Amazon has just announced a new Fire TV Stick 4K for $49.99 with support for 2160p Ultra HD video. The Fire TV Stick 4K is the first streaming device ever to support all three major high dynamic range standards, which are Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+, as well as Dolby Atmos surround sound audio, making it the most future-proof streaming device on the market. As if that weren’t impressive enough, the Fire TV Stick 4K comes with an all-new Alexa voice remote that finally has built-in power, volume, and mute buttons to directly control your TV and audio equipment. The new remote, which will be sold separately for $29.99 and is backward compatible with older Fire TV and Fire TV Stick models, also has the same exact universal remote capabilities as the Fire TV Cube, so that you can use Alexa to control home theater equipment, switch inputs, and tune to channels on your cable box.
Amazon has clearly been listening to their customers because the new Fire TV Stick 4K and its new Alexa voice remote have managed to check off nearly every requested feature that was missing from the existing 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick and 3rd-gen Fire TV. This new member to the Fire TV lineup supports 4K video at 60 frames-per-second and every major video format, including Dolby Vision, which is a first for a Fire TV device, and HDR10+, which is a first for any streaming media player. HDR10+, which was previously only available on a small number of Blu-ray players and smart TVs, is the successor to HDR10 and an emerging competitor to Dolby Vision that has the potential to become the dominant HDR format because it is an open standard that lacks the licensing fees that Dolby Vision requires. Regardless of whether HDR10+ or Dolby Vision wins this latest format war, the Fire TV Stick 4K has you covered. It even supports hybrid log gamma (HLG), which is yet another HDR format.
On the audio front, the Fire TV Stick 4K supports Dolby Atmos, which is the latest surround sound format that’s slowly making its way into people’s homes and which made its Prime Video debut a month ago with the premiere of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Of course, the Fire TV Stick 4K also supports older Dolby Digital Plus (eAC3) 7.1 and Dolby Digital (AC3) 5.1 surround sound with HDMI audio pass through.
Powering the Fire TV Stick 4K is a MediaTek MTK8695 1.7 GHz quad-core CPU and Imagination Technologies PowerVR GE8300 GPU, which might very well be more powerful than the 3rd-gen Fire TV and Fire TV Cube. Connectivity is provided by dual-band, dual-antenna MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi which Amazon says uses an entirely new antenna technology that they invented. Roku, who makes the only other 4K streaming device in a stick form factor, was forced to dangle their device’s WiFi antenna in a separate external module that is nearly the size of the stick itself, so it’s very impressive that Amazon managed to make everything work in a self-contained package. The Fire TV Stick 4K also supports the existing Amazon Ethernet Adapter, for those who prefer a wired connection.
The Fire TV Stick 4K has 1.5 GB of DDR4 RAM, which is a 50% increase over past Fire TV Stick models. Internal storage is unfortunately still just 8 GB, which can almost be forgiven, considering the device’s form factor and aggressively competitive price. The only port on the device is a micro USB port for power. There’s no word yet on whether the new 4K Firestick supports external storage through an OTG cable, either officially, like the Fire TV Cube, or unofficially, like the 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick.
Equally as impressive as Amazon’s new streaming device is the all-new Alexa voice remote that comes with the Fire TV Stick 4K. In addition to the usual assortment of microphone, navigation, and media control buttons that previous Fire TV remotes have had, Amazon has finally added power, volume, and mute buttons that can be programmed to control your home theater equipment. The three new buttons can all be set to control your TV, or the power button can control a TV while the volume and mute buttons control a soundbar or AV receiver.
The addition of power, volume, and mute buttons would have been enough to match, and even exceed, the basic universal remote capabilities of the Apple TV and Roku’s remotes, but Amazon has taken their new remote to another level. The new Alexa voice remote includes all the same equipment control capabilities found on the Fire TV Cube, built directly into the remote.
This means you’ll be able to say “Turn on the TV” into the remote’s microphone and the dual IR blasters built into the remote will turn on your TV, AV receiver, and/or soundbar, as well as set everything to the correct input. If you have a cable box, you’ll be able to say “Tune to HBO” and your home theater equipment will switch inputs to your cable box and change the box to the requested channel. You’ll also be able to say “Switch to Blu-ray/XBOX/PlayStation/etc..” to bring up your other equipment by voice, all by simply speaking into the remote and pointing it at your devices. No external hubs or boxes are required for this functionality.
