Amazon Fire TV stick $20 for 2 days

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Is there a way to get a list of all prime documentaries, especially travel documentaries on a computer?
 
I bought and returned it due to lackluster plex performance. Choppy and froze quite a bit compared to my Chromecast with plex app. Also resolution not as good for whatever reason with plex and 1080 video.

I went to Fire as my Chromecast simply stopped working after 1.5 years. However something changed up with I got a new Xfinity router and connected old router. My daughter cast PBS Kids and it flipped TV and Chromecast was working again.

Having Amazon prime video directly is nice though but not enough to make me jump. Amazon Fire also lacks the HBO and Showtime apps thus far.
 
How do you use the Plex? The only thing it seems to be good for (at least in my case) is to do slide show of the pictures. I could do the video *after* conversion but that is a convoluted process and one can only watch one clip at a time. There is also no way to stream a DVD loaded in the computer directly.
 
I know it's OT, but I am shocked at how well and smoothly the built in Viera DLNA app works on my Panasonic "smart"TV. I can access ALL the media (music / pics / videos ) on all our laptops at home and stream them in great quality without even moving a mouse and just using the TV remote (or the Panasonic iphone app remote which is even better). Nothing to set up - just need the laptops on and the TV remote.

I NEVER imagined I would use this function so much. Now, watching videos I have DL'd or showing a huge photo album on any of the laptops are a breeze.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
How do you use the Plex? The only thing it seems to be good for (at least in my case) is to do slide show of the pictures. I could do the video *after* conversion but that is a convoluted process and one can only watch one clip at a time. There is also no way to stream a DVD loaded in the computer directly.

There are programs out there, such as Handbrake that allow you to rip your DVD movies directly to your hard drive or other network media storage that you may have at home. The idea is to rip your entire movie library that way, so that Plex Server (installed on a PC) can then stream it to any device such as Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, phone, etc.

For an occasional movie that you just want to watch from a DVD directly, Plex is not the answer.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Nothing to set up - just need the laptops on and the TV remote.

That's great to hear.

On our Samsung TV, for this to work, you actually had to install a Samsung app/server on a PC first. And even then, it was very slow and clunky, so I stopped using it. Then again, our Samsung TV is 5 years old. Possibly they make them better now.
 
Yeah - no set up here at all, the DLNA app was built in and all I had to do was enable media sharing on our 2 laptops and the netbook.
The TV has a Hexa Engine Dual Core Processor or whatver it's called so it's pretty snappy.
I compared the quality of some 720p and 1080p movies i had on my netbook: connected via HDMI and streamed via DLNA on the Panny:

I must say, the difference in PQ in ONE of the movies was miniscule, and the rest was equal in PQ, and the difference, if any, was/is not worth the HDMI/mouse hassle. The Panny DLNA started the movies VERY quickly, and i am yet to see a single hiccup / interruption, and have watched at least 3-4 movies and more than 20 TV episodes since I got the TV ( a few weeks ago)
(FYI both the netbook and Panny are hardwired to the router, IDK if it helps stability)

NOTE: apologies to OP for being OT. But compared with how much one has to mess with PLEX and moving / ripping files (at least so it seemed to ME), the option of a good smart TV DLNA can be helpful to some, as there's zero fiddling with your files; they can remain wherever they are, AS they are.
 
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Originally Posted By: 97tbird
NOTE: apologies to OP for being OT. But compared with how much one has to mess with PLEX and moving / ripping files (at least so it seemed to ME),

To clarify, if the video is already in one of the common PC file formats such as .avi, .mp4, or .mkv, then there is no further ripping required for Plex to recognize it. Vikas wanted to play a physical DVD, and Plex can't handle it, but I'm pretty sure that neither can your Panasonic TV.

The benefit of Plex is that you can stream the content to any internet enabled device, even if you aren't at home. We have some older TVs in the house that don't have internet nor DLNA, so plugging in a Chromecast or Amazon Fire Stick TV solves the problem.

Now, if all our TVs had brisk DLNA like your Panasonic does, then that would be nice.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Yeah - no set up here at all, the DLNA app was built in and all I had to do was enable media sharing on our 2 laptops and the netbook.

