Use the Amazon Signage Stick's included power adapter in a wall outlet. Amazon's own setup instructions say to avoid plugging the Stick straight into the TV's USB port, even though most TVs have one. Start a free trial to pair a Stick and see how screen hours work before you plan the power run. For the full walkthrough, see the Signage Stick setup guide.
Why not just plug it into the TV's USB port?
A TV's USB port is built to power a small accessory now and then. It is not built to run one continuously, all day, every day. Amazon's own setup guide for the Signage Stick is specific on this point: plug the power adapter into the wall. It tells you to avoid plugging the USB cable directly into the TV. Two reasons matter for a signage install:
- Most TVs cut power to their USB ports when the panel turns off. A Stick powered that way loses power every time the screen turns off. It then has to restart and reconnect every time the screen wakes up.
- TV USB ports do not all supply the same current. A port that cannot keep up can cause slow performance or random restarts, a fault that is hard to diagnose from a distance.
Treat TV-USB power as a last resort, not a starting option. Read more on what the Stick can and cannot do in the Amazon Signage Stick review.
No outlet near the mount? Route power, do not skip it
A wall-mounted TV over a fireplace or on a bare wall often has no outlet close by. Keep the Stick on its own adapter and solve the distance instead:
- Run a longer power cord from the adapter to the nearest outlet. Hide it inside a paintable cord cover or cable raceway along the wall or baseboard.
- Have an electrician or AV installer fit a low-voltage in-wall power bracket. It places a real outlet behind the TV, hidden by the mount, and is standard practice for flat-mount installs.
- If the only nearby outlet sits across a doorway or walkway, route the cord up and over the door frame. Never run a cord across a floor people walk on.
Each option keeps the Stick on the power source Amazon built it for, instead of trading reliability for convenience.
Does Brix turning the TV off at night cut the Stick's power too?
No, as long as the Stick stays on its own wall adapter. Brix turns the screen off outside your scheduled hours over HDMI-CEC. The TV panel goes dark, but the Stick keeps running on its own power. It holds its network connection and wakes the screen back up on schedule. See how schedules work in screen hours and display power.
This is exactly why TV-USB power causes trouble on a scheduled screen. If the TV cuts USB power when the panel turns off, the Stick loses power every night. It then has to restart and reconnect each morning, instead of simply waking the screen. If a screen will not turn off or on with the TV, see HDMI-CEC troubleshooting.
What about inconsistent power or outages?
Fit a surge protector between the wall and the adapter. It is cheap insurance against the voltage spikes that damage electronics, and it is the one step to never skip. For a site with frequent brief outages, such as a restaurant or retail unit on a shared circuit, add a small uninterruptible power supply (UPS). A UPS keeps the Stick running through short drops instead of rebooting every time.
Do not daisy-chain the Stick through an unprotected power strip loaded with other high-draw equipment. One shared trip takes the screen down with everything else on it.
After a longer outage, the Stick is an Android-based device and normally starts up on its own once power returns. No one needs to visit the site to turn it back on.
FAQ
Can I use any USB wall charger instead of the included adapter? Use the included power adapter where you can. If you must replace it, match a phone or tablet charger, not a basic low-power USB charger block. Amazon does not publish a minimum power rating for the Stick.
Does the micro-USB Ethernet Adapter affect the Stick's power? No. It is a separate accessory for wired network, not power. Amazon's micro-USB Ethernet Adapter costs $14.99 and needs its own power connection. It does not replace the Stick's power adapter.
Will the Stick lose its pairing if the power drops? No. Pairing is stored on the Stick and in Brix. A power cut does not unpair it, and the screen reconnects once power returns.
Is a surge protector enough, or do I need a UPS? A surge protector is the minimum for any installation. Add a UPS only where outages themselves, not just spikes, are a recurring problem.
Brix pairs with a Signage Stick in about 10 minutes once it has power. Start a free trial to see it running on your own screen.