The Fire TV Stick 4K is available to pre-order now for $49.99 and will arrive on October 31st in the US and Canada. It will ship in the UK, Germany, and India on November 14th and Japan before the end of the year. You can pre-order two Fire TV Stick 4Ks for $89.98 using promo code TWOPACK, which is a 10% savings. Amazon is also offering the Fire TV Stick 4K bundled with the all-new Echo Dot for $79.98, which is a 20% savings. For those of you interested in the new Fire TV Recast DVR, there is also a bundle that includes the Fire TV Stick 4K, 2-tuner Fire TV Recast, and a 35-mile HDTV antenna for $249.97, which is a savings of $50.
Amazon is also selling the all-new Alexa Voice Remote for $29.99 separately. The new remote is backward compatible with the 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick, the 3rd-gen Fire TV (pendant), and the Fire TV Cube. When paired with the new remote, those older devices will have the exact same equipment control capabilities as the Fire TV Stick 4K. Amazon is also going to now include the all-new Alexa voice remote with the Fire TV Cube for the same price of $119.99. The separate remote and new Fire TV Cube package that includes the new remote are available to pre-order now and will ship on October 31st.
🇺🇸 United States buying options:
- Fire TV Stick 4K for $49.99
- 2 x Fire TV Stick 4K for $89.98 with promo code TWOPACK ($10 off)
- Fire TV Stick 4K + Echo Dot 3 for $79.98 ($20 off)
- Fire TV Stick 4K + 2-tuner Fire TV Recast + HD Antenna for $249.97 ($50 off)
- Alexa Voice Remote w/ power and volume buttons for $29.99
- Fire TV Cube w/ new Alexa Voice Remote for $119.99
- Fire TV Cube w/ new Alexa Voice Remote + Amazon Cloud Cam for $199.98 ($40 off)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom buying options:
- Fire TV Stick 4K for £49.99
- 2 x Fire TV Stick 4K for £89.98 (£10 off)
- Fire TV Stick 4K + Echo Dot 3 for £79.98 (£20 off)
- Alexa Voice Remote w/ power and volume buttons for £29.99
🇩🇪 Germany buying options:
- Fire TV Stick 4K for 59.99€
- 2 x Fire TV Stick 4K for 109.98€ (10€ off)
- Fire TV Stick 4K + Echo Dot 3 for 94.98€ (20€ off)
- Alexa Voice Remote w/ power and volume buttons for 29.99€
🇨🇦 Canada buying options:
- Fire TV Stick 4K for CDN$ 69.99
- Alexa Voice Remote w/ power and volume buttons for CDN$ 39.99
🇮🇳 India buying options:
- Fire TV Stick 4K for ₹5,999
- Alexa Voice Remote w/ power and volume buttons for ₹1,999
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Will this be faster than the pendant fire tv?
It’s hard to say for sure, but I think it will be faster because it has a faster and more modern CPU and GPU.
Pedant is a 1.5ghz, new firestick is 1.7ghz. 2nd gen firestick gets really hot, I wonder how the new one will handle the heat from higher power cpu.
The new stick uses a 12nm manufacturing process. I believe the old stick was 28nm. Should make a large difference in power eff, heat, etc..
Glad I did not waste my money on the underpowered Cube. Wonder if a new cube with the same specs will come out soon?
That would be cool, I prefer hands free Alexa than having to use the remote.
Fingers crossed a new cube is on the way.
But still no UK cube?
Or updated non-stick fire tv.
Surprised it’s not shipping with an extender.
It does include an extender.
“Included in the Box:
Fire TV Stick 4K, Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen), USB cable and power adapter, HDMI extender cable for Fire TV Stick 4K, 2 AAA batteries, Quick Start Guide”
Oh, thanks! It wasn’t in the picture of what’s included so I missed it!
I actually initially made the same exact incorrect assumption as you when I saw the image at the bottom. (This post already has 10 minor revisions :-P )
Nice. I’ll be curious what now happens to the pendent Fire TV device. I have that attached to my 70″ Samsung TV that is 4K and HDR. I’m not sure if this new device is an upgrade to the pendent or not…
What is the fire tv pendant like as i have 2nd gen fire tv which is great but the only thing is the storage space not very good cheers
I have no clue what you said.
