Amazon has recently introduced the Fire TV Stick 4K Select media streamer with a MediaTek MT8698 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB eMMC flash, HDMI 2.1 video output, and WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
However, the most interesting part of the announcement is the software, as Amazon has dropped the Android-based Fire OS used in its previous devices and instead relies on the new Linux-based Vega OS for the Fire TV Stick 4K Select.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select (AFTCA002) specifications:
- SoC – MediaTek MT8698 MCM
- CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 clocked up to 1.7 GHz
- GPU – Mali G310v2 up to 500 MHz with OpenGL ES 3.1 support
- VPU (hardware video decoder)
- AV1 up to 3840x2160p (4K) @ 60 fps, 100 Mbps, 8-bit and 10-bit input with HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG
- H.265 (HEVC) up to 3840x2160p (4K) @ 60 fps, 35 Mbps, 8-bit and 10-bit input with HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG
- H.264 (AVC) up to 3840x2160p (4K) @ 60 fps, 1080p @ 60 fps, or 720p @ 60 fps, 30 Mbps
- VP8 up to 1080p 30 fps
- VP9 up to 3840x2160p (4K) @ 60 fps, 30 Mbps, 8-bit and 10-bit input with HDR10, and HLG
- MPEG-2 up to 1080p @ 60 fps
- MPEG-4 up to 1080p @ 30 fps
- System Memory – 1GB LPDDR4
- Storage – 8GB eMMC flash
- Video Output – HDMI 2.1, 2.0, 1.4b video output with HDCP 1.4/2.2/2.3 support
- Audio
- HDMI Audio pass-through for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital+, Dolby Atmos, DTS, DTS-HD (Basic Profile), MPEG-H.
- AAC Profile (AAC LC) up to 8 channels from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
- MPEG-4 HE AAC Profile (AAC+) up to 8 channels from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
- MPEG-4 HE AACv2 Profile (enhanced AAC+) up to 8 channels from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
- AAC ELD (enhanced low delay AAC) up to 8 channels from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
- xHE-AAC (enhanced HE-AAC) up to 8 channels from 8 kHz to 48 kHz
- FLAC up to 48 kHz, 2 channels, 16-bit and 24-bit (no dither for 24-bit)
- MP3 up to 48kHz, 2 channels in DSP (16-bit and 24-bit) and software (16-bit)
- Vorbis up to 8 channels, 48 kHz
- PCM/WAVE up to 192kHz, 8 channels, 16-bit and 24-bit
- Opus up to 8 channels, 48 kHz
- Voice control
- Far-field Alexa control – Hands-free voice control supported through a linked Echo device
- Near-field Alexa control – Mic button on remote supported through FTV App and FTV Remote
- Networking and Wireless
- Ethernet via USB adapter
- 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFiv 5 2×2 MIMO (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz dual band); Miracast support
- Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE supported)
- DRM – PlayReady, WideVine, Fairplay
- Power Supply – 5V via micro USB port
- Dimensions – 99 x 30 x 14 mm
- Weight – 42 grams
In some ways, it’s a downgrade to the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) with 2GB RAM, WiFi 6, and Dolby Vision. Vega OS 1.1 may use fewer resources than Fire OS, which could mitigate the lower RAM capacity.
Fire TV Stick 4K Select ships with an Alexa Voice Remote, a power adapter and cable, an HDMI extender cable, two AAA batteries, and a Quick Start Guide.
Switching to a Linux OS for the entry-level Fire TV 4K media streamer means some applications may not be supported anymore and sideloading APK files won’t be an option either.
The main benefit of Vega OS is that it is custom-built for media streamers, and is said to be “highly responsive with an efficient footprint, enabling fast app launches and smooth navigation”. Besides the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Amazon’s new Echo devices also run on Vega. The downside will likely be app support at the beginning. To smoothen the transition, Amazon provides a getting started guide for Vega OS to help developers port their Fire TV apps to the new Vega OS operating system.
The SDK is comprised of the Vega Developer Tools with a Visual Studio Code extension, CLI tools, and React Native and web application frameworks. Amazon also confirms it is a “multi-OS company” and will continue to support and launch new devices on Fire OS. In other words, Fire OS is not going anywhere. Another point is that the SDK can only be used to develop apps for the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select, and apps for the new Echo devices running Vega OS are developed with a different process for Alexa apps.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select is sold on Amazon for $39.99.
Thanks to AB for the tip.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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