Also curious, does that Panny TV support external subtitles over DLNA (in .srt format)? We watch foreign movies at times, so that comes in handy.
 
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Vikas said:
what i find amazing is that the movies from amazon prime did NOT buffer even for a second - it was instantaneous and pic quality was on par with Roku3 pic quality ! (amazon stick on 5 Ghz band on our 20 MBPS connection, and roku is hard wired to router)

Will test its portability tomorrow night at a hotel room.


Same feelings here, last night I did a Pawn Stars marathon, and forgot I was watching a stream. Can't remember it glitching even once. It is a quality viewing experience. I am going to move mine around the house tonight, to test range from my wireless router.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Yeah - no set up here at all, the DLNA app was built in and all I had to do was enable media sharing on our 2 laptops and the netbook.

Also curious, does that Panny TV support external subtitles over DLNA (in .srt format)? We watch foreign movies at times, so that comes in handy.



That's something I am not sure of. Will research a bit and see. I know it supports embedded subs in foreign movies fine when using the amazon prime app on the Viera interface, but i know that's different from what you're asking.
I think I do have .srt subtitled movie files i once downloaded for someone else; I will check soon if I can play those movies and see if subtitles appear over DLNA.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
How do you use the Plex? The only thing it seems to be good for (at least in my case) is to do slide show of the pictures. I could do the video *after* conversion but that is a convoluted process and one can only watch one clip at a time. There is also no way to stream a DVD loaded in the computer directly.


I use Plex and my own Tablo(DVR with no HDMI port for broadcast TV) against a server outside my home with high speed connection for video & TV streaming to a chromecast. Works wonderfully with our two in family winter getaways that happen to have internet available at each.
 
Just got the kid to plug the Stick in the TV and got it going.
I actually got it a couple days ago. Today he asked about his allowance & I said not until you work the Amazon Stick. wow that was fast, in & wife watching something Amazon Prime last episode of something she missed....
Maybe I should have bought two (when it was half price) so I can try it.
 
Just installed my FireTV stick. It was easy to set up, works with an iPhone as a remote, and seems to have very good to excellent resolution. The resolution is dependent on internet speed and congestion. I have cable internet with 30Mb/s speed. And an ASUS N66U N router (2 frequencies) I watched Lillyhammer and the picture was perfect. Watched an episode of Breaking Bad and it too about 20 seconds before I had full HD picture quality, also there was a touch of jerkyness to it at first. Seemed to smooth right out quickly.
 
I have mine on an Asus N66u too, connected to 5Ghz band, and the playback started right off with full HD, no jerkiness at all.
(Our connection runs 16-20 MBPS most of the time)
 
I'm CALLING in stupid here.....let's say I got a newer, good Samsung TV with HDMI ports and USB hubs. What all exactly would I need to use one of these "stick" things? I got a Wi-fi that cranks out about 6-10 MPS that I use for the phones, tablet, 3DS and my printer. That's it. Do I have to purchase a special tablet, like an Amazon Fire, or something to make it work? Or do I simply plug in the stick, help it find my wifi, and then that's it? Yeah, I know, REALLY behind the all-things-computer club here, but I just have to ask. Please, be gentle if you reply.
 
Originally Posted By: Schmoe
Or do I simply plug in the stick, help it find my wifi, and then that's it?


Yes, That's it.
Make sure you use the supplied USB power supply for the stick too.
then,
Plug it in to HDMI port, turn on TV, select correct HDMI input and follow instructions on screen.

(Your internet speed SHOULD be enough for HD streaming. the device will detect your network speed automatically during initial set up.)
 
Wow. Think I may give it a try. Thanks fellow
Fayetteville-lian! I was born at the Cumberland County Hospital back in '63, grandparents owned a house right across from Tallywood shopping center on Raeford Road, now it's a church parking lot. I can remember looking up at the tower many times and going to the car hop drive in restaurant to the east a lot and watching the trains past right behind grandma's house.
 
No problem
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Let me know how it goes, and post here if you need further tips.

Very nice to hear about your F-ville history
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I work at Cape Fear Valley hospital, which now owns former Cumb. cty hospital. (Now known as Highsmith Rainey hosp.).
I THINK that's what it used to be, and not the large main hospital known as Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, where I work.
 
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