Having used the original Fire TV stick, it’s an easy decision purchasing this Fire TV 4K, whether or not there was a 4K TV home. Amazon itself says, “over 80% more powerful than the best-selling Fire TV Stick.” Just that you need to pay a little extra to get the extra performance, and it will matter a lot to many users. (check performance & general comparison below).

My sole purpose of purchase is to switch to this wonderful fire TV device & extend things beyond DTH channels, with several streaming services at our disposal, all via big screen instead of a small mobile screen.
It can very easily replace your DTH connection for good, provided you have high-speed internet at disposal.

INTRO TO FIRE TV STICK 4K

Fire TV Stick 4K is a perfect 4K streaming device that brings in Alexa voice smartness & goodness of Internet TV with curated content by several providers. As an add on, you also get Screen Mirroring (Miracast) & Cast. So if you have a 4K TV (or even not), whether or not it is smart, you can always have this device.

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It’s a world of entertainment contained in small Android platform based standalone HDMI stick with 1000’s of movies, TV shows, apps, etc., all in Full HD (1080p). Several apps come pre-installed with a lot of FREE content, and you are free to install others.

For 1080p: Min connection speed of 4 Mbps for a pleasant experience.
For 4K: Min connection speed of 15 Mbps for a pleasant experience.

INBOX CONTENTS

1. Fire TV Stick 4K
2. Alexa enabled voice remote with IR support (connects via BT)
3. Power adapter (5V | 1A | 5W)
4. USB cable (~ 5 feet or 60 inches or 152 cm)
5. HDMI extender (~ 4.25 inches or 11.7 cm)
6. Quick start guide
7. Alexa voice guide
8. 2 AAA batteries

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About Fire TV Stick 4K

Device dimensions: 98 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm
Device weight: 52.4 g
Remote dimensions: 38 mm x 142 mm x 16 mm
Remote weight: 65.5/43 g (with/without batteries)

Ports: HDMI male connector, micro-USB female port

Key Specs:
Quad-core ARM 1.7 GHz processor, IMG GE 8300 GPU, 8 GB Internal
WiFi: Dual-band, Dual-antenna 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
BT: Bluetooth 5.0 + LE
Device storage available: 5.28 GB
User available after the first boot: 4.71 GB
Fire OS Software v6.2.6.3

Pros

1. Good quality, solid built device with easy setup (make sure to use high-speed broadband instead of mobile hotspot, else be ready for ‘amazon home not reachable’ issue).
2. Fully capable standalone streaming device based on the Android platform.
3. Highly capable Bluetooth remote with Alexa voice support. It does not require pointing to the device.
4. Remote also has IR capability for general TV functions (on/off/volume/mute). To use this functionality requires pointing to the TV receiver.
5. A mobile app is available to control the device. So dependency on the physical remote is less.

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6. Intuitive, fast & snappy interface without any lag.
7. Rich curated free content with almost all of the streaming services supported. Prime, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Spotify, Gaana, etc. Premium content requires a subscription.
8. Capable Amazon app store to find many of the required apps.
9. Since android based, you can just side load any other android app. Compatibility is another thing.
10. Supports Screencast/Mirroring/Mira-cast. So covers up Chrome-cast as well.

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11. Web browser available to virtually support any content on the web, if the app is not available.
12. Wake up of Fire TV via home button also switches on TV if not on. (HDMI CEC required)
13. Alexa can also switch on the TV. “Alexa, Turn on the TV” (HDMI CEC required)
14. Deep integration with Prime video and music. Alexa voice or Fire TV search will not work for the content of other apps. It though works fine for music across other apps.

