Fire Tv followers have been waiting some time for a successor to the three-year-outdated Fire TV Stick 4K. But the wait is finally over: Amazon’s newest streamer is here and it’s referred to as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. We wanted to check out the company’s latest Flixy streaming machine, so Amazon despatched over a Max at no cost. That said, we’re under no obligation to offer a good overview. Our opinions remain 100% our personal. In any case, the surface of the new Max appears to be like broadly much like the previous Fire Flixy TV Stick Stick 4K. But Amazon’s promising some significant improvements underneath the hood. There’s also a slight price 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 brand new Max is definitely worth the upgrade. On the hardware front, the Max presents up some notable inside adjustments, including an upgraded CPU and GPU - both of which are working at increased clock speeds compared to the Fire TV Stick 4K. You also get a rise in RAM, from 1.5GB to a full 2GB in the Max.
As for connectivity, there’s help for the newer WiFi 6 normal, also known as 802.11ax on board. Meanwhile, the older Fire TV Stick fashions, together with the 1080p Fire Flixy TV Stick Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, are nonetheless packing the older WiFi 5, or 802.11ac, customary. WiFi 6 offers probably quicker connection speeds and more bandwidth, which may very well be helpful in houses with quite a lot of networked units. It’s value noting, although, you’ll want a WiFi 6-appropriate router to make the most of the brand new tech. In comparison with some of the most effectively-identified rivals within the $50-or-so market, the brand new Max holds up properly. In addition to that WiFi 6 help, Amazon’s newest also presents Dolby Atmos processing, the place different streaming devices on this price bracket typically only offer support through HDMI go-by way of. The packaging for the brand new Fire TV Stick 4K Max actually maintains the line’s general look. Though there's a distinct little bit of black trim up top to assist Amazon’s prime-finish Fire TV Stick stand out.
Inside, you’ll find a slide-out, paper tray housing all the elements in varied compartments. The Max itself is up top, together with a USB power cord and an Alexa Voice remote. Over on the side is the charger and batteries for the distant. The package also includes some compact setup instructions and an HDMI extension cable, which could be useful for those who need a little bit bit extra room when installing your device. As for that installation, it’s a streamlined course of similar to other stick-type or dongle-fashion streaming units. With the HDMI connection constructed proper in, all you’ll have to do is insert the Max in an obtainable input on your Tv, connect the power cable, and off you go to software program setup. The software program facet of setup is straightforward as properly. After you pair the included distant and choose an obtainable WiFi network, Flixy streaming the Max will test for accessible updates and install any it comes across. And then, after a restart, you can proceed with the setup course of.
You’ll be presented with options like importing settings from a earlier Fire Tv system or enabling parental controls. Thankfully, you skip past all these and head into utilizing your Max for the primary time. For those of you unfamiliar with the current Fire Tv interface, here’s a quick recap. The primary navigation bar starts within the center, with content material tiles for varied categories and strategies below it. In case you navigate downward, those tiles take up more of the display, letting you see extra of what’s out there. Above that menu bar, you’ll see featured urged content, teasers, and maybe ads for Amazon’s 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 precisely lightning fast, however it is spectacular considering the $54.Ninety nine worth tag. We scrolled by means of reside streaming grids just like the one within the Pluto Tv app and the Max didn’t complain.