Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (newest gen), start streaming in 4K, hundreds of thousands of films and TV episodes, and free & live TV

Fire TV 4K Select. Evolution Not Revolution
I received my 2 fire tv 4K select’s with the notion that from the off, many have written it off already.Was I about to regret my decision purchasing these devices or can I be convinced to never judge a book by its cover.First off, it gets off to a good start. They arrived in the AM. Super quick delivery and before 1pm. I can’t fault delivery that’s for sure.After a lot of thought, I decided to give fire tv 4K select a go. I looked at many reviews and watched YouTube videos. containing people’s opinions and views.I am a person willing to give new tech a go from early in its launch. I wanted to see for myself whether fire tv 4K select is any good and whether it deserves it’s unfavourable feedback.My previous fire tv sticks were fire tv 4K models. They have both served me well. I know technically fire tv 4K select is inferior on paper, but I’m interested to see if they warrant hard earned praise or belong in the dark corners of obscurity.SET UP PROCESS:Once I set both devices up, I had a play with them. The set up process was nippy. In no time at all, I landed on the home screen. I was impressed with the speed of this process.Straight of the bat, I instantly noticed how fast fire tv 4K select devices are. Moving through menu’s is slick with apps loading much faster. The difference in speed is really noticeable from the off.STREAMING CONTENT:Streaming live tv is much better. First I tried NOW TV. Straight away I noticed no pixelated buffering when starting live TV. Pictures loaded instantly with the odd jitter but it was much improved.I then gave itv X a go. Again, streams loaded without issue and seem more stable. Picture clarity was great. Picture noise hardly noticeable. Changing channels very speedy.Fire tv 4K always exhibited pixelated buffering at the beginning of live streams. Typically It would take around 5 seconds to fully buffer. Nothing major I know but a big improvement for fire tv 4K select.As expected, streaming prime video content is superb. It loads content super quick. Picture’s are stunning with no instances of dropouts. They were clean and very astute.Admittedly, I don’t have top tier subscriptions with Netflix or Disney+. So rely on HD pictures. But what I will say is that the pictures beat my expectations.INTERNET & WIFI:My internet provider is Starlink, which I had installed last week. I consistently receive internet speeds of 300mb to 400mb. The fire tv 4K select’s work flawlessly with Starlink.Fire tv 4K select devices don’t support WiFi 6 and rely on WiFi 5. I have not noticed any difference with WiFi performance. Streaming works like a charm with no dropouts or break in pictures.PICTURE QUALITY:Picture quality on the fire tv 4K select is superb. Pictures show real clarity and cohesiveness. Colours are vibrant and show real pop. There is less noticeable colour banding with picture noise down to a minimum.One caveat for av enthusiasts is that fire tv 4K select does not support Dolby Vision. It may be a deal breaker for some but for me, it doesn’t make a difference. Not all streaming services embrace Dolby Vision. HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma), HDR10 and HDR10+ are supported however.OS LOOK AND FEEL:Overall look and feel of the system hasn’t changed. Fire tv 4K select carries over the same look and feel from previous models. Is that a bad thing. Only you can decide.One difference I have noticed is the sound exhibited when scrolling through menus. The click has been replaced with a more satisfying low pitched beep. This can be disabled in the settings menu. However, I don’t mind it and quite like the new sound.I know many have lamented the lack of a refresh to the system design and layout. Many thought Vega OS would’ve heralded an overhaul. However, as the saying goes, if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.REMOTE CONTROL:Now I quite like the new remote control supplied with the device. They are the same ones now being supplied with other models. My fire tv 4K’s came with the original slippery remote control’s with the creaky back panels. It’s great that this is a thing of the past.The remote control has a matte finish which feels much better in the hand. Buttons are tactile and have a satisfying click. Overall, the remote control feels more comfortable in the hand.REVIEWS:I understand a lot of people have left a lot of negative reviews. It appears they are aimed at Amazon removing the ability to side load 3rd party apps. It is something no longer possible with the fire tv 4K select unfortunately.Me personally have no need for side loading apps. I know many people out there do and find Amazon’s decision to remove this feature a deal breaker.Looking at TV streamers from other major providers, it is quickly apparent that they don’t offer the ability to side load 3rd party apps.Is Amazon’s decision to remove the ability to side load apps a big loss? Well I suppose it’s how you feel about it and whether it affects your daily use. Is this a sign of things to come with all devices losing the ability to side load apps eventually. Only time will tell.Many apps are still noticeably unavailable at this early stage. All the big streaming services are present however.Big public broadcasters, BBC, itv, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are all here. Now TV, U, Sky News and so on all present. I’m sure many more shall pop up very soon.CONCLUSION:So my impressions are that I think the fire tv 4K select is an amazing product. It is a definite improvement. Maybe not in all departments admittedly but for the most part, fire tv 4K select feels accomplished.Fire tv 4K select certainly feels a more stable product and is definitely faster. How much of this is down to Vega OS I’m not sure, but it definitely feels like Amazon have worked hard to get their in-house OS working well.If you are looking to buy a new fire tv stick and are not bothered with the removal to side load 3rd party apps, you can’t go wrong with the fire tv 4K select. I highly recommend it.

Makes the most out of your tv
Excellent addition to the tv . Have had a now box for many years and I’m loyal but I got the fire stick in the sale and I’m very impressed . Quality item easy to set up and use . Has all the apps you need and more besides.

Can no longer use or obtain downloader from app store
Very good at its sale price worth 20 quid all day long downloader has been removed from the app store to stop illegal streaming witch is no major issue to me and you can cast your phone screen to the device excellent quality 4k streaming and Xbox app makes it very worth it replaced my console with the stick and use a 20 quid switch Bluetooth controller to play my games all works perfectly with a good internet connection