Verdict
The skillful streaming peg Amazon has produced so far , with a top grade AV glasses , excellent streaming and a speedy interface . But the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 is not the salutary value at its RRP , at least not for UK client
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Thestreaming TV marketis not curt of choice , and with the Amazon Fire TV Stick Max 4 K 2024 we have another to impart to the glut of options .
Arriving less than two years after the originalFire TV 4 K Max , its predecessor was the most muscular and fastest poser to come out of the Fire TV Stick stable , and as you could probably guess , this new model is even more powerful and quicker .
This has its benefits , but at the same time , to get the good from the new 4 K Max , you may need to upgrade your home Wi - Fi kit .
Design
When it comes to the design , it ’s often the section that feel the least apposite to a well out reefer considering it ’ll spend its clock time in the phantasm of your TV . However , Amazon has made change , little and modest though they are .
The Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 gen is no longer a rectangle with straight edge but a rectangle with curve edges . I call back that still make believe it a rectangle , but if you require to be charitable , perhaps it could be considered a ‘ stadium ’ .
It also feels as if it weigh less even if it ’s about the same , while the Earth’s surface has a somewhat smoother finis , and the new model is a fraction short . You still get an HDMI extender to extract it from tight places and a USB cablegram that can be seize to a nag for might , or you may plug it directly into the boob tube ’s USB port . The former is a surer stakes – you may never rely on a TV ’s USB port for king .
In terms of sustainability , Amazon say that 99 % of the promotion is source from wood - fibre found materials from “ responsibly managed forests or recycle source ” .
Operating System
The Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 Gen comes with the standard Alexa remote , though compared to the previous gen , the remote control this edition is bigger and has more buttons . There ’s the iconic Alexa push button at the top , followed by a round d - pad for navigation along with the usual playback and seafaring buttons . There ’s a consecrated button for flicking through channels , a mise en scene button and a ‘ Recents ’ push button that can thumb between the last two apps or line .
TheDisney+quick admission button has been throw out for an apps button . Still , this is the same clicky , responsive control that build for a snappy experience move around through the Fire telly user interface , peculiarly with the jut in processing hurrying .
I ’ve always like Amazon ’s Fire TV remote and this is more of the same . It also supports the Alexa Voice Remote Pro , but that ’s an optional extra .
The FireOS 8 interface has n’t change much from the last Fire boob tube review I did , the port remains singular in its focus on all thing Amazon . It would be nice if Amazon could tiptoe its hat towards hold other military service more bulge .
The iPlayer quarrel is at least towards the top of the screen , but ITVX was 19 rows down and Channel 4 34 . All it does is advance scroll , which stimulate more indecisiveness . Even the ‘ Continue Watching ’ row only keeps track of Prime Video , not other services .
You might reason that films and TV series could be regain through the ad ( you ’d be correct ) or by tap form of address in the genre - focused row ( also correct ) , but the effect is that the Fire television set interface never makes it clean-cut which military service it is on until you land on the roofing tile . Irrespective of that , a brawny chunk of the content on the family varlet direct you to Prime Video orFreevee . Sky ’s Entertainment OS , available onSky GlassandSky Stream , and the Roku OS are more democratic .
Head to the top of the home blind and you ’ll find your profile ( Fire television allows for up to six ) a new Games section , hunting , live TV and ‘ My Stuff ’ crosscut . My poppycock is where you retrieve all the films and video serial onPrime Video . The Live pill has a excerpt of FAST channels that you could watch for costless , and it now features live content from the ITV channel .
The group of squares with a “ + ” is where you ’ll find your apps , and Fire TV has plenty of them from video ( Netflix , Disney+ , Now , Apple TV+ ) to sports ( UFC , NFL , Eurosport ) and euphony ( Spotify , BBC Sounds ) .
Set - up takes a while with plenty of updates to get through before you get started , which slow things down . Presumably though , if you tie the stick to your account during the purchase process , that should speed everything up as soon as the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 is plugged in .
Features
The latest Fire TV 4 K Max is 10 % fast than the late one , and factor in itsWi - Fi 6Esupport it should be a crafty and quicker streaming experience . To gain from the fastest cyclosis speed you ’ll need a compatible router .
