Fire TV devices launched in recent memory run on Amazon’s own Linux-based Vega OS. The same is the case with the newly launched Fire TV Stick HD. On the surface, you get the familiar Fire TV UI, and it targets users who still own full HD TVs or monitors, or just don’t care about 4K streaming. I installed it on an old Samsung dumb TV I have at my in-laws’ place. So, my folks and I were happy to stream and use the modern TV content and features. I will share with you how the experience is, and by the end, you will know if it is worth spending Rs 4,999 on this streaming dongle.
The new Fire TV Stick HD is said to be around 30% slimmer than previous sticks. Well, I haven’t compared it personally, but it does feel light and slim enough to easily carry around. I received the review unit at my office, and carrying it to my in-laws’ place and back was easy because of this. When plugged in, you can still access nearby ports. But, this partly depends on the TV.
The port on the Fire TV Stick HD is USB-C, and the accompanying charging cable has a USB-A head on the other end. For powering it, you can plug it into the USB-A port on the TV itself. But if the USB-A port isn’t close enough, then the shortness of the bundled cable could be an issue. You’ll have to rely on an extension board. Plus, there is no adapter in the box. So, you’ll have to use any USB-A charging brick you may have. Still and all, the switch from micro-USB to USB-C port is appreciated.
Besides these, inside the box, you get the Alexa Voice Remote, two AAA batteries, and a quick start guide. Amazon now sells the HDMI extender separately, unlike older models, where it was included.
The remote is also very handy and easy to use. You get the navigation ring, volume buttons, mute, OTT shortcuts for Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube, App Store, and the Alexa microphone button. The buttons are clicky. There is no backlighting, though, which may matter in a dark room.
This remote can be used to control the TV, too, as it works via Infrared. So, design-wise, the offering is decent.
Setup is easy for the most part. Plug the stick into the HDMI port, Power it up through the USB-C port, join Wi-Fi, sign into your Amazon account, and the system walks you through the rest. You can also scan a QR code for faster account sign-in. But the Wi-Fi setup screen was slow to load on the mobile UI. And the cable length issue I mentioned is also annoying during setup.
Once it is set and you reach the home screen, the interface looks familiar if you have used Fire TV before. The home screen has dedicated tabs and sections for movies, shows, free streaming content, live TV, etc. There are major OTT apps lined up and below that recommended content from these is also present. But Amazon Prime and MX Player content gets major footage here.
There is no side-loading but the app store has everything I want. And in case I don’t find something, well that’s true for other OEM skins, too. The storage is 8GB only and that means you need to be selective and careful with app installation.
Something that comes out of the box is Alexa integration, which can be an integral part of the Fire TV experience. Voice recognition works well. Say, if I ask Alexa to ‘play Pushpa,’ it directly plays the movie on Amazon Prime Video, but Google Assistant shows where I can watch it, say on MX Player. But, Alexa isn’t as good at information retrieval as Google Assistant. If you ask for ‘IPL Match Today,’ Google gives all the details required, while Alexa shows JioHotstar listing on the app store.
Also Read: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select review: A lean but healthy offering with only the essentials
The Fire TV Stick HD runs on a quad-core 1.7GHz processor paired with 1GB LPDDR4 RAM and 8GB storage. These are very basic specifications. But even with that, for the most part, navigation is fast enough. Sometimes you’d notice some brief pauses in the loading of menus and app loading times. It isn’t that bothersome. It is just what you expect with the specs in question. There were no noticeable bugs or crashes, though.
The biggest limitation here is obvious. This is still a Full HD streaming stick. For the untrained eye, it should be fine. But since I am used to 4K TVs, I could see the hit in quality. And it gets worse, the bigger the TV screen is. That said, a big screen TV probably has a dependable smart OS already. And in isolation, the 1080P streaming quality is agreeable for watching TV shows, web shows, movies, and everyday TV and YouTube content.
There is HDR10+ support, but no Dolby Vision. The list of specs also includes AV1 decoding. That and Wi-Fi 6 should aid in smoother streaming. Motion handling with the Match Original Frame Rate setting works to preserve the creator’s intent. And in the Display Settings, you can tweak HDR, colour format, colour depth (up to 12 bit), and the video resolution.
In case you are interested in gaming, you can expect casual gameplay with Xbox Cloud Gaming support. You’ll need a Game Pass subscription and a compatible Bluetooth controller for this. Amazon has given Bluetooth 5.3 support.
For audio, it relies on HDMI passthrough, and the sound is delivered through the TV’s speaker. There is Dolby Atmos support for compatible soundbars and receivers. Again, it is passthrough and not built-in decoding.
Caveat Emptor: You should know what you are buying. The Fire TV Stick HD is meant for Full HD streaming, and it does that reliably. The support system around it, including the software UI, app library, and voice controls, is also decent. But you should be aware of its limitations beforehand.
This is not meant for power users who want to sideload apps, experiment with features, or heavily customise the experience. Unlike Android TV sticks, it does not allow external APK installations, and the onboard storage is fairly limited, too. Similarly, if you already own a 4K TV or want a 4K streaming experience, this is not the stick for you. In that case, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select or higher-end models make more sense.
Where the Fire TV Stick HD works best is with older Full HD televisions, monitors, secondary TVs in bedrooms, guest rooms, and similar setups where casual streaming is all that is expected. And in that role, it largely delivers what the name promises: the Fire TV experience with HD streaming.
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