Amazon Fire TV Stick Remote is trash, like AOL CDs

[BarkingGhostar]

Twice now I find myself with a supplied remote for the Amazon Fire TV Stick no working. Replaced the batteries, reset the Fire TV Stick, etc., and nothing. I removed it from the synced devices using the iOS app on a tablet and tried to re-sync it, but like the first time it wouldn't work. What is worse is the first time this happened it was almost exactly 18 months to the day after purchase when the first on failed. This time it is 20 months since the second was purchased and now it had failed. And each time the price to buy a replacement remote was ~75% of buying a whole new Fire TV Stick.

For instance, the current price for the non-4K is $35 and the price for the replacement OEM remote from Amazon is $25. The 4K Stick is $50 and its replacement remote is $28. I have DirecTV remotes that are used daily for the past 16 years and they have never failed. But Amazon can't get a remote to last two years? I find it odd that these tiny remotes are so fragile, or is it they are deliberately built to fail early? There are many resellers of the OEM, all wanting OEM pricing and have sold thousands of them because of people losing them and them dying and early death. I would think one could make a $10 replacement but from the reviews by those doing so the $15-20 non-OEM compatible ones die just as early or just don't work.

One reseller of a non-OEM remote had 1 in 6 not work out of the box. LOL Luckily I have a third Fire TV Stick sitting not used yet for the first time and we'll see if it dies in ~18 months, too. Predetermined death.

 

[overst33r]

weird. maybe an issue the new revisions? mine is a couple years old and the kids have dunked it into the toilet, beat the hell out of it generally, i'm surprised it still works.

 

[sdifox]

weird. maybe an issue the new revisions? mine is a couple years old and the kids have dunked it into the toilet, beat the hell out of it generally, i'm surprised it still works.

You got some dangerous shit if your toilet water can reflow a circuit board

 

[thestrangebrew1]

That is odd and I've never had this issue with any of mine. I have about 3 of them in different rooms at least 2 years old and have never had any issues. Granted only 1 of them gets daily use, but the others get used a few times a week at least.

 

[BoomerD]

I've had...issues with the fire stick 4k, but afaik, it was never the remote.

 

[ultimatebob]

Most new TV's that are coming out now are "Smart" TV's, so thankfully you probably won't need a Fire TV stick to watch Amazon Prime or Netflix or (insert streaming service here) for too much longer.

 

[ondma]

Most new TV's that are coming out now are "Smart" TV's, so thankfully you probably won't need a Fire TV stick to watch Amazon Prime or Netflix or (insert streaming service here) for too much longer.

They do. However I just got a Roku TV to replace an older one which had a fire stick, and I actually liked the Fire stick better. Seemed a lot easier to use IMO. We used it for a couple of years at least, and never had problems.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Well, this is down in the basement TV room with the Vizio 50" plasma TV from 2008. It is still working and when it dies I have a Panasonic 50" plasma from 2010 not being used so it is the designated backup. Neither of them have any built in streaming intelligence. I suppose I could re-purpose an old Xbox 360 that I have not used in 5 years and try to get the Amazon Prime Video app to install along with Disney+, Netflix and HBO Max. Right now the wife has to use the iPad app until I can sync up the remote from the 3rd Fire TV Stick I bought.

Seriously, I feel like I going through remotes so fast that the leftover streaming dongles are going to fill up a landfill like AOL CDs. During this pandemic, with more people streaming than ever, Amazon ain't putting their streaming devices on sale anytime soon.

 

[Scarpozzi]

They do. However I just got a Roku TV to replace an older one which had a fire stick, and I actually liked the Fire stick better. Seemed a lot easier to use IMO. We used it for a couple of years at least, and never had problems.

I have a 55" Hisense Roku TV I bought in December. Was $230 for the TV and a Google Home Mini....the Roku remote is definitely small and lacking buttons, but it is fairly intuitive after you use it. The Roku software in the TV appears to be more responsive than the software on the $600 Vizio I have downstairs. I can't comment on Firestick itself.

 

[ondma]

I have a 55" Hisense Roku TV I bought in December. Was $230 for the TV and a Google Home Mini....the Roku remote is definitely small and lacking buttons, but it is fairly intuitive after you use it. The Roku software in the TV appears to be more responsive than the software on the $600 Vizio I have downstairs. I can't comment on Firestick itself.

I absolutely hate the Roku remote. One of those things where one wonders: "Did they test it even one time before putting it out for sale"? The mute and volume buttons are on the edge of the remote. Absolutely absurd!! Every time you pick up the damn thing, you mute or change the volume by unintentionally hitting one of the buttons.

 

[Ken g6]

Did you know there's an app for your Android phone to act as the remote? (Edit: For the Fire TV Stick.) I don't have Apple, so I don't know if they have one too.

 

[ondma]

Did you know there's an app for your Android phone to act as the remote? I don't have Apple, so I don't know if they have one too.

Might give it a try. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Ken g6]

Might give it a try. Thanks for the heads up.

I was replying to the OP about the Fire TV Stick.

The Android app is a little weird. To "click" an arrow button, you swipe across a gray area. And you have to reconnect every time you unlock your phone, it seems. But once you get used to that it works quite well.

 

[ondma]

I was replying to the OP about the Fire TV Stick.

The Android app is a little weird. To "click" an arrow button, you swipe across a gray area. And you have to reconnect every time you unlock your phone, it seems. But once you get used to that it works quite well.

OK

 

[Ackmed]

Not having a cursor that you can move with the remote does suck, keeps costs down Im sure though. I use a 4k firestick on our bedroom tv because even with a wifi extender, it just barely works. The firestick makes it usable. Cheaper tv, suppose the signal from the tv just sucks.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

IMO Roku has far superior hardware, Never liked the fire stick.

 

[balloonshark]

Select prime members can get a 4k fire stick for $25 using code 4KFIRETV

 

[Tweak155]

Did you know there's an app for your Android phone to act as the remote? (Edit: For the Fire TV Stick.) I don't have Apple, so I don't know if they have one too.

Yeah there is an iOS app as well.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Select prime members can get a 4k fire stick for $25 using code 4KFIRETV

That's nice to know, but that means I would be paying $25 for another remote. Another remove that will never work beyond two years. I'll just wait for the regular stick to go on sale again and buy a new remote then. Now, what to do with all those streamers that I am not using because they have no remote? Well, Amazon, what is your suggestion? Landfill?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

That's nice to know, but that means I would be paying $25 for another remote. Another remove that will never work beyond two years. I'll just wait for the regular stick to go on sale again and buy a new remote then. Now, what to do with all those streamers that I am not using because they have no remote? Well, Amazon, what is your suggestion? Landfill?

Assuming you do not need a fire stick for a particular reason, I find the Roku hardware superior to amazons hardware.
You can still stream amazon prime on Roku.

 

[JM Aggie08]

I just always lose the damn thing -- it's far too small! Our 14mo old doesn't help the situation either.

 

[balloonshark]

That's nice to know, but that means I would be paying $25 for another remote. Another remove that will never work beyond two years. I'll just wait for the regular stick to go on sale again and buy a new remote then. Now, what to do with all those streamers that I am not using because they have no remote? Well, Amazon, what is your suggestion? Landfill?

Select accounts can get the regular fire stick FOR $20 with code FIRETVSTICK. I remember seeing those codes on slickdeals. Just trying to save you some money. My sister is having the same problem with her living room remote. I tried everything to get it to resync without luck. We got the firetv app running on her phone and she seemed ok with that solution. You could try ebay to get rid of the old sticks but it wouldn't surprise me if there were tons for sale by others with the same issue.