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Everything you need to know about the Amazon Fire TV
The original focus of Amazon’s hardware business was pushing its library of ebooks with the Kindle. That device was soon followed with the more media-centric Kindle Fire tablet series, which expanded to Amazon’s library of digital videos and music. Now the online retail giant has its sights set on a new frontier: your living room. They believe they have just the device, too. It’s called the Amazon Fire TV, and it was announced earlier today.
What is it?
Amazon Fire TV is an internet-connected set-top box for your HD television set. The Fire TV brings together your personal media, content from Amazon partners, and Amazon’s large ecosystem of digital goods to provide an all-in-one entertainment package in one powerful little box. The setup includes the box itself and a tiny remote, its seven buttons all that are needed to navigate the simplified main menu to find content and initiate playback, which Amazon boasts will begin instantly — no buffering needed.
And it runs Android?
As with their Kindle Fire line of tablets, Amazon has once again turned to Android to power their latest hardware. like the Kindle Fire, you can expect a completely different experience than what you have seen on other devices. The Amazon Fire TV’s heavily modified version of Android incorporates HTML into its framework. The result is an operating system that web and Android developers both can easily port their offerings to, but don’t expect access to the Google Play Store and other associated services like Google Play Music, movies, and video.
What about specs?
For its size — it measures 4.5-inches squared — the Fire TV packs plenty of punch. Amazon claims the box features best-in-class processing power on top of other hardware that you might expect in a top-tier smartphone. Here’s the complete rundown:
- 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 8064 (Krait 300 CPU)
- Qualcomm Adreno 320 GPU
- 2GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage
- 802.11a/b/g/n MIMO (dual-band) WiFi
- Bluetooth 4.0
- HDMI 1.4b output
- TOSLINK optical audio output
- USB 2.0
- 10/100 ethernet
- 4.5” x 4.5” x 0.7″
- 9.9 oz.
The bottom line? The Fire TV looks capable of handling just about anything you could throw at it. Dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth make for plenty of wireless connectivity options, though Amazon has gone the extra mile and included some nice hardwired options, including optical audio for those looking to connect the box to their home theater systems.
What content is available?
Here is where Amazon has a chance to dominate. Not only does Amazon Fire TV leverage existing content library, which includes 200,000 movies and TV shows and millions of songs., but a number of launch partners will also bring popular streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to the box out of the gate. A small selection include:
- Netflix
- Hulu
- WatchESPN
- Showtime Anytime
- Pandora
- iHeartRadio
- and more…
Even better, users will be able to enjoy their own content on the Amazon Fire TV with apps like Plex or by uploading photos and videos direct to Amazon’s Cloud Drive.
Does it play games?
Does it play games? Of course it plays games! At launch over 100 games are available, including a version of Minecraft built specifically for Fire TV (this ain’t no port). Other titles include Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Riptide 2, and Asphalt 8: Airborne.
What’s more, not only does the Amazon Fire TV play games, but a dedicated controller peripheral is also available. Priced at $40, the controller features a full compliment of buttons and joysticks perfect for 3D gaming. It is a likely must-have for anyone that plans to get their dollar’s worth out of gaming on the Fire TV.
How does it compare to Google TV? Apple TV?
So the million dollar question: is Amazon Fire TV a better buy that a current Google TV box? What about Apple TV? In terms of pure hardware power, the Fire TV excels in this area. New Google TV boxes are few and far between, and the ones on the market feature considerably older hardware. Likewise, the Apple TV hasn’t seen a major update in quite some time. The closest competitor is perhaps Roku, but even its latest iteration lags behind in terms of processing power and on-board RAM.
But content is king, they say, and the Fire TV holds its own in this department as well. It features more options in the streaming department than the likes of Apple TV and even surpasses Chromecast when when it comes to certain services (including Amazon Instant Video).
And games? Forget about it on Apple TV and any Google counterpart. Roku does offer some options in this department, but their selection of titles is rather sparse.
So when can I get it?
Right now. Amazon had the Fire TV up for sale only minutes after its announcement so you won’t have to spend weeks impatiently waiting for the thing. If you want it, you can have it.
And how much does it cost?
$99. The price is on par with the competition, matching Apple TV and the Roku 3. It’s not Chromecast cheap, but that’s a pretty unfair comparison, anyway. The Amazon Fire TV does streaming and so much more.
Any questions?
Still have a burning question about the Fire TV? Head on over to Android Forums and see if the likeminded individuals gathered there can’t help you out with an answer. At the very least, leave us a comment below and let us know what you think of Amazon’s latest bit of hardware.
