The fastest of the cheap streaming sticks, with a complete set of HDR formats. The advertising-led home screen is the cost of the price.
- Best for
- Reviving an older television that has slow built-in apps
- Key highlight
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos all supported
- Speed4.8
- Picture formats4.8
- Remote4.5
- Interface3.4
- Value4.7
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If your television is more than three years old, its own software is probably slow, and a streaming stick is the cheapest possible fix. The 4K Max is the fastest of the cheap ones, and the compromise is entirely about what the home screen looks like.
Speed
This is the whole pitch. A quad-core processor and double the storage of the standard stick mean apps open quickly and the interface does not stutter when you scroll. Compared with the basic Fire TV Stick the difference is obvious within a minute. Compared with the built-in apps on a mid-range television from a few years ago, it is transformative.
Wi-Fi 6 support helps in a house with a lot of connected devices, where the older 802.11ac sticks start dropping to lower bitrates. It needs a compatible router to matter, and most people will not notice on a quiet network.
Picture and sound
4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos passthrough. That is a complete set of formats, which not every cheap stick can claim — several support HDR10 only. If your television and soundbar handle Dolby Vision and Atmos, this stick will feed them properly.
The remote and Alexa
The Alexa Voice Remote has TV power and volume buttons, so it replaces your television remote for everyday use. Voice search works across apps, which is genuinely faster than typing a film name with a directional pad. There are shortcut buttons for the big services; whether that is convenient or intrusive depends on your mood.
The home screen
You should know what you are buying. The Fire TV home screen is built around promoting Amazon content and advertising. There are rows you cannot remove and a large banner ad at the top. You can bury it by going straight into apps, and the Ambient Experience mode that displays artwork when idle is a nice touch, but the interface is not neutral. A Google TV or Apple TV device costs more and sells you less.
Should you buy it?
Buy the 4K Max if you want the fastest cheap stick, you already use Prime Video, and the home screen does not bother you. Skip it if you want a neutral interface, or if your television already runs a modern platform smoothly.
Key features
Quad-core processor
Apps open quickly and the interface stays smooth.
Wi-Fi 6
Better behaviour on networks with many connected devices.
Dolby Vision and HDR10+
Both dynamic HDR formats supported, not just HDR10.
Dolby Atmos passthrough
Feeds object-based audio to a compatible soundbar or receiver.
Alexa Voice Remote
With TV power and volume control and cross-app voice search.
Ambient Experience
Displays artwork and information when the stick is idle.
Pros & cons
What we like
- Noticeably faster than the standard Fire TV Stick
- Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Atmos support
- Wi-Fi 6 for busy home networks
- Remote controls TV power and volume
- Voice search works across apps
- Very cheap for what it does
What could be better
- Home screen is built around Amazon promotion
- Some rows cannot be removed
- Wi-Fi 6 needs a compatible router to matter
Specifications
Frequently asked questions
Yes if the television is your main one. The processor and extra storage make menus and app launches noticeably quicker, and that is what you feel daily.
No. It falls back to older standards. Wi-Fi 6 only helps if your router supports it and your network is busy.
No. You can avoid them by launching apps directly, but the banner and promoted rows are part of the platform.
Yes, along with HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG, plus Dolby Atmos passthrough.
Yes, the included remote has power and volume buttons that control most televisions over HDMI-CEC or infrared.
Final verdict
The fastest of the cheap streaming sticks, with a complete set of HDR formats. The advertising-led home screen is the cost of the price.
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