With the addition of more and more great high-end games to the Amazon Fire TV’s app library, the number one complaint from users has always been the device’s lack of expandable storage. The Fire TV’s 8 GB internal storage fills up in no time when popular games like GTA: San Andreas and NBA 2K15 require nearly 3 gigs of space each. Good news, because Amazon has heard your complaints and the Fire TV development team is finally addressing the issue in the next software update.
A trusted source at Amazon tells me the theme of the next Fire TV update is “connectivity”. He says Amazon is “finally going to put the Fire TV’s USB port to good use”. He didn’t explicitly say it, but I’m interpreting that to mean the next software update will add official support for expanded storage to the Fire TV via the device’s USB port. I expect you will be able to install and run apps from a connected drive. I do not expect the same functionality to be added to the Fire TV Stick since the micro-USB port on the Stick is used to power the device.
The Fire TV rooting community has had the ability to use external storage for some time, but now the most sought after feature requiring root should soon be available to all devices.
@AFTVnews
AFTVnews
Music to my ears!! I hope it actually happens.
Lab 126, do something people actually want? Not a chance.
I’ve got $10 that says it’s going to add support for smart watches, or something equally dumb.
LOL!!
w00t! FTV just keeps getting better.
Should this functionality be added to non-rooted AFTV’s, what added benefits, if any, will be available to a rooted AFTV versus a non-root?
Off the top of my head-
1) Rooted users can make use of Xposed modules
– lets you remove menu items with rbox’s mod
2) Rooted users can give su to another app like llama so you can automate events w/ llama to kill apps with root privledges (useful if trying to use a new launcher,etc)
3) Rooted users can use SixAxis app to use a PS3 controller.
4) … anything else that gives a new “feature” to the firetv and leaves you with the ability to add it. Why not keep root if you have the ability to with the customized firmware? Yes its more work but you have freedom to do what you want with the device.
Next up External Bluetooth Speaker support?
= Remote headphone support / remote listening support.
My guess is, that they will add support for using an iPhone/Android device as a wireless headphone.
you can already use it with sideloaded settings apk.
This is great news, lets hope the update doesn’t kill kodi or side loading!
I don’t think they would removed the side loading capabilities because it’s used by developer for testing their apps.
My concern is how well games will run from USB. On my rooted FTV, it’s sluggish.
That largely depends on the drive. I have an SSD that I’ve mounted /data to and games load just as fast as they did before I added the drive.
Mine’s running from a 1TB seagate I think it is.. And the speed is the same, if not faster.. It all depends on the drive, as the other poster wrote SSD will be as fast or faster than stock to.
I had another drive that didnt get proper power which resulted in it spinning down everytime it tryid to spin up. The funny thing was it worked but it was unbelieable slow.
Check your drive! =)
Please please please let this be true
release date for the update?
Wonder if that would work for the Fire TV Stick with a Micro Y Adapter?
It is great to hear that a company such as Amazon listens to its customers. I have one Fire TV, but have been holding off on purchasing two more because I am running into low memory warnings. Being able to offload storage to a USB or SSD device will seal the deal for me to buy two more Fire TVs.
Please let this happen, I’m running low on storage.
Amazon , If you are looking for your marketing hook , here you have it! So many people want this. I will still subscribe to Amazon prime, sure, but it will allow me to make the Amazon Fire TV box my primary media player at the same time! More air time for you and more happy customers to boot. It’s a win win!!
This would be awesome. I have a firetv and an Ouya.if this happens then I have no reason to keep Ouya.
I don’t know if it’s possible, but I’m sure that Amazon would like to limit the ability of that port to deal with anything that is not Amazon.
I wonder if it IS possible for Amazon to restrict that port to it’s proprietary products…i.e, NO playing of “outside” movies or games.
what does this mean for plex? Anything?
The connectivity aspect probably relates to the previously promised ability to connect to a hotel wifi which requires a login webpage.
This will be great! So excite.
People are funny. “What does this mean for Plex?” Why would it mean ANYTHING for Plex? I hope this doesn’t break Kodi! Kodi is am android app the Amazon has on their own appstore. If anything an official version will be released. People are paranoid. USB storage is a great thing.
It will be interesting to see if you will be able to download films to the external drive as well as games and apps.
Download films from where? OOr do you mean watch your own films from storage?