The AFTV2 runs laps around the AFTV3. The AFTV3’s OS6 acts a lot more finicky than the AFTV’s OS5, especially during launch there was tons of talk a/b its hiccups and bugs. AFTV3 has no expandable micro SD card slot, no Ethernet port, nor does it have a USB slot, but you can use an OTG cable to add on an Ethernet port or USB hub, but you’ll still be missing an expandable micro SD card slot when it’s said and done with. Lousy bluetooth support on the AFTV3, especially if you’re trying pair game controllers (lag), and the Amazon game controller is officially unsupported on the AFTV3. The only thing that you would be missing on the AFTV2 compared the AFTV3 is 60FPS 4K playback compared to 30FPS (which comes native) and HDR.
The bundle deal with the recast seems like a good price.
Ok that’s me sold,I’m in UK so no cube,but I’ll take this at that price
Pendant 4K no longer for sale on Amazon.co.uk. Out of stock on Amazon.com but stock due in on 7th Oct. Looks like it’s being phased out. Not surprising as it offers nothing the new 4K HDR stick can’t do. Shame I’m no longer using Fire TV. Have changed all my home (and caravan) TVs to LG WebOS.
Kudos to Amazon for listening. Bummer that I didn’t wait a few months more since I was only replacing my 1st gen sticks with Cubes. I would still prefer a FTV1 like box form with built-in Ethernet and more RAM with this remote. Maybe next year and it’ll give me a reason to upgrade my FTV1 (I still don’t need 4k yet)
I ordered the two pack to save 10 bucks. Looks like I’ll be selling two of my Pendants :)
This stick is a buy for me. But:
It is really time for the HDMI consortium to add some sort of „network pass-thru“ to HDMI connected devices. Whithin arms lengh I have a total of 5 (!) Wifi Receivers : Fire TV, Wetek Hub Media Player, BluRay Player and TV all connected to my Denon Atmos AV Receiver (that is actually connected wired to my network)
WHY 5 x Antennas, 5 x login hassle during device setup when a single WIFI/network hub is all I need?
Absolutely agree with this. It’s been years since HDMI has had an ethernet capability (HDMI 1.4 2009). I just want to plug my receiver into the router and it act as a hub for everything else connected via the ethernet channel on the HDMI cable.
Just curious….
Wonder if anyone has ever suggested to Amazon that they ought to sell their Fire Stick/Fire TV devices the same way they sell their Fire tablets…
Meaning, a stock model and then an upgraded model with extra internal storage. So let’s say 8 GB standard and then an option of 16 GB for a bit extra, same as with their tablets. I think there’s be a lot of takers for that, especially among enthusiasts.
The added storage isn’t any larger AFAIK that would make a difference in terms of the internal configuration of the devices. But especially now that they’ve gotten away from offering Fire TV devices with microSD storage, it really would make sense.
Hey Amazon, are you listening???
OK. This is what we were expecting to be announced earlier and it looks like a winner for Amazon. I might finally move off my last FTV2 and get this, though I am never a fan of Wi-Fi. The price is exactly what we expected to0. I think this going to a huge seller.
I am sure the Ethernet adapter will be comparable with it.
lol, I’d be mad if I paid more money for the Cube and didn’t get Dolby Vision.
Holy crap, this things sounds like a steal! I would have preferred 2gb of ram, especially if Alexa is constantly running in the background, but I assume Amazon tested and know what is needed for the device to run efficiently. Maybe the FTV division finally gotten back on track?
Alexa will not be constantly running in the background. That is only necessary for hands-free Alexa, which this device does not have. Pressing the mic button should launch Alexa and then the process should get killed automatically when resources are needed for something else.
I can’t give any details due to an NDA, but Amazon has been regularly talking to me for about a year to know what the Fire TV community wants. They are absolutely listening and “back on track.” This new Stick is evidence.
And they used DDR4, which costs A LOT more than ddr3. That should make the device a bit snappier also. I ordered a two pack. Likely will pick up more in coming months.
I hope they can add a way to turn off hands-free Alexa processing in my existing Cube. It’s in a cabinet muted anyway so I don’t need the processing burden. Thanks for being an advocate.
