The Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is Amazon’s most affordable streaming stick, plugging directly into an HDMI port on any TV. Video output tops out at 1080p Full HD at 60 frames per second. HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG support are all included, with Dolby Atmos audio passthrough for compatible soundbars. The Alexa Voice Remote in the box adds power and volume buttons for TV control, plus a microphone for voice search across apps.
A simple but powerful streamer that you can use to catch all your favorite shows and movies
Setup on the Fire TV Stick HD takes about five minutes from unboxing. The stick pushes into an HDMI port on the back of the TV, the Micro-USB cable plugs into either a wall adapter or the TV’s built-in USB port, and Alexa walks through the Wi-Fi and account login on the first boot screen.
Fire TV as an operating system lines up apps by row on the home screen, with Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Max, Peacock, Apple TV+, and YouTube all preinstalled. Free apps such as Freevee, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon News are also loaded from the start. Search across every service on the home screen pulls the show you’re looking for from whichever service currently has it available.
The Fire TV Stick HD decodes HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG on the video side, matching what most current TVs support. Dolby Atmos passes through the HDMI output to a compatible soundbar or AV receiver, giving you spatial sound in movies and shows encoded for it. Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus also decode at the stick level for standard TV speakers. Content from Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming apps you subscribe to plays back at the original resolution and audio format those services deliver.
The Alexa Voice Remote does double duty on the Fire TV Stick HD. Volume and power buttons control the connected TV directly, cutting down on the multiple remotes most living rooms accumulate. Pressing the microphone button and speaking pulls up the requested content immediately, whether it’s a show, an actor’s filmography, or a genre category. Beyond content, Alexa also runs smart home commands from the same remote, so your lights, thermostats, and Ring doorbells can be checked or controlled without leaving the couch.
Video specs on the HD stick match a 1080p TV, which is what most non-4K sets in bedrooms, kitchens, and dorm rooms actually output. At $20, down from $35, the price is close to what a wall charger costs, and cheaper than a month of most streaming services. For a bedroom TV, a kitchen counter TV, or a portable stick to bring along on your trips, this fits the streaming needs without adding a subscription requirement of its own.
