Another feature is that the apps for Fire TV are specially adapted for the box! ARD Tagesschau, ZDF, BR library and Co. have been specially re-programmed for the box and run perfectly with the supplied remote control in the automatic best possible quality (up to HD), which according to the reception quality in their own WLAN and after the own LAN network directed.
If I so perfectly classifies the Box for the Media pleasure, why then only three stars?
Unfortunately, where there is light, there is also plenty of shade:
On the one hand would be noted that the memory for apps in the box with 8 MB (less treasury software and apps, unfortunately, a little over 5 MB) for games that offers the Box in yes now quite considerable number, is sorely limited. Alone games like Asphalt 8, The Cave or Walking Dead devour vast amounts of memory and alone with these three, the memory is completely full! There is no possibility to expand via the integrated USB 2.0 port at the box via the memory stick, although this is in terms of hardware is no problem at all! Here you have what the software change urgently! Hopefully a future update brings a solution to this serious problem, but what arg limits the fun with the box.
The second problem I noticed in connection with the small memory: When I have free just 500-700MB, I sometimes get when playing the media streams from Amazon Instant Video, the call to free memory, because it is running out for the stream to. So Here I go up to 1GB flutes that I must keep quality for uninterrupted streaming in HD and not allowed to occupy with Apps, which is why I then so ideally can then occupy only 4.5 GB for games.
Software Technically sometimes are in the movie menu then the cover preview images off in the series episodes, so I then can only guess which episode I select just. As the box does not have a reset or Button, I have to pull the plug and restart it, then the thumbnails are back!
The biggest blunder makes the built-in software with "Miracast": Although technically prepared for it, it does not even succeed in the box, the display of the in-house "fire phone" (which I also own) to reflect on the box! Although it is shown that the mirroring is being prepared, but the box crashes and one always ends up in the main menu! But the fault lies not with the fire phone - the display mirroring successful example with my Miracast compatible LG TV always perfect - but clearly the software of Fire TV Box. Too bad that it does not seem to create in-house products, to create appropriate compatibilities!
Hardware problems:
So far I'm only describes the "software problems", but also to hardware technology, I am afraid to complain about something:
That at the box lacks an SD card slot and only one USB slot (currently available only for peripheral devices and not as a memory) is available, you can still cope. But what did not work: The built-in wireless antenna is lousy reception quality. One must not be too far from the router. If you use a wireless repeater to improve the wireless network in the vicinity of the box to select it into the router instead of the repeater, although this provides the stronger signal, which is not exactly improved my reception problem. I use the box therefore recently with POWER-Fi, because you can forget the WLAN of the box!
An on-off switch I miss sorely. You should restart now and then the box Especially with Android. Since this (even in standby) continuously retrieves data over the network and thus saves it can be devastating, however, times when you draw the box via plug abruptly increases from the current. Sometime to do this at a store operation and destroys itself so that any flash memory. The standby mode of the box is only activated after 30 minutes of inactivity. One can choose any other time in the Setup unfortunately. Not just energy-friendly!
In conclusion it should be mentioned that it has suffered with the packaging of the box no positive points: Because on the box Netflix is specifically promoted as an app. Unfortunately, Netflix as well Watch Ever, max cathedrals etc. No, nor installed on the box. (Via sideload already, but then you need a airmouse to serve the App can). 4 weeks after the Germany start but a disgrace, in my opinion!
In short: 5 star would have the box more than deserved when:
- The USB port (essential for meaningful games use) would be used as additional memory for Apps
- The Wi-Fi had an external antenna (to improve the reception quality)
- XBMC / KODI would natively installed without sideload with its own icon on the Start menu
- Netflix and other video service providers (including Google Movies) would be available
- An on / off switch would be available
- The standby time of the box could be set
- Other services like Amazon "Amazon Music" would be used (I connected the box to my AV receiver, as this makes sense when you could play your purchased MP3s)
- Compatibility with home-made products is improved (Miracast)
Otherwise, the box is thoroughly recommended. I had a lot of Android boxes and consoles in the run and can say: This case is the best. Please please Amazon: Works still something on the Software, let us expand the memory, then the thing is perfect!
UPDATE (10/30/14):
Lately I noticed that the box while checking the remaining free memory sometimes strikingly less RAM had freely. I then checked all the apps in the list of installed applications on the magnitude of the applied cache memory, which is memory, the create the apps in addition to function faster. Horror began to spread, when I called the app "Photos" in the list: The photo app puts no fewer than about 500 MB of data as a cache memory even when the photos are allegedly streamed from the Amazon cloud. This raises me the question why the cache must be large if each photo can be streamed? Even XBMC sets only maximum a cache of 60-70 MB on in HD Streaming !!! Thus, there are only 4 GB of memory for their own apps! Amazon, there must be something on the Software Change! Please revise Photo APP!
UPDATE (10/31/14):
FINALLY: Amazon Music is available on my device since last night! Apparently the Fire TV has over the WLAN automatically carried out a software update, which I have absolutely noticed nothing, because everything went automatically. Suddenly my purchased Amazon music files in the new menu item "Music" were available! Way to go Amazon!
