The most awaited app, HBO Go, has finally come to the Amazon Fire TV. They cut it close, but Amazon has made good on its promise by bringing the app to the Fire TV before the end of the year. In addition to the app being released, Amazon is adding HBO into the available voice search results alongside Showtime, Hulu, Crackle and others. That integration explains the need for the new Fire TV software update, version 51.1.4.2, expected in the next few days. Strangely, the app is not yet available for the Fire TV Stick. Amazon says HBO Go will come to the Fire TV Stick “this spring“. Amazon says today’s $79 Fire TV sale price in celebration of HBO Go’s arrival.
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Do you know if the latest software update is required for HBO GO? (I will not be able to try it myself for a few hours)
From what the reviewers are writing. You shouldn’t need the new FW for it. But maybe the new FW will help with it.
FINALLY!! This was the one thing I’ve been waiting for since I bought the AFTV. In fact, I held off purchasing it until they announced it’d be released by the end of the year. That was my deciding factor. Glad they made good on the promise. :)
With this addition, it’s difficult to find any glaring flaws in Fire’s app lineup. Sure, I guess the addition of Vudu would be nice. However, for streaming free movies, the big three are Prime, Netflix and Go.
In my mind, now that GO has finally been added, Fire TV has leapfrogged Roku and Apple. Those devices were already outclassed by Fire in terms of gaming, and now that the app libraries are more or less evenly matched, Fire TV is the better entertainment value by far.
If Fire TV is better for you I think that’s great. For me, my Fire TV still takes a back seat to my Nexus Player and all of the apps that can cast to it.
I heard so many bad things about the Nexus Player like limited apps and games available. Fire TV has more apps. Lot of the apps on the nexus 7 aren’t available for the nexus player. No prime. Games are stuttering. Only 1GB of RAM for Nexus (2GB RAM on FireTV) and NO USB PORT. How would one use a wireless keyboard to browse the web or play videos off a portable hard drive? I was interested in the nexus player but I saw so many bad reviews about it so I passed on it.
http://www.wired.com/2014/11/google-nexus-player/
Agreed. Bought the Nexus Player on release day and regretting it. Very limited in terms of native apps. Game performance is subpar. Only saving grace is that you can castfrom your Android device but then that’s what the cheaper Chromecast is for…
Wow! No Prime? That’s one of the cornerstone apps of any streaming device. As a Prime customer especially I don’t think I’d have much use for any device that didn’t have Prime. Same goes for Netflix.
bg1 – Just installed on my 51.1.4.1 rooted AFTV. Works great!
can we somehow grab this and sideload it to the Stick?
You should be able to test that… Yes.. Sideloading should work fine on the FireTV stick… How well it runs will have to be tested. But shouldn’t do anything bad to the FTVS.
how would one retrieve the HBO Go app designed for the regular Fire TV?
If you have a Fire TV, you can follow this guide to transfer the app: http://www.aftvnews.com/how-to-transfer-amazon-fire-tv-apps-to-a-fire-tv-stick/
Or just wait, I’m sure someone will post it soon.
I’ve upload the HBO Go for Fire TV APK. Download it here: https://www.mediafire.com/?222m7mxd82l8m2d
If you want to try it.. I uploaded the APK here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/fire-tv/themes-apps/news-hbo-app-available-fire-tv-stick-t2974400/post57527277#post57527277
thanks guys!
No Comcast/Xfinity in the providers ?
No Charter either. Boo!!
they’re just shooting themselves in the foot. This will all be academic, come April 2015, when you can subscribe to HBO Go without a cable TV subscription.
1. The auothor of this site wrote a guide on how to sideload “fire-tv” apps to the stick not long ago. In fact the past 2 weeks has circled around how to easiest do this. So scroll back half a page or two.
2. The reason it has not arrived for the stick is very likely imho content control again. Why can’t i buy/rent/watch some US movies and series, even apps unless I bend the rules and change my adress to another country? (a topic that has been covered here to)
Why are there DVD regions so I can not watch a DVD I bought in US on a european DVD player that does not bend the rules?
To maximize promotion/income ofcause.
Thats my 2 cents, it’s been done for ages.
If someone has a better theory i’m open because I can not find one. =)
To aftvnews: keep on awesome site! love your work.
It can also be used to force firmware updates (god forbid) to run the app just as a firmware update can be used as a carrot to unroot (usb storage on unrooted but latest firmware?). Sony and Apple practice this alot,.
All hail the author of this site.
if you sideloaded the android hbo app you have to remove it before using this one it seems.
i dont see how you add videos to your queue. it seems to be kind of clunky and slow, maybe the fire tv stick isn’t powerful enough to run it well. very thankful to finally have it though.
from settings -> FAQ
“watchlist and series pass functionality are not currently supported on Amazon Fire TV.”
Hope they add this soon!
About time. Turns the AFTV into the best media streamer on the market hands down. No more having to mirror HBOGo from the Kindle. Will try sideloading it to my Stick as well.