At least FireTV devices are subsidized. I sort of expect ads as part of the deal in getting a device for about half price compared to similar devices. I paid $

At least FireTV devices are subsidized. I sort of expect ads as part of the deal in getting a device for about half price compared to similar devices. I paid $150 for my Shield and now get the same crappy experience as my $25 FireTV stick. A completely separate issue: The HBOMax app actually works better on my $25 device.