I am considering applying a firestick to a 2nd TV and I’m puzzled by the need for an external power supply when the tv also has USB connectivity. I know the USB socket on the tv has a 5v output at it’s terminals, so I would have expected the firestick to obtain it’s driving voltage from there. Does anyone know why the tv set’s USB socket is not used for the firestick’s power supply? I really do not want to use a 13amp 2 way adaptor for the firestick’s independent power supply if the USB will do the job without all the faff.
Yes, the answer is that the TV’s own 5V output will probably suffice, though they suggest that a mains power supply might be better.
I suggest you try the USB first, but if necessary a 2-way adaptor won’t cost a fortune anyway!
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Ah, good thinking Homer! Yes, that is what I will do in the 1st instance and see how it goes from there. I charge my phone from the main TV’s USB socket, so I know the wattage available will be enuf for the firestick 
It’s not the cost that bothers me, it’s the strain on the socket’s pin-holding springs that irks me. Those adaptors are no lightweight.
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Really? I use several two/three-way adaptors and have never found any such problems. Did you buy yours from Ebay, or some unknown Indian outlet?
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Comes with its own adaptor 
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All of my double sockets are Multi Kontact brand (MK) and I can remember many years back a warning in an electrical engineering mag about adaptors and straining the internal retainer springs.
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MK is (or at least always was) a very reliable brand, but I can’t really understand about retainer springs. I think the only sprung metal components are those which grip the pins on the plug. I have never found any problem of the plug or even a two/three-way adaptor being so heavy as to even cause it to even lean forwards out of the socket.
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I’ve never had a problem with adaptors either, but regarding the fire stick I’ve used one for quite a while and it needs to have it’s own power source, although mine is a few years old now so the new ones may be different? 
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I’ve been using the Amazon Fire Stick as well. It works fine. It uses a HDMI socket, though, not a USB.
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Socket outlets - One product, the Multy Kontact spring grip socket (3-pin plug), soon became a market leader and the British Engineering Standards Association (BESA) changed standards to adopt this new product. By 1923 demand for these new products was growing rapidly and new production facilities were built in Edmonton, Middlesex. The company was then renamed MK Electric after its flagship product.
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USB v1 and v2 can only supply 5v and 500mA. If the unit draws more than this, the device will need an external supply. I suspect the unit will probably draw close to this and I guess there is a risk the port may malfunction due to overload - although the USB current load is regulated, unlike later versions of USB.
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Yes, it does use HDMI. What LD was referring to was the power lead which supplies the Fire Stick and which can be plugged into either a USB socket on the telly or a USB socket on a transformer which goes into a mains electricity socket.
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Ah, I have the answer I was seeking from an on-line TV Q&A page.
Even though your Firestick, regardless of the type, came with an AC wall adapter it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to search for a nearby open electrical outlet. Your television also has USB ports that might be able to provide adequate power. If not, and you receive an error message, you’ll have to upgrade to a better USB cable of heavier gauge.
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Yes, I said that an hour ago! 
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Thanks, JBR. I wasn’t aware that it could use the Telly’s power via USB. You’ve never finished learning. 
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No problem. It is, however, sometimes unreliable as we discussed. I have always used a mains transformer (provided) for that reason.
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Hubby got a few replacement wall sockets from screwfix with usb charging points built into them and changed a few round the house so we didn’t waste sockets with Apple and Amazon chargers. Said they were easy to do like wiring a plug and much more convenient and elegant. Yhink theyre only a tenner each.
Just asked him.and he said it takes about 5 mins per socket, 2 screws to take cover off and 3 screws to deal with the cables or 4 if there’s a separate earthing flylead to the metal patress, whatever that means and you don’t need to get an electrician to do it as it’s a like for like replacement. He then started explaining some other things but I’d given up listening by then an began writing out the shopping list.
I have two firesticks & use the TV’s USB to power both of them & have never had any issues.
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Ah, but do the charging points give out the same amount of power as the plug-in transformer which comes with the FireStick? Apparently, some don’t.