Thanks to its powerful internals, great interface and Alexa, the Fire TV Stick is a fantastic gadget for watching Prime Video, Netflix, and UK TV on demand. Now with extra buttons at the same price. Even if you own a smart TV, the Stick is still a good buy - especially if you don't have Alexa through another device. It isn't quite as convenient as using an Amazon Echo, but at this price, it's fantastic value.

We first reviewed Amazon's third-generation Fire TV Stick late last year. This year, it stealthily released a revised version, updating the remote while keeping the media streamer itself the same. It's still $39.99 and loaded with useful features like Amazon Alexa voice control; the main differences are a new remote with a few additional buttons, and a new Fire TV interface. The third-gen Fire TV Stick remains the best 1080p media streamer available, and an ideal way to add smart TV functionality to older TVs, earning it our Editors’ Choice award.Fire TV Stick Design and Hardware Physically, the third-generation Fire TV Stick is identical to the Fire TV Stick Lite and the Fire TV Stick 4K, which, in turn, were largely unchanged from previous Fire TV Sticks in design. It’s a simple 3.4-by-1.2-inch (HW) black plastic rectangle with an HDMI plug sticking out of one end. It’s completely unadorned, except for an embossed Amazon logo on the top and a micro USB port on the side. The micr...

Amazon's $40 third-generation Fire TV Stick is nearly identical to its predecessor, just a bit faster and equipped with a new remote, which is enough to preserve its status as the best media streamer for 1080p TVs.

Affordable; Faster processor than previous model; Includes remote with microphone, TV controls, and dedicated service buttons

1080p only; Home screen can occasionally stutter

Super speedy interface; Dolby Atmos support; Familiar compact design; Improved voice control;

Upgrades are decent but not Earth-shattering; No Now TV app;

Great price for 4K HDR; Solid app selection; Speedy performance; New power and volume buttons on remote;

No Now TV app; Not much 4K HDR content; Limited Alexa abilities for non-Amazon apps; Lame YouTube support;

Super speedy interface; Dolby Atmos support; Familiar compact design; Improved voice control;

Upgrades are decent but not Earth-shattering; No Now TV app;

Great price for 4K HDR; Solid app selection; Speedy performance; New power and volume buttons on remote;

No Now TV app; Not much 4K HDR content; Limited Alexa abilities for non-Amazon apps; Lame YouTube support;

Super speedy interface; Dolby Atmos support; Familiar compact design; Improved voice control;

Upgrades are decent but not Earth-shattering; No Now TV app;

ImageTagInstance gallery-3f14bb5e-9406-4e83-a575-e871ea54e18e IntroductionThere is no shortage of streaming media players competing for space below your TV these days. Just a few short years ago these devices were the domain of tech-savvy users and often weren’t the most user friendly offerings. Roku arguably offered the first painless solution that your mom could use, and since then major players such as Google and Apple have released popular offerings. Amazon has decided to jump into this increasingly crowded market with the newly launched FireTV. The FireTV uses industry leading hardware to deliver Prime streaming service coupled with digital downloads and rentals from Amazon, but also includes essential providers like Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, Pandora, iHeartRadio and others. The FireTV further sets itself apart by offering casual gaming and a bit more with the optional game controller. Read on to find out if FireTV can follow-through on Amazon’s plan to take over your TV. /1242607...

Impressive performance at a low price; Broad HDR format support, plus HDR menus and SDR-to-HDR conversion; Increasingly useful Alexa voice controls;

The menu system is still too bloated; Genre searches are Alexa's weak spot; No support for YouTube TV, our favorite live TV streaming service;

In use you get the impression there is plenty of promise here. Fire TV is a neat and well-specified device. On this score it easily beats Apple TV, Roku 3 or Google Chromecast in memory and processor.