The new Fire TV interface update for Fire TV Smart TVs seems to have recently resumed its rollout and with it comes a small, but very welcomed, addition to the main navigation menu. Amazon has added a new Inputs button to the menu bar, between the profile selector and the Home button. This makes it much easier to change inputs since inputs no longer appear in the Recent row on the home screen.
The old Fire TV interface had a “Recents” row at the top of the home screen which acted as a catch-all for various different things that you did with a Fire TV. For Fire TV Smart TVs, one thing that appeared in the Recents row was the various inputs that were recently accessed. This made it very easy to get back to an input, especially if you didn’t have your TV configured to power on to the last input automatically.
With the new Fire TV interface, the catch-all Recents row has been replaced with two separate “Recently Watched” and “recently Used Apps” rows. Since inputs are neither watched content or launched apps, they no longer appear in the new interface’s Recent rows. This has lead to people complaining that it now took too many button presses to change inputs, since the input you wanted was usually in the Recents row of the old interface.
The quickest way to change inputs on the new interface prior to the recent update, aside from voice commands, was to hold the Home button on the remote to bring up a menu on the right side, go down the menu, and then select Input. This takes 4 remote button presses. Given that this menu is hidden, making it difficult to discover or remember, I suspect a lot of Fire TV Smart TV owners changing the input by navigating to the main Settings menu, which takes 12 remote button presses.
It seems like Amazon has listened to the complaints because a recent software update has now added a new Inputs button on the main navigation menu. It does, unfortunately, seem like an afterthought in its placement, given how the highlighted Inputs icon overlaps the profile icon slightly, but it’s functionally a great addition. Thankfully, you don’t have to select the icon to view the input options, like you do with the Apps button to see the rest of your apps. The new Input button brings up the selection of inputs below it when you simply highlight the button, similar to how the Settings button populates the settings menu when highlighted.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
Still waiting for Amazon to shoehorn “DVR” between “Live” and the first app tile for Recast enabled devices. Plenty of space. I could care less about input navigation.
I know it’s not a great solution, since it takes up an app slot, but you can use this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096YKBBLF/
Thanks, I will consider it.
Seems like they could add this to FireSticks etc that have the TV Controls remote.
They are already paired with the tv so clicking on the INPUT desired sould send the code to the TV.
Elias, pass it on, add that menu line to the new Firestick interface,
maybe OPTIONAL.
Unfortunately, I don’t think that’ll ever happen. The issue is that most people wouldn’t know they need to keep their remote pointed at the TV. Even if you showed them instructions, they’ll forget or another house member who didn’t see the instructions wouldn’t know. The end result is a flood of people complaining that it doesn’t work. It’s just one of those things that’s not worth the trouble.
Another example is turning off the TV or changing the volume through a paired Echo. The Echo can technically relay the request to the remote, but if the remote isn’t pointed at the TV, people will blame the Echo/Amazon for a broken feature.
I forgot the TV Controls commands are IR not RF.
But you know what, I think a lot of people still point their RF remotes at the TV !!!
Hey Elias the HD10 tablet is on sale fir $99, that’s $50 off!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BX7FV5L/
Thanks for the heads up!
Hey Elias, Tablo surround sound stopped working on the Toshiba/Insignia 4K (2020). (Had to hook up a Roku). Who can I report this to? (PS7244/1993)
Tablo support is who you report it to.
Need Support?
Our support gurus are based at Tablo HQ in Canada and our regular support hours are 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. ET, Monday – Friday.
Call 1-844-822-5688 or submit an email ticket.
You can also find answers to most questions anytime on our Support Page where you can search the TabloTV world to find results our website, FAQs, user community forums and knowledge base.
Fixed it thanks. Just needed to enable a Tablo setting (surround sound pass-through) I hadn’t seen on any of the other apps. Was gathering information to create a Tablo support ticket when I stumbled upon that setting. I have multiple TVs, phones, tablets, PCs, and STBs (Rokus, Amazon and Nvidia Shield), so it’s easy to overlook or overreach at times.
Hi elias, im having trouble with the downloader app on my huawei smart fone. Its not installing the downloaded app even though i have it set up properly to install straight away. It just keeps saying i need to look at help section and check the install bit. It works on all other devices so i think its my fone that’s causing the issue. Can you please and find out what is wrong, a big thank you for all the great work you do for us firestick owners
I might be mistaken Jamie, but I believe this app is meant to work only on Fire TV apparati.