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2018 - Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
#1
WRXTASY EDIT...
(updated December 2020)

NEW Dec. 2020 - Amazon Fire TV Interface Redesign (click)

Kodi FireTV users should be using the latest - Kodi v19 Matrix beta's

Reliable high bitrate 4K HDR video playback wanted then grab one of these 480Mbps Ethernet Adapters (click) thx @hdmkv


Keep up with recent AFTV NEWS - How to install sideloaded apps like Kodi on the Amazon Fire TV Cube, Box, or Stick (click)

AFTVNews - Fire TV Stick 4K Benchmarks — The most powerful streaming device in Amazon’s lineup (click)

Click HERE for a great detailed Techhive review.





2018 FireTV Stick 4K Tech Specs (click):

  • SoC - Mediatek MTK8695 + MT7668
  • CPU - ARM A53 Quad Core 1.7GHz
  • GPU - Imagination Technologies Power VR GE8300 (Click)
  • RAM - 1.5GB DDR4
  • Storage - 8GB NAND Flash
  • Fire OS 6 — Based on Android 7.1 (API level 25)
  • WiFi - Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi supports 2x2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac - MediaTek MT7668 (click)
  • Bluetooth 5.0 + LE (Low Energy)
  • NO Gigabit Ethernet port...
  • Micro USB 2.0 for power or optional 100Mbit Amazon Ethernet (100Mbps) Adapter (not-included)
  • Inateck / Ugreen USB3 > Gigabit ethernet adapter confirmed working with an micro USB/power OTG cable (click)
  • Gigabit ethernet MUST be used for high bitrate 4K Bluray Rips home network streaming reliability.
  • An exceptional - media player - class leading wireless Voice remote.
  • 4K DolbyVision, HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ capable for Prime Video & Netflix at this stage...
  • Dolby Audio Licenced that is properly implemented to downmix/remix audio into 2.0 / 5.1 - DD / DD+
  • Dolby Atmos (lossy) support for some copy protected streaming Apps.
  • Colorspace switching between SDR, HDR10, and DolbyVision.
  • MIMO AC WiFi speeds when used with compatible MIMO AC router equiptment is very good.
  • Reports so far....
  • Better picture output quality vs a Nvidia Shield (which has always been below par)
  • HDR10 & DolbyVision from Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu and sideloaded VUDU Apps.
  • Lossy - Dolby Atmos audio when using Prime Video App.
  • 4K HDR YouTube when you sideload the Smart YouTube TV App
  • Auto Frame Rate matching reported working with Prime Video, Plex, MrMC & Kodi Leia (Not Netflix)
  • Auto Resolution switching partially works if using Kodi Leia's Whitelist setting.
  • With Kodi Leia - lossy DTS & DD / DD+ will be passed thru.
  • 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA will be decoded to 7.1 LPCM audio and...
  • New Firmware appears to have removed Kodi Multichannel LPCM output, see HERE (click)....
  • However you can still get Multichannel LPCM with THIS (click) workaround.
  • What is not working:
  • Digital TV deinterlacing working properly, can be hit and miss depending on which TV standard and video encoding type is used. Ask in this thread for info, and detail which part of the world and Digital TV standard is being used.
  • Old 1080p VC-1 encoded - Bluray Rips video playback, details in this https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2843933
  • There is no lossless Bluray quality Atmos audio passthrough available on this device.

Bang for the buck is really high with this $49.99 FireTV Stick, if you do not need lossless Bluray Rips - Atmos audio passthrough and can put up with the pushy, in your face Amazon centric user interface that also includes advertising.

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Original post...

Hey guys, last days Amazon announced their new 2018 Fire TV-Stick ..
I'm currently searching for a Device, that can handle Kodi + 10bit 2160p HEVC HDR10 Movies, with Auto-Framerate Switching..
I was stuck with the Fire TV Gen3, Minix Neo U9-H, Nvidia Shield or the Vero 4k+.
But now, the new 2018 Fire TV-Stick sounds too good for me. With HDR10+ and Dolby Vision Support. It should be "80% faster" than the old version .. Sure, thats mediapress storys, but it will be definitly faster..
All in all, im too ignorant in this MediaBox Subject, so I ask you: Can you recommend the Amazon Fire TV Stick (fired with Kodi), or should I take one of the other mentioned Boxes?

Thanks in advance & Greets!
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#2
Also, 24p support is iffy w/Fire TV Stick 4K as Amazon is now using a MediaTek chip (MT8695), while Pendant & Cube use AMLogic S905Z. And even then, only the Pendant has received support for 24p & refresh rate switching AFAIK.
Refresh rate switching confirmed as supported by AFTVNews w/Amazon.
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#3
now if i could get it to integrate with my ring doorbell.... i'd buy one
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#4
So, it's confirmed that the Fire TV Stick 4k will support Video Frame Rate Matching Smile I'm now really between Vero 4k+ and this new ATV Stick 4k..
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#5
How do you expect to handle high bitrate 4K HDR movies with HD audio on a WiFi only Amazon device reliably ?

