Amazon Launches Fire TV

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Amazon just launched the FireTV for $99. The tiny Android powered, quad core box streams video from Netflix, Prime Instant Video and Hulu, plays games, plays music and has voice search. Hit the link for more info, the tech specs are listed below.
 
Nice! And I'm sure pricing it the same as the Roku 3 and Apple TV was no accident.
 
I'm not sure how impressed I am with this.
1- It's another set top box. Sure, if you have Prime, it's finally a way to get your media on the TV, but if that was really a priority, you already had Netflix/HuluPlus etc with any of the myriad similar options out there (some significantly cheaper).
2- Games? Yawn. Because that's taken off so well. Ouya's not burning up the shelves, and the alternatives have been even worse off. Not to mention it's $140 with the controller, and we're still talking low-polys, low-res textures and no AA on your big screen. Hello PS2.
3- I do like the family-controls. There currently is no good way for parents to easily control what your kids can watch on TV and for how long. Cable boxes either lack this capability, or the few that do are insanely complicated and janky. And they usually cost more. Having free PBS and Nick programming pipped into the box with simple but deep parental controls is genius.
4- $100? Really? At $70, this is a killer device. At $50, it'd been the next Kindle. But at $100, it's an also-ran with a connection to Amazon. And I didn't even see a mention of on-screen shopping. HOW DO YOU MISS THAT!?
 
I honestly feel like Amazon's hardware offerings (Fire tablets, now FireTV) are much more competitive to Apple than any other competitor like Samsung or Microsoft. Particularly with the amazing pricing and the seamless way it works with Prime, it's a pretty great synergy they have going.

I already have a Roku 2, but honestly thinking of perhaps picking this up and maybe a Fire tablet...
 
If some one can get XBMC to run on this I'll buy it as soon as it happens. Would be killer to replace my HTPC's around the house for streaming for this for lower power.
 
Does anyone know if this supports streaming videos through your local network?
 
I like it but its just another device that does the same stuff everything else in my house already does. Even my older Sony Blu-Ray Players do the same apps never mind every game console does this stuff too.
 
well it has apps, the question is, can you side load them

if so, what would stop me from loading say

mxvideo player
and es file explorer on it


it does have Plex on it so..maybe

will give this a shot in a few weeks
 
I wand a good steaming box, I haven't had a ton of luck with my raspberry pis and xbmc, give me a $50-75 unit that does it better and Ill buy it. My tv can already do just about everything this box can
 
My Roku does Prime videos, too. What's this offer that my Roku doesn't. If I were in the market for a new device, it'd be on the list for sure. But, no reason to upgrade what I have for it (not yet, anyway).

Not a bad device, but it's just another box that mimics what others do well. It does get the massive marketing push of Amazon, though. That will help it out quite a bit. Lower the price, bump the features (DLNA would be awesome) and I'd probably upgrade my Roku...
 
It didn't even take me 5 minutes to decide. Mine is on the way. That little thing is exactly what I've been looking for.
 
dgingeri said:
It didn't even take me 5 minutes to decide. Mine is on the way. That little thing is exactly what I've been looking for.
Click to expand...

Nice! Are you getting the gaming controllers too? Would love to hear what the "gaming" on this thing looks like.
 
I wish my Chromecast had access so Amazon video that's the only thing missing might just pick this one up to fill the void :/
 
Ur_Mom said:
My Roku does Prime videos, too. What's this offer that my Roku doesn't. If I were in the market for a new device, it'd be on the list for sure. But, no reason to upgrade what I have for it (not yet, anyway).

Not a bad device, but it's just another box that mimics what others do well. It does get the massive marketing push of Amazon, though. That will help it out quite a bit. Lower the price, bump the features (DLNA would be awesome) and I'd probably upgrade my Roku...
Click to expand...

I am a Roku (and Chromecast) owner, and I agree with you. I think this is being marketed to people that haven't committed to a Roku or AppleTv yet as another option.

I am all for competition, and I think it helps the whole industry get better.
 
why no mention if this will support NHL Game Center!? I'll probably end up buying a Roku for my dad for next season.
 
Too Late, market is saturated with options and not necessarily distinctive ones anymore. And they way they'v spun the specs, the Roku Stick would look the same as a Roku 3 and is only $50
 
Koolthulu said:
I'd buy 3 right now if it had DLNA. Why do so many new devices not include it?
Click to expand...
Because it's meant to be a purchase machine, not a save you money machine.

TwistedAegis said:
Nice! Are you getting the gaming controllers too? Would love to hear what the "gaming" on this thing looks like.
Click to expand...
I don't get this. I know everyone here is on the OUYA haterade, but why not the OUYA?

It costs the same.
Has controllers.
Pretty good specs.
You can Sideload Apps.

It also does everything FireTV does, in terms of streaming video. Only downside is the specs are clearly not as good as the FireTV.
 
Ashbringer said:
I don't get this. I know everyone here is on the OUYA haterade, but why not the OUYA?

It costs the same.
Has controllers.
Pretty good specs.
You can Sideload Apps.

It also does everything FireTV does, in terms of streaming video. Only downside is the specs are clearly not as good as the FireTV.
Click to expand...

