Amazon Fire TV – How to QUICKLY Decide between Fire Stick, 4k Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire TV Cube, & Fire TV Recast

So you know you want to buy an Amazon Fire TV Device but you’re not sure which one? I can help you. In this article, we’ll review the key differences between the Fire TV Stick, the Firestick 4k, the Fire TV Cube, and the Fire TV Recast so you can complete your decision and buy the right Fire TV device that’s best for your family. 

This article assumes you’ve already made the decision that an Amazon Fire TV device is right for you and that you just need help on choosing which model is best. 

Amazon Fire TV Table of Contents

  1. Video Review
  2. How to Decide which Fire TV Device to buy
    • Know the options available.
    • Know what YOU want the device to do.
    • Buy the Fire TV device(s) that’s best for you.
  3. Fire TV Accessories
  4. More Tips

Buy a Fire TV Device with Confidence

The Amazon Fire TV Devices (as a group) are our #1 recommended option for people who are trying to cut the cord and ditch their cable tv. If you want to EASILY stream tv online, the Amazon Fire TV devices are your best bet.

Compared to Roku, Apple TV, Smart TV, and other digital media players, the Amazon Fire TV Devices are the easiest to set up, the easiest to use, and the easiest to find content on.

This is especially true for older adults (over 40) who are new to the world of streaming tv online. 

Fire TV Options – The VIDEO

How to Decide which Fire TV Device is Right for You?

It’s really a simple 3-step process.

  1. Know what Fire TV Devices are available.
  2. Decide what you want the Fire TV Device to do
  3. Make the purchase

Step 1: Know the Fire TV Device Variations

To get started we first have to know the various Fire TV devices that are available. They are…

Fire TV Stick streaming device with Alexa built in, includes Alexa Voice Remote, HD, latest release
  • The #1 best-selling streaming media player, with Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen, released 2019).
  • Use the dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons to control your TV, soundbar, and receiver.
  • Watch favorites from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO, and more. Stream for free with Pluto, IMDB TV, and more.
  • More storage for apps and games than any other streaming media stick.
  • Experience tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills, plus browse millions of websites using Firefox or Silk.

Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls) | Dolby Vision
  • Cinematic experience - Watch in vibrant 4K Ultra HD with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+.
  • Home theater audio with Dolby Atmos - Feel scenes come to life with support for immersive Dolby Atmos audio on select titles with compatible home audio systems.
  • Endless entertainment - Stream more than 1 million movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.
  • Live and free TV - Watch live TV, news, and sports with subscriptions to SLING TV, YouTube TV, and others. Stream for free with Pluto TV, IMDb TV, YouTube and more.
  • Alexa Voice Remote lets you use your voice to search and launch shows across apps. Plus, control power and volume on your TV and soundbar with a single remote.
Fire TV Cube (1st Gen), hands-free with Alexa and 4K Ultra HD and 2nd Gen Alexa Voice Remote - Previous Generation
  • Fire TV Cube is the first hands-free streaming media player with Alexa. From across the room, just ask Alexa to turn on the TV, dim the lights, and play what you want to watch.
  • With far-field voice recognition, eight microphones, and beamforming technology, Fire TV Cube hears you from any direction. Enjoy hands-free voice control of content—search, play, pause, fast forward, and more. Plus control the power and volume on your TV, soundbar, and A/V receiver as well as change live cable or satellite channels with just your voice.
  • Fire TV Cube has a built-in speaker that lets you check the weather, make and receive calls with compatible devices, control compatible smart home devices, and more—even with the TV off. Fire TV Cube is always getting smarter with new Alexa skills and voice functionality.
  • Experience true-to-life picture quality with access to vivid 4K Ultra HD up to 60 fps and HDR. Enjoy the audio clarity of Dolby Atmos on select Prime Video titles.
  • Experience tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills, plus millions of websites like Facebook and Reddit.
Fire TV Recast, over-the-air DVR, 1 TB, 150 hours, DVR for cord cutters
  • Fire TV Recast is a DVR that lets you watch and record over-the-air TV at home with Fire TV or Echo Show, or on-the-go with a compatible mobile device—with no monthly fees.
  • Enjoy live sports, local news, late night shows, and other can’t miss TV from channels available through an HD antenna (sold separately).
  • Record up to 4 shows at once. Plus, store up to 150 hours of HD programming.
  • With a compatible Alexa-enabled device, use your voice to search for shows, control the channel guide, and manage recordings.
  • Enjoy your favorite entertainment anywhere—reliably stream your live and recorded shows in HD from Fire TV Recast to your compatible devices.

Step 2: What Do You Want the Fire TV to Do?

This is the key section of this article. I’m going to keep it short and sweet because again I’m assuming you already know the basics about the Fire TV and just want to make the final decision. Here’s how to pick:

Buy the basic Amazon Fire TV Stick if…

  • You want the absolute easiest option in terms of setup and use.
  • You don’t care about 4k content.
  • You don’t care controlling other devices with your Firestick remote. 
  • You are on a limited budget and/or you have multiple tv’s you want to put a fire stick on. 
  • You are new to the world of cord cutting.

