Amazon Revises Fire TV Stick With 4K HDR Support And Volume Controls For Voice Remote
It might be taking content developers a long time to flood the market with 4K movies and TV shows, but one thing is for sure, the hardware is in place on the consumer side. TVs with native 4K support are the new norm, and the transition is taking place on the peripheral side as well. Case in point, Amazon today announced a new version of its streaming Fire TV Stick that brings 4K resolution support into the fold.
It doesn't stop there, either. Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K adds support for the two most popular high dynamic range (HDR) standards, those being Dolby Vision and HDR10+, to make those 4K Ultra HD visuals pop. Of course, you'll need a TV that also supports HDR, which are also starting to become commonplace. And on the audio side, it supports Dolby Atmos, making it the first streaming stick to boast both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities.
"We’ve listened to our customers and pushed to deliver the complete 4K solution they are looking for, all within a compact stick form factor," said Marc Whitten, Vice President, Amazon Fire TV. "The team invented an entirely new antenna technology and combined that with a powerful 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip that optimizes for the best possible 4K UHD streaming experience, even in congested network environments."
Amazon also injected its compact streaming stick with a quad-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz. Not to be overlooked, Amazon is promising quicker load times from its Fire TV Stick 4K, and presumably smooth navigation.
Pricing for the Fire TV Stick 4K is set at $49.99, or $10 more than the previous generation 1080p variant. It comes with an upgraded Alexa Voice Remote.
"Combining Bluetooth, multidirectional infrared technology, and powered by our cloud-based service, the all-new Alexa Voice Remote allows you to power on your compatible TV and AV equipment, switch inputs, or tune to a channel on your cable box—all with a single remote. Plus, the all-new Alexa Voice Remote gives you even more control with dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons, along with the ability to use voice commands to find and control content," Amazon says.
The Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote is available to preorder and will start shipping on October 31 in the US and Canada. Buyers in the UK, Germany, and India will see shipments begin November 14, followed by shipments to Japan sometime before the end of the year.
