$64.52
$92.27
I’ve had streaming boxes ie Shields and random unknown but recommended devices over the years, but having bought an expensive TV that did it all they all became redundant.But, my not even 2 year old TV now is suffering the typical fate of manufacturers selling it and forgetting it – ie apps have become buggy and unfixed or missing all together, and generally bloated performance wise.After a recent failing of YouTube on my TV I decided enough was enough, I’m going to try out the new Amazon Fire 4K Max sticks.Price – I mean it wasn’t hugely cheap, but it’s certainly not expensive in the grand scheme of media streamers and its certainly fully functional & if Amazon supports it like they do my very old fire tv stick on my bedroom TV which still performs brilliantly then it’s worth every penny.Hardware wise, the specifications themselves are strong but the hardware included in the box is all you’ll ever need, I’m not sure why there’s some negative reviews about the remote quality as I personally feel its no worse than a normal TV remote, maybe some slightly rougher edges that will soon round off in use, it gets its weight from the batteries & it feels just fine.Setup – as someone who’s dealt with complicated setups of streaming devices for years, the setup on the fire stick is down right boring – just pay attention to what it says on screen and you’ll be left with a paired remote that also controls your basic functions.Performance wise, wow.. this things faster than my Samsung QN95 TV UI, and Xbox Series X for comparison, and it loaded up my Plex server on the first-run, in a matter of a couple of seconds, no stutter no bother.All the main apps are avaliable on the store, Netflix, Disney, iPlayer, YouTube, Prime Video, ITVX, 4, 5, Luna, and more.Plus if your tech savvy you can side load additional applications with relative ease.The UI, is the typical Fire TV UI nothing has changed there, splash banner at the top of the home screen advertising Amazon Video content (hardly a surprise) then your list of apps, easy.Functionality wise, there’s enough settings in the settings menu to scale the screen properly to your TV if required, and sync up the sound if that’s an issue, HDR / Sound modes etc basic simple but enough there to fine tune to one’s specific setup should it be required.4K / HDR content plays with no issues at all from my Plex server, as does YouTube 4K etc.The Ambient mode, exclusive to the Max model I believe is a nice touch, basically a screen saver but more akin to an Echo Shows screen in that it displays the time, weather, reminders, etc after 5 minutes of being idle (or whatever time you set) – very quick to disappear and resume what you were doing, no slow down or stutter, just very “Nice”.The only gripe I’d have would be the fire stick itself still has a Micro USB port, I mean come on Amazon/Jeff, its 2023 and even the fruity crew are rocking USB-C now.Technical tip: I’d advise using the supplied power plug, or if you do decide to run it directly from a USB port from the TV if you see a power insufficient warning, just use the plug – the device won’t perform as it should and it will be unstable, possibly crash etc, while USB ports are rated for 5v (note the device wants 5.25v) it seldom actually manages a constant 5v.So, a great purchase for old dumb/redundant TVs (as long as they have an HDMI slot) to breath new life into them, but also nice even for modern/ year old hideously expensive TVs that get neglected by there manufacturers or the UI just isn’t as slick as you’d expect it to be.All in all, very happy with my purchase & will recommend to others.
Electronics Dept
