Santa Claus was gracious enough (despite my naughty behavior) to drop a little present in my sock. It is called an Amazon Fire TV Stick, and it is supposed to give you free access to a trove of TV channels.
The (scant) instructions accompanying this gizmo said that the installation would be a cinch! No sweat! Really! You just plug this device into one of your TV’s HDMI port and follow the instructions shown on your screen.
A five-year-old could do that!
Well, not exactly… First of all, due to the scarcity of HDMI ports on today’s TVs and the increasing number of devices plugging into that TV, it is difficult to find a free port.
The real purpose of this gadget is to break free from Comcast’s tyranny and allow you to pick what specific channels you want to watch.
But you have to be careful. Most of the channels proposed by the Amazon Fire TV Stick demand a monthly subscription; if you are not careful, you might end up paying more than what Comcast is presently charging you.
The trick is to “jailbreak”. To escape what is imposed on you and allow you to make independent choices.
First, you need to install on your TV set a special program called a “downloader”; this application will give you the opportunity to download and install little known channels. Those are often free and won’t charge you anything for watching their offerings.
As I said earlier, you need to do some reading and experimenting before being able to enjoy this gizmo.
Any time I need more information about a product, I turn to my computer and ask a query it. And after a few false leads, I hit the jackpot. I found a site called Troypoint (troypoint.com/firestick-apps) that will guide you step by step to make your Firestick work as intended.
It is a rather lengthy process but ultimately, it will take you to the Holy Grail. To watch as many movies as you want without being nickeled-and-dimed for it.
The dominance and the relevance of the cable industry are being increasingly questioned. According to the experts, Comcast is losing speed and altitude and might have to change significantly to stay aloft.
In the meantime, if you are intrepid enough and want to have access to more movies without disbursing more dinero, invest $35.00 in the Amazon Fire TV Stick and go for it.
Bonne et heureuse année a tous ?
Alain
May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!!