One minute review
The Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) is a solid choice if you're in the market for a new and affordable one. transmission option. This capable HD streamer has a decent interface and substantial improvements over its previous 2019 version. For this new 2020 model, you get HDR support, as well as a 60fps frame rate, giving you smoother, richer images. as long as your TV supports the same specifications. You won't get native 4K resolution with the Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) (you'll need the Fire TV Stick 4K for that), but if you have an HDTV or competently upscaled 4K TV, it's a smart, medium-priced buy. it won't cost you as much as an Ultra HD model. The difficulty in judging the Fire TV Stick (2020), and buying the one you need, is that Amazon has since released a new entry-level model, called the Fire TV Stick Lite. There are some notable differences between this one we're looking at here and the Lite: mainly, the inclusion of volume controls and a mute button on the remote control of the elevator model, as well as the ability to connect and control other audiovisual equipment. If your home theater is bigger than just a TV and a streamer, it will be a better choice for ensuring seamless collaboration between your streaming device, your soundbar, and you. The volume controls may not seem so important, but they do make a difference. Going back to the remote on the Lite model is difficult, forcing us to constantly fiddle with a separate TV remote to turn the sound up or down. Using the Fire TV Stick (2020) is a much smoother experience, aided by the Fire TV platform with voice navigation and continuous updates to simplify and improve the interface. Less forgivable is the sometimes overbearing presence of Amazon-owned or Amazon-affiliated content, including ads for Audible subscriptions in every menu, but if you're a Prime subscriber, that won't be an issue.Come to the point
- What is it? A new HD streaming device in the Amazon Fire TV range
- When can I get it? Is out now
- How much is it? € 39.99 / € 39.99 / AU € 79
Amazon Fire TV Stick prices (2020)
The Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) is available. You can buy it for €39,99 or €39,99 in the US and UK respectively – the same price as the previous Fire TV Stick – or €79 AU in Australia, now that this model has arrived in the region.
Fire TV Stick Design (2020)
When you open the box, you'll find a variety of neatly packaged accessories. There's the Fire TV Stick (2020) streamer itself, along with a short (but flexible) extension cable, which is useful for helping the device fit into tight spaces behind a TV. You'll also receive two Amazon Basics AAA batteries for the Alexa voice remote and a charger to connect the transmitter (via micro USB). The streaming device itself is pretty nondescript: a short black plate, about the size of a small candy bar, that connects to a TV via HDMI 2.0 and measures 86 x 30 x 13mm. It's basically the same design as the Fire TV Stick Lite or Fire TV Stick 4K, so if you're juggling a few, as we were during our review, it can be hard to tell the difference. There's a subtle Amazon logo, but it's not obtrusive, and the sleek black design and curved remote give it a premium feel, despite the low price. The main difference here is not so much in the transmitter as in the remote control. Every Fire TV device comes with a version of the Alexa Voice Remote. They all support voice functionality and some basic input like back, home, menu, power, and navigation (with a d-pad disguised as an omnidirectional circle). The Fire TV Stick (2020) also adds volume controls to increase/decrease audio levels, as well as a mute button to mute sound completely.
Features and performance
So what's new with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 2020 model? This version is still a Full HD streamer and still comes with the same Alexa voice remote as its predecessor: a switcher with playback, power, volume, and voice control inputs that also comes with the Fire TV Stick 4K. And the Fire TV Cube, and can be used to control connected AV receivers and sound bars. However, there are some notable upgrades to the older model of the HD Fire TV Stick, despite it being released fairly recently (in 2019). On the one hand, there is the introduction of HDR (High Dynamic Range), which means that you will get more color and contrast in your HD images, with more nuanced tones and a greater spectrum of light and dark tones. You get the basic HDR10 format here, as well as the dynamic HDR delights of HDR10+ (which uses metadata to calibrate image settings step by step), but not its Dolby Vision competitor. It's also worth noting that you won't get the full impact of HDR without the 4K resolution either, as fewer pixels are displayed. A 4K TV will upscale the video output to output it in 4K to the screen, though you'll be at the mercy of the processing power of that particular set.
Fire TV Stick Settings and User Interface (2020)
The Fire TV Stick (2020) uses, unsurprisingly, the Fire TV interface, and if you've ever used another Fire TV streamer or a Fire TV-based smart TV, then you'll know what's on offer. There are different lines of content to browse horizontally, like your recent apps, apps and channels, and Prime originals and exclusives. It's a pretty well-rounded platform, with streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, YouTube, and more, without any glaring absences. So there's no aggressive cloaking from Amazon Prime Video's main competitors, though Amazon makes sure its own content is prioritized. Much of the Fire TV interface is packed with Amazon Prime Video content, whether it's titles that come directly from the platform or affiliated TV channels like StarzPlay. It's common to click on an interesting title only to find out that you need a subscription, and now it can be frustrating to have that markup around the content before you click and try to watch it. (There's also no on-screen prompt to 'cancel' once you've selected a movie or TV show - you'll have to use the back button on the voice remote, which isn't too obvious at first glance.) Most of the content streams also have a sponsored section for Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook subscription service. As always, paying for stuff that then displays ads is a slap in the face, though the Tizen operating system on newer Samsung TVs does that too, albeit less noticeably.
Should I buy the Amazon Fire TV (2020) device?
Buy it if...
Compatibility with your smart TV app is not greatIf you're still working with a dumb TV or are missing some key apps, the Fire TV platform is a great addition. You want hands-free voice commands
Using Alexa is pretty nifty, though the voice assistant can't handle everything you throw at it. However, for simple commands, it's a good way to get into the operating system. You are an Amazon Prime subscriber
Amazon intends to show Amazon Prime and other movies on its Fire TV platform, along with associated Prime channels, so you will see more content that is relevant to you if you have shopped from the Amazon ecosystem before.
Don't buy it if...
You want 4K HDR playbackYou have to sacrifice 4K resolution at this price, so a 4K streamer may be better for viewing high-quality sources. You want the cheapest streaming device on the market
There are cheaper streamers out there, like Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite, which is just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99, though you'll sacrifice volume controls on the voice remote, because...