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15. Compatible with smart home devices via Alexa enabled remote. E.g. Philips Hue, Smart switches, Cameras, etc.
16. Video quality setting, low, medium, high to have a check on data usage. To set, Settings → Preferences → Data monitoring → Video quality

Cons

1. The biggest issue is the search which is exclusive to Prime content. For rest, it displays a browser or YouTube link. For such a streaming device, the search should extend across all apps.
P.S. It works ok for playing music across other apps. If songs not found on prime, it searches it on others and plays accordingly or you can even specify an app.
2. Not much of 4K content available as of now.
3. Limited storage with no card support. So you are left with only ~5 GB for deployment.
4. Since it’s just another HDMI device connected to the TV so if you switch inputs and does not exit streaming content on Fire TV, it keeps on running and consuming data.

5. Sending device to sleep does not auto switch off TV unlike waking up which switches it on. It needs to be manually done.
6. No Google Playstore support & Amazon store has limited apps.
7. No YouTube native app as of now. (Official app is coming later this year)
8. Costly accessories, be it remote or an Ethernet adapter.
9. Screen mirror is slow with ~1-sec delay but so happens with TV’s built in Miracast too. You just can’t avoid this lag due to high bandwidth & processing requirements.

Here cons are having a slight effect on the functionality of the device. For that 1 star deducted. So a 4 STAR device.

Features of Fire TV Stick 4K

→ SMART TV

1. Simply converts dumb TV to smart TV by providing a world of internet & entertainment on the screen.
2. It comes with a lot of goodness of the Android platform.

→ ALEXA VOICE REMOTE & SMART HOME

1. Now a day’s Alexa works well in the Indian context and can very well understand the accent.
2. Alexa enabled remote is there to impart smartness to home too with voice control for smart home devices like Philips Hue, Smart switches, Smart bulbs, etc
3. All Alexa skills work here. Like booking cab, ordering food, news flash, weather update, etc

→ IR FEATURE IN REMOTE

1. Can control compatible TV with the same remote. No need to manage multiple remotes. Supported options: on/off, volume +/- & mute.

→ Wi-Fi & BT connectivity

1. Wi-Fi simply helps it to connect to the internet
2. BT helps it to connect to remote and other devices like keyboard, or headsets (I was unable to make BT mouse work with fire TV)

→ STREAMING APPS

1. Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Zee5, Voot etc for video content while Prime Music, Gaana, Spotify etc for audio content.
2. Subscription may be required for premium content while some may be ad-supported. Lots of free content available on all of the apps though.
3. At least one subscription of your choice is recommended. Prime may be a good choice owing to extra benefits.
4. Regular TV shows are available without subscription on all of the apps after 1 day.
5. News channel live app is available.

→ SCREEN CAST / SCREEN MIRRORING / MIRACAST

1. Many TV’s don’t have Miracast support built in, which helps to mirror mobile or laptop screen on to TV
2. Fire TV stick comes with screen cast support letting you mirror content playing on the device to enjoy on TV’s big screen
3. To mirror, either long-press home button and select ‘Mirroring’ or choose that option from settings. Then toggle the corresponding option on mobile or laptop.

→ CAST

1. It’s different from screen cast in a way that, screen cast just mirrors whatever’s on the mobile screen to TV while cast only casts relevant content be it video or audio on Fire TV via its app.
2. Many apps on mobile like Prime Music, Prime Video, Netflix, etc will have cast or watch now option.

→ SOFTWARE & FIRE OS

1. Interactive interface with apps and content on the main screen.
2. The top part has tabs that split up the main screen into Home, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, and Settings.
3. Below you have recent, my apps & games, etc
4. You can configure data tracking & parental control during initial setup or from settings
5. Video quality, reboot, reset to factory settings, de-register device, etc options also available.
6. Equipment control is a wonderful thing. It lets your Fire TV device control TV & AV receiver, power on, volume control, etc. (this is done via HDMI CEC or IR)
7. While on other TV inputs, pressing the home button takes TV to Fire TV input.
8. The screensaver option is nice to have. You can have your own set of images by uploading to available cloud storage.
9. Regular updates provided by Amazon.

