halitosis]

My son is at uni and even he has no idea how to get one of these hooky firesticks - which I'm pleased about.

Its sad that many folk are so comfortable with theft

[Ivan Drago]

My son is at uni and even he has no idea how to get one of these hooky firesticks - which I'm pleased about.

Its sad that many folk are so comfortable with theft

How comfortable are you breaking the legal speed limit ?


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[Ivan Drago]

I feel like you may be making those numbers up.

10’s of millions? I know at least 6 people and no one has a hooky fire stick.

It’s more likely to be rights holders pushing you than the fuzz.

In 2017 it was estimated 1 million people were using mag boxes or Kodi to illegally stream.

Latest data claims it’s 25% of Britain.

Those figures are from IP Protection Body FACT UK.


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[stooo]

In 2017 it was estimated 1 million people were using mag boxes or Kodi to illegally stream.

Latest data claims it’s 25% of Britain.

Those figures are from IP Protection Body FACT UK.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Links?

I’m going to have to have a family meeting to find out who is stealing.

If it’s the dog I’m going to have his balls cut off.

[ninjaguppy]

Got a fully hacked fire stick with sky glass loaded into it. £70 for the year with every single channel like 2000 of them and full movies and box sets. Loads of people offering it around.

[Onelasttime]

Got a fully hacked fire stick with sky glass loaded into it. £70 for the year with every single channel like 2000 of them and full movies and box sets. Loads of people offering it around.

Damn, so cool bro.

[number2]

Got a fully hacked fire stick with sky glass loaded into it. £70 for the year with every single channel like 2000 of them and full movies and box sets. Loads of people offering it around.

Thanks for sharing....

[jon8oy]

Interesting thread. As always there are several sides to it.

I believe cost of living crisis has shot up the popularity of these types of services - many can no longer afford the ever-increasing subscription costs. I have several friendship groups from different areas of my life (school, uni, prior jobs, work) with really mixed demographics and loads of them have these. Loads. If you are a football fan who wants to watch all the televised Premier League and Champions League matches you need subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT and Amazon Prime. That's best part of £50 a month! For a great many people in the UK that is just too much. That's crazy when we are largely talking about people who work full time. Life is becoming (and has become in some cases) so incredibly joyless when large masses of our population work multiple jobs and still have no time or disposable income to enjoy anything. Even the simple pleasure of watching your team play a match on TV.

Now, if someone offers you a service for £40-60 for a full year, you get all the games, plus 3pm KOs, choice of channels with different pundits, plus full library of TV series and films from all the streaming providers... Very tempting.

Look at the current state of policing and law enforcement in the UK. People can't get the police interested in theft of bikes and vehicles, significant crimes - because they are underpaid, too busy, and not enough of them. Does anyone really believe police officers are en masse visiting people's homes to crack down on them watching telly? There are many stories of people investigating their own cases and gathering evidence for the police in recent years, especially collection of CCTV evidence. Even when that is brought directly to them often the case goes nowhere.

Next up is the media. You'll notice a pattern with these stories - they are typically written as if FACT is a government body with law enforcement powers. It's not. It's basically a cartel set up by TV/streaming companies. The link posted by Wiley has not a single comment from an official source or spokesperson for the police or government. Only from FACT. They only care because it's money out of their pockets - after they've been bleeding customers dry and skyrocketing their own profits for years. There are regularly stories released in the media like this from FACT - if you Google you will see the articles are almost always identical... Funny what happens when the people who run a media company want to push a campaign to frighten people.

No individual in the UK has ever been prosecuted for viewing these types of services. Not one. There have been a handful of people who have been prosecuted for running large operations to deliver the services.

Aside from all that... Even Harry Kane has one!

https://x.com/aaroncikaya/status/176...331138335?s=20

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[Speedyexplorer]

The obscene cost of football now is why more people are turning to fire sticks.
You want to watch football in the UK you are looking at over a grand a year.

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick...zn-apple-prime

Even for that amount you don’t get to see every game your team plays. You support a big club just over half of their games are televised, you support one of the smaller teams only a quarter are televised.

https://www.football365.com/news/whi...sky-sports-tnt

And all the while the average wage of an EPL player is now £60k a week.

https://www.888sport.com/blog/footba...tballer-salary.

