Stay with 14.2 for now wait a few more weeks before upgrading to 15.1 as there may still be issues to iron out on it.

I tend to use this on my android phone to easily sideload apps to my firetv AGKfire https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...oader&hl=en_GB there is a free version too but it has annoying ads.

Why pay though, you can sideload from a pc for free.

AFTVnews reporting that current generation Fire TV will receive Fire OS 5 upgrade.

http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-fire-...roid-lollipop/

They're only lasting me a couple of months to.

Don't buy Amazon FireTV if all you really want to see is BBC iPlayer and YouTube. Yes, it does have those services, but the much touted 'voice search' only works on things that Amazon wants to flog. So, if you try to use it to search either of the above, all you'll get is redirected to a pay page.

I consider this a con, and have not used my FireTV box more than half a dozen times since getting it, because the tedious time consuming remote wearing click each letter approach was something I wanted to leave behind. I'm now intending to sell my barely used FireTV, and providing the forthcoming AppleTV actually does what I want, get that instead. It's a shame really, as the hardware part of FireTV is excellent. It's just the pitiful software, and Amazon's couldn't care less attitude toward anything that isn't directly profitable to them.

Oh, and I am aware of the remote mouse app, which you have to buy twice, once for an iPad and again for FireTV. Mine stopped working after a week ,and the developer isn't interested in fixing his product.

^ Actually I find the UI on the AFTV to be my favourite. I have pretty much every connected TV device available, and I use them for work and pleasure. Whenever I am watching TV, if the app is on the AFTV, that is the box of choice I fire up - always.

With a choice of all the other platforms, I always go to the AFTV, every time. Because I love the UI, and the hardware is so good.

That said, what you say is very correct about their voice search. It is pitiful that it only works for their own content in the UK. In the US, it also works with Hulu, and they really had plans to roll it out to other services with Amazon even saying themselves that they are working on Netflix inclusion at the time - but that never eventuated.

Whether Amazon changed their plans, or they charge too much no one really knows (outside of Amazon), but it really is sad.

Now, there is a new AFTV box on the horizon, and rumour has it that it will have full "Alexa" support. Alexa is Amazon's Siri or Cortana and if this ended up being true, there would be a lot more chance that the voice search would open up to other services (and lots of other things as well, as Alexa has an SDK out)

Do other voice searches work with third party content? That is an interesting question. I never had success with Voice Search on my Nexus outside of Google Play content, and I haven't tried Roku voice search (I know that the UK didn't have global search with Roku, although it was planned - I haven't checked if it has come out yet, and what apps support it as my Roku 3 is currently set to the US)

Got mine last week for £39 from Amazon as they're removing Amazon Prime from my Sony blu-ray.

So far love it.

I use the free Android app Wukong Remote.

Sideloaded Kodi and BT Sport app and unlike Chromecast the Fire can output 50hz rather than 60hz so less flicker. Also, the BT Sport interactive and red button streams work, which are incompatible with Chromecast.

Don't use the catch up services as I get them in HD through Sky. And I use the built in Amazon app on my Tv if I want to watch UHD programmes.

It's a great piece of kit, far superior to the Apple TV I used to use. Surprisingly, it doesn't yet have All-4 (formerly 4OD) and ITV Player but it does have STV Player.

Yes, their advertising is misleading in my view. They clearly imply that their voice search works with the device, not just under circumstances where they are in for another pay day.

Actually, my experience with FireTV was the last but one straw. Until quite recently, I'd been a frequent customer, and accidentally got into their top 1000 reviewers. Mainly because I found reviews from others so useful, I wanted to see if I could help those still looking.... until I kept getting censored, and discovered a policy that forbids mentioning delivery or merchant details in any product review. Now, to me, those things are a vital part of any purchase. So, I stopped reviewing, and now only buy from Amazon when they happen to have the best deal.

I am hoping with the Amazon Fire TV soon supporting Fire OS5, which is based on 5.1 Lollipop, which means there may be more chances than new apps will be ported across from Android such as All 4.

Yes, the old AppleTV, As you may have heard, they're updating it - at last - in a major way, with details on their Sept 9th event. he strong rumour is of a remote with a trackpad. If true, then I hope it works will all apps.

What sort of things did you say?

Hmmm, I think it will be a touchpad of some sort, and not a trackpad.

Trackpads are horrible things to use with a set-top-box, and has never been perfected. I can't imagine Apple going down that route.

But there may be a use for a touchpad, possibly with some sort of gesture control - i.e. if you want to start Netflix, just swipe an N or something.

There is also massive rumours of a new Amazon Fire TV, which is reported to be far more powerful and have Alexa incorporated. Alexa being their version of Siri. This would also be a game changer.

