I’m a big consumer of all media – I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get through my “My List” on my Netflix account! Every night before bed I flip on some Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Go or whatever and stream some movies or tv shows and it keeps me entertained for the latter part of the evening and puts me to sleep in due time.
I used to use my Playstation for all my streaming since it had that capability, but one day I saw a special price on the Amazon Fire Stick, checked out the specs and what it does, and knew I had to get it.
Amazon Fire Stick Review
The first thing that popped out at me is the size. It more or less looks like a flash drive and fits into the HDMI port of your TV. All you need to do is connect it to an outlet with the included cord and it’ll fire up when you go to right source/input on your TV. Then connect it to your internet network and you’re good to go!
What I like about the size is it makes it so portable. I can remove it from the TV in my bedroom and move it to TV in my office with ease. Just unplug it from one and plug it into the other. I can take it when I travel, to a friend’s, or wherever else.
Once you get it loaded up, all you need to do is download apps for your favorite streaming services and log in to your accounts to access them. I’m a huge fan of Amazon Prime (I probably make back my membership fee every year with just the 2-day shipping benefits) and get access to Amazon’s streaming content which is great. I’ve also loaded up my Netflix account, as well as Hulu, HBO Go and HBO Now, Showtime, Starz, and other premium channels that I subscribe to in my home television service package.
My favorite app I’ve loaded on there is probably the NBC Sports app, which I use every morning to watch the Dan Patrick Show to watch the Dan Patrick Show and was also a great thing to have during the day with the Olympics we just had this summer, as well as English Premier League games over the weekend. The WatchESPN app is also a must have for watching all their content – you can watch any of their channels live, plus it has a lot of college football and basketball games, as well as a great archive of their special content.
I’ve loved this device so much that I bought a second one for my parents as a gift last Christmas. I had told them so much about Breaking Bad, but they are so resistant to signing up for Netflix and having another a monthly bill. So I bought them a Fire Stick, loaded up my Netflix account, and now they’re binge-watching shows like the rest of us. You can see a screenshot of that order below.
For just $39.99 on Amazon, you can access all the streaming video (and music and games!) you want in a tiny portable device. I love it and use it every day – it definitely gets the ThingsMenBuy endorsement!
Dave Schmidt
Dave Schmidt is an e-commerce entrepreneur specializing in business-to-consumer products, social media, affiliate marketing and SEO. He currently resides in Fort Lauderdale. When not working, Dave enjoys spending time with nephew and dogs, trying new beers, anything involving music, and soaking up the Florida sun in between trips home to his native Minnesota.
