Amazon fire stick

[Inderpland]

A mate in the UK has bought an Amazon fire stick that he's had recoded(?) so that it can show basically anything that's being streamed. Will the stick work if he brings it to Thailand?

[KannikaP]

I think you will find that he has had an IPTV programme installed. So it should work the same when ever it is connected to the Internet anywhere.

I have one which allows me to watch almost anything.

[khunjake]

We use 3 FireTV sticks here and have no issues. Use Surfshark or your preferred VPN to access US/UK, etc. content. 

[ukrules]

Are they really any good?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 hours ago, Inderpland said:

Amazon fire stick that he's had recoded(?)

Not sure what exactly your "recoded" comment above is supposed to mean re Amazon's Fire TV devices...

 

But, like others, I've been using numerous of them for years with successive models, and they've all worked great for streaming all kinds of content.

 

To make use of them, though, you need to sign into the device with an Amazon account, or have the device already signed in, in a country where Amazon supports the devices.

 

More specifically, to be clear, you don't need to physically be in either the U.S. or the U.K. at all. But you do need to have the device signed into a valid Amazon account (email address and password) in one of those Amazon device supported countries.

 

In order to access the content you want on the Fire device, you can either run the VPN of your choice off your wifi router if it supports that, or if it doesn't, the Amazon app store for Fire devices contains the apps for all kinds of different commercial VPN providers including most of the major ones.

 

The better VPN providers these days have what's called split tunneling in their apps, which allow the user to choose which apps on the device use its native IP connection (such as one for Thailand) vs which one use its VPN connection (such as for connecting to the U.S. or U.K.)

 

So for example, with a split tunneling VPN app, you could use the Thai IP to connect a Netflix Thailand account on the device, and at the same time use a UK VPN connection to give you access to the BBC or something UK based like that.

 

Also, more broadly, the Fire TV devices are basically a modified version of the Google Android OS.... So once the Fire device is up and running, you also can sideload regular Android apps for things that may not be directly available from the Amazon app store. Android/Google TV apps work especially well, since they're already designed to work with a remote control as opposed to a touch screen, which would be the case for Android mobile apps.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[HauptmannUK]

I have a Firestick '4K with Alexa' which I bought from Amazon UK earlier this year on an offer at £30.  I also subscribe to IPTV (Wizz TV) for £75/year. Works fine in UK and Thailand.

[still kicking]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Are they really any good?

Yes but I am in OZ and no nothing about LOS

Edited September 16, 2023 by still kicking

[hithere]

6 hours ago, Inderpland said:

A mate in the UK has bought an Amazon fire stick that he's had recoded(?) so that it can show basically anything that's being streamed. Will the stick work if he brings it to Thailand?

Sure it's work here, I'm use firestick 

[kwonitoy]

Just google, how to jail break a fire stick

 

I used https://troypoint.com/how-to-jailbreak-a-firestick/, along with a SurfShark VPN

It's a little fiddely to set up but once it's done your good to go

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

41 minutes ago, kwonitoy said:

Just google, how to jail break a fire stick

 

I used https://troypoint.com/how-to-jailbreak-a-firestick/, along with a SurfShark VPN

It's a little fiddely to set up but once it's done your good to go

 So-called "jailbreaking" a Fire device is pretty much nothing more than just installing the "Downloader" app from the Fire device's built-in app store that is the vehicle you use to then download stuff from sources other than Amazon, and then enabling downloads from 3rd party sources such as the Downloader app in the Fire device's Settings / Developer options menu, so it functions properly.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

A very good source for learning what Fire device users can do outside of the Amazon ecosystem is a UK based YouTube site called TechDoctorUK.

 

The guy behind the site does an excellent job of posting easy to follow, step-by-step instruction tutorials to do all kinds of things with the Fire devices.

 

https://www.youtube.com/@TechDoctorUK

 

 

[essex boys]

I have a firestick from the Uk, i have had it here two years it works perfectly, I get sky sports and movies plus Uk tv and loads of other stuff, tv from America and Australia etc, £55 per year subscription 

[Scottie12]

Firesticks are great devices, they are all I use in U.K. and Thailand and I also use them in hotels when travelling in Europe. You should get someone who already has one to help you set it up as they can be quite complicated for an absolute beginner.

[BarnicaleBob]

You can purchase the same fire stick here in Thailand.  Lazada also sells them on-line in Thailand ranging in price between 1,390 and 2,450 baht.  

[cracker1]

I use in Thailand for several years now and also when travelling here and overseas, from hotel rooms. I recommend the 4K MAX model.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 hours ago, cracker1 said:

I use in Thailand for several years now and also when travelling here and overseas, from hotel rooms. I recommend the 4K MAX model.

I agree. The Max stick is the sweet spot among Amazon devices in terms of price vs. capability...including because it comes with Wifi 6/AX capability.

 

Although the Max only comes with 8 GB of device storage, about half of which is used up by the OS and related apps, it's not that difficult to expand its storage with a USB thumb drive that ends up being formatted as internal storage for the device.

 

However, Amazon supposedly is going to be announcing its new update of Fire devices in the coming days, and the Fire followers are predicting one of the soon to be announced devices will be a new version of the Max stick... So stay tuned for that.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 hours ago, essex boys said:

I have a firestick from the Uk, i have had it here two years it works perfectly, I get sky sports and movies plus Uk tv and loads of other stuff, tv from America and Australia etc, £55 per year subscription 

What (and with whom) exactly are you subscribing to for 55 pounds per year on your UK Firestick?  I'm guessing it's one of the UK-oriented "gray market" streaming services?

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

10 hours ago, Scottie12 said:

Firesticks are great devices, they are all I use in U.K. and Thailand and I also use them in hotels when travelling in Europe.

