Amazon Adds HDR to 4K Fire TV Stick, Expands Voice Control Capability in Remote

Amazon’s upcoming Fire TV Stick 4K, due to ship Oct. 31, has Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, the company said Wednesday. The new release is in response to customers’ request for a “complete 4K solution” in a compact form factor, said Marc Whitten, vice president-Amazon Fire TV. It incorporates new antenna technology, a quad-core processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, said to deliver a robust streaming experience even in congested network environments. The stick, combined with a new Alexa voice remote, will sell for $49; the Alexa remote can be bought separately for $29, Amazon said, and it’s compatible with previous Fire TV sticks. The 4K stick also supports Dolby Atmos for consumers with compatible home theater systems or sound bars, it said. The Bluetooth-enabled, cloud-based remote, with multidirectional infrared technology, allows users to power on a compatible TV and AV equipment, switch inputs, or tune to a channel on a cable box via voice commands, Amazon said. A bundle combining the new voice remote with Amazon’s Fire TV Cube will be available Oct. 31 for $119 in the U.S., Amazon said, and Amazon and Best Buy are currently selling the Fire TV Cube with a previous-generation voice remote for the same price. In a preorder special, customers can get the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Amazon’s latest Echo Dot together for $79, a 20 percent discount, said the company. Customers who preorder two Fire TV Stick 4K devices get them at a 10 percent discount for $89, it said. In another preorder bundle, customers can save $50 by buying the Fire TV Recast, a “35-mile” HDTV antenna, and a Fire TV Stick 4K together for $249, Amazon said. Leveraging its content side, Amazon is offering three months of Amazon Music Unlimited to eligible customers who buy a Fire TV streaming media player in the U.S., U.K., Germany and Japan.