Fire TV Sticks need lots of attention

I like the current batch of high end Amazon Fire TV Sticks (commonly called "Firesticks"). I don't like all the current ones, but the higher end Fire TV Sticks are pretty good.

My biggest issue with the previous Fire TV Sticks, and the low end current models, is that they slow down and are practically unusable after a while. Of course, there are ways to fix that, but to me, it shouldn't have to be fixed. The newer higher end (meaning more expensive) models don't need that much attention. That is, not as often.

That has to do with the specs, and a little bit with how the operating systems works. You can't do much about the OS -- I'll talk more about that in just a bit -- but the specs require some attention on the user's part more often. Tablo has an article that explains about this:

 Unlike many other streaming TV platforms, Fire TV devices require some periodic maintenance to keep them running at peak efficiency. This is due to a buildup of cached data which can clog the device's already small amount of storage.

Regularly clearing the cache of apps giving you trouble and removing old apps you don't use anymore is a good start. If that doesn't do the trick, a factory reset can also help.

If the device is more than 3-5 years old, go ahead and get a newer one, and a higher end one. They go on sale often enough that if you keep an eye out, you'll find a bargain and save some money.

The other issue that you can't really address is the operating system. The way the Fire TV Sticks (and every other device except Roku) handles onboard storage means you can run out of space if you have many apps installed. You have to choose which apps to remove to install new ones, after a period of time. Roku doesn't require that. It has a good way of managing the apps that the other devices don't.

But for the issue of slowing down performance, that tip should help improve your Streaming Life.