I really don’t know why The EPL are not setting up their own Netflix type screening app where every game is televised. You pay £10 a month, you get to watch every game your team plays at a fraction of the cost.just selling 50 million subscription a year would dwarf the tv deal they currently have.

[Tooks]

Times are hard for lots of people, and whilst I can see why they’d turn to crime to put food on the table, I struggle when it comes to putting football or any other sport on the TV.

[Onelasttime]

The obscene cost of football now is why more people are turning to fire sticks.
You want to watch football in the UK you are looking at over a grand a year.

I pay about £20 a month for TNT to watch Liverpool in Europe.

Then £12 for a Now day pass if I'm lucky enough to have time to watch a Liverpool Premier league game.

Probably costs me about £300 a year tops. Why would you need/want to watch any more games not featuring your team?

[Griswold]

The obscene cost of football now is why more people are turning to fire sticks.
You want to watch football in the UK you are looking at over a grand a year.

https://www.planetfootball.com/quick...zn-apple-prime

Even for that amount you don’t get to see every game your team plays. You support a big club just over half of their games are televised, you support one of the smaller teams only a quarter are televised.

https://www.football365.com/news/whi...sky-sports-tnt

And all the while the average wage of an EPL player is now £60k a week.

https://www.888sport.com/blog/footba...tballer-salary.

I really don’t know why The EPL are not setting up their own Netflix type screening app where every game is televised. You pay £10 a month, you get to watch every game your team plays at a fraction of the cost.just selling 50 million subscription a year would dwarf the tv deal they currently have.

The stadiums would be practically empty, and gate receipts would be seriously damaged is one reason. Also, the Premiership is but a small part of the football structure in the UK, and not every football fan wants to watch a bunch of overpaid premadona's rolling about in feigned agony.

And I wonder how many supposed PL Team supporters ever go to a match to properly support the team they claim to? I regularly see Liverpool, Man City and United shirts being worn around town when we are miles and miles away from any of those places. Just like Rolex, the PL is all about hype and marketing with a view to making lots of money with as little effort as possible!

[paw3001]

Interesting thread. As always there are several sides to it.

I believe cost of living crisis has shot up the popularity of these types of services - many can no longer afford the ever-increasing subscription costs. I have several friendship groups from different areas of my life (school, uni, prior jobs, work) with really mixed demographics and loads of them have these. Loads. If you are a football fan who wants to watch all the televised Premier League and Champions League matches you need subscriptions to Sky Sports, TNT and Amazon Prime. That's best part of £50 a month! For a great many people in the UK that is just too much. That's crazy when we are largely talking about people who work full time. Life is becoming (and has become in some cases) so incredibly joyless when large masses of our population work multiple jobs and still have no time or disposable income to enjoy anything. Even the simple pleasure of watching your team play a match on TV.

Now, if someone offers you a service for £40-60 for a full year, you get all the games, plus 3pm KOs, choice of channels with different pundits, plus full library of TV series and films from all the streaming providers... Very tempting.

Look at the current state of policing and law enforcement in the UK. People can't get the police interested in theft of bikes and vehicles, significant crimes - because they are underpaid, too busy, and not enough of them. Does anyone really believe police officers are en masse visiting people's homes to crack down on them watching telly? There are many stories of people investigating their own cases and gathering evidence for the police in recent years, especially collection of CCTV evidence. Even when that is brought directly to them often the case goes nowhere.

Next up is the media. You'll notice a pattern with these stories - they are typically written as if FACT is a government body with law enforcement powers. It's not. It's basically a cartel set up by TV/streaming companies. The link posted by Wiley has not a single comment from an official source or spokesperson for the police or government. Only from FACT. They only care because it's money out of their pockets - after they've been bleeding customers dry and skyrocketing their own profits for years. There are regularly stories released in the media like this from FACT - if you Google you will see the articles are almost always identical... Funny what happens when the people who run a media company want to push a campaign to frighten people.

No individual in the UK has ever been prosecuted for viewing these types of services. Not one. There have been a handful of people who have been prosecuted for running large operations to deliver the services.

Aside from all that... Even Harry Kane has one!

https://x.com/aaroncikaya/status/176...331138335?s=20

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Harry better be careful and use a VPN because in Germany they are very active in prosecuting illegal streamers and downloaders!

