When streaming sticks first became a thing, they were a quick, easy, and cheap way to transform any old TV into a smart TV. Now you’d be hard-pressed to find a new TV that doesn’t have smart features baked in. That doesn’t mean streaming sticks have become useless though. They can still provide you with an better UI than what you’d be otherwise stuck with and provide you with better integration with other smart products in your home.
After finally replacing my old 2017 TV with something new from this year, I started using its built-in smart features and had just tucked my Fire TV Stick into a drawer. Very quickly, I took it back out and plugged i into my new display after realizing it didn’t have the Shudder app available to download. The fact is, Fire TV Sticks are some of the most robust media players out there. And right now, you can grab the 4K Plus model for a staggering 40% off. Normally sold for $50, this discount takes it down to just $30—saving you an easy $20.
4K Streaming
As the name implies, the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus supports streaming content in up to 4K resolution. Its Wi-Fi 6 supports allows of smooth streaming when connecting to a compatible router and you can even enjoy many of your favorite movies or shows in Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio.
Amazon’s Fire TV grants you access to hundreds of thousands of TV show episodes and movies to enjoy across various apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Mac, Dropout, and, yes, even Shudder. These require in-app subscriptions, but there is also a ton of free content available across ad-supported apps like Fire TV Channels, Prime Video, Tubi, and Pluto TV.
Alexa Remote
One of my favorite bits about Fire TV Sticks are the Alexa-enabled remote. A big pet peeve of mine is having to type out titles on digital keyboards—especially when the app designers decided for some reason the best way to display all the letters is in one straight line across the top of the screen (it’s not!). Being able to just hold down the microphone button and speak the words, “Muppets Most Wanted,” is so much easier, every time.
The new Alexa+ even now allows for more precise, genre and scene-based searches which can find movies or shows based on actor, plots, or even iconic quotes. This will be a boon for moms everywhere who are trying to find, “that movie with the guy from something does that thing.”