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If you’re looking to breathe new life into an older HD television—or even just want an affordable way to stream your favorite shows—the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD makes a strong case for itself. It’s going for $19.99 on Amazon right now.
For 20 bucks, you’re getting access to nearly every major streaming service , Alexa voice control, and support for HDR10 and Dolby Atmos. It’s a budget option, sure, but it doesn’t feel like a stripped-down version of something better. PCMag gave it their Editor’s Choice award for being the best 1080p streaming hub —praise that doesn’t come lightly.
The stick itself is a small black bar that plugs directly into your TV’s HDMI port and powers up through the included micro USB cable. And if your setup is a bit tight on space, Amazon includes a short HDMI extender to help with the fit. As for the remote, it handles everything you might need—volume controls, quick-access buttons for popular streaming apps including Netflix and Prime Video, and voice commands through Alexa. You’ll still need to press the microphone button to use voice search (no hands-free commands), but it works well enough, and it’s not always listening, which some folks might actually prefer.
That said, this isn’t the fastest Fire TV Stick on the block. It handles the basics just fine, but you might notice some lag when jumping between menus or loading up bigger libraries. It also skips out on Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, so screen mirroring from an iPhone or iPad is not an option. Also, since it runs on Wi-Fi 5 instead of Wi-Fi 6, your streaming speeds could take a hit if your network’s already busy. And while it supports HDR10 and Dolby Atmos pass-through, you’ll need a compatible TV or soundbar to actually benefit from it, notes this PCMag review . If you’re using a 4K TV or want faster performance, the Fire TV Stick 4K —at about $10 more—might be a smarter pick. But for anyone just looking to stream in HD with a familiar interface and some solid features packed in, this is a cost-effective way to get there.
