An Amazon Fire TV Stick opens up a world of entertainment possibilities. When you connect it through your multi-channel home audio-video receiver, you can use the unique features of the Fire TV stick, stream tons of the best content, and make using your television and AVR simpler to use. We will show you how to connect the Amazon Fire TV Stick to an AV receiver correctly and help you get to streaming the best content quickly.
What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick?
The Fire Stick is a dongle that connects to devices using an HDMI connection. In order to use a Fire Stick, you’ll need to have a stable Wi-Fi connection, the higher speed the better. This is because the Fire Stick will use the Wi-Fi to provide access to the programs you want.
The most current version of the Fire TV Stick is the Fire Stick 4K that will allow streaming of 4K content using compatible devices. You’ll need an AVR that has 4k capabilities as well as a television that can provide 4k resolution. Not all content on Amazon is available in 4K.
How to Connect Amazon Fire Stick to AV Receiver: Instructions
You’ll want to have access to the back of your receiver before beginning. If you haven’t already established an Amazon account, you’ll want to do that before installing the Fire Stick.
Identify which HDMI ports you have available. The best choice is a port that offers 4K resolution pass-through. The Fire TV Stick typically incorporates a short USB to HDMI cable that is advisable to use. Other cables may work, but performance can suffer.
Carefully insert the HDMI plug into the port, paying attention to the direction the plug fits. It can only fit one direction, so don’t force it into the port. Next, connect the cable to the dongle. This microphone connection guide might be also useful.
Turning the Power On
Turn the power on to the receiver and television. The television should be connected to the AVR using the HDMI 1 port, ARC, or eARC HDMI connections, or the digital optical connection.
Next, you’ll use the menu options to change the source to the HDMI port that the Fire TV Stick is installed to. This will open the main menu to Amazon Fire TV.
Logging In and Testing
Once you have navigated to the proper source for the Fire TV Stick, you’ll log in to your Amazon account. You’ll then have access to the Home page. Select a program for testing purposes.
Check that the audio is functioning correctly by listening for each speaker to produce the appropriate sounds. You may need to adjust settings in your AVR menu to get the perfect audio frequencies for the design of your home entertainment area.
Troubleshooting Tips
You’ll need to know how to access the source options on the AVR to tune to the correct port that the Fire TV Stick is connected to. If you are getting a picture, but not the picture for the Fire TV Stick, first check that the source is correctly selected.
You may experience issues where you get the correct picture, but not sound. The most common problem when this happens is a lack of connectivity between the AVR and the TV. Check that the Fire TV Stick is in the correct port and that the TV audio connection is hooked up.
Most of the common problems with the Fire TV Stick can be resolved by resetting the power. You can either unplug the unit for 15 seconds or press the reset button on models that have one. This will often clear any problems and get the unit working again.
Conclusion
Adding an Amazon Fire TV Stick gives you access to lots of unique content, audio streaming, and will give you access to Alexa that allows for voice-control of your streaming package.
Installation is an easy plug-and-play operation that usually works perfectly right out of the box. It offers lots of 4k content and many programs are also in 5.1 Dolby Atmos to get the most out of your system.