# Question about TV / DVD / Firestick **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073 "2023-06-06T00:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/1 "2023-06-06T00:33:00Z")
I use an Amazon Firestick on my LG TV to access YoutubeTV. This is obviously plugged into the TV’s USB port. I also have a DVD player connected to HDMI 1. I have not used the DVD player in quite a while, I don’t think I’ve ever used it with this TV. But now, I have a DVD I want to watch. Should be easy, right? So I grab the TV remote (the actual LG remote that came with the TV), pressed “input”, and it showed several options, but it DID NOT show the USB port where the Firestick is connected. I did not realize this at first, and I started scrolling around, looking for the DVD (HDMI) option. I saw it, but it was greyed out. I didn’t have time to monkey around with it, so I decided to, for now, just go back to YoutubeTV via the Firestick, but it was nowhere to be found. I could not figure out how to get my Firestick access back. I ended up unplugging the Firestick to re-set it, and that worked. I’m just confused as to why it did not show within the input menu. I certainly don’t want to go through all this malarkey whenever I want to watch a DVD (remember those?). Any thoughts? Thanks! mmm ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/2 "2023-06-06T00:45:06Z")
tl-dr: Make sure all the peripherals are powered on. _Then_ push “Input” on the TV remote to select between them. Long version: I don’t have your exact setup but something similar happens to me sometimes. The modern TV UIs are generally smart enough to not display port choices where there’s no device connected. The trap is that both HDMI & USB are smart interfaces connected to outside devices that can turn themselves on and off. When I grab the streaming box remote and push “On”, that turns on the TV too, and pre-selects the streaming box as the source. But when instead I grab the TV remote and push “On”, that doesn’t turn on the streaming box. And when I push “Input” on the TV remote to select the streaming box, that HDMI port isn’t shown because the streaming box is off and so the TV decides nobody is home on that port. Catch-22. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/3 "2023-06-06T03:39:01Z")
I’m going to be ignorant. I thought that a Firestick used an HDMI input, not a USB. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/4 "2023-06-06T10:10:54Z")
I think you may be right, I will check. I _hope_ you are correct, that would clear up much of my confusion about this situation. Sorry for messing up the details. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/5 "2023-06-06T10:37:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > This is obviously plugged into the TV’s USB port. This is likely your problem. USB ports are usually just for playing media files. Any many people have used the ISB port for an external source of power for their…Amazon Firesticks that are connected to the TV via HDMI. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/6 "2023-06-06T11:41:50Z")
The Firestick needs to be plugged into HDMI and USB. USB provides the power, HDMI is for input to the TV. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/7 "2023-06-06T11:46:18Z")
Also note that on some TVs, the USB port isn’t powered unless the TV is on, which means the Firestick has to boot every time you turn the TV on, which adds time before it is available. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/8 "2023-06-06T19:47:32Z")
It is generally a really good idea to always use the accompanying wall wart to power devices like Fire TV Sticks. It will provide enough, stable power and will keep the device in a ready state. Note such sticks go into screen/energy saver mode after a bit so they aren’t always at full “on” power. And they wake up quite quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-tv-dvd-firestick/985073/9 "2023-06-07T14:13:28Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > It is generally a really good idea to always use the accompanying wall wart to power devices like Fire TV Sticks. Yes. I learned the hard way that the USB from the TV provided enough power for a firestick to kind of work, but not reliably work.