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All the google-ness that comes with? You can basically run Google TV off it instead of your Samsung/Sony etc operating system. All the apps, plus a remote. Plus 4k.
Saying that, I've never tried an amazon firestick.
I have both and would say Google is way better as far as plug and play. It has a digital volume as well as a infrared volume control it also has a dedicated input button and a Google play store. But having said that Amazon fire stick is more responsive and if you have Amazon Alexa, a modern television for the infrared controller to recognise that model the fire stick would be preferable. You can voice control the inputs on the firestick but the infrared volume control doesn't recognise some televisions like my Veon or Panasonic sound bar. My Sony television is automatically recognised by the firestick.
Isn't volume handled by cec over HDMI? The chances of the remote knowing your tv remotes volume up command out the box is increbly slim. Chances are it's the cec on those devices but handshaking properly.
I haven't tried the Google tv but have new tv with the os on. I personally prefer the UI on the firestick as it has each app easy to find at the front and if you highlight one it shows some content underneath and its a click to open the full app. Google tv does display significantly more content in the home screen from a selection of apps, which if you want to conitnue watching means you can scroll down and do so, but finding the app itself is much less intuitive and often hidden.
Bizarrely the fire stick has Netflix suggestions while the Google tv doesn't, but the Google tv also shows content from services I don't subscribe to which I find really annoying as I'm not going to sun to apple tv or paramount plus because one show is shown on my home page.
Last variation is if you feel like using a VPN for overseas content research what is available on each platform for that region. We wanted UK TV and all the apps are on Amazon whilse the Google offering lacked a couple off the big players.
@Everettpsycho: My point was that the Google remote has a digital volume as well as a infrared controller and if you cannot get the code for your model television you can always use the digital volume on the Google TV you cannot on the firestick.
@pdevonporf: I use the tv with bluetooth soundbar, volume button on firestick able to turn it up and down
@justaddwater: Yes I use it with my earphones and ear buds, but you do get a bit of lag. You are also not going to get the same features as a wired sound bar but it's a good compromise if you have to.
The are very similar. I have a google tv on my main tv and a 4K fire stick on my other 2 tvs.
For most users you wouldn’t notice the difference so would go cheapest. Fire stick 4ks we’re only 55 or something over Christmas so a good buy.
Haven’t used a vpn on the fire stick so can’t comment about that but google works flawlessly.
Setup seemed easier on the google as it is integrated with your google account but not a major. Google seem to display a bit more in your face ads e.g rent this movie etc but that could change on either at any time and isn’t a major.
Surfshark works great on firestick
Watching iplayer sometimes wont let me watch next show "error" but go out to main menu and go back in and it works again
I created a new amazon account to use with firestick
Imagine wiuld do the same with google stick
Interesting, we are having a lot of problems with surfshark on ours and now use nord instead. Generally it's fine, we can't watch itv live and get some very weird bugs with Channel 5 crashing every so often, but other than that it's been great.
If you move your Amazon account between regions you can get all the different apps and we've just set the vpn to split tunnel and let the NZ apps and things like Netflix bypass it so we never really need to go back in to the app.
One thing ive noticed with firestick is typing is very painful. There is a on screen keyboard that you navigate with left or right . There is an amazon app to type with but fiddly to use in practice
aaaand it's sold out it seems.
It's working now. AU$72.84 at checkout.
The Google TV 4K was a convenient device to use while travelling in 2022. Its portability was especially useful as I switched between hotels and Airbnb rentals. Even if the TV in my accommodation was not a smart TV, I could easily connect the Google TV 4K and pick up where I left off without needing to sign in to apps separately. Its portability is a major reason I will continue to use it. However, if you already have a Google-enabled or smart TV at home and you're heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, you might find an Apple TV to be a better option with its additional apps and games.
Showing as available to me.
Back in stock
amazon eating google's lunch with firestick?
why is the chromecast tv a better device?