Accessing internet via amazon fire tv stick

MABLE

I have just received an email from Amazon advising I can now download two apps so I can access the internet on the TV Firestick.

They offer two apps one being Firefox and the other is Silk. However on my Mac I have good anti virus software installed but can you (or is it necessary) get anti virus software for when viewing the internet via the TV Stick.

DoaM

Not really necessary ... the Fire TV stick runs Amazon's version of Android whereby each application is essentially isolated from others.

I downloaded Firefox on my Fire TV stick last night and didn't let anti-virus even cross my mind as it is unnecessary.

agrinnall

I've received the same email, although I haven't really assessed it yet. I have to ask in your case why you would ever need to access the internet from the Fire TV Stick when you're using it in a Mac, doesn't the Mac already have internet access? It seems that the only place you might want to use it if it's in a device that doesn't have wifi already, such as a non-smart TV.

DoaM

agrinnall wrote: »

such as a non-smart TV.

Which is exactly where I use it.

Or when travelling I use it in hotels, even if the hotel TV is "smart".

emptybox

Just downloaded both to my Fire TV box.
Silk is a larger download than Firfox, though whether it's a better program is yet to be seen.
Both seem quite good for casual browsing though. You use the direction controls on the remote to move a little circle about, which determines where you click.

Previously I had side loaded Chrome and Firefox, but hardly used them because they weren't geared to be used with the Fire TV remote. These two are.
Probably won't use them much, but they could give access to some web content that you can't get through other apps.

agrinnall

DoaM wrote: »

Which is exactly where I use it.

Or when travelling I use it in hotels, even if the hotel TV is "smart".

Which is fair enough. But MABLE is talking about a Mac, and I'd be quite surprised if it can't already access the internet.

MABLE

agrinnall wrote: »

Which is fair enough. But MABLE is talking about a Mac, and I'd be quite surprised if it can't already access the internet.

For me flexibility is the key!

debitcardmayhem

Hmm does the fire stick work on a mac then ? just interested really. But surely a mac can do just as much (more)

emptybox

debitcardmayhem wrote: »

Hmm does the fire stick work on a mac then ? just interested really. But surely a mac can do just as much (more)

I think agrinnall got hold of the wrong end of the (Fire TV) stick.

I think MABLE has a Mac computer and they have a Fire TV Stick for their TV, but I doubt they combine them?
Could be wrong though. I suppose they could use the monitor on the Mac as a TV?

MABLE

Please people do not worry yourself about my Mac. The situation is we have Firesticks in all the bedrooms to the TV and often when in the bedroom we watch You Tube via the stick. Now as many of you may know this will be stopping via the stick on the 1st January because of a dispute with Google.

However now Amazon have given up access to the world wide web I can access You Tube that way instead. So basically this is what I am really interested in.

I then thought provided it was safe I could always access my bank account and thats why I asked about anti virus software. However as one contributor has already said this will be necessary.

agrinnall

OK, so now we know that the Mac is irrelevant to the subject and that MABLE has a good reason to access the internet via the Fire TV Stick, so we're all happy :beer: