Streaming video is a new step in the TV industry and it is now obvious that this way of watching content will dominate over the next decades.
There are already many competitors in this market, including Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime (as well as many others).
But what if your TV doesn’t support any of these services? Or if you don’t have a Smart TV at all, but you still want to access streaming services instead of watching broadcast TV.
In that case, you can use a media streaming device like the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Amazon Fire TV Stick explained
Even though this media streaming device has been on the market for years, many people still haven’t heard of it. And that’s okay, it just hasn’t become as popular as other analogs (like Apple TV). However, it’s still very good and its price is very nice if you want to try a media streaming device and are not ready to pay a lot of money.
There are three different versions of the Amazon Fire Stick: Lite, Standard, and 4K, so let’s look at all of them closer:
- Amazon Fire Stick Lite is only $29 and offers all the entry-level features, including content in Full HD.
- Amazon Fire Stick Standard: This is the best choice among Amazon Fire Sticks, in my humble opinion, it also only supports Full HD, but has an improved remote and a better processor, making it more user-friendly.
- Amazon Fire Stick 4K: This device supports video up to 4K and has an improved processor. If your TV supports 4K, why not pay more and get an improved device?
However, if you’re new to media streaming devices and don’t know if you will use them in the future, I recommend starting with the Amazon Fire Stick Lite, it only costs $30 and will give you an understanding of the basic features.
It includes support for voice commands which is very good for such a low price.
It’s important to understand that with the Amazon Fire Stick you don’t have to watch only Amazon Prime Video, you can also watch YouTube or Netflix.
Does your Samsung TV support Amazon Fire Stick
This is very simple, if your Samsung TV has HDMI, then it is already compatible with Fire Stick. Also, you need to have Internet for streaming content, so you need to have a reliable Wi-Fi network.
You also need to have an Amazon account, if you buy the Amazon Fire Stick on Amazon, it would be signed in to your account by default.
How to connect Amazon Fire Stick to your Samsung TV
First, you need to connect the Amazon Fire Stick to your Samsung TV. Here’s what you should do:
- The device comes with a micro-USB power cable in the box, so just plug the micro-USB to the port on your Fire Stick and to the power adapter (pre plugged into a wall outlet)
- Plug the Fire Stick into the HDMI port on your Samsung TV (I recommend to use HDMI 1, in case your TV has more than one HDMI port)
- Turn on your TV and change the input channel to HDMI
- Choose HDMI 1 (or any other HDMI port you used to connect the Fire Stick)
- Wait for the Fire Stick to boot
How to pair Amazon Fire Stick remote
Second, you need to pair the remote with the TV. To do this, do the following:
- Use the batteries that come in the box to insert them into the back of the Fire Stick remote
- Then the remote control should automatically pair with the TV
- If not, just press and hold the home button
- The remote control should then pair with the Fire Stick
- Use Play/Pause to continue setting. This will include selecting your language and pressing OK
How to connect Fire Stick to Wi-Fi network
During the setup process, you will see a list of Wi-Fi spots that you will be able to join. Choose yours and enter your password, or use the WPS button on your Wi-Fi router to automatically connect the Fire Stick to the Wi-Fi network.
How to sign in to Amazon on Fire Stick
In case you’ve bought your Fire Stick directly from Amazon, it would be automatically connected to the Amazon account you used to buy it. In case you’ve bought it in another place, just use one of two options on your screen:
- I’m new to Amazon
- I already have an Amazon account
Use the first one if you don’t have an Amazon account or the second one in case you already have your Amazon account.
After you sign in, Fire Stick will ask whether you want to share your Wi-Fi network password with other Amazon accounts. In case you have or want to buy more Amazon devices – choose Yes. If Fire Stick is your only device – choose No.
Also, you would have an opportunity to turn parental control on. If you choose Enable Parental Controls, you would be offered to create PIN code. If you don’t have kids and don’t want to enable Parental Controls – choose No Parental Controls.
Actually that’s all you should do to start using Amazon Fire Stick with your Samsung TV, enjoy watching!
