Amazon has confirmed that the new Fire TV experience is now available on all current Fire TV Stick models and all Amazon Ember televisions. The new interface promises faster navigation and a new layout.

The new Fire TV OS was first shown off on the Amazon Ember Artline, Amazon's take on the lifestyle TV genre, designed to show art when not being used as a TV, with a matte display and changeable frames.

Core to the new software are the 20-30% speed gains that Amazon is promising, making for faster navigation around the user interface on your existing television. That's because there's new code powering Fire TV. I've used it on a couple of TVs now, and it's definitely faster.

The redesign shifts around some of the rows that made up the user interface previously, moving major areas to the shortcuts at the top – movies, live TV and more – while there's more space for apps – up from the six that it previously showed.

The rows below the app shortcuts are mixed and don't offer a lot of customisation, with "continue watching" some way down the page. That leaves a lot of the user interface as rows of recommendations, which may or may not be useful to you.

There's no change to the adverts either, which are now a feature of just about every TV OS.

There's a new menu too, accessed via the icon top left, which is where you'll find things like inputs. As I pointed out when I first tested this user interface, you're a couple of clicks away from inputs which isn't useful for those with connected devices.

There also isn't that much you can do to customise the layout, so while it looks cleaner, there's more that could be done to make it more personal.

Amazon hasn't listed the devices that it is available on, but has said that it's now rolling out to current Fire TV Sticks and Ember televisions. If you have a recent device that hasn't had a hardware replacement, you're probably in luck, but those with older sticks might consider buying one in the Prime Day sales if they want the new interface.

For Amazon's televisions it's also complicated: if you have one of the models that is currently on sale and has gone through the name change to be called Ember, then it will update.

I have the Mini-LED model that's now called the Ember Mini-LED and it's happily running the new interface. But I also have the older QLED model, which isn't, because it's been replaced by the Ember QLED recently.

If in doubt, head into your settings to check if there are updates, but for most people this will install in the background without you having to do anything.

Amazon has also confirmed that it's coming to Hisense Fire TV models, with plans to bring it to more brands later in this year.

Amazon has renamed its range of own-brand TVs to make identification easier, giving them the name 'Ember'. That started with the Ember Artline (with anti-reflective display), but it's now been applied to Amazon's other TVs.

On review here is what was originally launched as the Fire TV Omni QLED, announced in 2025, but now called the Amazon Ember QLED instead. It's the same TV, it just has a new name so you know to differentiate it from non-Amazon Fire TV models.

As part of a wider refresh, updating the 2023 Omni QLED, the Ember QLED is flanked by the Ember 4 Series below it and the Ember Mini-LED above. That puts this TV in its place, better than the 4 Series, but not as capable as the Mini-LED, with pricing reflecting that position.

Price & Availability

The Ember QLED was announced in September 2025, but took some time to go on general sale. It is available in 50-, 55- and 65-inch sizes in the UK, while the US and Germany get a 75-inch size too.

As is always the case with Amazon devices, there are significant discounts during sales periods – and the Ember QLED has already been discounted several times, with a 55-inch model on review here as low as £449.99 / $489.99 / €549.99.

It's advised to buy during these discount periods, as it changes the position of this TV from "a little expensive" to "good value".

Here are the RRPs for the different sizes:

Amazon Ember QLED: What's new?

• 60% brighter
• 40% faster processor
• More dimming zones

This Ember QLED is a second-gen model, so there are a number of differences compared to the 2023 model that I reviewed previously. Firstly, Amazon now claims that this model is 60% brighter, while it also has more dimming zones.

A word of caution here: there are no dimming zones on the 50-inch model, so if you want the best performance, go for the 55-inch or larger. For those bigger models there are now double the number of local dimming zones over the first-gen model, designed to boost contrast and reduce light bleed.

There's a new processor, too, with Amazon saying that this model is 40% faster, avoiding some of the slow navigation problems of the previous model. It also steps up to Wi-Fi 6 for even faster connectivity.

Finally, the Ember QLED gets the Ambient Experience that's on some Fire TV Sticks and most of the new line-up of televisions. There's an OmniSense sensor to detect when someone is in the room to support those Ambient features.

Design

• Metal feet
• Wide stand
• Frameless design

From the front the Ember QLED looks like many other TVs in this segment: there's a frameless design, with a narrow band around the screen, while there's a slightly thicker bar across the bottom of the TV.

In the centre is a sensor block, which houses the microphones and mute switch for Alexa, which on this model offers hands-free voice control if you want it.

There are a pair of metal feet that are slightly more premium – as often these legs are plastic. But they have a wide stance, so if you're interested in the 65-inch model, you'll need to make sure you have a stand big enough to place it on.

Around the back of the TV the design is totally different to the old version. It's more streamlined and less blocky than the old model, with a smoother finish. Should anyone see the back of your TV then it looks less ugly, but the way it is curved is really designed to give a more seamless look if it's wall-mounted.

