Browsers suck on the Amazon Firestick...

[Lemon Zing]

After I sideloaded that Silk browser, and also Opera, I noticed that a lot of things you try to click on, don't work. That's so pointless. I plugged in a USB keyboard, and it is not all that impressive. Oh, and the actual hub is not reacting to the mouse function. However, another launcher works. But you cannot choose what you want to have as the default launcher, so you still have to access another launcher you installed.

I recall my mother had a Bush web browser in the 90's that was better than this thing. Of course, I know it is really intended to be a streaming device for movies, and whatnot. So of course, a browser is probably gonna not work properly.

Still. It seems kind of daft that you can get all of these apps, but a browser does not do its job.

 

[Lemon Zing]

I like the Android boxes, as you can make your own shortcuts, and the interface is neat and easy to navigate. I get what you're saying about Alexa; She's like a wife that never divorces you!

I was lucky I got one. The only problem is, many others for sale don't have an OTG port.

My two USB ports are occupied by a wired keyboard and a mouse. So the extra port is useful for things like viewing files on pen drives. I have yet to try a Bluetooth keyboard, as I tried to pair an app on my phone, but it refused to behave.

Something else I noticed is that on a browser, you cannot get rid of the on screen keyboard without an app known as "Null Keyboard". However, if you enable that feature, then the return key does not work...

 

[Misery]

A product like this is typically going to have things like browsers not really for your convenience, but because it allows them to put "can browse the internet" on the box.

It's been the same for many devices for a loooooong time.

Though also net browsers in particular can tend to be extra screwy even on devices that SHOULD do them absolutely fine. I haaaaaaaaaaaated the browser on my iPad for ages, the thing was awful on a device that could do so much (and there were no real alternatives, not that I could find anyway). Get a new iPad recently though, drastic upgrade over the first, and NOW the browser is the fully capable thing it could be.

Trying to browse the internet with any of the game consoles is also an exercise in stupidity. I dont even bother trying that one anymore.

 

[SusanLR]

I like the Fire Stick mainly for streaming movies and TV series.
There is one thing that really bugs me though. Some of the apps like CWseed or IMBD, two of the worst,
don't stream smoothly.
There are series that I like to binge and sometimes I can't even get the app to open or the shows
I want to open. If they do, they are always stopping and buffering or the video stops and doesn't
keep up with the audio.

It is a shame since they do have long series I can watch over extended periods of time as I want.
But, they are no pleasure when they don't stream smoothly.
Does anyone have or know why certain apps behave this way?

 

[Joshua the Writer]

If you want a device that is good for both streaming on your TV and also web browsing, you should get a Rasberry Pi. The Rasberry Pi Model 4 is the latest edition. It runs the Linux-based Rasbian OS, but you are able to download stuff like Anroid as a dual boot in order to access streaming service apps better. When you turn it on and have multiple operating systems loaded, it will ask you which you want to run.

Amazon link to a Rasberry Model 4+ 4gb ram starter kit that has a 32gb micro SD included: https://www.amazon.com/CanaKit-Rasp...016097&sprefix=rasberry+pi+4++starter+&sr=8-3

 

[Lemon Zing]

Maybe it's to do with the RAM.

People may not realize cheaper devices use up a lot of power. So perhaps devices with more RAM have the capacity to run things better. Guess it depends on the specs.

I'd imagine a mini PC has the same problem, where you think you net a bargain because of the price, only to find it throttles because the RAM versus the storage, is poorly.

 

[Judge]

The best solution? Don't use a web browser directly through a smart tv.

For two reasons in the following order:

1) Using a browser on a smart tv allows the potential exposure to malware to possibly damage the software and even the tv set's operating system. Risky business where it's just your tv set direct to the Internet. Without so many hardware and software security protections in comparison used on so many PCs.

2) Not many web developers care much about cross-compliancy beyond the browsers themselves. So online performance through a browser on a smart tv tends to vary greatly for a variety of reasons. With not a lot of incentive for them to improve things at the same level as using a PC to surf the web. (Even Xenforo, the developer of this forum software abandoned supporting such other formats.)

The best best solution? The obvious choice. If you have a smart tv, use its "screen mirroring" function in conjunction with your PC's Windows 10 ability to project your computer screen to your tv set. Where the only role the tv set has is to receive whatever your PC displays. With all the protection afforded you by your PC rather than an anemic and vulnerable smart tv.

Plus you can make the most out of things like ad-blocking and privacy filtering of your browser, so you can skip virtually all commercials associated with various websites like Peacock, Tubi and YouTube offering free high and standard definition movies and television shows. Something that won't happen if you use a browser with a "cast to device" function allowing select websites and browsers to do something similar.

Keep in mind that not all online sources are created equally when it comes to streaming media. Online load and capacity limitations, along with better or worse quality servers are host issues beyond what you the client can control. Having a robust, rock solid Internet connection is no guarantee of a perfect display.

How to accomplish this (at least on a Samsung Smart TV) :

Make sure your smart tv is on and the source is set to "screen mirroring" as opposed to HDMI1, HDMI2, etc. Then on your PC, go to the Windows 10 control panel--> System--> Display.

Scroll down and click on "connect to a wireless display". Look to the right and see if your smart tv is already showing. If so, click the link showing your smart tv's description. Make sure it's your tv and not your neighbors! If it doesn't show, then click the box "Detect" to see if your smart tv name then shows up. Under "multiple displays", be sure to select "duplicate" so the same image on your computer monitor's screen shows up on your tv screen.

If it works, you'll get a little dialog box at the top of your screen that says "Connected to [TV] Sony/Samsung/Etc. From there whatever you display in real time on your computer will show up on your widescreen tv. When you are done watching using screen mirroring, you can click the "Disconnect" function in the dialog box at the top of the screen. Or simply switch your tv's source back to HDMI1 or whatever you had it on previously.

If you have trouble getting it to work, you can always google it as there are many explanations out there on how to do this using various smart tv sets.

This way I can safely watch just about anything I get on my computer and watch it on my tv without any restrictions as there are with "casting a device". Something only certain browsers allow, and can be a real pain to make work.

 

[Aspychata]

Alrighty, @Judge . Something l could understand. The problem of smart TV, can someone listen to you? Do u cover the camera on the TV ? I was going to buy then l heard that things like that can happen.

 

[Judge]

Alrighty, @Judge . Something l could understand. The problem of smart TV, can someone listen to you? Do u cover the camera on the TV ? I was going to buy then l heard that things like that can happen.

To my knowledge, not every smart tv even has a camera.

Simply consider those which do not have built-in cameras. And don't purchase devices like "Amazon's Alexa" or "Google Assistant" that monitor every sound inside your living space.

"Smart" devices are generally only as smart as what you choose to interface them with. One of the most important things though with a smart tv is if you use wifi, when you need to apply WPA2 protected access with AES encryption and a very long password. Otherwise you are naked to the world.

I'm enjoying my "less-than-smart" Series 6 Samsung tv. It's just smart enough to allow screen mirroring but leave the heavy lifting and security to my PC where it belongs.

 

[Lemon Zing]

I found a semi-decent solution for the on screen keyboard issue, as you still need to have the return key visible. You can just install Gboard and shrink the keyboard in floating mode, so it's only displayed on part of the screen.

The Android keyboard is massive, and it takes up most of the space. But other than, yeah. I'm stuck with it.