It’s like I woke up from a bad dream about a year’s worth of subpar Fire TV devices announcements — only it wasn’t a dream. I picked up the Cube thinking there would be no better options from Amazon for at least a year. I figured a true 4k stick was in the works, but I didn’t expect this new remote and Cube like equipment control. This sounds like it will surpass the Cube in that regard because it’s using IR from the remote. My Cube takes 10+ seconds to switch back to the Fire TV input for no apparent reason. The remote will do it in a few seconds. I’ll be curious to see how this remote performs vs the existing Cube. Of course, I’ll still need the Cable/Satellite remote for the guide
Didn’t realize how connected you are and how useful posting in this forum is. Now we know Amazon is listening.
I’m pretty glad they did. I’ve been annoyed about the lack of vol+/- or mute. They ~finally~ addressed these, maybe thanks to you! If so, then thank you :)
Have you told them we need profiles for families? This is the only thing stopping me buying them for relatives.
I tried and quickly got rid of the pendant and the cube because they were just so much slower than the FTV2 box. What I’d like to know is, how does this new stick compare, speedwise, to the old FTV2?
I wonder if they will update the Fire TV Cube to include Dolby Vision via a software update or a device refresh, it’s a bit underwhelming now apart from the hands free Alexa, compared to the new super duper stick.
The Cube uses a completely different SoC, so not sure a software update would do it.
Yeah, you’re probably right clocks, I use a cube here in the UK with not too good functionality, probably because as you know, it’s not available here yet.
Everything seems to work during the set up routines, but once that’s done nothing works, you also can’t change Alexa’s voice to the UK version.
That’ll teach me not to wait. Lol
I specifically asked Amazon this and they said no, the Cube will not get Dolby Vision. I think it’s a hardware limitation with the SoC that they used.
Ah thanks for that, bummer, grrrrrrrr.
Interesting, the new stick uses DDR4. Wonder if that impacted the decision to drop from 2gb to 1.5.
All sticks so far have only 1gb. So this is a step up, not down ;)
I’m comparing against the 4k pendant. All the sticks have been 1080p. 4k requires more ram.
Good point
You mention it having a mediatek MT8695 but amazon specs say it has a MTK8695+MT7668. What’s up with that? Two CPUs?
https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications.html?v=ftvstick4kgen1
Interesting, it is 12nm. Should run cooler and use less power due to the manufacturing process. This stick really seems to be cutting edge in a lot of ways.
If you search the MT7668, it seems to be the wifi chip.
Yup, the MTK8695 is the CPU and the MT7668 handles WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. I believe it’s called a SoM (System on Module) when this is done, versus a SoC (System on Chip)
The folks at sideclick can’t be too happy about this new remote.
On the plus side, it seems like the remote dimensions are close enough that the existing Sideclick mounting clip will work with the new remote. Having power, volume up, volume down, and mute on the Fire TV remote means it’ll free up to 4 buttons on the Sideclick for other tasks.
I thought the same thing but then I realized the sideclick (which I own 2 of) has channel and input buttons which the new Amazon remote still doesn’t have. So I think the sideclick will take a hit in sales but not be totally destroyed.
Voice input is fine but call me crazy – I’d rather push a simple button to change channels or inputs than talk to a remote or box.
The sideclick will still be useful if you’re still using a cablebox or having your TV directly tune to OTA channels. But you’re viewing tv through a hdhomerun or recast, then there isn’t much left for the sideclick to do. It would have been nice for the new remote to include a change-input button because… game consoles.
Question about the universal remote aspect and how it functions with Alexa. I imagine I can
A) Hold down the microphone button on the remote and say “turn on TV” or “Switch to Xbox”
BUT can I also…
B) without the remote in my hand, say “Alexa, turn on TV” or “Alexa, switch to xbox” and have the command sent from my Echo Show (which is in the same room as the TV)to the Fire TV universal remote to turn on the TV or change inputs – assuming the fire stick remote is in the same room and the IR from the remote can reach the TV (i.e., not buried in the couch cushions)
If B) is not possible, I suppose I could look at adding a Harmony Hub to my setup. Thanks!
A) Yes, this is possible.
B) No, this is not possible. I specifically asked about this. The remote’s equipment control capabilities cannot be triggerd by an external Echo device. It’s only done by the microphone button on the remote …..for now.
