The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a new streaming stick released by Amazon in 2021. So, how does the new product compare against the similar Fire TV Stick 4K, which was released in 2018?
You can find out in this comparison guide between these two media playing sticks.
Quick Summary
When compared to the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, the newer Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max adds support for HDMI ARC, Wi-Fi 6, Live View Picture-in-Picture and Auto Low Latency Mode.
The Max version also comes with an updated remote that adds a guide button in addition to shortcuts to several streaming services.
So, if you want to use any or all of the aforementioned features, then you should get the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
If you don’t mind missing out on the new features, then the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is the more affordable option.
Fire TV Stick 4K vs. Fire TV Stick 4K Max Comparison Chart
You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table for the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max below.
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K | Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max | |
|---|---|---|
| What’s in the Box | Fire TV Stick 4K 2nd Generation Alexa Voice Remote USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender cable 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide | Fire TV Stick 4K Max 3rd Generation Alexa Voice Remote USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender cable 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide |
| Remote Buttons | Power Microphone Voice Button Navigation Select Back Home Menu Fast Forward Play/Pause Rewind Volume Up Volume Down Mute | Power Microphone Alexa Voice Button Navigation Select Back Home Menu Fast Forward Play/Pause Rewind Mute Volume Up Volume Down Guide Amazon Prime Video Preset App Button Netfilx Preset App Button Disney+ Preset App Button Hulu Preset App Button |
| Weight | 53.6 g | 48.4 g |
| Dimensions | 99 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm for only housing 108 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm with USB connector included | 99 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm for only housing 108 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm with USB connector included |
| CPU | Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor | Quad-core 1.8 GHz MT8696 processor |
| GPU | IMG GE8300 | IMG GE9215 at 750 MHz |
| RAM | 1.5 GB | 2 GB |
| Ports | HDMI output micro-USB for power only | HDMI ARC output micro-USB for power only |
| Storage | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Cloud Storage | Free for contents directly purchased from Amazon | Free for contents directly purchased from Amazon |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 + LE | Bluetooth 5.0 + LE |
| Refresh Rates and Resolutions | Up to 60 frames per second at 720p Up to 60 frames per second at 1080p Up to 60 frames per second at 4K | Up to 60 frames per second at 720p Up to 60 frames per second at 1080p Up to 60 frames per second at 4K |
| HDR Features | Dolby Vision HDR10 HDR10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10 HDR10+ HLG |
| Video Codecs | Dolby Vision H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 VP8 VP9 | Dolby Vision H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 VP8 VP9 |
| Audio Codecs | AAC-LC AC3 (Dolby Digital) AMR-NB Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC) eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) FLAC MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis (Ogg and Mkv) | AAC-LC AC3 (Dolby Digital) AMR-NB Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC) eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) FLAC MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis (Ogg and Mkv) |
| Image Formats | BMP GIF JPEG PNG | BMP GIF JPEG PNG |
| Voice Control | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device |
| Live View Picture-in-Picture? | No | Yes |
| Miracast? | Yes | Yes |
| DRM | HDCP 2.2 PlayReady 3.0 Widevine L1/L3 | HDCP 2.2 PlayReady 3.0 Widevine L1/L3 |
| System Requirements | HDTV or 4K TV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection | HDTV or 4K TV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection Wi-Fi 6 router for Wi-Fi 6 connection TV with HDMI 2.1 port for Auto-Low Latency Mode |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty for US customers | 1-year limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty for US customers |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
What’s in the Box
In addition to the stick, both products also come with a HDMI extended cable, quick starter guide, two AAA batteries along with an USB cable and power adapter.
The Fire TV Stick 4K comes with a second-generation Alexa Voice Remote while the Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with a third-generation Alexa Voice Remote.
You can check out a breakdown of the content included inside each box for both products below:
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K:
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- 2nd Generation Alexa Voice Remote
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender cable
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max:
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max
- 3rd Generation Alexa Voice Remote
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender cable
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
Remote Buttons
The 3rd Generation Alexa Voice Remote that comes with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max has an additional guide button in addition to shortcut buttons to various video streaming services.
