Amazon unveils $39 streaming media stick

Amazon.com has added a second Fire TV streaming device to its lineup, announcing a $39 streaming media stick on Monday that will compete with Google Chromecast and Roku Streaming Stick.

Users plug the new Fire TV Stick into the HDMI port on an HDTV to stream content from Netflix, Hulu Plus, Prime Instant Video, WatchESPN, Twitch, YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and other services. Google Chromecast costs $35 and Roku Streaming Stick costs $50.

Amazon’s stick comes seven months after the Seattle company introduced Amazon Fire TV, a streaming media box. Amazon hopes the smaller, cheaper device — it’s about the size of a pack of gum — will entice customers who don’t want to spend $99 on the full-fledged Fire TV box.

The stick features a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, and dual-band and dual-antenna Wi-Fi. It comes with a remote control, and users can also use their phones as a remote with a free mobile app that includes voice search.

The company was quick to tout the stick’s specs compared with rival devices.

“Fire TV Stick has 50 percent more processing power and two times the memory of Chromecast; it has six times the processing power, two times the memory and 32 times the storage of Roku Streaming Stick,” the company said. “This results in faster and more fluid navigation, plus more storage for apps and games.”

Users will also be able to “fling” movies and TV shows from their Fire tablet or Fire phone to the Fire TV Stick.