Because phone gaming on a 50" TV is a horrible experience, no matter what device you use. Low-poly models, low res textures, no AA/AF, and usually janky conversions from touch controls do not equal a good time.
At least with this guy, gaming is a feature, not the point, and my mom can use the FireTV. Explaining to her what side-loading is would be painful. :eek:
 
A box like this should function as a Steam streaming client.

Now THAT would make it interesting.
 
Ur_Mom said:
My Roku does Prime videos, too. What's this offer that my Roku doesn't. If I were in the market for a new device, it'd be on the list for sure. But, no reason to upgrade what I have for it (not yet, anyway).

Not a bad device, but it's just another box that mimics what others do well. It does get the massive marketing push of Amazon, though. That will help it out quite a bit. Lower the price, bump the features (DLNA would be awesome) and I'd probably upgrade my Roku...
Click to expand...
Roku has a Free Media Player channel now that appears to work with DLNA. But I don't think they paid for the DLNA label.

It only works with the formats Roku can do locally. MP4 & MKV. Which limits its flexibility.
 
snowcat said:
I am a Roku (and Chromecast) owner, and I agree with you. I think this is being marketed to people that haven't committed to a Roku or AppleTv yet as another option.

I am all for competition, and I think it helps the whole industry get better.
Click to expand...

I agree.

This a very competitive product and [hopefully] pushes Roku, Apple, and Google (and even Ouya) to offer better competing products that are just as fast and affordable as the Fire TV.

Very tempting to get... $99 is a great price considering you're getting what's basically the Ouya and Roku with Amazon tie-ins with much better specs.
 
My only reservation would be if it like the Fires. Great specs, but then people actually started using them and finding limitations in the implementation.
 
I've been wanting to get a box like this for my brother and maybe one for myself. I despise any Apple so that's out of the question. This sounds like a nice route to go. Will look into this more.
 
Ashbringer said:
Because it's meant to be a purchase machine, not a save you money machine.


I don't get this. I know everyone here is on the OUYA haterade, but why not the OUYA?

It costs the same.
Has controllers.
Pretty good specs.
You can Sideload Apps.

It also does everything FireTV does, in terms of streaming video. Only downside is the specs are clearly not as good as the FireTV.
Click to expand...


Ouya doesn't do netflix, or Prime Instant or many of the services amazon does (it can if rooted but you can't just install netflix off the ouya market)

Ouya doesn't have voice search

Ouya has done a lot to anger their backers and early supporters (no more requirement for F2P, shoddy controllers, credit card requirement, ouya backtracked HARD on what "open console" means )

Ouya doesn't do optical audio out.

ouya doesn't do miracast

ouya doesn't do DIAL (chromecast style content slinging / 2nd screen)

I backed an ouya and was hoping for some fun games and a good XBMC experience, and I was left wanting. Sure it wasn't unusable, and they have made some great strides, but since my needs are media first and games "maybe" the ouya wasn't a good fit
 
Only game changer is 'ugh' Minecraft depending on whether the pocket edition is good enough at the kiddy hypnosis thing as the PC version.
 
Koolthulu said:
I'd buy 3 right now if it had DLNA. Why do so many new devices not include it?
Click to expand...

I've been looking for a solution to replace my WDTV and Boxee Box but this seems to not be it (until it's rooted, possibly).
 
The question is: Does it do captions correctly? Does it output native HD? Does it do this for all services or is this yet another broken (ipad, chromecast, nexus 10, moto g) streaming device?
 
Koolthulu said:
I'd buy 3 right now if it had DLNA. Why do so many new devices not include it?
Click to expand...

They don't? I thought that was a given these days. Any chance you can point me to some other products that don't support it? It would help me to know what to stay away from.

The Chromecast is really in a league of it's own for $35. It's a great companion for the masses that already have more than adequate phones and just want a way to put the "phone screen on tv".
Now for those that don't have anything for streaming from the giant array of services, it looks like the Fire is the way to go....once it's on sale for the smart ones :p.
 
runudownquick said:
They don't? I thought that was a given these days. Any chance you can point me to some other products that don't support it? It would help me to know what to stay away from.
Click to expand...

Unless it's been added very recently, the PS4 & Xbox One don't have it. It is incoming, though. Just no ETA on when. For being huge on the media front, I'm very surprised it didn't come out of the box. Especially from Sony.
 
Koolthulu said:
I'd buy 3 right now if it had DLNA. Why do so many new devices not include it?
Click to expand...

As a user of DLNA myself (PS3 via Plex), I actually think this is a non-issue on this machine as it supports Plex. If I bought this every device in the house would be Plex supported, and I would no longer have to use DLNA (well maybe the computers, but I never use those w/DLNA). The Plex app is FAR superior to the PS3's DLNA frontend.
 
Ordered.

My tv is "dumb", my bluray player that would do all this broke a while back and since I haven't watched a dvd/blueray in about two years I didn't replace it. Been using my computer for netflix/amazon/hulu but sometimes I want to game while my woman wants to watch tv..

This should solve all that.
 
HisSvt76 said:
I like it but its just another device that does the same stuff everything else in my house already does. Even my older Sony Blu-Ray Players do the same apps never mind every game console does this stuff too.
Click to expand...

I was about to say that Amazon sells a Sony BDP-S5100 BR (I have it) player for $80 that blows this away....;) The Sony doesn't do voice recognition, though--no loss, there...;) If you have a remote, who needs voice?

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-blu-ray-player/
 
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