As I keep repeating you need Gigabit Ethernet for that scenario.

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#6
Could connect to a USB 3.0 hub & Ethernet adapter combo. I use this one w/FTV3 pendant w/good results.
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#7
(2018-10-07, 16:15)wrxtasy Wrote: How do you expect to handle high bitrate 4K HDR movies with HD audio on a WiFi only Amazon device reliably ?

As I keep repeating you need Gigabit Ethernet for that scenario.
Agreed, but there is supposed to be a wired adapter coming.

I'm wondering about the PowerVR chip. What is that based on or similar to? Is that yet another architecture?
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#8
(2018-10-08, 00:18)hdmkv Wrote: Could connect to a USB 3.0 hub & Ethernet adapter combo. I use this one w/FTV3 pendant w/good results.
 Don't quote me on this, but I want to say that the USB port on the Fire TV devices is 2.0, so you're not even getting half-gigabit speeds. Granted it will be a lot better than wireless and the 10/100 adapter Amazon sells, but I'm curious how you plan to get around there only being a microUSB port on the FireTV, which is used for the AC power feed.

Taken from the product specs: Ports HDMI output, micro USB for power only
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#9
(2018-10-08, 00:50)doug Wrote: I'm wondering about the PowerVR chip. What is that based on or similar to? Is that yet another architecture? 
 Doing a quick Google search, this is the company that used to provide graphics chips to Apple for the iPhone and iPad. Looks like the last model they did was the A10X, which happens to be the same chip in the ATV4K. According to Wikipedia, the ATV4K uses Series 7XT GT7600 Plus with 12 cores/clusters running around 900MHz. The new Fire TV Stick is using the Series8XE GE8300, which according to Anandtech will be probably roughly comparable, maybe a little weaker. So the AppleTV 4K or current gen iPad Pro's are probably the closest analog, and it looks like it would sit somewhere between the ATV4 and ATV4K (closer to the ATV4K) performance wise.
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#10
(2018-10-10, 22:31)aerogems Wrote: Don't quote me on this, but I want to say that the USB port on the Fire TV devices is 2.0, so you're not even getting half-gigabit speeds. Granted it will be a lot better than wireless and the 10/100 adapter Amazon sells, but I'm curious how you plan to get around there only being a microUSB port on the FireTV, which is used for the AC power feed.

Taken from the product specs: Ports HDMI output, micro USB for power only 
You're right, it won't be gigabit, but I believe you get around 300Mbps, which is enough for 4K UHD rips. For connecting, micro USB to hub, then ethernet from hub to switch/router, and power via USB from hub to Amazon adapter to wall.
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#11
(2018-10-10, 22:31)aerogems Wrote:
(2018-10-08, 00:18)hdmkv Wrote: Could connect to a USB 3.0 hub & Ethernet adapter combo. I use this one w/FTV3 pendant w/good results.
 Don't quote me on this, but I want to say that the USB port on the Fire TV devices is 2.0, so you're not even getting half-gigabit speeds.  
Yep - same as a couple of platforms that need USB Gigabit connectivity to replace their built-in WiFi for UHD rips and only have USB 2.0 connectivity. You don't need full GigE for these.
Quote:Granted it will be a lot better than wireless and the 10/100 adapter Amazon sells, but I'm curious how you plan to get around there only being a microUSB port on the FireTV, which is used for the AC power feed.

Taken from the product specs: Ports HDMI output, micro USB for power only 
  
Amazon and Google both have PSUs, or power pass-through, with integrated Ethernet that use OTG + Power over a single connector. You can get third party adaptors that also allow OTG + Power. (I've done this with a Fire TV 4K Pendant)

You can also buy third party OTG hubs that do this, which would allow a USB 3 (over USB 2) GigE adaptor to be used.  As long as drivers are present (which for some chipsets they are) then you are good to go.
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#12
(2018-10-05, 09:57)Hakuna99 Wrote: Auto-Framerate Switching
it's not "Auto" , it's like old firetv 4k: HDMI Mode Switch API https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-t...witch.html. Must be implementing on every app.
LG OLED 55E8 - M9702(oppo 203) -  Dinobot U5PVR(Enigma 2) - Meccol KI pro(COREelec) - Sony PS5
AndroidPremiumPlayer blog - HI - Frequency Switcher 
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#13
The specs clearly say it's for power only. 


Not sure why this is even being discussed anymore.
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#14
(2018-10-12, 16:25)honcho Wrote: The specs clearly say it's for power only. 


Not sure why this is even being discussed anymore.
 Because the specs also say that an ethernet adapter is coming, and this is how the current FireTV Stick and Pendant version do it.
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#15
Hardware deinterlacin for 1080i MPEG2 is already confirmed to be supported by AFTVNews. Wonder is anyone knows about 1080i h264 deinterlacing?
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