AV financial support compare toDolby Vision HDR , HDR10 , HLG , andHDR10+(as well as theAV1 codec ) on the picture side , with two - channel audio , 5.1 and Dolby Atmos on the sound side . If you ’ve got twoAmazon Echo Studiodevices and an Amazon subwoofer , you may create an Alexa Home Theatre system to supercede a soundbar .
warehousing has doubled to 16 GB to download apps , and with the Auto Offload lineament , the Fire TV stick can “ partly ” remove apps that have n’t been used for 60 Clarence Day when storage blank is at a premium . Cloud storage is spare for any digital content buy from Amazon .
This well out control stick is also the first to support theFire TV Ambient Experiencethat was previously available on theFire idiot box Omni QLED . you may have a gallery of picture showing ( even your own motion-picture show ) and have thingamajig on the screen that ’ll show details of your Ring thermostat , for representative , or the last track play on Spotify .
As this is an Amazon - centric ware , there ’s access to smart abode features where you’re able to control camera , luminance etc , and then of course there ’s Alexa , who is the best and fastest way to traverse the Fire TV interface as long as you know what you ’re looking for .
And even if you do n’t , the Fire television port is invariably stop up aside with suggestions of what to do .
Performance
Is the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max II a good streamer than the late model , at least in terms of its performance ? When it comes to picture character there ’s nigh no conflict . A stream of ( lamentably scrub ) Amazon series The Peripheral put up high-pitched grade of detail on characters ’ faces , habiliment , and the environment at large . The streams are practically indistinguishable .
The same go for an HD stream of Mr Robot ( season 3 ) on ITVX . I check an interrogation tantrum that ’s given a few streamers in the past issues in terms of banding ( stripey colours ) and compression artefacts , and the recent Fire TV Stick Max sheet through without payoff . Again , the picture execution is virtually superposable .
Next up is an iPlayer stream of Cyrano ( 2021 ) in SD , and it ’s a struggle to see any unmortgaged differences . There ’s the obvious free fall in result , limpidity , and detail from HD with both banner – edge are softer but overall the functioning is similar if not the same .
It ’s the same paper on the audio front . Most of the cognitive content I play through a Hisense soundbar system sound very similar in terms of clarity and timbre – the only small note that I pick up when stream The Matrix Resurrections ( Netflix , Dolby Atmos ) is that the now discontinued Fire TV Stick sounds a little corpulent , sound effects in action at law scenes have more or less more heft and loudness too .
A play of Raye ’s Genesis via Tidal ( Dolby Atmos ) and nothing appears to have changed in terms of playback – which equates to a fine , competent functioning . Annoyingly , the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max II is still only capable of play Amazon Music stream at 16 - bit/44.1kHz , which is an own end consideringAmazon Music HDsupports get over up to 24 - bit/44.1kHz .
What you will see is an improvement in is the processing – scroll through titles and the homepage is fluid and fast – as is the speed of Alexa ’s response . research for something and it ’ll protrude up faster on the unexampled Fire video Max than on the old one . It ’s Speedy Gonzales tight to the point where it ’s questionable whether it needs to be much faster . Although the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max is time to come - proofed for Wi - Fi 6E routers I would n’t rush out to buy one – it ’s quick enough on current routers as is .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
If you have n’t upgraded for several years then this current iteration of the Fire TV Stick serial offers the quick performance and the best A / V calibre currently available
The best streaming spliff Amazon makes , but the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 is n’t the good value , at least not for UK customer .
Final Thoughts
For UK users the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max 2024 has give-up the ghost up by an spare £ 15 ( only a $ 5 increase in the US ) . The picture and profound performance are pretty much the same , the summation of the Fire TV Experience is nice , but not essential , while the improvement in speed , processing , and computer memory are handy but not really deserving the parachuting in price . you may get the Fire TV Stick 4 K for £ 59.99 .
If derive from an olderFire TV Stickthen the Fire TV Stick 4 K Max II is a worthy rise – it ’s thebest rain cats and dogs stickAmazon has produce . If you have a more late one perhaps hold off unless there ’s “ too honorable to be true ” deduction during one Prime Day or Black Friday .
To see what other Amazon Fire TV products are available , have a look at ourbest Fire TVlist for more options .
Trusted Score
How we test
We prove every video streamer we review thoroughly over an lengthy period of time . We use industry - standard test to compare feature properly . We ’ll always tell you what we line up . We never , ever , take money to review a product .
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FAQs
The 2024 streamer is faster , offer more reposition , and abide the Fire TV Ambient Experience .
