Not to be outdone Amazon - the other big player in this market - introduced an updated version of their Fire TV streamer the following week. Apple's update had long been expected; in contrast, Amazon's announcement was totally unexpected. The new model looks identical to the old, is the same price, but has more powerful hardware inside. Unlike Apple TV, it already had the ability to download apps and games, of which around 3,000 are now available. There is even a special 'games pack' version that includes a gaming controller of the sort associated with the Xbox and PS4.
The really big news though - and the thing which differentiates it from Apple, Roku, Chromecast etc - is that it supports 4K video. Most new larger screens are 4K, which offers four times the resolution of 1080 HD, providing extremely detailed high quality pictures. However, there is almost nothing to watch: no 4K channels on Sky or Freeview and no 4K Blurays discs. The two main sources of what 4K programmes are available are Amazon themselves with their Prime TV service, plus Netflix. The new Fire TV box supports both, meaning that the proud owners of 4K televisions now have something to watch.
It is early days for 4K yet, but the lack of support for it in the new Apple TV has surprised many people. In this case, it looks like Amazon may well have stolen a lead.