Amazon on Wednesday launched a new version of its Fire TV Stick, adding not just 4K video but support for Dolby Atmos surround sound and all three major HDR (high dynamic range) formats.
Supported HDR standards include HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. Relatively few streaming devices support Dolby Vision, the best-known example being the Apple TV 4K. Even the Fire TV Cube, released earlier this year, only supports HDR10 and HDR10+.
Vision and HDR10+ are notable for enabling dynamic metadata, which can produce more detail in highlights and shadows on compatible TVs.
Dolby Atmos simulates sound in 3D space, rather than simply pushing sounds to specific channels. Apple only introduced Atmos support to the Apple TV with September's tvOS 12 update, a year after it announced plans.
Another significant update is the Stick's remote, which will finally have its own power, mute, and volume controls.
The Fire TV Stick 4K will cost $49.99, $10 more than its predecessor, and ship in North America on Oct. 31. The U.K. will get the product on Nov. 14.