Amazon Fire Stick (2020 edition) review: Faster with HDR support

The Amazon Fire Stick has long been one of the best streaming sticks out there. The wide range of streaming services supported, just enough power, and solid format support have made it a popular choice for anyone looking to make a dumb TV on a budget.

Does the new Fire Stick with alternatives like Chromecast with Android TV and Roku still deserve our recommendation? We find it in the Android Authority Amazon Fire Stick (2020 Edition) Review.

What is the Amazon Fire Stick?

The Fire Stick is a stick or dongle that plugs directly into the HDMI input port on your TV. With a split version of Android, Amazon’s streaming dongle is a nifty solution for turning an older or non-smart TV into an internet-connected TV. If your TV isn’t being updated to support the latest streaming services, the Fire Stick (2020 Edition) is an affordable alternative to replacing an otherwise flawless TV.

The updated 2020 Amazon Fire Stick model has some improvements, such as: B. a significantly faster processor and support for HDR videos.

The Fire Stick can be integrated particularly well into Amazon’s Prime Video streaming service. However, it’s also a great option for almost all other popular video streaming services, including Disney Plus, Apple TV, Discovery Plus, Netflix, and YouTube (but without HDR support in the case of YouTube).

In addition to streaming services, the Fire Stick supports a variety of additional applications, including a range of games. However, playing more than one Frogger clone with the included remote control is a hassle.

What I like about the Amazon Fire Stick (2020 edition)

Not much has changed from the previous generation of the Fire Stick, and for good reason – it just works.

Amazon’s attitude towards the user interface is similar to that of Google with “For You” on the new Chromecast with Android TV. Instead of app silos, the Fire Stick is all about popping up content from various services.

Of course, videos from Amazon Prime Video get a lot more exposure, but a rotating list of trending content leads you to popular streaming services. Separate tabs for TV shows and movies make it easy to switch to specific categories of content.

The updated processor keeps the visually packed surface fast and fluid

The big advantage of the 2020 Fire Stick is its brand new processor. While streaming content has never been a problem, the Fire Stick of the previous generation budget got more and more boring with its lagged UI.

The faster processor in the Fire Stick (2020 edition) removes any stuttering in the graphically intensive user interface and makes everything look buttery smooth. Streaming is still limited to 1080p though, so you’ll have to upgrade to Amazon’s premium 4K stick if you want Ultra HD streaming.

In addition, the Fire Stick (2020 edition) has support for HDR10 video streaming. A significant portion of Amazon’s Prime Video catalog supports HDR10, which makes the new Fire Stick a good option if you have a compatible TV.

Finally, there is even support for Dolby Atmos audio. However, if you’ve set up a high-end Atmos setup, then you can imagine switching to Amazon’s Premium 4K Fire Stick instead.

What I don’t like about the Amazon Fire Stick (2020 edition)

Honestly, there’s little to like about the updated Fire Stick. It works exactly as advertised, offering a robust set of features at an affordable price.

However, I would like Fire Stick to support Dolby Vision, an HDR format that is gaining traction on Netflix. Likewise, YouTube’s lack of HDR support is a bit of a let down, but not a deal breaker.

Aside from the limited HDR support, there’s little to like about the Amazon Fire Stick.

How does it compare to the competition?

Two of the closest alternatives to the Fire Stick are the Chromecast with Google TV and the Roku Express.

The Chromecast with Google TV offers tight integration with Google’s content ecosystem and the ability to cast videos and photos from your phone. If you have a Nest Hub or Nest Audio, you can add the Chromecast to a speaker group or even play content with your voice. The Chromecast with Google TV offers much of the same catalog of content with one major loophole: Apple TV support.

In the meantime, the Roku Express is less about integrating with services and ecosystem products and more about providing a place for everything Your streaming services. The company claims to offer support for over 3,000 content sources, including Apple TV, Disney Plus, and more.

The Fire Stick (2020 edition) also competes against other models in the Amazon portfolio. This includes the Fire Stick Lite, which is roughly the same in terms of features including HDR video playback. However, the Alexa Voice remote that came with the Fire Stick Lite does not have full HDMI-CEC control and cannot fully replace your TV remote.

There’s also the Fire TV Stick 4K. The slightly more expensive Fire Stick 4K was developed for Ultra HD streaming and supports HDR and HDR10 as well as Dolby Vision playback. However, the rest of the functionality remains the same across the portfolio.

Should You Buy the Fire Stick?

The updated Fire Stick is a solid upgrade over an already reliable budget streaming stick. It supports virtually every streaming service, including Apple TV, and is a great way to upgrade your 1080p TV. With the Alexa voice remote control, you can search for content across services and even call up smart home commands.

However, if you are tightly integrated with the Google ecosystem, Chromecast with Android TV may still be a better option as media streams and photos can be transferred and controlled via your existing smart home hardware.