Don’t waste your time. Just get the Harmony hub. They are like $53 @ Wally world. If you have a hub, you can do so much more than the new remote allows, in my opinion. I have zero plan to change my setup configuration as everything works as it should, with the Harmony remote, or the FTV remote, or hands free [which I use often].
“Alexa, tell Harmony to turn on music” and VOILA! TV is OFF, AVR is ON set to ‘Music’, and all I do is press ‘play’ on my phone and glorious music is emitted from my speakers. Sounds like if this new remote is used, the remote MUST BE USED for ANY commands. So if the battery is dead, you’re screwed until they recharge or you run to the store to buy new batteries.
No thanks. This new remote is a downgrade in my opinion, at least if you have an Echo/Dot that you use.
You can make that even slicker with Alexa routines and keyword shortcuts. I.e. “Alexa, play Xbox” or “Alexa, mute TV”
Remote has IR blaster for controlling TV/sound bar/Receiver.
https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications.html#remote-and-game-controllers
Hope there is an option to use HDMI-CEC instead. I much prefer it.
Just like with the Fire TV Cube, Fire OS and the new remote will figure out the best combination of HDMI-CEC and IR to use to control your equipment. It’s not one or the other.
I hate HDMI-CEC it’s torture to use if you use any kind of HDMI switch so I turn it off on my TV and devices.
Any idea if you can get TV volume and power controls through a linked Echo Dot for hands free control? or do you have to press the mic button on the remote?
You have to press the mic button. I’ll put up a quick article about this in a few minutes since the question has come up multiple times now.
And as such, it is a dealbreaker for this guy…
3 Fire TV models in one year. That’s not how quality brands operate, sorry to say.
Still not better than my fire tv 2. Unless they make a real upgrade toa box, not a stick… That has all the capabilities of the FireTV 2 I’m getting ready to jump to a shield.
I actually listed one of my shields on ebay last night. I prefer FTV, especially the remote. I also find the FTV less buggy. Only think I like about the shield is I can run it as a plex server.
Will it deinterlace Mpeg 2 1080i?
It is very likely.
See the codecs here:
https://developer.amazon.com/es/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications.html?v=ftvstick4kgen1
Elias,
I would be interested in the tech specs ( and benchmarks ) between this newly announced 4K Fire Stick, and the 2nd Gen Fire TV ( 2015 ).
Can you do an article on that ?
Thank You.
Too bad the new remote isn’t compatible with 2nd Gen Fire TV.
I can’t do a true benchmark comparison until i get my hands on the new Stick, but I’m putting together a theoretical comparison based on what we know so far to give people a ballpark idea of how the new Stick compares.
Thanks, look forward to reading it.
Also I have a 2017 Samsung TV. It supports HDR10+.
I watch Amazon content via the embedded Amazon Video app.
Now for so long Amazon said that there was “HDR10 +” content, however the label did not say so. It was just “HDR”.
Supposedly back in December 2017, and throughout 2018 thus far, Amazon has their entire video Library in HDR10+ format. There has been many articles about it. And even press releases from Samsung.
Now that their sticks support HDR10+, is there any indication on the label changing on the Amazon Video app on Samsung TVs? And others that support HDR10+?
Thanks.
There’s no info about the compatibility of the remote control with the 2nd gen Fire TV Box, but if works with the 2nd gen Stick, should work with the Tv box, right? any info about it will be appreciated.
As I understand it, the new remote will use the same “Equipment Control” settings menu from the Fire TV Cube to configure its power/volume/mute buttons. That means for the remote to fully work with a device, the device needs to have that menu. Since the Fire TV 2 does not officially support the new remote, I doubt it will ever have that menu. The 2nd-gen Stick will likely see an update near the end of the month that adds the Equipment Control menu. It might even be updated to Fire OS 6 because of the need for that menu.
It might be possible to configure the remote on a compatible Fire TV model and then use it with an unsupported Fire TV model. I’ll be testing this out once I get my hands on the remote.
infinity says:
October 3, 2018 at 9:22 am
Is this new stick going to be capable of the new Auto-refresh-rate-switching feature which the Cube and FTV Pendant got added recently?