The basic Amazon Firestick is not only the lowest cost option but it’s also the best option for older adults new to online streaming tv. Buy one or more of these and you won’t be sorry. I personally own 5+ of these devices for all my non-4k tv’s and have them on most of our tv’s and travel with 1 of them pretty much all the time. 

The Amazon Fire TV Stick forms the foundation of our cord cutting tv system for my family.

Buy the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4k if…

  • You want a fire stick that is as easy to use as the basic fire stick but you want to be able to also watch 4k and UHD content. 
  • You don’t care controlling other devices with your Firestick remote. 
  • You are new to the world of cord cutting.
  • If you happen to see it on-sale for the same price as the basic fire stick – which is a promotion that Amazon often runs. 

If you don’t care about 4k content, then just buy the basic Fire Stick

Buy the Amazon Fire TV Cube if…

You want all the features of the Fire TV Stick 4k AND you also want to be able to control other Alexa-enabled devices with a single system. So, for example, with the Fire TV Cube you can…

  • Use either the Fire TV remote or just your voice to turn on the TV, dim the lights, and play what you want to watch.
  • You can control your soundbar, A/V system, cable box, DVR, etc.
  • You want the combination of a Fire TV Stick 4k and an Amazon Echo all in one device. 

The Fire TV Cube is like a powerful universal remote in a single system. 

Buy the Amazon Fire TV Recast ONLY if…

You already have a Fire Stick, Firestick 4k, or Fire TV Cube AND an HD Antenna AND you want to be able to record shows and watch them on your fire-tv compatible devices. 

Do not buy a Fire TV Recast as your first Fire TV device!

The Fire TV Recast is basically a DVR to record over the air content. It is not a streaming stand-alone device.

Keep in mind that you can’t record streaming app content on this device. That means you can NOT record Sling, Hulu, DirecTV Now, etc content with a Fire TV Recast – you’ll need to use the DVR that comes with those apps. 

To be clear, in order to use the Fire TV Recast you need ALL of the following:

  1. HD Antennae to access over-the-air content.
  2. Fire Stick, Fire Stick 4k, or Fire TV Cube or Echo Show.
  3. TV or mobile device that can access the Fire TV App.

If you have these things AND you want to be able to record over-the-air content onto a DVR (i.e. the Fire TV Recast) then this is a great option. 

Step 3: Make the Purchase

Now that you know which Fire TV devices are best for your specific needs, go ahead and pull the trigger. 

If you are going to cut the cord, ditch cable tv, and move to online streaming tv like I did, then the Amazon Fire TV Devices can help you make that happen.

Read all my tips for Cutting the Cord and then buy the various Fire TV Devices you need for each tv.

Although it sounds like a lot of upfront costs if you buy a Firestick for every tv, if you do the match it’s really a no-brainer because the purchase of the Amazon Fire TV devices is a ONE-TIME COST while the cost of all those cable boxes (on average $8-20) is an ON-GOING MONTHLY COST. Do yourself a favor and get rid of all those costly cable boxes!

Here’s my setup:

  • For all my non-4k tv’s I have the basic Amazon Fire Sticks – that includes my kids’ rooms, guest rooms, and outdoor tvs. my 4 year old watches tv with his Fire Stick. My 75 year old mother-in-law also watches on her Fire Stick. 
  • For my 4k tv’s I have the Fire TV 2nd Gen device which is no longer available and has been replaced by the Fire Stick 4k.  

I do not currently have the Fire TV Cube (it wasn’t available when I made my original purchases) and I don’t need the Fire TV Recast (because I get my local channels from my streaming tv app and therefore don’t use an HD Antennae. Instead I use the DVR inside my streaming tv app from DirecTV Now). That said, if you would benefit from the Fire TV Cube or Fire TV Recast, by all means, go for it. 

If you’re ready to buy, check the latest prices here. We are proud to be an official Amazon Affiliate. Good luck!

Fire TV Stick streaming device with Alexa built in, includes Alexa Voice Remote, HD, latest release
  • The #1 best-selling streaming media player, with Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen, released 2019).
  • Use the dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons to control your TV, soundbar, and receiver.
  • Watch favorites from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, HBO, and more. Stream for free with Pluto, IMDB TV, and more.
  • More storage for apps and games than any other streaming media stick.
  • Experience tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills, plus browse millions of websites using Firefox or Silk.

