The Amazon Fire Stick ( 2nd generation) is the latest home entertainment device brought to you by Amazon. The Amazon fire stick is simple to install but doesn’t come with the connection procedure to specific receivers, for example, Denon receivers. Below we will run through the simple process of connecting the Amazon Fire Stick to the Denon receiver so you can enjoy your movies and music in no time.
1. Select The TV
Make sure your TV is compatible by checking if it has the HDMI port available. Now make sure your Denon receiver is within a suitable distance for a connection. If you have a surround sound display unit or tv cabinet, this shouldn’t be an issue.
2. Connect The TV With a 4k HDMI Cable
Ok, now connect your tv to your Denon receiver. This is simply done by using an HDMI cable and plugging it into the TV and receiver ports.
Make sure the HDMI cable is a 4K high-speed cable. This will allow you to view it in HD.
3. Connecting the Amazon Firestick
We are now going to connect the Amazon Fire Stick to your Denon receiver. This is simply done by plugging it into one of the five ports at the back of the receiver.
4. Choosing the correct HBMI Port
You will notice two of the five ports will be HDCPP 4.2 compatible; these are the ports that support the 4K streaming abilities. If your receiver doesn’t have these options, you can still use the standard HDMI ports for SD streaming.
5. Amazon Firestick Dongle
Once you have plugged in the Amazon Fire stick, we can now tune the TV and receiver.
NOTE: Amazon supplies an extension for your Fire Stick dongle if you need to use the other ports as well.
6. Tuning in the Denon Receiver
Settings for the Denon receiver are straightforward, simply select SETTINGS, scroll to PROGRAMS, and select SURROUND SOUND. This will allow you to watch on the TV through your Amazon Fire stick and hear the sound through the receiver. If you can’t listen to the sound, it could be because your TV is only two-way compatible
7. Tuning the Amazon Firestick
For settings for the Amazon Firestick, select SETTINGS, scroll down to DISPLAYS/SOUND, select AUDIO, and scroll down to BEST AVAILABLE and select. If your TV is a later version, it may be DOLBY DIGITAL AUTOMATIC, which will auto-select the best setting depending on the streaming clarity and speed.
8. Ready to Watch
Once you have done the above, you should be ready to enjoy your surround sound entertainment.
Troubleshooting
I see a picture, but can’t I hear any sound?
There are a few things to look at here. The first is to make sure both HDMI cables are correctly connected to the receiver and TV. Secondly, make sure the Amazon Fire stick is connected to your receiver correctly.
Once we have checked this and ruled ‘bad connections’ out, let’s look at the receiver settings.
Your receiver will want to process the Fire stick with an HDMI 7 channel setting, which will not work. Go into your receiver settings, using the program button, and make sure that the settings are set on the SURROUND SOUND DECODE AUTO setting.
Amazon Fire Stick TV settings. You need the TV settings to be set on BEST AVAILABLE; this is the best compatible setting for the Amazon Fire stick. Select SETTINGS, scroll down to DISPLAY AND AUDIO, scroll, and select AUDIO, scroll down and select BEST AVAILABLE. Some of the other options are SURROUND or DOLBY DIGITAL. These choices all depend on which TV system you have and which Denon receiver you are using.
If all the above has been checked, you should have a great picture and sound.
What’s the best HDMI cable to use?
The difference between the HDMI 1.4 and 2.0 is minimal and won’t make much of a difference in your viewing. The important indicator to look out for is the cable speed and its maximum bandwidth.
HDMI cables are grouped into four speed categories, standard, high speed, high premium speed, and ultra-high-speed. The speed choice will be based on what streaming speed you have available.
The speed of the HDMI cables only slightly affects the picture’s clarity, so there is no reason to spend too much on these cables when the known reputable brands serve and function very well.
Is the Amazon Fire stick compatible with all receivers?
Yes, the Amazon fire stick is compatible with all receivers as it only requires an HDMI plug-in point to work through the receiver.
The Amazon Firestick also comes with the USB plug-in option, which works great as well. It is, however, essential to note that not all receivers have a USB plug-in point.
Can the Amazon Fire stick control the receiver as well?
While it’s not possible currently, Amazon is planning to upgrade its Firestick remote. The new upgrades will allow the user to control the volume and frequency of the receiver from the Fire stick remote, giving us one less remote to have to worry about.
Can I connect my Amazon Fire stick to my receiver without an HDMI?
Yes, this is entirely possible and can be done by using the following cables. An RCA audio cable, a composite video cable, five video component cables, or an HDMI converter cable that matches the option you have available.
Will the Amazon Fire stick work on my old TV?
The Amazon Fire stick has been recorded to work on TVs that are over 20 years old. As long as you have the correct input cabling and are using the right ports, you should be able to enjoy the Amazon Fire stick on your old TV with no problems.
Denon Receiver Issues
If you are having specific issues with your Donon receiver, you will need to fix those before connecting your Fire stick. Check out our separate guides on how to fix issues with Denon receivers turning off and blinking or even the Denon 4306 turning off at high volume.
Connecting Firestick To Old Receiver
If you have an old receiver, you should plug the Firestick into an available port on your TV, then run a coaxial cable or a digital optical cable from the TV output ports to an available coaxial or optical input port on the receiver.
Conclusion
So there you have it; connecting your Amazon Fire stick to your Denon receiver couldn’t be more simple. Make sure you have the correct cables and use the right ports, and there shouldn’t be any problems. If you have any issues, just track and trace the issue with a step-by-step elimination process until you find the fault and fix it.