Since this one has a MediaTek SOC (pendant+cube = amlogic), it is not that obvious. Especially since only the amlogic driven fire tv devices got this Feature so far.
Good question. I’ll try to find out.
Thank you very much Elias! Looking forward to infos about this :)
The Cube got that feature? Or only the pendant?
Only the Fire TV 3 pendant has it so far.
Thank you for confirming. Amazon’s false claims concerning the Cube are more than enough!
Refresh rate switching is critical if this new Stick is to be taken seriously by the same demanding users who want all HDR flavors + ATMOS. No fun to watch 23.976 4K HDR content like ‘Jack Ryan’ in 60fps.
I’m definitely going to keep an eye out for testing to see if this stick is faster than my FTV Gen2 boxes. I’ve held off on replacing them because everything newer was slower. But if the stick is faster or even comparable then the remote makes it worth it. Not to mention that I’ve had to replace 2 of the boxes that have crapped out on me and another one is showing signs of doing the same.
OS6?
Yes, the Fire TV Stick 4K will ship with Fire OS 6. I should have mentioned that in the article.
What are the general differences between Fire OS 5 and Fire OS 6?
Are the Devices that either were updated to Fire OS 6, or especially ship with Fire OS 6 use 64-bit yet? Compared to 32-bit still.
Are the Apps 64-bit yet, as well?
Also, I believe Picture in Picture was one of the features with Fire OS 6. However, I have yet to see this implemented. Or even a video on this.
Thank You.
Amazon seems to be sticking with 32-bit. There are hardly any 64-bit apps. Even though the newer devices have 64-bit capable hardware, Fire OS 6 is 32-bit only, so they’re all effectively 32-bit devices. I believe the Fire TV 2 is the only 64-bit device with a 64-bit version of Fire OS.
Picture in Picture is the only feature that I know of that is available on Fire OS 6 devices but not Fire OS 5 devices. The two versions are otherwise equivalent as far as features go. The only app that I know of that uses Picture in Picture is Plex.
There is one big difference: FireOS 5 has no cinema mode for auto refresh rate switching.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed it, but OS6 doesn’t play as nice as OS5… Bluetooth is finicky on OS6, especially on the AFTV3 compared to the AFTV2 (when pairing game controllers – latency at its worst). There are a couple of apps I’ve tried using on my AFTV3 which have become nonfunctional after the constant updates by Amazon, but work just fine on AFTV2. Case in point, one I can think of happens to be Mouse Toggle
I would have preferred a “box” form factor like the 1st gen fire tv or 2nd gen… with built in wired ethernet and SD Slot or USB socket for expansion…
BUT if this can use USB OTG and a hub, and I can get an HDMI “extension cable” that let me rest it all on the counter next to my TV, that could be ok I guess.
Same here. I’m still running a Fire TV 1st gen (my TV only does 1080p), and like the ease of adding USB peripherals.
Just now getting a 4K TV though, and Fire Stick 4K looks like a decent option if USB-OTG will work. Everything I see on Amazon suggests their ethernet adapter is compatible so that should be a good sign!
Me too. My FTV1 still works great as originally intended. I’m really glad this new stick was announced and was priced at $50 even though I won’t buy it. With the Cube at $120, it seems there is room for an echo-less Fire TV box in the $80-90 dollar range. I hope they do it and add memory, storage, internal Gbit Ethernet, and external port flexibility that everyone wants in box vs a stick. I like the IR emitter of the Cube too. I just don’t need the echo part since it will be in a cabinet
I have the same sentiment. Amazon could’ve easily put together a worthy successor to the AFTV2 but we got the lackluster POS excuse for a streamer, the AFTV3. Hoping the new AFTV Stick Gen 3 plays as well, if not better than its predecessor.
Hhoooorrraaayyyy at last! Something that can replace my first gen Fire TV box! Will be going on my Christmas list :) and it may actually be more powerful too!
I have zero intention on dumping my FTV1 for a stick. I’ve had every FTV stick since they began and none can compare with the FTV1. The FTV3 is pretty close though.
No, I have no intention either, of getting a 4K TV when my existing sets [73″ DLP, 32″ & 55″ LED] are phenominal displays.
Those German prices suck…
But I probably will get one anyway, my 1st gen FireTV is freezing a lot lately, Plex behaving strange and Netflix crashing a lot.