You can check out the available buttons for both remotes below:
Fire TV Stick 4K:
- Power
- Microphone
- Voice Button
- Navigation
- Select
- Back
- Home
- Menu
- Fast Forward
- Play/Pause
- Rewind
- Volume Up
- Volume Down
- Mute
Fire TV Stick 4K Max:
- Power
- Microphone
- Alexa Voice Button
- Navigation
- Select
- Back
- Home
- Menu
- Fast Forward
- Play/Pause
- Rewind
- Mute
- Volume Up
- Volume Down
- Guide
- Amazon Prime Video Preset App Button
- Netfilx Preset App Button
- Disney+ Preset App Button
- Hulu Preset App Button
Weight
The newer Fire TV Stick 4K Max weighs a little less than the older Fire TV Stick 4K.
You can find the weight specifications below:
- Fire TV Stick 4K: 53.6 g
- Fire TV Stick 4K Max: 48.4 g
Dimensions
The two streaming sticks in this comparison are the same when it comes to the physical size.
You can check out the measurements for both below
- 99 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm for only housing
- 108 mm x 30 mm x 14 mm with USB connector included
CPU
For the CPU, the Fire TV Stick 4K is equipped with a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor while the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is equipped with a quad-core 1.8 GHz MT8696 processor.
GPU
As for the GPU, the Fire TV Stick 4K uses IMG GE8300 while the Fire TV Stick 4K Max uses IMG GE9215 at 750 MHz.
RAM
The Fire TV Stick 4K comes with 1.5 GB of RAM while the Fire TV Stick 4K Max comes with 2 GB of RAM.
Ports
When it comes to ports, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max features a HDMI ARC output while the Fire TV Stick 4K features a regular HDMI output.
Both sticks come with a micro-USB port that is only used for power.
You can find a breakdown of the ports below:
Fire TV Stick 4K:
- HDMI output
- micro-USB for power only
Fire TV Stick 4K Max:
- HDMI ARC output
- micro-USB for power only
Storage
The two 4K streaming sticks have 8 GB of internal storage.
Cloud Storage
The cloud storage for both devices are free for contents that were directly purchased from Amazon.
Wi-Fi Features
With the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Amazon added support for 802.11 ax, which is known as Wi-Fi 6.
You can find the Wi-Fi features for both media players below:
Fire TV Stick 4K:
- Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO)
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Fire TV Stick 4K Max:
- Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO)
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth
For Bluetooth connections, both of these devices utilize Bluetooth 5.0 + LE.
Refresh Rates and Resolutions
The two sticks are capable of displaying the following refresh rates and resolutions:
- Up to 60 frames per second at 720p
- Up to 60 frames per second at 1080p
- Up to 60 frames per second at 4K
HDR Features
Both also support the following HDR features:
- Dolby Vision
- HDR10
- HDR10+
- HLG
Video Codecs
The Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max are compatible with the following video codecs:
- Dolby Vision
- H.263
- H.264
- H.265 (HEVC)
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- VP8
- VP9
Audio Codecs
The following audio codecs are also supported by both of the streaming devices in this comparison:
- AAC-LC
- AC3 (Dolby Digital)
- AMR-NB
- Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC)
- eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus)
- HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
- HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
- FLAC
- MIDI
- MP3
- Opus
- PCM/Wave
- Vorbis (Ogg and Mkv)
Image Formats
The Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max can display the following image formats:
- BMP
- GIF
- JPEG
- PNG
Voice Control
You will be able to use your voice to control both streaming media players with the following methods:
- Alexa Voice Remote
- Fire TV Smartphone App
- Linked Echo Device
Live View Picture-in-Picture
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the only one to support Live View Picture-in-Picture, a feature that lets you conveniently view other video feeds without having to interrupt what you are currently viewing.
Miracast
The two sticks support Miracast, a feature that lets you mirror the screen of a compatible Amazon Fire device to your television screen.
DRM
The Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max have the following DRM protections:
- HDCP 2.2
- PlayReady 3.0
- Widevine L1/L3
System Requirements
For the system requirements, you will need either a HDTV or 4K TV with HDMI input in addition to Wi-Fi internet connection.
To use Wi-Fi 6 with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, you will need a Wi-Fi 6 router. To use ALLM with the Max version of the Fire TV Stick, you need a TV with a HDMI 2.1 port.
You can find the system requirements below:
Fire TV Stick 4K:
- HDTV or 4K TV with HDMI input
- Wi-Fi internet connection
Fire TV Stick 4K Max:
- HDTV or 4K TV with HDMI input
- Wi-Fi internet connection
- Wi-Fi 6 router for Wi-Fi 6 connection
- TV with HDMI 2.1 port for Auto-Low Latency Mode
Warranty
The 1st Generation Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and 1st Generation Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max each comes with 1-year limited warranty and service. US customers can also purchase an optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty for both these products.
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