Fire TV Stick 4K streaming device with Alexa Voice Remote (includes TV controls) | Dolby Vision
  • Cinematic experience - Watch in vibrant 4K Ultra HD with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+.
  • Home theater audio with Dolby Atmos - Feel scenes come to life with support for immersive Dolby Atmos audio on select titles with compatible home audio systems.
  • Endless entertainment - Stream more than 1 million movies and TV episodes from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Peacock, and more, plus listen to millions of songs. Subscription fees may apply.
  • Live and free TV - Watch live TV, news, and sports with subscriptions to SLING TV, YouTube TV, and others. Stream for free with Pluto TV, IMDb TV, YouTube and more.
  • Alexa Voice Remote lets you use your voice to search and launch shows across apps. Plus, control power and volume on your TV and soundbar with a single remote.
Fire TV Cube (1st Gen), hands-free with Alexa and 4K Ultra HD and 2nd Gen Alexa Voice Remote - Previous Generation
  • Fire TV Cube is the first hands-free streaming media player with Alexa. From across the room, just ask Alexa to turn on the TV, dim the lights, and play what you want to watch.
  • With far-field voice recognition, eight microphones, and beamforming technology, Fire TV Cube hears you from any direction. Enjoy hands-free voice control of content—search, play, pause, fast forward, and more. Plus control the power and volume on your TV, soundbar, and A/V receiver as well as change live cable or satellite channels with just your voice.
  • Fire TV Cube has a built-in speaker that lets you check the weather, make and receive calls with compatible devices, control compatible smart home devices, and more—even with the TV off. Fire TV Cube is always getting smarter with new Alexa skills and voice functionality.
  • Experience true-to-life picture quality with access to vivid 4K Ultra HD up to 60 fps and HDR. Enjoy the audio clarity of Dolby Atmos on select Prime Video titles.
  • Experience tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills, plus millions of websites like Facebook and Reddit.
Fire TV Recast, over-the-air DVR, 1 TB, 150 hours, DVR for cord cutters
  • Fire TV Recast is a DVR that lets you watch and record over-the-air TV at home with Fire TV or Echo Show, or on-the-go with a compatible mobile device—with no monthly fees.
  • Enjoy live sports, local news, late night shows, and other can’t miss TV from channels available through an HD antenna (sold separately).
  • Record up to 4 shows at once. Plus, store up to 150 hours of HD programming.
  • With a compatible Alexa-enabled device, use your voice to search for shows, control the channel guide, and manage recordings.
  • Enjoy your favorite entertainment anywhere—reliably stream your live and recorded shows in HD from Fire TV Recast to your compatible devices.

Fire TV Accessories

One or more of these may benefit you…

SofaBaton F2 Universal Remote Attachment for Amazon Fire TV Fire Stick Streaming Player with 11 Customized Buttons (2020 New Version, Alexa Voice Remote NOT Included)
  • All-In-One Fire TV Attachment: SofaBaton F2 universal remote attachment for Amazon Fire TV that integrates your existing messy remotes into one by learning frequently used buttons only. F2 amazon fire remote makes you ditch your other remotes and simplify your life (Amazon Remote Not Included)
  • Easy To Program: Our fire stick universal remote allows you to program buttons from your remotes by IR learning technology ( Learns from your existing device's remote). Easy to control the basic functions of your TV, Receiver, Sound bar, Blu-ray and Amazon fire TV all in one
  • 11 Personalized Buttons: Replenish those missing yet wanted buttons on Fire TV remote. Meeting everyday needs with 11 IR personalized programmable buttons (on/off, volume up/down, tune up/down, mute, A/B/C self-determined buttons)
  • Unique Design: F2 firestick remote replacement design with harmonious slim appearance, seamlessly combined with Fire TV remote, giving you a comfortable grip. Please be careful that slide it from the back, not pressing from the top. 11 reasonable buttons layout and anti-stuck & clip-on buttons show how a strong execution remote works

Have it. Love it!

This is basically a universal remote that your Fire Stick remotes fits inside – it’s easy to use and easy to set up. 

Best-selling HD antennae on Amazon. For more choices check out these other HD antennas.

Amazon Ethernet Adapter for Amazon Fire TV Devices
  • Slow or weak Wi-Fi connection? Take advantage of the speed and reliability of wired internet.
  • Easy to set up – simply connect the Amazon Ethernet Adapter into the USB port on your Fire TV and plug in an Ethernet cable directly from your router.
  • Compatible with Fire TV Stick Lite, Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Fire TV Cube, and Amazon Fire TV (3rd Gen, Pendant Design).
  • 10/100 Ethernet
Sale
CaseBot Silicone Case for Amazon Insignia Smart HD Fire TV Voice Remote (2019) - Honey Comb Series [Anti Slip] Shockproof Cover Compatible with Element Smart Fire TV Voice Remote, Green-Glow
  • Designed for 6.4" Insignia Smart HD TV (Fire TV Edition) Alexa Voice Remote (2019) / Element TV (Fire TV Edition) Alexa Voice Remote.
  • Made of durable impact-resistant silicone. Excellent grip thanks to the rubber-like silicone material and honey comb pattern.
  • Kids friendly and light weight, provides the maximum protection, anti-slip, anti-dust, shock proof and washable.
  • Full access to all ports, buttons and functions, custom cutting on the case allows all functions of the remote are open for use.
  • Simply insert your remote in the open pocket and secure it in place.

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