# dsigns for Amazon Fire TV — hardware pilot

The standard build `0.6.10 / 61002` is a signed APK for testing on Android-based **Fire OS 7 or later** (API 28+). It has installed and launched on an AFTKM Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd generation) running Fire OS 8.1.8.0. The owner confirmed installation, playback, the remote menu and setup worked on this stick. Recovery and long-running playback checks remain outstanding. Use it to evaluate a Fire TV you already own before considering a wider deployment.

This is a manually launched app. Open dsigns after restarting or restoring power to the Fire TV. Home returns to Amazon's home screen. This build does not replace the launcher, start itself after boot, or recover after the operating system terminates it. It keeps the display awake while its activity is visible; this does not guarantee that the television stays on.

## Layout trial — 10 October 2026

Dashboard Downloads also offers **0.7.3 revision 9 / 70309** for manual layout testing. Revision 9 installed over the existing app on the owner’s AFTKM Fire TV Stick, retaining pairing. It uses the original release certificate; earlier 0.7.3 revision 1 APKs used a different certificate and are retained only as historical downloads. See [Manual layout updates](MANUAL-LAYOUT-UPDATES.md). The standard short APK address still serves the 0.6.10 release.

The APK now contains a wider Signal wordmark banner and uses it as its Fire TV launcher icon. On the tested Fire OS 8 launcher, the previous square icon remained after updating and rebooting. The large hover image is separate Appstore background artwork; embedding an Android banner alone does not provide that store asset. Amazon specifies a 1280 × 720 tile and 1920 × 1080 background in its [Appstore artwork requirements](https://developer.amazon.com/docs/app-submission/appstore-details.html#fire-tv-assets). No Appstore listing has been created.

## Choose the correct device

- Fire OS 7 and 8 are the initial test targets. The 2023 Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max run Fire OS 8; this is an OS prerequisite, not a validated-model list.
- Fire OS 5 and 6 are excluded: their Android API levels are below this APK's minimum.
- **Vega OS is excluded.** Fire TV Stick 4K Select (2025) and Fire TV Stick HD (2026) use Vega OS, which needs a separate app. Check the exact generation rather than relying on the Fire TV name.
- No Amazon Appstore listing or certification has been submitted. The signed APK is offered as a hardware pilot in the shared release catalog.

Amazon's [device identification table](https://developer.amazon.com/docs/device-specs/identify-fire-tv-devices.html) lists the OS and API level for each model. Its [controller guidelines](https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/controller-behavior-guidelines.html) describe Home as a system action that apps cannot capture. [Vega development](https://developer.amazon.com/apps-and-games/blogs/2026/07/guide-to-building-for-fire-tv-on-vega-os) uses a separate platform. References checked 4 October 2026.

## Install with Downloader

1. On the Fire TV, install **Downloader by AFTVnews** from the Amazon Appstore, then open it once.
2. If Developer options is hidden, open **Settings → My Fire TV → About**, select the device name and press the centre button seven times. Go back to **Developer options → Install unknown apps** and enable **Downloader**. Some versions label this **Apps from Unknown Sources**. ADB debugging is not required for this method.
3. In Downloader’s Home URL field, enter **https://dsigns.bitprecision.com/fire-tv.apk** and select **Go**.
4. Choose **Install**, then **Open**. In the dsigns dashboard, choose **Players → Add player**, enter the five letters from the TV and select the customer/group.
5. Assign and publish a small test playlist. Open dsigns manually after every restart or power cut.

“Install unknown apps” permits installation from outside the Amazon Appstore. The dsigns APK itself is signed. If Downloader does not appear in the permission list, open it once, check for Fire TV updates and revisit Developer options. Do not install the APK on Vega OS.

The short download address redirects to the versioned Fire TV APK. The normal [Downloads & setup page](https://dsigns.bitprecision.com/install#fire-tv) includes its checksum. When updating, install the newer APK over the existing app; avoid uninstalling or clearing its data to retain pairing and cached content.

## Developer installation and playback checks

1. Confirm the Fire TV model and Fire OS version in its About screen. Keep it on reliable power.
2. On an authorised test device, install `dsigns-fire-tv-0.6.10-2.apk` using a supported file-transfer/package-installer workflow. For developer installation, connect Android platform-tools to that Fire TV and run `adb -s DEVICE install -r dsigns-fire-tv-0.6.10-2.apk`. Select the intended device explicitly. See [Amazon's ADB guide](https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/connecting-adb-to-device.html).
3. Open **dsigns** in Your Apps & Channels. Connect the Fire TV to your network if required. **Startup settings** explains manual launch and links to Fire TV settings.
4. On the website, choose **Players → Add player**, enter the five-letter code from the TV and select its customer/group.
5. Assign and publish a small playlist containing a JPEG/PNG image and a 1080p H.264 MP4. Confirm both on the physical television. New outputs are muted; set the volume and publish if sound is required.

The app uses the existing Android player: one screen, five-letter pairing, downloaded media, local schedules and a verified cache. Press OK or Back for its menu. Reopening the app attempts to resume complete cached content, subject to the saved access policy. The dashboard identifies the runtime as Android and records the Amazon device name at pairing.

It attempts JPEG, PNG, static WebP, BMP and device-supported MP4. Other desktop media formats are skipped with diagnostics. Actual decoding, rotation, audio and performance depend on the model. No remote OS reboot, screenshots, silent APK updates or independent watchdog is provided.

Package identity remains `com.bitprecision.dsigns`, signed with the existing Android application certificate. Installing this newer build over an older dsigns APK should retain pairing and cache, subject to device verification. Do not uninstall or clear app data when updating. Do not install a lower version code over a newer app.

## Validation and release decision

Passed on the build host:

- Compilation, APK archive/alignment checks and signature verification at the minimum API level.
- Original Android signing certificate, API 28 minimum, ordinary TV launcher entry and no Home-app registration in the Fire TV APK.
- Shared Android checks for schedules/DST, manifest ownership, HTTPS origins and damaged/truncated cache rejection.
- Regression build of the Android TV target, retaining its API 26 minimum and optional Home entry point.

**Hardware evidence, 4 October 2026:** AFTKM installation and launch succeeded. The owner confirmed playback, the remote menu and setup worked. The dashboard reported Online, playing, version 0.6.10 and Up to date after the owner assigned and published a playlist. No emulator was used.

**Not run:** systematic codec/audio/rotation checks, Home/resume, reboot/power restoration, HDMI/display sleep, network loss, cached relaunch, low storage, update retention and a 48-hour playback run.

Record the model, Fire OS version, test media and observations for those checks before declaring a supported model. Fire TV is an optional route for existing devices; choose a player with validated startup and recovery when unattended operation is required.

## Rebuild

Use the existing Android SDK/JDK inputs from [ANDROID.md](ANDROID.md) and the original private signing key. `ANDROID_SIGNING_DIR` may point to the existing signing directory; never distribute or commit that directory.

```sh
python3 android/build.py --version 0.7.3 --target fire-tv --revision 9
```

Output is in `deliverables/fire-tv/` with a checksum and release receipt. Increase the revision for a subsequent build of the same product version. The default build target remains Android TV. The native builder does not register Fire TV automatically; the reviewed pilot entry is maintained in the shared release catalog.

The revision 9 layout runtime includes the weather icon shown by the dashboard. Its cached video response leaves byte-range seeking to WebView, avoiding a double seek that prevented the test MP4 from playing. Portable range checks and Fire TV rendering checks are recorded in STATUS.md.