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Setup

1. Connect Fire TV STICK 4K to HDMI port of TV directly or via HDMI extender.
2. Connect the USB cable to Fire TV and adapter.
3. Insert adapter in the socket.
4. Switch on the power supply. It boots up with ‘firetv’ text with Amazons new arrow logo and then both animating with a sound for a while.
5. Install batteries in remote & follow on-screen instructions to pair it. A press of home button required on prompt.
6. Follow on-screen instructions for initial setup, Wi-Fi configuration etc.
7. If not preregistered, follow on-screen instructions for same.
8. Enjoy the world of internet-based content & you will just forget DTH, cable TV, and all.

Remote of Fire TV Stick 4K

BT Range: 55 feet +

IR functionality tested ok: MI Smart TV (4A), LG Smart TV 47” (LA 6200), and LG Home Theatre.

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1. Easy pairing of the remote. Just follow on-screen instructions. Press home button on prompt, amber led flashes & upon pairing blue led flashes.
2. No need to point the remote to stick as it connects via BT
3. Press and hold the home button to bring up a shortcut menu. (Apps, Sleep, Mirroring, Settings)
4. Press and hold the voice button, to give voice commands or interact with Alexa.
5. IR control viz on/off, volume up/down, mute requires pointing to TV.
6. IR setup is launched on the first start up. Plays audio & asks to adjust the volume. Switches different IR codes to find a compatible one. Works similar to MI phones IR remote app configuration.
7. Remote firmware is also updated from time to time. Takes approx. 2-3 min.

FIRE TV APPS

There’s a wonderful app on Playstore which works as an alternative to remote with full functionality including Alexa voice.

In fact, it will ease up your typing across the Fire TV interface with a regular keyboard on the mobile screen. Also helpful in copy-paste operations across Fire OS.

Just connect the stick to Wi-Fi and the app discovers it. So only thing you need to key in via TV screen keyboard is Wi-Fi password. For rest there is app. 😉

AMAZON FIRE TV APP STORE & APPS

Having a built-in store is a plus as you don’t need to fiddle around for apps. Amazon app store is quite good with a good set of required apps for device’s core functionality. Prime apps come pre-installed. Some useful apps are listed.

VIDEO:: Prime Video, Netflix, Hotstar, SonyLiv, Zee5, Voot, Jio Cinema, Eros Now, VLC, MX Player
MUSIC:: Prime Music, Gaana, Spotify
WEB BROWSER:: Silk, Firefox
FILE EXPLORER:: ES Explorer
NEWS:: AajTak Live, ABP Live, NDTV, Aljazeera, BBC News, NBC News

Still, it’s limited and not as rich as Playstore.

So for others, since the device is android based, use your imagination. You can side load just any apk via wireless transfer. Download via web browser is disabled. Compatibility matters here as all are not optimized for TV experience.
E.g. some really useful apps but not compatible: AirtelTV, JioTV, TataSkyTV

For side loading:
a) Install ES Explorer on mobile & FireTV.
b) On your Fire TV, go to Settings → Device → Developer Options & turn on ‘Allow apps from Unknown Sources’.
c) Download the desired apk on mobile.
d) Transfer to FireTV using ES to ES LAN transfer and install.

MUSIC PAUSE ISSUE WHEN HOME BUTTON PRESSED (Read if you are facing it)

#Scenario: When you play music via home theater (HT) connected with TV and press home button if music mutes for a few seconds that may be due to CEC. The issue faced is when HT is connected via HDMI and audio is routed via optical cable. It won’t happen if music is played via BT headphones or TV speakers.

#About CEC (Consumer Electronics Control): There’s CEC to control one device via another via HDMI using CEC standard of HDMI. Say for e.g., your Fire TV is able to switch on TV when you say Alexa.

#Solution: Simply disabling the CEC feature in Fire TV or removing HDMI cable will resolve the problem. These workarounds defy the purpose of the feature, but for now, it’s the only solution I found out until it’s resolved or may not be if it’s specific to my device.

It’s about the preference of having smooth music playback in the background or having auto inter control of devices. Amazon’s support was unable to resolve the problem.

