Does Firestick Work on Any TV?

You might be wondering if a Firestick will work with an older TV that has a lower resolution.

Does firestick work on all TVs?

Firestick is not compatible with any TV. It must have an HDMI port. Firestick will automatically convert to the highest resolution if you have an older TV with a lower resolution. Firesticks cannot be used on older, 720p TVs that cause an “invalid formatting” error.

Good news: Most TVs today have at least one HDMI port. You’ll be fine there.

Firestick: Minimum requirements

There are some basic requirements you must meet in order for your Firestick to work.

• As mentioned above, the HDMI port must be present on your TV.
• An also necessary requirement is a Wireless internet connection You can also connect your Firestick to.
  • This simply means that you will need WiFi. A common misconception is that your TV must be a smart TV to function. This is false. Firestick, in fact, is what makes smart TVs that aren’t smart.
  • Firesticks will still function if you own a smart TV.
• You’ll also need a Register your Amazon account.
  • Amazon Prime members don’t necessarily have to be Amazon Prime members.
  • Amazon Firesticks are automatically registered.

These are the essential requirements for Firestick operation.

There are, however, a few exceptions.

Lower resolution TVs

Today’s TV resolutions are amazing. You can find Ultra HD and 2K options all over the place.

It wasn’t that long ago that (720p) was the new craze. You were missing out if your TV did not have HD.

The story is very different today. Today, it’s very rare to find a TV with a 720p resolution.

Nearly 13 years after the introduction of 720p, Firestick devices were released in 2014. Televisions were already capable of 1080p resolution.

Firestick devices occasionally experience compatibility issues with older 720p TVs.

However, I am not saying that your Firestick will not work with a 720p TV. You won’t have any issues.

Firestick devices will automatically adjust to the best resolution your TV can offer.

Sometimes, however, this doesn’t happen if your device’s resolution setting hasn’t been set to Auto.

Manually modify Firestick resolution settings

You might have trouble with your Firestick device on an older TV. Perhaps the format isn’t right, or something is off.

Holding BACK, REVERSE, RIGHT and SELECT simultaneously for 10 seconds on your Firestick remote will cause the TV to cycle through different resolution settings.

(For Fire OS 5’s final version, the button combination for resolution cycling has been changed to hold REVERSE and UP simultaneously for 10 seconds.

If you don’t press SELECT, it will stop at each setting and cycle to the next one.

Clicking SELECT will save your current display setting. This is useful if your TV has a resolution you don’t like.

Try again after 10 seconds. It is likely to have successfully cycled through the settings. It will turn on the TV once it has found one that works.

Try it to see if it works. Sometimes this will not work, or an “invalid formatting” error may appear.

If this is the case, I recommend that you try the workaround that I describe below.

To lock Firestick resolution settings, use a newer TV

Your Firestick device settings may have been previously set to a resolution your TV does not support.

If the device is unable to cycle through the available resolution settings, you can try the following:

Connect your Firestick device to the TV that is causing you trouble and disconnect it from the TV. You should now be able to set your Firestick resolution to 720p or whatever resolution your TV supports.

To change the resolution, press and hold the HOME button on your remote. Next, select SETTINGS > DISPLAY AND SOUND > DISPLAY > VIDEO RESOLUTION.

Next, select the video resolution that works for the TV you don’t want to use with the Firestick.

Now, disconnect the Firestick and connect it to the older TV. Now it should work!

Problem is, if you have only one TV older than the other, the stick won’t show up so you can’t access the menu to change resolution.

There is an alternative, but it isn’t for everyone.

VGA connectors – A word about them

Do not try to use an HDMI > VGA connector. You will most likely experience cropping issues at the 720p invalid format because of incompatible resolutions.

I have heard enough complaints about people who did not have an HDMI port and tried to use a VGA connection as a workaround.

This is why I would avoid it altogether.

Can a 4K Firestick be used on a non-4K television?

A 4K Firestick can be used on non-4K TVs. You don’t even need a 4K Firestick to use your 4K TV. You won’t be able to see 4K resolution in either case, but your Firestick should work fine.

I would not buy the 4K Firestick if you don’t have a 4K TV. You are paying for a higher resolution option that you won’t use.

Conclusion

You should be able to use your Firestick device on any TV that has an HDMI port.

However, older 720p TVs may have compatibility problems with older models. Although your Firestick should automatically convert to the highest resolution available, this doesn’t always happen.

There are some workarounds that you can do.

The remote can be used to cause the Firestick to cycle through all available resolutions. Another option is to connect your older TV to a newer TV and hard-set the resolution settings.

If your TV does not have an HDMI port, I wouldn’t recommend using an HDMI > VGA convertor. There are not many success stories, and formatting issues will likely occur.

Rarely, old 720p TVs can cause an “invalid formatting” error that cannot be fixed and cannot be used with Firesticks.