Amazon Fire TV vs. Roku vs. Apple TV vs. Chromecast [Chart]
click to enlarge
A new entry into the crowded set-top box market has just been announced, and it’s from one of the biggest internet companies on the face of the Earth. Amazon has just shown off their new Fire TV box in an attempt to take over the living room. The Fire TV is based on Android and HTML, so it’s apparently pretty easy to get existing apps on the box. Of course, whenever a new device is announced we have to compare it to the competition.
The Fire TV matches up nicely with many of the top existing set-top boxes. At $99 it falls right in line with the Roku 3 and Apple TV, but of course it can’t compete with the $35 Chromecast. That’s because the Fire TV can do much more than Google’s affordable dongle, and you don’t need your phone to operate it. While the Fire TV may line up in price with the Roku and Apple TV, it has better specs than both.
Specs, man
The Fire TV is powered by a quad-core processor and 2GB of memory. The Roku 3 is slightly behind with a dual-core processor and 512MB of memory, while the Apple TV and Chromecast have single-sore processors with 512MB of memory. You should have no problem loading apps and navigating the UI smoothly and quickly on the Fire TV.
What about the apps?
The big determining feature for many people when deciding on a set-top box is apps. All four of the devices listed above have plenty of app support, but some have more than others. The Fire TV and Roku 3 both have 10 out of 11 popular streaming services. The Apple TV has 9, and the Chromecast has 7. Games is another area of apps. If you’re interested in those your only option is Fire TV or Roku 3. The Fire TV, however, has an optional dedicated gaming controller.
Who wins?
As of this moment it looks like the Fire TV and Roku 3 are the best options for streaming media set-top boxes. Amazon is a much larger company who will most likely make deals to get even more content on their device. When you combine the Fire TV with Amazon’s Fire tablets this is a very compelling device in a loaded ecosystem. For some the Chromecast will be all they need, but if you’re serious about cutting the cord the Fire TV is a great choice.
Buy the Amazon Fire TV right now for $99. Talk about the Amazon Fire TV at AndroidForums.com!
Buy the Amazon Fire TV for $99 right now
Talk about the Amazon Fire TV at AndroidForums.com!
In case you’ve been living under a rock this morning, Amazon has announced their Fire TV unit, a set-top box that gives you access to video, music, apps and games, all from a box that could fit in any decent-sized pockets. You can read more of the juicy details right here, if you want.
If you’ve taken all of that in and decided you want one, you won’t have to wait — it’s available to buy right now! All you’ll need is $99 plus taxes to get your hands on one of the most powerful multimedia set-top boxes out there.
And while you’ll still be able to play games with the included Fire Remote, you’ll probably want the added gaming controller for $40 if you’re a gamer (forthcoming titles like Minecraft and Asphalt 8 could sure benefit from them). Head over there right now if you’re interested.
Amazon Fire TV boasts $39 gaming controller with exclusive games
Amazon is joining the fight for your living room space with the announcement of the Fire TV, a $99 set-top box similar to Roku and other Android devices we’ve seen over the past few years. The difference is Amazon has the cash to support the effort with original games, which we saw at the event the company held today.
The first game shown was Minecraft, the indie builder that has taken the world by storm. Of interest during the presentation was that the version being shown is specifically for the Fire TV, it’s not a port of the Android or PC versions.
Mike Frazzini also showed off the controller we saw leaked a few weeks ago, confirming that the set-top box will have an Xbox 360-like accessory you can purchase for $40. Included with that purchase are Amazon Coins to get you started with their gaming marketplace. Frazzini also showed off several mobile-themed games, including a Monsters Inc. themed runner game, and Gameloft’s Asphalt 8.
Perhaps the biggest surprise at the event was the reveal of Sev Zero, a third-person shooter game similar to Gears of War. While the game doesn’t have near the graphical fidelity of a full console title, Frazzini stated that games like Sev Zero wouldn’t be possible without the hardware Amazon has packed into the Fire TV.
“At Amazon Game Studios, Sev Zero’s our first step at building games from the ground up.”
Aside from Minecraft and Sev Zero, Amazon showcased several internal games in development with no titles and only a small bit of footage. More than a dozen games were shown, so it looks like Amazon is going full throttle with the Fire TV in terms of supporting both video and gaming content. With the addition of gaming to its set top box, Amazon is encroaching on territory OUYA established more than a year ago before petering out as a hardware manufacturer earlier this year.
Continue the discussion on our brand new Amazon Fire TV Forums!
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