Fire TV Stick 4K Max Review: Well Worth The Wait
Fire Tv fans have been ready a while for a successor to the three-year-outdated Fire TV Stick 4K. However the wait is finally over: Amazon’s latest streamer is right here and it’s called the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. We wanted to try out the company’s newest streaming gadget, so Amazon despatched over a Max for free. That said, we’re under no obligation to offer a positive evaluation. Our opinions remain 100% our own. In any case, the outside of the brand new Max seems to be broadly much like the previous Fire TV Stick 4K. But Amazon’s promising some important improvements below the hood. There’s also a slight worth improve over the earlier Fire TV Stick 4K: $54.99, up from the $49.Ninety nine of the older 4K. So let’s see if the new Max is well worth the improve. On the hardware entrance, the Max offers up some notable inner modifications, including an upgraded CPU and GPU - both of that are running at greater clock speeds compared to the Fire TV Stick 4K. You also get a rise in RAM, from 1.5GB to a full 2GB within the Max.
As for connectivity, there’s help for the newer WiFi 6 normal, also referred to as 802.11ax on board. Meanwhile, the older Fire TV Stick fashions, including the 1080p Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, are still packing the older WiFi 5, or 802.11ac, commonplace. WiFi 6 provides potentially faster connection speeds and more bandwidth, which could possibly be handy in houses with lots of networked units. It’s price noting, though, you’ll want a WiFi 6-appropriate router to profit from the new tech. Compared to some of the most nicely-known rivals in the $50-or-so market, the new Max holds up effectively. In addition to that WiFi 6 support, Amazon’s latest also provides Dolby Atmos processing, where different streaming gadgets in this price bracket usually only supply assist by way of HDMI go-by. The packaging for the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max certainly maintains the line’s general look. Though there's a distinct little bit of black trim up high to help Amazon’s prime-end Fire TV Stick stand out.
Inside, you’ll find a slide-out, paper tray housing all of the components in various compartments. The Max itself is up high, together with a USB power cord and an Alexa Voice distant. Over on the aspect is the charger and batteries for the distant. The bundle additionally consists of some compact setup directions and an HDMI extension cable, which may be helpful in case you want somewhat bit more room when putting in your device. As for that installation, it’s a streamlined process just like other stick-style or dongle-model streaming devices. With the HDMI connection built right in, all you’ll have to do is insert the Max in an accessible input on your Tv, connect the power cable, and off you go to software setup. The software facet of setup is straightforward as nicely. After you pair the included remote and select an out there WiFi network, the Max will verify for accessible updates and set up any it comes across. And then, after a restart, you can proceed with the setup course of.
You’ll be offered with options like importing settings from a previous Fire Tv gadget or enabling parental controls. Thankfully, you skip previous all those and head into using your Max for the first time. For these of you unfamiliar with the current Fire Tv interface, here’s a fast recap. The principle navigation bar begins within the center, Flixy streaming with content tiles for numerous classes and suggestions below it. Should you navigate downward, those tiles take up extra of the display, letting you see more of what’s accessible. Above that menu bar, you’ll see featured recommended content material, teasers, and perhaps adverts for Amazon’s Flixy streaming gear. In on a regular basis use, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max excels. Scrolling by menus is generally clean and navigating to totally different sections of the platform is responsive general. It’s not exactly lightning fast, however it's spectacular considering the $54.Ninety nine price tag. We scrolled by means of stay streaming grids like the one within the Pluto Tv app and the Max didn’t complain.