The included remote is a standard Amazon TV one, the same as you get on Amazon's cheapest TV, the Ember 2 Series, as well as on the top model, the Ember Mini-LED.

Picture Quality

• 4K resolution
• Full array local dimming
• Dolby Vision and HDR10+

Amazon's focus for the Ember QLED is to boost the quality, to better compete with the best rival TVs under £/$1000. This is a full-array LED television with Quantum Dot, meaning that the illumination is directly behind the screen, with Quantum Dot to boost the colour output from the panel.

In this model Amazon has boosted the brightness for better performance in brighter rooms, while also enhancing the HDR with increased contrast. Doubling the number of dimming zones helps here, but it highlights the limitation of this TV's tech against its big rival – Mini-LED.

While Amazon positions its own Mini-LED model above the Ember QLED in terms of price, there's no avoiding that TVs like the TCL C7K, based on a Mini-LED display, outperform the Ember QLED – and can be found cheaper. That's why the qualifier for this Amazon TV has to be that it's on discount.

With all that said, there's a meaningful upgrade in the performance of the Ember QLED. It doesn't have Mini-LED's ability to cut through reflections with huge brightness, but it is a colourful and capable set, with enough in the settings to tweak to improve the performance.

Key to this is using those dimming zones: I found that local dimming was off by default, but switching it on will instantly bring more contrast for better results. I tested it against some really dark content – Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 3, for example, which is almost entirely dark, where tweaking the local dimming made things much more visible.

The results, however, will vary by content: some dark scenes will look like they are artificially brightened, so find a balance that works for you.

The good news is that Filmmaker Mode (FMM) – often my starting point for assessing a TV – is very watchable on this telly. While it's a warmer tone, I didn't find it to be too dark, which is often the drawback of FMM.

Equally, Amazon continues to support a full range of HDR formats, so you'll get Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG here. Dolby Vision offers a lot of picture modes, so can be tweaked to your brightness preference. The results aren't as impactful as better Mini-LED models, and there's not the precise handling of black that OLED offers, but it's a very watchable TV in all conditions.

There are plenty of settings to tweak the picture to your liking, including the adjustment of motion control, which seems set to 10 across most of the picture modes. Dropping this back to around 5 will reduce the worst of the soap opera effect, while avoiding the judder that can come on long camera pans with 24fps movie content.

I also didn't notice distracting backlight bleed on the Ember QLED. It's there when you're watching, noticeable in dark conditions, but it's pretty well controlled. The display finish on this model is glossy and that leads to some reflections, but generally there's ample brightness to stay visible in daylight conditions.

There's a downside for gamers and that's the lack of higher refresh rate support, which a lot of TVs at this price will offer. It sticks to 60fps, so although there are the HDMI ports to support games consoles, you won't get the 120fps support you might want.

Sound Quality

• 55/55in: 2x 10W speakers
• 65/75in: 2x 12W speakers
• No Dolby Atmos

The speakers differ across these models, with the smaller sizes getting a pair of 10W speakers and the larger getting a pair of 12W speakers. These are downfiring speakers located in the bottom of the TV, left and right of the centre sensor block.

This is a typical setup for speakers on this type of TV and there are no additional speakers aiming to expand the soundstage or create height: indeed, there's no support for Dolby Atmos on this TV, it stops at Dolby Digital Plus, which will give you up to 7.1 surround sound via an external device.

For enthusiasts who might want to pair the Ember QLED with one of the best soundbars that is Atmos-capable, that presents a problem, as the TV won't supply it. Quite bizarre, given Amazon Prime Video's top-tier subscription model supporting it. If you're a subscriber with such a setup then you're better off getting the Ember Mini-LED instead – as that model does support Atmos.

The performance of the speakers isn't too bad, however, with plenty of volume – although it gets a bit muddy during busy scenes, especially with a lot of bass. I found it perfectly good for typical TV watching, however, but if this is your main TV for movies, I'd recommend a soundbar.

User Interface

• Fire TV OS
• Alexa+
• Ambient Experience

While the name of this TV has changed to Ember, it still runs Amazon's Fire TV OS, which will be familiar to anyone who has used a Fire TV Stick. That means there's access to a full range of apps and streaming services, integrated into the user interface for quick access to the content you want to watch.

There will be an update coming to this TV, with a new version of Fire TV that's said to be faster. But as it is, this is definitely a faster TV to navigate than the earlier model it replaces. That is once you get through the setup, though, which can be a little slow –especially while the TV is downloading apps and updating itself.

There's a common downside to Fire TV OS, however, which is the adverts that are laced throughout. This isn't just for content, it's for products you might want to buy from Amazon, on top of the recommendations to subscriptions to channels through Prime Video and the like.