I've got some older spare Fire devices at home, like the regular Fire Stick 4K (non-Max).

 

And so for some time now, whenever I'm traveling INSIDE Thailand with a hotel stay or back to the home country for that matter, I take along one of my spares, plug it into the HDMI port on the hotel TV, and bingo, with a VPN app installed, it's just like my setup at home....

 

And much better than what the Thai hotels typically offer thru their local cable subscriptions.

 

[Depending on the hotel, sometimes I need to take along a power strip extension cord or a micro-USB extension cord, because sometimes the hotels don't have an available AC outlet close to their TVs... Although technically, you often can just power the Fire sticks using only the micro USB port on the TV... as long as you're not going to do OS updates that require restarts... In that latter case, you need an actual AC power connection in order for the OS updates to work properly.]

 

 

[BenStark]

34 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

What (and with whom) exactly are you subscribing to for 55 pounds per year on your UK Firestick?  I'm guessing it's one of the UK-oriented "gray market" streaming services?

 

You know any other way to watch Sky sports in Thailand?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

7 minutes ago, BenStark said:

You know any other way to watch Sky sports in Thailand?

I wasn't complaining about the prior poster's  @essex boys comment regarding his 55 pounds per year subscription... Just asking WHO he was subscribing with... to try to understand whether it is some legal subscription or, charitably, a "gray market" one.

 

But being an American, when it comes to sports, I'm more inclined to ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL+, etc etc... all of which are available on the Fire TV devices as legal and legit apps and subscriptions, provided you're using the appropriate VPN.

 

I don't know whether there are comparable legal options available for UK sports streaming services or not, assuming the person is capable of setting up a VPN connection.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

But being an American, when it comes to sports, I'm more inclined to ESPN, Fox Sports, NFL+, etc etc... all of which are available on the Fire TV devices as legal and legit apps and subscriptions, provided you're using the appropriate VPN.

provided you're using the appropriate VPN, means they are NOT available to watch legally in Thailand, regardless you pay a subscription to the copyright holder

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 minutes ago, BenStark said:

provided you're using the appropriate VPN, means they are NOT available to watch legally in Thailand, regardless you pay a subscription to the copyright holder

The streaming providers I mentioned are legal, and you're paying the providers for their content with the U.S. address and payment method that they require.

 

As opposed to the gray market providers being illegal and not legally entitled to be distributing the content at all, in the UK or anywhere else.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[BenStark]

Just now, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The streaming providers I mentioned are legal, and you're paying the providers for their content...

 

As opposed to the gray market providers being illegal and not legally entitled to be distributing the content at all, in the UK or anywhere else.

 

 

You are correct that the providers are legal, I pointed that also out in my previous post, but the fact that you need a VPN that places you virtually in the US, should be enough evidence that you are not legally entitled to watch those streams in Thailand.

 

Maybe you should look up broadcasting rights

[DudleySquat]

On 9/16/2023 at 4:57 PM, Inderpland said:

A mate in the UK has bought an Amazon fire stick that he's had recoded(?) so that it can show basically anything that's being streamed. Will the stick work if he brings it to Thailand?

I have one. It works. Don't listen to anyone else on here.  

 

One things, if your buddy buys it, it will come registered to him. You will need to call support and put your Amazon account on it. 

[Fairynuff]

I use a fire stick with Surfshark and it’s excellent. I originally used UKexpatVPN which was ok but not very stable but CS became rude and unhelpful so I got rid of them. Surfshark costs less than half and works perfectly.

Id love to know what the OP is talking about “recoded”

Incidentally a few months ago Sky News stopped working with the VPN running but was ok without it (the opposite of how it should be). Now it works with or without it. I have no idea why that is.

[essex boys]

Thé firestick i havé that allows me to watch sky sports and movies etc plus movies from around the world and latest releases etc, I joined a group on telegram, the group is run by two guys from the Uk they send you the details on now and what to load on your firestick ( I think it’s an app called power tv) once that’s done you transfer the £55 they then give you a password and a username and that’s it your up and running, subscription is every 12 months you don’t need to download anything again just pay your subscription. The telegram group is how you ask questions and get any problems sorted out, I’ve been using it for three years and no problems

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's the info I mentioned above about the Amazon announcement of a new and much improved version of the Fire Stick 4K Max:

 

"To start with, Amazon gave attendees a preview of the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which promises to be the most powerful Fire TV Stick yet. It includes support for Wi-Fi 6E, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio. The device also features 16GB of storage, which is twice the amount the previous generation of Fire TV Stick had. The Fire TV Stick 4K will retail for $59.99."

 

https://thestreamable.com/news/amazon-unveils-new-fire-tv-sticks-alexa-updates-more-at-fall-product-launch

 

Doubling the internal storage to 16 GB is a good and long overdue move... eliminating the need for folks like myself with the original Fire Stick Max devices to tinker around in getting USB stick storage formatted as added internal storage on those Fire OS 7 devices.

 

Will be interesting to watch -- Amazon has another 'Prime Days" type sales event coming up in mid October, and then the annual big Prime Days sale right after Thanksgiving...  Will be interesting to see if the new Fire Stick 4K Max goes on sale for either of those events.

 

Most of the specs for the new 4K Max seem to be pretty much the same as the prior one, except for the doubled internal storage, a slightly faster CPU, and the upgrade to Wifi 6E vs the prior Wifi 6. The new one is also coming with the newer Fire OS 8, which is the equivalent of Android OS 11.

 

https://www.aftvnews.com/comparison-table-of-all-recent-2018-thru-2023-4k-fire-tv-stick-cube-models-1st-gen-vs-2nd-gen-firesticks-4k-vs-4k-max-vs-cube/

 

 

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by TallGuyJohninBKK