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 S