Amazon Fire Stick 4K Review

The Amazon Fire Stick 4K release has 4K video resolution and support for HDR, or High Dynamic Range, Alexa, all the streaming apps you need, and more. If you don’t require 4K video resolution and are looking to say a little bit of money, take a look at the 2020 release of the Amazon Fire Stick and Fire Stick Lite. Both of those devices top out at 1080p video resolution for a discount in price.

However, with the Fire Stick 4K, you will have top-notch picture quality and all the power of Amazon Alexa for $49.99. You can play music, order a pizza, and play guessing games at one-third of the price. Granted, you have to press a button on the remote where the Echo will automatically respond when you say “Alexa.”

Furthermore, the Fire Stick 4K is also an easy way to install the popular media center KODI. By the way, that’s exactly what people are installing when they say they can “jailbreak a Fire Stick.” However, all this functionality is secondary to the Fire Stick 4K’s primary purpose . . . streaming.

Setting Up Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The Fire Stick 4K plugs into the HDMI port on your television. Then, attach the included power adapter to your Fire Stick 4K to provide the device’s power. The Fire TV Stick comes with an HDMI extender dongle if the Fire Stick 4K juts out of your TV at an odd angle. From there, stick the included AAA batteries into the remote. Once the Fire Stick 4K automatically pairs with the remote, follow the following steps.

• The Fire Stick 4K should locate a list of WiFi networks. Chose your network and enter the password.
• The Fire Stick 4K will then install any updates.
• Next, supply your Amazon account login information. If you purchased the device through Amazon, this is already configured.
• A Short tutorial should begin. After that, you are free to use your Fire Stick 4K.

Fire Stick 4K Features

Amazon offers a ton of apps. HBO Now, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, Amazon Instant Video, and more install through the Amazon App Store. Check out the device on Amazon to get a sense of all the available apps. There are over 7000 apps and games available.

As previously mentioned, Alexa provides voice control for the app. Simply press the microphone button on the remote and say “Find The Walking Dead” and Alexa will search for the title on apps like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, and Amazon Video. While an Amazon Prime Video subscription isn’t required to use the Fire Stick 4K, it adds a ton of content. Check out my post on the benefits of Amazon Prime for more information.

You can also ask Alexa to play songs or music from an artist. Alexa will then look through your available music services. Amazon Fire Stick 4K works with Spotify, Pandora, Vevo, and of course, Amazon Prime Music. For example, just say, “Play “Where is My Mind” by “Pixies,” and if it’s available, it will play on your TV.

Alexa will also accept voice commands like “play next episode”, “Launch an app,” and more.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Specs

• 99 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm (only housing) | 108 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm (including the connector)
• Weight – 53.6 g
• Processor – Quad-core 1.7 GHz
• GPU – IMG GE8300
• Storage – 8 GB internal
• Memory – 1 GB
• Wi-Fi Connectivity – Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) for faster streaming and fewer dropped connections than standard Wi-Fi. Supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi networks.
• Bluetooth – Bluetooth 5.0 + LE
• Voice Support – Yes, with Alexa Voice Remote (included) or free Fire TV Remote App (available for download on Fire, Android, and iOS)
• Game Controller Support – Yes, optimized for Amazon Fire TV Game Controller and most games are compatible with other Bluetooth controllers
• Cloud Storage – Free cloud storage for all Amazon content
• Ports – HDMI output, Micro USB (for power only)
• Audio Support – Dolby Atmos, 7.1 surround sound, 2-channel stereo, and HDMI audio pass through up to 5.
• Supported Video Resolution: 4K, 1080p and 720p up to 60 fps
• Supported Video Formats: Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR10+, HLG, H.265, H.264, VP9 Audio: AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/Wave, Vorbis, Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC), Photo: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP
• Audio: AAC-LC, HE-AACv1 (AAC+), HE-AACv2 (eAAC+), AC3 (Dolby Digital), eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MIDI, MP3, PCM/Wave, Vorbis, AMR-NB, AMR-WB

Bottom Line

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is an excellent device to cut the cord on the cheap and provide top video and audio quality. Throw in Alexa and the Fire TV Stick, and the $49.99 price tag makes it quite a value.