Amazon’s new OS for Fire TV players is a double-edged sword

Amazon is going in a new direction with its latest 4K Fire TV streaming stick, and it’s a direction that Fire TV sideloaders probably won’t like. 

Making its debut during the company’s big fall hardware event in New York City on Tuesday and slated to ship in October, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select will rank as Amazon’s third 4K-capable streaming stick, alongside the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. 

The newer Fire TV Stick 4K Select offers pared-down audio and video specifications compared to its siblings. Yes, the 4K Select can handle 4K video, but it lacks the Dolby Vision HDR support of the other two sticks, and it’s also missing Dolby Atmos audio (although the latter can be piped to a TV or A/V receiver via HDMI passthrough). 

Those missing features account for the Fire TV Stick 4K Select’s lower price: just $39.99, versus a list price of $49.99 for the Fire TV Stick 4K and $59.99 for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. 

But one thing Amazon says is didn’t skimp on with the Fire TV Stick 4K Select is performance, and it gets help under the hood with a new platform that marks a departure from Amazon’s previous OS for Fire TV devices, which is widely believed to be based on Android. 

Amazon

Both “responsive” as well as “highly efficient,” Amazon says Vega OS helps to boost the speed of the 4K Select’s interface and apps while still enabling 4K HDR video at “an incredible value,” according to Amazon, which went on to call the streamer the fastest of its kind for less than $40. (We’re looking forward to stacking up the new Amazon stick with Roku’s $40 Streaming Stick Plus, which also does 4K.) 

Of course, the new Vega OS (said to be based on Linux) will require a new set of streaming apps that support it. Amazon is promising Vega OS-ready versions of the biggest streaming apps for the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, while also making it clear that for “enhanced security, only apps from the Amazon Appstore are available for download.” 

It’s a restriction that won’t bother the vast majority of Fire TV users, but it’s sure to frustrate Fire TV users accustomed to sideloading (via a fairly convoluted process) non-Amazon app store applications onto their devices.  

The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is slated to ship in October, and it will arrive alongside Amazon’s refreshed Omni QLED Series TVs (ranging from 50- to 75 inches, starting at $479.99) and step-down 4-Series sets (from 43- to 55 inches, starting at $159.99). 

This story is part of TechHive’s coverage of the best streaming media players.

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