How To Use Firestick On Laptop: macOS And Windows

Let’s start with a fantastic guide on how to use Firestick on laptop. Whether they work on macOS or Windows, you will get the methods and processes for both of these operating systems to connect your Firestick on the computer.

And here, I am making it general, like how it works on a particular operating system and not in any specific device like PC or other. Because PC also works on the same OS as the laptops do.

Amazon Fire TV Stick is an excellent device with many options to entertain yourself with different kinds of media and content to watch. You can stream your favorite content on any non-TV device and make them into a full-fledge innovative media platform that will deliver you high-quality live channels to new Movies and TV Shows.

If you have got the futuristic device ( Firestick 4K ) in your hands for quite some time but are looking for ways to connect it with your laptop, You have come to the right place on the internet to find the solution for the same.

This is what I have been doing all my life, experimenting the new gadgets and systems and helping people online so that they do not get any difficulties that I had to face when I was a beginner.

After a lot of struggle, research, and time spent online to find the best suitable solution for this current problem, I have come up with the best ways to use your Fire TV Stick on a computer screen or computer monitor.

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We will use the most important port in the laptop or computer to use Fire TV Stick on laptops, and that is an HDMI port or HDMI input port. This port will let us connect the Fire Stick with a laptop or computer monitor so that you can use a Firestick on the laptop screen.

Check Out: How to fix the cast to Firestick issue on macOS/Windows/Android?

Is Firestick Compatible With Laptop/Computer?


If you ask this question, is your Fire Stick compatible with a laptop/computer or not? Then the answer is a simple NO. Because You can not connect your Fire Stick to your laptop using an HDMI port directly, Fire Stick itself has an output port in it as the laptops have.

So, you cannot connect two devices with output ports and expect to have any results. It won’t happen in your lifetime. So you will require a sort of medium or some device to connect these two devices to use Firestick on laptops.

Two ways are available and by using those two methods, you can have your Firestick connected to the laptop. One is that you use an HDMI splitter, Which will help you mirror your Firestick screen to a laptop or computer. The splitter will work as a casting tool that will help you cast your screen between your TV and laptop/computer. But the question is still on, that you cannot connect it directly with laptops.

So, If you don’t want to use your TV to cast your screen to a laptop, you should use the second method, which is to use an HDMI Video capture. You can convert the output port into an input port.

So, you can use it as an input port and connect it using a USB port. Performing this process will let you instantly connect a Firestick with your laptop.

Now, let’s understand these two ways 0f connecting a Firestick with a laptop in detail.

How To Use Firestick On Laptop?


So, as we know, there are two different ways to connect a Firestick with a laptop, and these two other methods are two various tools that will help you complete your desired task.

For example, The HDMI splitter will allow you to cast your screen to monitors, and the video capture will help you turn your output port into an input port.

So, it becomes essential that you read this entire article until the very end to understand even minor things about the issue that you will probably not find it elsewhere.

You can easily choose between these devices are worth buying or not if you have read this entire article. So, without any further due, we will directly jump into HDMI splitter and video capture details.

HDMI Splitter


As we know, the HDMI splitter is a device that will help you connect your screen with two monitors simultaneously. Combining the display with two monitors simultaneously permits you to cast your desired content on the net.

There are different kinds of splitters available in the market, but if you are looking for a high-quality splitter that will help you stream content at 30fps on 1080p resolution, you should try a powlaken splitter.

It will also give you the best output when connected with Firestick 4k, Roku, Windows, macOS, Apple TV, and others.

The coolest thing about this device is getting the best audio output of a Dolby Atmos Audio. And you can use audio and video on both simultaneously. That will help you consume content very quickly and will give you the perfect content consumption mood.

It comes at an affordable price as well, so that anyone who’s on a low budget can afford this device to cast their screens.

HDMI Video Capture


Now, let’s get the details on the second method to connect the Amazon Fire Stick with a laptop/computer with the help of an HDMI video capture device. This is the best product made by Panoraxy, and it also supports the different types of platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, and others.

Using this device is very simple as all you need to do is insert the device’s USB in the laptop’s USB port and then insert Firestick in the HDMI port located at the backside of the device.

That was it. Now you can load your Firestick with the help of a remote, and you will see the Firestick screen on the laptop.

There is another use of an HDMI video capture device as well. You can a Webcam and record videos by using a DSLR. You need to buy this device because it is even cheaper than the HDMI splitter device.

And my expert recommendation is that you buy an HDMI video capture instead of an HDMI splitter. You won’t regret your decision.

Use Firestick On Laptop Using HDMI Video Capture


Now, I am assuming that you have purchased the video capture device from the link given above. Now, If you want to set it up to connect your Firestick with the laptop/computer very quickly, follow further steps or processes.

You can also check the screenshots attached with every description below for a better understanding of the process. After spending hours researching the process, I am now ready with the complete process to connect your Firestick with your laptop.

