Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Fire TV (stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon.[12][13][14] The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connected high-definition television. They also allow users to access local content and to play video games with the included remote control or another game controller, or by using a mobile app remote control on another device.
Developer
- USA: April 12, 2014
- DEU: September 25, 2014[1]
- UK: October 23, 2014[1]
- JPN: October 28, 2014
- IND: April 19, 2017[2]
- CAN: October 31, 2018[3]
- FRA: September 5, 2019[4]
- ESP: September 5, 2019[4]
- ITA: September 5, 2019[4]
- MEX: September 23, 2020[5]
- BRA: September 23, 2020[5]
- AU: September 23, 2020[5]
- POL: November 17, 2021[6]
US$99[7]
Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T[9]
MediaTek MT8173C (2nd Gen)
Qualcomm Krait 300, quad-core up to 1.7 GHz (1st generation)[9]
dual-core ARM Cortex-A72 up to 2 GHz and dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 up to 1.573 GHz (2nd generation)
8 GB internal[9]
HDMI, Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), 10/100 Ethernet, Fire game controller[9]
6.2.1.2
115 × 115 × 17.5 mm (4.53 × 4.53 × 0.69 in)[9]
281 g (9.9 oz)[9]
The device is available in two form factors: one is a set-top box and the second is HDMI plug-in stick with, in general, lesser specifications than the contemporaneous boxes.[12] The current set-top box model is the Fire TV Cube with embedded Amazon Echo smart speaker (which effectively replaced the Fire TV box model[15][16]), while the stick form factor encompasses four models, the entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite, the standard Fire TV Stick, and the high-end Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (the third of which effectively replaced the third-generation Fire TV with 4K Ultra HD "pendant"[17][18][19]).[20]
The first-generation Fire TV device was unveiled on April 2, 2014. The second-generation version was released in 2015, with additional Fire TV devices released on regular basis since.
In March 2016, Amazon began collaborating with television set manufacturers to include the Amazon Fire OS and Fire TV interface built-in with televisions sold to the public, labeled as Fire TV Edition.[21][22][23][24] In September 2018, Amazon extended the use of the Fire TV brand to the Fire TV Recast, an over-the-air television digital video recorder exclusively for viewing use with Fire TV and Amazon Echo Show devices,[25] which it discontinued in August 2022.[26]
Fire TV Edition[edit]
Fire TV Edition is the product name applied to smart television sets produced by major television manufacturers that include Amazon Fire OS and the Fire TV interface, licensed from Amazon.[23] They offer basic live television program information and minimal recording capabilities.[22][23] Fire TV Edition television models are available from Best Buy's house brand Insignia, Toshiba (in U.S. and Canadian markets), and JVC and Grundig (in European markets).[23]
Fire TV Recast[edit]
The Fire TV Recast is a digital video recorder that works with an over-the-air antenna to record shows for later viewing on a Fire TV or an Amazon Echo Show device.[25] It was announced in September 2018.
In August 2022, Amazon confirmed the discontinuation of the Fire TV Recast.[26]
Among the downsides: Content stored on a Recast cannot be viewed using other major streaming devices, such as Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast, limiting its appeal;[26] it also never gained the ability to skip commercials during playback.[26]
Reception[edit]
Dan Seifert from The Verge reviewed Fire TV on April 4, 2014, giving it an 8.8/10 rating and largely praising its functionality and future potential.[75][76] Dave Smith from ReadWrite wrote, "Fire TV aims to be the cure for what ails TV set-top boxes."[77] GeekWire editor Andy Liu's review is headlined "Amazon's Fire TV sets a new bar for streaming boxes."[78] Ars Technica praised the device for specifications that surpassed competitors, good build quality, and a microphone works very well if you use Amazon content. The reviewer disliked the fact that its media browser puts Amazon content in the front, which makes other applications less convenient to use, limited game selection with many games not optimized, and only 5.16GB of free space, which limits the number of games that can be installed.[79]
Competitors[edit]
Some notable competitors include Roku, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield TV and Chromecast.