The remote is the most interesting thing about this.
Prime is cheaper in germany, I guess Amazon does different pricing for a reason. Germans may be more sensitive to recurring fees, while in the US it’s probably more important to have one time purchase pricing lower, Amazon’s bottomline will look the same in both markets. Either way, you get alot of bang for your buck (or €). Or shall I say “yet again”, since Cube and Pendant really sucked and were a bad deal at any pricing. This new stick sounds promising.
You are right of course, I’ve been using the 1st FireTV since it was released (almost 4 years?) and I guess I will use this for 2 years or so (depending on the models released after this)
Of course Google might release a great AndroidTV device sometimes in the future. If it’s strong enough and has a remote like this, I might be tempted to switch. The upcoming JBL sound bar might actually be this device, so who knows.
But still, the original point, it’s always sad to see the price differences between US and Europe (not just with Amazon). Regarding the Prime subscription, I think we generally get faster shipping than in the US, but I’m not sure.
Just got the pendant a little over a month ago =/
Will this have Vudu and Netflix with Dolby Vision?
Netflix….yes. Unfortunately, Vudu isn’t available for the FireTV stick, box, pendant, or cube, at least not directly from Amazon. You might be able to sideload it though.
It still won’t work sideloaded, and I know this b/c I’ve tried it…. The main hindrance for not getting it to work is b/c the AFTV platform’s lack of having a Google Play Store… Unless some jailbreaking hacker could mod the app to work w/o the Play Store then I see no hope for Vudu.
Vudu works on my FireTV 2 box. I sideloaded the Android TV vudu apk and it works for 4k/uhd.
I haven’t setup my cube yet to try it.
I’m not sure how Google Play Store is relevant, as Vudu doesn’t use/need it.
My bad, I meant to say the Movies Anywhere app. Sorry for the confusion
My fault, I meant to say Movies Anywhere, but I recently just found out that there is an AFTV version, go figure. Sorry for the confusion.
Wow, my pendants got outdated fast. Good thing I only paid $35 each for them via DirecTV Now deal.
Yeah, I ordered a pendant that literally arrived today. I’m thinking about returning it tomorrow. I don’t need it today. I just picked it up while it was on sale as a backup in case one of my FTV G2 boxes went out.
I like how Amazon’s homepage doesn’t even acknowledge the pendant as a product in the entertainment lineup. Speaks volumes.
ahaha that’s terrible. You buy an Apple Tv and you know you’ve got a product that won’t get outdated in months, you know you’ll get major updates that will keep the product updated. Meanwhile Amazon does this, flawed product replaced by flawed product replaced by flawed product.
Not sure what you guys are complaining about. It’s not like the Pendant is suddenly going to stop working. I suspect 90% of the user experience of the Pendant vs the new stick will be the same. And if you feel the Pendant is that flawed, sell it and buy something new.
You’re spot on. I couldn’t have said it better myself, exactly my point. I’ve got 2 pendants, and plan on selling one of them
A few months ago the new executive in charge of the fire tv program stated in news reports that they understood the UI was confusing and a brand new UI was coming soon. Any updates on this?
I haven’t heard anything about a new UI. If you can remember the article, please post a link.
https://www.techradar.com/news/a-much-needed-new-amazon-prime-video-interface-is-on-the-way
So is the pendant done? It seems like the stick is better than the pendant ( likely not the wifi portion) and cheaper.
I would suspect the pendant is def done, unless they decide to sell it for like $35-$40 going forward and phase out the old stick.
Yes, the Fire TV Stick 4K replaces the Fire TV 3 pendant.
Well the question then is, whether they will have an even faster one as well (like when they had the normal FireTV and the Stick) or this will be the only one.
What really concerns me is the 1.5 GB RAM. Can it have the same or better performance than the 1st gen FireTV with less RAM? Plex and Netflix are getting more complex (the two things I use it for).
DDR4 (AFTV Stick 3) > DDR3 (AFTV3)
DDR4 vs DDR3 is speed not amount. You can have extremely fast RAM, if it’s not enough, it doesn’t matter that it’s fast.
I guess Netflix and Plex does a lot of caching and it probably goes into the RAM as well.
Regarding Bluetooth 5.0, will it support multiple simultaneously connected headphones?
