Description. This Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a small, stick style media player that plugs directly into an HDMI port. The Fire TV Stick comes with a relatively simple remote but also has TV controls. It has a circular navigation control, a built-in mic, and a dedicated Alexa button. The model we tested has direct access buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu. It also comes with an HDMI extender.
Setup. This player is generally easy to set up. There is an onscreen setup guide the first time you power up the player. It automatically scans for available Wi-Fi networks, and it supports WPS connections that let you pair the device without entering a password.
Ease of use. The device is generally easy to use:
Interface. The main home screen has three options along the top row; Home, Find and Live. Home recommends content from Prime Video and IMDB TV. The Find option presents the search feature along with category tiles. The Live section is an integrated channel guide from IMDB TV. The top row also contains a customizable selection of apps. It uses Alexa to search for content across a few of the video streaming services. One drawback we found is that the Fire TV will always recommend making purchases from Amazon first. In our tests we attempted to make a purchase from Vudu. We were directed to go to another device to make the purchase. This makes it more difficult for you to purchase content from other sources and is not a consumer friendly approach. We found this player's response to be fast, which made navigating the menus and content easy.
Remote control. The provided remote is very simple, with few buttons. It also has a built-in mic and a dedicated Alexa button for voice search. There are power and volume buttons so you can control your TV. You can download the Fire TV app that allows you to control the player, use the device's mic for voice searches, and use the device's QWERTY keyboard to enter text, making it easier to enter passwords.
Picture quality. This player supports up to 4K UHD output. In general we found the streaming picture quality to be excellent. Streaming quality is very similar to what we see with streaming content on the best UHD Smart TVs. This device also supports HDR10, HDR 10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision playback. You will need a compatible TV to take advantage of UHD and HDR formats. The quality of the video you will get is largely dependent on the speed of your network and the picture quality of your television.
Audio. This player will output multichannel digital audio via its HDMI output including Dolby Atmos.
Connections. It supports WiFi standards up to 802.11ax (WiFi 6). It also supports screen mirroring allowing you to mirror your compatible device's screen.
Miscellaneous.With built-in Alexa support, you can use the remote's microphone for voice commands, to search for content, check the weather, and control compatible Smart Home devices. The device is compatible with bluetooth game controllers including controllers for Xbox and PlayStation.
