If you're an Amazon Prime subscriber looking for a stick-style streaming media player, you now have a new option: The Amazon Fire TV Stick, a $39 player that's priced between Google's $35 Chromecast and Roku's $50 Streaming Stick. And if you're a new or current Amazon Prime subscriber who's willing to act quickly, you can get it for just $19 today or tomorrow.

That seems to be such a good deal that we're scratching our heads and asking, If you can get a Fire TV Stick for so little money, why the heck would you pay $99 for the company's Fire TV player, which we tested in the spring?

We hope to get a definitive answer when we get a Fire TV Stick into our labs for testing; it can be preordered now, but doesn't ship until Nov. 19. But based on what's been announced, it seems that some features will remain exclusive to the Fire TV settop box. At least on paper, Fire TV should be faster. Also, it's not clear if the Stick has the Fire TV's Free Time, a password-protected area for younger kids that lets parents choose what their kids can see, and set time limits for how long they can watch shows. In addition, while the Fire TV Stick has casual games, it lacks the more robust gaming capabilities of the Fire TV. And while the Fire TV Stick can respond to voice commands for searches, you have to use a mobile device—such a phone or tablet—with a built-in microphone, since the included remote control lacks the embedded mic found on the Fire TV remote. The Fire TV remote with the built-in mic will work with the Stick, but you'll have to buy it as a $30 option.