After double-checking it was possible to get a good deal for a streaming device with CamelCamelCamel, I purchased a Fire TV Cube to replace a non-4k Fire TV Stick. The main desired features in a streaming device are:
- being able to browse the web and stream live channels without buffering
- having customization control over random things
- being able to have future support for major streaming apps
- having a good performing device
- making a decision in under 2 hours of Research & Discovery
- having an ethernet port (because I'm not a fan of wifi)
There are dozens of (potentially good) streaming devices, and some, are overpriced rip-offs because at a certain point you can and should just plug a PC into your TV. You can do anything imaginable because you'll have a full control with a Windows / Linux operating system. Some android streaming devices ruin the supposed benefits of not using a PC by having a repressed interface, spammy ads that display poisonous content (chicks with tits hanging out, self-promotion, politics and other garbage, etc.) and/or horrible user interface design.
The convenience of a streaming device can be found in it's formfactor size, quick access to launch things and future stability / updates.
So after buying an Amazon TV Cube for $119 – $30 instant coupon FTVC21, I received the product in under 4 hours after buying (I can't believe how fast the shipping was). Here are some immediate things I did after powering up the Amazon Cube:
- installed a few apps like HBO Max, Netflix, Downloader and Blockada
- went into options and turned off things like sending telemetry data and enabling debug mode and installation from unknown sources
- watched a few more youtube tutorials, but stopped because they all regurgitate the same simple
Some things I really knew I wanted to do, was remove and tweak the default launcher that Amazon uses. It works BUT at the same time it's not so good because I don't care about the latest bullcrap low quality entertainment releases, or wish to buy anything. Install the LeanBack Launcher to replace the default Fire Stick launcher, it doesn't uninstall it but rather hides it.
Sources
- https://chigztech.com/charts.html
- https://www.websafetytips.com/install-custom-launcher-on-amazon-fire-tv-easy-guide/