Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) review: Decent budget multi-media streaming device

Recently, Amazon launched the new Fire TV Stick (2020) series along with the new generation Echo Dot smart speakers and Smart Plug in India.

The Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen) flaunts the same design as the predecessor but comes with better internal hardware and also new capabilities for Rs 3,999.

Design and hardware:
The new Fire TV Stick looks exactly identical to the 2019-series. It looks like a giant Pendrive with an HDMI port to connect to the TV and a separate micro-USB port to draw power.

The retail package also comes with an HDMI port extension cord and it comes in handy while connecting the Fire TV Stick to the TV mounted on the wall but there is less space for hands to reach the HDMI port of the TV.

Amazon Fire TV Stick with extender cord. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Inside the new Fire TV Stick, the company has incorporated an improved 1.7Ghz quad-core processor, which is said to be 50% more powerful compared to the predecessor.
The new Fire TV Stick's Wi-Fi modem comes with a dual antenna to support 5GHz. With this, it will be more stable while streaming and fewer dropped connections. Fire TV Stick also supports Dolby Atmos for immersive sound with compatible content and speakers.

Also, the company claims that Fire TV Stick delivers improved performance while consuming 50% less power than the previous generation. But, I still wish, Amazon to do away with a power cable for the Fire TV Stick and make the HDMI port directly draw the electricity from the TV. It will save one power-point in the switchboard to add a sound bar or a smart speaker in the living room. Hopefully, it happens in the next iteration in the near future.

Contents of Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) retail package. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

User-interface
It is easy to set up the Fire TV Stick and I was able to finish the installation procedure including connecting to the Wi-Fi and linking by Amazon Prime account in under five minutes.
Like the previous Fire TV Sticks, the new model has a familiar interface having easy search features and dedicated tabs for movies, Apps and Settings. If you can't find it manually, you can always trigger the Alexa on the Remote to find the content. During the testing, Alexa was able to get the contents on the screen with less hassle.

Speaking of the remote, the Fire TV Stick retail box comes with the Alexa Voice Remote. It has dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons for easy control of TVs, soundbars, and A/V receivers.

Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020) connected to Samsung TV. Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Amazon's new Fire TV Stick supports all popular multimedia streaming applications including Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, Netflix, SonyLiv, Voot, AltBalaji, and even the Apple TV as well. Users can link their accounts to it in simple easy to do steps with the smartphone by following the instructions presented on the TV.

Final thoughts:

Amazon Fire TV Stick (2020). Credit: DH Photo/KVN Rohit

Since the first generation, Amazon's Fire TV Stick has maintained a simple and easy-to-understand user-interface and most importantly delivered a great viewing experience. With the new 3rd gen model, it has improved in terms of offering better full HD 1080p resolution content with HDR compatibility. And with dual-band Wi-Fi support, there are less buffering and low cases of the signal drop.

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All that is needed for the Amazon Fire TV Stick consumers is to have stable Wi-Fi internet connectivity and just sit back to enjoy binge-watching high-resolution multimedia content after the hard day's work.

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Recently, Air Deccan founder Captain G.R. Gopinath biopic-inspired Amazon Original movie -Soorarai Pottru made its way to Amazon Prime Video. It's a really good inspiring film thanks to Suriya's fine acting and direction by Sudha Kongara.

Do check it out. We need to have a distraction from the depressing news all around as the second wave Covid-19 pandemic sweeps across the world. Thankfully, for now, India is in a safer zone. But, we can't let our guards down. People should go out only if it is really necessary and before venturing out, make sure to have a face mask and maintain social distance all the time.

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