So my cube is return eligible until 10/8 (I got it on sale for the $69.99 price)… I was thinking of returning and getting the 4K stick… with what we know right now, is that a good idea? or bad?
My biggest concern is the ability to use external storage (due to using MRMC and Kodi).
You should keep the Cube if you care about external storage. The Cube officially supports external storage, while this new Stick does not. There’s a slight chance external storage will work anyway with the Stick, but it’s more likely to not work since it didn’t work with the Fire TV 3, which the new Stick is replacing.
I was going to order then I saw the delivery date. Wonder how many Amazon boxes will be in front of doors when kids go trick or treating lol
I just got the Pendant for $39.99. I guess there’s no sure answer if I should return it or not?
I’m torn on what to do, considering pendant comes with 2GB RAM.
2GB RAM DDR3 vs. 1,5GB RAM DDR4. DDR4 is obviously better.
speed is not amount.
Yeah, I’m in the same boat. I just got a pendant and I think I’m going to send it back. I have until Nov. 2 to send it back so I’m going to leave it unopened for now. I only got it because one of my FTV Gen2 boxes is acting strange so I wanted a backup device just in case. I’ll hold the pendant for a few weeks and then order the new stick.
Though, if you don’t need one right away we all know we shouldn’t buy one now since they’ll likely run a big discount for black Friday, which is right around the corner.
The new stick is more future proof NS has the better remote control. It has Support for every single hdr “Standard” out there and is the successor of the pendant. So there is little to nothing speaking for the Fire tv 3 pendant, as it is a depricated product, which is relplaced by the stick with better remote and home control features.
I’m more concerned about my TV streaming service I use. I want the snappiest, least laggy solution possible navigating through menus. Dont care about 4k
The 2nd gen stick is showing its age. Fire TV 2nd gen is smoother than my stick.
How much USB power can it run on? 1, 1.5, 1.8, 2 amps?
I wonder why they didn’t announce this at their recent tech event. Nonetheless, this is good news to my ears… Amazon has been needing to update the AFTV Stick Gen 2 for a wile now… I just hope that Gen 3 it plays nice like Gen 2.
I wonder if Kodi will work with the new Soc with HW acceleration. (It was tested for amlogic chipsets cause they release sources).
Still does the Automatic refresh rate switch works well now on latest firmwares? I already have a Nvidia Shield and it became a deal breaker for me now.
FireOS 6 is based on Android which is what OS the AFTV Stick Gen 3 is based on so as long as that doesn’t change Kodi will not have a reason not to work ;)
Different SoC is mostly reason enough.
So no $39.99 option???? That sucks….. All I need is 720. What happen to keeping it simple???
Then buy a cheaper, 2nd gen stick.
So the 2nd gen. is not being retired?
I’m sure eventually, but last I checked they were still available. But at some point, there are only going to be 4k devices, just at there will only be 4k/8k tvs. Tech progresses over time.
eyesight doesn’t progress, you would need to stand a couple of feet away from an enormous tv to see the difference between 4k and 8k, already with 4k people don’t stand close enough to enjoy it but dummies will be dummies and Amazon will release a new fire tv every six months for them.
One problem is that not everyone cares for 4k, they just want a cheap media player.
Remember, DVDs didn’t die out when HDTVs became the standard and Blu-ray was available.
I understand that, but technology marches on, whether you want to or not. No one is making 720p only chips anymore. The new 4k devices costs about what the 1080p device did when it came out. They can’t really make a device much cheaper without stripping down the remote, and removing other features. So you can dream about Amazon making a $15 720p stick, but it’s not going to happen or feasable.
What? The previous Fire Sticks cost less on launch and could handle 1080p.
Curious if they will finally implement propper deinterlacing of h264 1089i video with that chipset at least.
Really missing here in Europe…
Will this new stick finally support wireless ac channels above channel 48? Or is Amazon again not paying the licence fees for these “upper” channels? Thanks!
This! Because of my FireTV I’m not able to use auto-channel on my router. DFS Support would be great.
It is cheaper than Apple 4K TV.
Hopefully it should fulfill all the comparable parameters.Certainly looks like Value for money.
Is there a page/post where I can compare the Fire TV 4K with the Fire TV Stick 4K?
Do you have some information regarding DFS channels support?