FyreTV Heats Things Up
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that you enjoy adult media. Not safe for work content. The birds and the bees- that sort of thing. You have a computer (obviously), and access to the whole wide internet variety of stuff that would make your mother blush, but sometimes you want to instead use that big screen TV or lean back on the couch instead of be cramped up in your desk chair.
Fyre TV offers a solution- and an easy-to-use one at that. There are two pieces really- hardware and software- that make up the system and we’ll get to each in turn. But with porn, as with most things, pricing matters- and it’s here that Fyre can make even your serious content consumer happy, with reasonable rates of $10 a month. No hidden fees, and they’ll even ship you the hardware for free. Hooking it up is easy- and we love the HDMI out, making it super-simple to plug into our HDTVs. Both wired and wireless connections get the box online, so you’ll need to have a network in place and know some basic information (like your router’s name). And the unit is discreet, black and label-less, allowing it to sit alongside the rest of your equipment without attracting much attention.
Once you’ve set it up, now’s your chance to explore the content available. It’s pretty painless really- the remote isn’t great, but is well constructed for, ahem, one-handed operation. You can either simply check out new releases (added daily), or browse by various categories, including star, studio, and type. Not all of the normal categories are available, and it can take some time to learn how to navigate the system. But selecting a movie is as simple as pushing a button, and you can easily change the quality of the movie to best fit your internet speed. Fast-forwarding, crucial for those overly long moments of dialogue, is handled fairly adeptly, speeding through parts you want to miss at variable (and high enough) speeds. Basic playlist creation and rating systems seem to be works in progress- your playlist capabilities are limited, and the ratings offer limited value- but a favorite system allows you to bookmark videos for later perusal.
The sheer quantity, variety, and quality of content available is stunning- every major adult star we looked for had something on hand, and the same for every major studio from Vivid to Wicked to Pink Visual, Elegant Angel, Diabolic, Combat Zone, etc. They claim to offer 20,000 films, and we believe it. Not everything we wanted was available and it can take some time for the latest stuff to show up, but the regular updates and broad catalog mean that most anyone will be happy.
It’s not all roses though- there are some thorns too. Almost a year ago, folks were informed about the HD-version of the box, which still hasn’t been released. And it’s clear that not all features are in place yet- live television services have had a spot on the menu for a long time, and still are yet to arrive. Various firmware upgrades have purported to fix issues, but our boxes still lock up from time to time or restart randomly, and browsing through menus is still pretty difficult (UI changes have sometimes made things worse/slower instead of better). Also, there is no recommendation system that suggests films based on your preferences or viewing habits, a definite oversight. Finally, your subscription is useless unless you are at home- it’s a shame you couldn’t have access to some of the collection when traveling.
Overall, for those who’d like a little more adult in their life (and on their television), Fyre TV is a great option. They have room to improve, but the price is hard to beat, and offers more, er, bang for the buck than just about any other service out there.
