Is Amazon Fire Stick worth it?

The Amazon Fire Stick is a worthy piece of streaming device you should purchase if you want a superb selection of content, high video quality and the ability to use voice commands like Echo and dot. The newly improved Amazon Fire Stick (2020) combines 60fps frame rate, HDR and compatibility with Dolby Atmos audio.

There two ways in which you can stream content from Hulu, Netflix or YouTube – Roku or Amazon Fire TV. Both sticks come with remote TV, dozen of apps and 4K compatibility, so the choice can be a complicated one.

Why the Amazon Fire Stick is worth it

The Amazon Fire Stick has seen some improvements from its predecessors. It now comes with HDR support, 60fps frame rate and 4K resolution. This ensures you get some of the best quality videos in the market.

For those not familiar with what a stick is, here is a quick rundown. The Amazon stick is a small device that plugs into your HDMI port located at the back of your TV. The stick comes with Wi-Fi connectivity so that you can stream some of your favorite shows and movies. This means you can access some of the most popular streaming apps in the market like Hulu, Netflix, Sling TV, Pluto TV, Sony Crackle, Spotify, Amazon Music among others.

Then you have a remote that you can use to navigate through your apps and channels. The Amazon stick is also responsive to voice commands. When you install the stick your smart TV will automatically detect it then program your remote automatically. If this does not work you have setup menus for easy customization.

Amazon has upgraded its game to now include the amazon Fire TV stick lite which has some notable differences like mute button and volume controls. You also have the ability to connect and control AV equipment near you.

How the Amazon Fire Stick TV measures against the Roku 3

	Amazon Fire TV	Roku 3
Size (inches)	4.5 x 4.5 x 0.7	3.5 x 3.5 x 1
Wi-Fi	Dual Band (MIMO)	Dual band (MIMO)
Processor	Quad-core	Dual-core
Remote	Yes (Voice-control)	Yes (Motion-control)
Video resolution	1080p	1080p
Total Channels/Apps	165	1000+
Local Media Streaming	Yes (Kindle Fire HDX)	Yes (Android and iOS)
Game controller	Yes ($39 extra)	No
HBO Go	No	Yes

When you are looking for a stick to stream content one thing you need to consider is the content itself. Fire TV has an advantage due to its deep integration with Amazon’s on-demand media library of music, videos, TV shows. You also get some cool apps like Pandora, WatchESPN, YouTube and Crackle. Roku has being in the business for years and currently boasts of over 1,000 channels to choose from.  These include 49 kids & family channels, 97 music, 66 sports and 188 movie&TV. It also has over 77 games. However, the key difference between it an Amazon Fire TV is its having HBO Go.

Pricing

The Amazon Fire Stick TV goes for $39.99 and is packaged with some accessories like streamer itself, extension cable and two Amazon basics AAA batteries. You also get a charger for the streamer which is done via microUSB. The streamer measures 86 x 30 x 13 mm. Then you have the remote. This comes with some navigational buttons like home, menu, return, power and the large center D-pad that looks like an omni-directional circle. The key difference between the 2020 version and previous models is you now get additional volume controls and mute button.

Performance

The Amazon Fire TV stick is powered by Qualcomm quad-core processor that makes it ideal for gaming. Amazon also offers gamers a $40 controller like the one you see on the Xbox one. There have being some updates done to the Amazon Fire TV stick (2020) that makes it stand out. For one it now comes with HDR (high dynamic range). This feature allows you to get more contrast and color in your HD images. The previous model supported 30fps but the new one now come with 60fps. Note that most of the newer TVs now come with 120fps as opposed to 60fps. The benefit of this is that you get smoother motion of pictures with less blur. However, your TV video processing power will also influence what you get.

The other key change is you have Dolby Atmos surround sound which gives you a more immersive sound than the previous model. With the stick you will also need speakers that support this kind of sound experience.

If you have not yet used a Fire stick then the menu is pretty simple. You have your navigational rows horizontally, your apps, recent apps, and prime original and exclusives. While Amazon does not do much to hide its competitors content it ensures that its own is prominently displayed.

Conclusion

The Amazon Fire TV stick is worth it for those looking for rich content to stream onto their smart TVs. The user interface is okay and you get to navigate through content with ease. If you want access to hands free commands then you will find Alexa pretty simple and easy to use. Unlike the previous Fire Stick the 2020 model comes 60fps as opposed to 30fps. It also has Dolby Atmos surround sound for a more dynamic sound experience. If you are an Amazon subscriber then you can easily plug in to the Amazon ecosystem that the stick offers.

FAQ

Is it a must I be an Amazon subscriber to use the Stick?

No, but since the stick is from Amazon you will notice they are more intent on showcasing their content. Having an account with them will help you get more access to a list of Amazon related items. If you do not belong to the Amazon ecosystem then having the stick can at times be a bit annoying.

What movie apps should I expect once I purchase the Fire stick?

You should expect to get some popular apps like HBO Now, Netflix, Hulu, Sony Crackle, Spotify, Tubi TV, Sling TV, or Pluto TV