I am sure he can afford the fine though

[adrianw]

Ha please there’s never been an arrest for someone using a fire stick or mag box in their home.

They’ve been running those stories for 10 years. Are the police going to start knocking on doors and having a signed warrant to enter your home to check for a fire stick ?

The police can’t even come to your home if it’s been ransacked.

As I said earlier there are tens of millions of fire stick and mag box users in the UK.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Netflix have now worked out how to track IP addresses and turn off illicit users, so the ability is definitely there, how do you know that no one has been prosecuted?

[Mj2k]

Times are hard for lots of people, and whilst I can see why they’d turn to crime to put food on the table, I struggle when it comes to putting football or any other sport on the TV.

Exactly, football is hardly one of life’s necessities to survive. You may feel you miss out, or go and watch it in a pub & nurse a pint for the duration.

Luckily I don’t like the game, saw 2 matches at 2 different ends of the spectrum. Man Utd in a box on a corporate jolly & Colchester Utd in the rain.

[Speedyexplorer]

Also, the Premiership is but a small part of the football structure in the UK, and not every football fan wants to watch a bunch of overpaid premadona's rolling about in feigned agony.

My point exactly, I support a Scottish team, I go to home games but to see away games I would have to pay for sky, tnt and viaplay, and 90% of that subscription fee goes to the EPL, I have no dog in that race so to speak, couldn’t care less who wins it.

[Griswold]

My point exactly, I support a Scottish team, I go to home games but to see away games I would have to pay for sky, tnt and viaplay, and 90% of that subscription fee goes to the EPL, I have no dog in that race so to speak, couldn’t care less who wins it.

I support a struggling 4th tear club down here and am a season ticket holder so go to all home games. Also try to get to away games if there's not too much travelling involved. We're lucky that for Tuesday evening matches when we are away the EFL offer a streaming product called iFollow for £10 per game with part of that going to the club.

The gap in funding between the EPL and the EFL clubs is ridiculous, I can only hope that with the appointment of a new Independent Football Regulator this can be ironed out.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/m...20due%20course

[Ivan Drago]

The stadiums would be practically empty, and gate receipts would be seriously damaged is one reason. Also, the Premiership is but a small part of the football structure in the UK, and not every football fan wants to watch a bunch of overpaid premadona's rolling about in feigned agony.

And I wonder how many supposed PL Team supporters ever go to a match to properly support the team they claim to? I regularly see Liverpool, Man City and United shirts being worn around town when we are miles and miles away from any of those places. Just like Rolex, the PL is all about hype and marketing with a view to making lots of money with as little effort as possible!

Stadiums wouldn’t be empty at all. That’s complete nonsense, people can already watch every game of professional football on the planet from the comfort of their own home for 70 quid a year.

People go the game because the want to go the game.


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[Ivan Drago]

Netflix have now worked out how to track IP addresses and turn off illicit users, so the ability is definitely there, how do you know that no one has been prosecuted?

Bring an article up with a domestic user being prosecuted for using a fire stick.

It hasn’t happened Adrian.


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[adrianw]

Bring an article up with a domestic user being prosecuted for using a fire stick.

It hasn’t happened Adrian.


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I didn't say prosecuted, they are just turning them off, it does seem that their are people on here condoning stealing, I'm surprised

[Ivan Drago]

I didn't say prosecuted, they are just turning them off, it does seem that their are people on here condoning stealing, I'm surprised

You said how do I know no one’s been prosecuted ?

I know they haven’t because it would be headline news !

Everybody on here breaks the speed limit everyday, that’s against the law and that can lead to people dying.

What’s worse ?


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[stooo]

Why do you advocate so heavily for this?

[Tooks]

You said how do I know no one’s been prosecuted ?

I know they haven’t because it would be headline news !

Everybody on here breaks the speed limit everyday, that’s against the law and that can lead to people dying.

What’s worse ?


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Two wrongs are merely two wrongs.

[Ivan Drago]

Why do you advocate so heavily for this?

I don’t advocate for it, I’m merely pointing out that it’s already widespread with millions of people in the UK using the services whilst highlighting the nonsense in the articles posted.


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