Smart TV Remote AS Fire TV Remote

My LG Smart TV LG LA6200’s remotes (both normal and magic remote) are able to control FireTV stick via IR. Browsing through interface via arrow keys, selection of option or content & back button is imitated via TV’s own remote.

So, find out if yours is able to do that too. It could be handy in many situations or an easy way for parents who are not tech-savvy enough to learn another smart remote.

Performance comparison: Fire TV Stick 4K VS 1080P

4K Stick:

Device boot time: 35-40 sec

→ App Install & launch:
Firefox: Install 5 sec, launch 2 sec
Silk: Install 10 sec, launch 2 sec
Netflix: Install 8 sec, launch 10 sec
Hotstar: Install 6 sec, launch 6 sec
Spotify: Install 5 sec, launch 5 sec
ES explorer: Install 12 sec, launch 4 sec

1080p Stick:

Device boot time: 45-50 sec

→ App Install & launch:
Firefox: Install 11 sec, launch 8 sec
Silk: Install 50 sec, launch 5 sec
Netflix: Install 30 sec, launch 15 sec
Hotstar: Install 30 sec, launch 12 sec
Spotify: Install 10 sec, launch 7 sec
ES explorer: Install 48 sec, launch 7 sec

Rest values for both:

1. System Update time: 3-4 min
2. Remote Battery Backup, 4 Months 25 Days. 
3. Remote Update time: 2-3 min

Fire TV Stick 4K VS 1080p Debate

I have used both the devices so I can put in a different perspective of both the devices, for you to decide on.

Departments where Fire TV 4K is better:

1. The most important one is the better hardware, 1.7 GHz processor vs. 1.3 GHz, and IMG GE 8300 vs. Mali 450, which leads to a fast and responsive interface. I have included install and launch time values in the performance section above. 4K is a clear winner.
In the 1080p Fire TV stick, it lags and shutters a bit when some install process or music is running in the background.
2. Bluetooth 5.0 vs. 4.1. Better connectivity and efficient power consumption.
3. 4K resolution & other goodies like Dolby Atmos sound, Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+, etc
4. Faster boot times, 35-40 sec vs. 45-50 in case of 1080p stick.

Departments where Fire TV 1080 p is better:

1. Price point. Cheaper by Rs 2000 during regular days and by Rs 1300 approx during the sale. For a casual user, performance issues might not be relevant, so that it may be a big deal saving some bucks.
2. 4K content availability. Our country is still catching up with Full HD content. 4K is far from reality for at least a few years. So just investing in it to have 4K is not wise.
3. Data consumption i.e., 1080p, consumes approx. 2 GB per hour while 4K consumes approx. 7 GB per hour. So if you have that much data at your disposal, then you can think of enjoying 4K content. Jio’s preview offer aside, someday you will have to pay for it.

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Final Verdict

▶ If you want to convert you old TV or even old smart TV with limited content to full-featured smart TV with lots of content from different providers, Alexa goodness & smart home control, or you have a 4K TV and want to add more of 4K content to your portfolio along with extras listed above you are good to go with this Fire TV stick.

It can even act as a replacement for DTH as all of the channels are live with premium/subscription packages for apps, or you can watch your favorite shows a day later on the separate apps.

▶ The general suggestion would be to avoid 4K if you are not performance crazy and can live with minor lag & shuttering here and there, slow app loading, etc. This way, you can save some bucks for subscription services.

As per Amazon, the 4K stick is 80% more potent as compared to the 1080p stick. In general, also it’s fast, as is evident from specs & app install-launch times above. But an average user won’t notice much of difference. Then again, future-proofing is another thing. As every electronic device tends to slow down after say a year or two.

Performance & future-proofing are two aspects which, if relevant to you, go for 4K. Else settle with the normal one.

▶ If on the previous generation of Fire TV stick and want to have a further fast and responsive device with lesser app launch times and other goodies like 4K, Dolby Atmos, HDR, etc., then get this device.

▶ We also have a MI TV box and other android TV boxes available. MI TV box is yet to launch here, and other boxes have quality issues.

To purchase Fire TV stick 4K from Amazon, click here