Only the truth, nothing libelous or profane. All I was trying to do was inform others.

What Amazon don't seem to like, is reviews that explain how a trader is based in China. Now, that's no problem, if you know it and don't mind waiting weeks for delivery. E-Bay are up front about location of goods, Amazon are not.

There's also the issue of delivery. Three times in a row I paid for Next Day delivery, which as Royal Mail considers the IOW to be the same as Portsmouth, should have been no problem. Except, for the fact that my deliveries were on a Saturday, and the lazy sods at Parcel Farce could be tracked as getting my goods the other side of the Solent at something like 5:00am.... then leaving them there until Monday or Tuesday morning. This, when there's a Hovercraft that brings over post on Saturday morning. Plenty of time to sort, if they can be bothered, which they clearly can't. When I bring this to Amazon's attention, I get a refund on the postage, but that's not the point. For certain deliveries, they cannot do what they claim, and don't like other customers being informed of this. Even when the blame is laid squarely at the door of Parcel Farce.

Yes, that's what I meant to say, a touchpad. Sorry for the confusion.


Great, if they make it work with other apps that I actually want to use. I felt that paying Amazon £79 for the gizmo should've bought me that much.

Use a wireless keyboard and mouse this is what i do, my cheap acer keyboard and mouse works perfectly on firetv just plug the dongle into usb port and you're up and running.

Itv player can be sideloaded or there is a itv player in kodi somewhere, i still have not got all4 to work on the firetv yet.

It is only the Android TV apps which surprisingly seem to be even less of then the Fire TV, there is no 4oD Android TV app or even BBC IPlayer.

My hope for the future was based on the new OS for the AFTV OS5 which may allow developers to port Android Lollipop apps across from mobile to STB more easily. It may then follow suit to the Android TV which would be running the same OS.

At this stage, developers had to create two versions, one for Android TV (which is not selling well) and one for the AFTV (which may have fewer markets, but is the fastest new selling STB) - guess which one they decided to support?

Correct, AFTV, which is why it has more apps than the Android TV. But they have still been slow to take it up, and part of the reason is that the AFTV ran an outdated OS for a while, meaning developers had more work which increases the need for higher budgets.

Now with OS5, there is a chance we will see the AFTV fill the gap at least with ITV Player and All 4, and hopefully UKTV Play as well. But to be honest, I won't hold my breath for ITV Player. Those guys are getting all uppity about the way modern broadcasting is heading, and they want to Americanise things more, which is not a good thing.

By this, I mean they want less for free, and more for a fee. Over in the US, their free-to-air TV basically costs money. Sure, there still are terrestrial streams for free, but you generally need an expensive cable TV contract to get it properly, and for most of the catch-up TV stuff. ITV have been pushing for that as well, as well as restricting retransmission rights and finding new ways to pay for things whilst offering less. So, this is one reason why they are a bit slow on the uptake of new platforms.

Anyway, once the gaps start getting filled on the AFTV, I suspect that Android TV will then start to see some new apps.

ITV or All4 are unlikely to ever come unless both companies have a major rethink. It's not that hard to port apps from android to the FireTV but both companies policy is to sell exclusive rights per platform outside of mobile devices. Sky are paying both companies for these exclusive rights which is why Roku built devices are the only streaming box/stick that has them.

True, but All4 and ITV Player are ad free on Sky, whereas if you sideload the apps they're the regular ad supported versions that are available to all.

Looking at the Amazon Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD which comes out in October. What difference is there gonna be between watching shows through that or through the app on my smart tv?

Actually, I was speaking recently to Channel 4 and ITV about that, and they both said they don't have any exclusive policy that prohibits them from adding their apps to other devices. It is more related to budget restraints (it is really a LOT more difficult than just porting something over) and long term plans.

Both of them have different plans, with ITV being more conservative in their approach, but they don't have anything against adding to new devices in the future.

One difficulty they have is that they are both very large companies with plans made many months in advance. If they plan to add to a platform, it can take over a year before they get there once the go ahead is made.

Smaller companies usually do these things a lot quicker.

They are telling you a load of tosh. For starters Sky's announcement stated that both were exclusive to their streaming device platform. And porting to the FireTV is pretty simple from even Android let alone when the apps have already been ported to FireOS as both apps are available on both the Fire Phone and all the Fire Tablets. It's a couple of lines code and potentially some graphic assets. It's a few hours work to make it FireTV compatible. It's not like it's porting an app from iOS to Roku. Also Amazon did provide both financial and technical help for services in each country they felt were vital and I'm pretty sure along with BBC IPlayer and Five on demand that ITV player and All4 would have been on that list of vital apps