But to do that, there are other important things that you need to fulfill.

  1. Buy a video capture device from the link or your local stores near you.
  2. Install Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).
  3. Be ready with a Micro USB cable to power your Firestick.
  4. And an Adapter (Optional)

Let’s start the process.

Firstly, connect your Firestick in the back of the video capture in the HDMI port and connect it to the USB port as well.

Now, it’s time to connect your video capture device to your laptop and connect USB with a laptop to turn it on.

So, now you have to install OBS software in your system. Once done, launch it on your system.

After launching the software, you will be asked to allow some of the permissions, so allow them and come to the Home Screen of the software, and once you arrive on the Home Screen, click on the Plug sign located under the sources.

Now, you will have many other options available to choose from, but ignore them all and select Video Capture Device.

Then, it will ask you to give a name to the source. In my case, I’m writing Howtofirestick and click OK.

Now, click on the drop-down list of the menu located near the Device, and select USB Video from the list.

Then, set the preset option to HIGH and click OK.

Now, you can see that your Firestick is on the laptop, and to see it in Full-Screen, press Right-Click on the black area and visit Fullscreen projector, and then you can select your LCD from the menu.

So, that was it. Now you can easily control your Firestick connected with an HDMI adapter via remote and can also enjoy your favorite content.

I know it was easy to process, but you need to follow the whole process to use your Fire TV Stick on your laptop. You can also look at the attached screenshots between the description to understand the process, and it will help you get the procedure done quickly.

By connecting Firestick with a laptop, you are opening endless possibilities to enjoy thousands of free content like Movies, TV Shows, Web-Series, Music, and other mediums to the fullest.

And following this process will also let you connect the Firestick with operating systems like macOS, Windows, Linux, and others available.

See FireTV Storage On a Laptop/Computer


In the article mentioned above, we have seen the process of using Firestick on a laptop with the help of a video capture device. But, If you are looking to see the FireTV storage on a computer or Windows, you should indeed check out this section in the article. That will help you for sure.

So, It is easy to perform this action. All you need to do is that connect your FireTV with the help of FTP servers and BOOM. Now, you can see your FireTV’s storage.

It will benefit the one who already got a TV but would like to share its storage to copy/paste the content. And to connect to the FTP server, you will need to have an app, ES File Explorer.

After installing the ES File Explorer on your system, follow the below-mentioned steps/process to get the things done.

  • Firstly, Launch the app ES File Explorer on your device, and from the home screen, scroll down to the View On PC and select that option.
  • Now, click on the TURN ON button, and it will show you the FTP server, so be there for a while.
  • Then, open your windows laptop and connect it with the same Wi-Fi network, and open My Computer on the laptop.
  • Now, enter the FTP address in the bar and click on Enter.
  • Then some folders will appear on your screen, and these folders are the files of your Firestick, so now you can access them on your laptop very easily.

Now, your Firestick has been successfully connected to the laptop, and you can easily copy/paste data and files. You can also sideload any third-party applications. All you need to do is that load them into the internal storage.

FAQs

Will the video capture device work properly?

The video capture device is a great device that enables your Firestick to connect with the laptop in 2 minutes. All you need to do is connect your Firestick with video capture on the backside in the HDMI port, and in this, you will not require any HDMI cable. VGA adapter. You have to directly connect the video capture into the laptop’s HDMI port or USB port. That was it, and now you can access the Firestick on the laptop very easily.

Why Is my laptop not connecting with TV HDMI?

If you are getting issues regarding the connectivity in the HDMO port of TV and laptop, you better check your laptop’s settings first. So, designated an HDMI port to default output medium for both audio and video. And try to boot up your laptop when the HDMI cable is connected with the TV on. You can also try booting up the laptop when TV is Off and then turn it on.

Conclusion

Fire TV Stick is the best device to enjoy your favorite content on TV, but some of the users were getting issue connecting the Firestick with a laptop, or maybe they were not so familiar with the process, so I have explained it in detail. So, do follow the procedure mentioned above to solve the issue.

However, the best method to solve the issue is to use the HDMI video capture device that will help you connect your Firestick with your laptop very quickly. It will also help you record videos from DSLR cameras.

Further in the article, I have covered the process of connecting your FireTV storage with a laptop with the help of FTP servers and ES File Explorer software that will allow you to copy/paste files.

So, If you got any help from this article, I would highly appreciate it if you commented it down in its section and let me know If you have any suggestions or anything else.

Stream your favorite content consistently, and have fun.

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Author
Sean Horton
I’m Sean Horton, a self-proclaimed tech and TV geek from Austin, Texas. I’ve been interested in the world of technology ever since I was a kid. I used to get my dad to buy me different types of tech gadgets so that I could dismantle them and put pack together. This advanced to me building new toys out of existing ones while combining different parts.

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