Some might find this intrusive and it is possible to switch off the worst offenders in the settings to disable autoplay video or audio (under "featured content" in the settings). But adverts in the user interface are now part and parcel of modern TVs and I think that Fire TV OS is generally a little more usable than Samsung's Tizen OS or LG's webOS that you'll find on some of the best TVs.

With Alexa+ now available more widely than just in the US, those in the UK will benefit from a more enhanced Alexa experience. That's offered as a hands-free option on this TV, as well as being accessible via the button on the remote.

Alexa+ here does everything that it does elsewhere, making for fast searching for content you want to watch, opening different apps, as well as general question-asking or controlling your smart home devices that you've set to work with Alexa.

There's a switch to turn off the hands-free experience if you don't want to use it, or if there's another Echo device in the room and you want to avoid the confusion.

Fire TV OS supports Freely in the UK and that's an attractive feature of this TV, as it means access to broadcast television without the need for an aerial – you just need to connect to Wi-Fi, with a boost to Wi-Fi 6 on this TV for a more stable connection. There's a regular tuner in place if you'd rather avoid streaming everything.

Finally, this TV offers Amazon's Ambient Experience. This is comprised of a number of aspects, including screen savers that will react when you walk into the room (including turning off when there's no one there), as well as options for on-screen widgets. It's similar to what you'll get from an Art TV (the big trend of 2026), meaning that if the screen is off, it can be a little more interesting than just a big black rectangle.

Amazon Ember QLED review: Verdict

The Amazon Ember QLED (or Omni QLED as it was known as until recently) puts in a good showing, offering a full range of smart TV features, good picture quality and reasonable sound.

There are some shortcomings, though. The QLED tech compared to more advanced Mini-LED isn't quite as top quality, while the lack of Dolby Atmos will also be a drawback for some – especially top-tier Prime Video subscribers.

Then there's the price: the recommended price for this TV is too high considering the competition, so I'd advise against buying it at full price. That shouldn't be too much of a challenge, though, as Amazon's regular discounts mean you can often get this TV with a third slashed off – at which point you're getting a lot of performance for the money.

Overall, this Amazon Ember TV will suit many as a main TV, especially those with a leaning towards Alexa, where it will integrate neatly with other connected devices.

Also Consider

The Amazon Ember QLED lands in mass market territory fluctuating between two important markers, where a TV like the TCL C7K would be a better performer for many at the recommended price, but at discount prices, the TCL P8K might be the better option, as it offers better support for gamers with a 144Hz display.

Alternatively, the Samsung Q8F would be the mass-market choice, but the Hisense E7Q Pro offers great performance for a lower price than this Amazon TV, making it the pick if price is everything.

I'm in the process of reviewing the Amazon Ember Artline, the new "art TV" from Amazon that's designed for flush wall mounting and offers interchangeable frames. It rivals Samsung's The Frame, putting art on your walls while doing everything else you expect from a TV.

Part and parcel of that TV is a new Fire TV interface. Having just spent a couple of weeks with the Ember QLED (on the old interface), the contrast between these two menu systems is striking.

Amazon first announced that a new interface was coming in January 2026 and it's been slowly appearing in the US, where it's been met with mixed reception.

Fortunately, the art features of the new Ember Artline are powered by the new interface, so while no other Fire TV that I've seen in the UK has it (I also have the Ember Mini-LED), the Artline has been my first foray into this new interface.

It's definitely faster

At launch Amazon claimed the new Fire TV interface was 20-30% faster. That's always going to land well with users, especially as Fire TV has been a little sluggish in the past.

My experience is that it's definitely faster and I think it looks more modern too. It looks more like Google TV now, with major content types in the new shortcuts at the top of the screen, with apps shortcuts expanded.

More app shortcuts, more menu

On the old Fire TV interface there was a limit of six app shortcuts, but now you have many more. I have 16 on my home screen now and while it's not as clean as Roku's interface, I'm glad I don't have to open the menus to access those apps - I use more than six on a regular basis and I expect that's quite common.

But it's irritating that Amazon shoehorns in its own apps: Amazon Kids, Internet, Luna, Amazon Photos, all sit on this row taking up space. Some you can uninstall, some you can't.

Other apps that don't fit on the home screen are now accessed via the menu, so that's a couple of clicks away.

Key to app access is managing that row of shortcuts - press and hold the ok button when the app is highlighted to remove it (if you don't want it), or more importantly, move the apps you want to the front of the list.

I put my frequent apps to the start, and moved Amazon's bloatware to the end, off the screen.

Inputs gets buried

For anyone with multiple devices, switching inputs is an essential function on your TV. Once upon a time every remote had an input button but that's now rare. Fire TV used to have this on its main shortcuts bar right in the middle of the home screen, but it's now buried in the menu.

By buried, I mean you have to press the menu button on the remote to open the side menu, then select inputs, then the input you want. It's now three clicks away.

Why this isn't in the selection of top icons, I don't know. Up there you have search, home, movies, series, live TV and sports - and in some regions other options.

The thing that really strikes me is that there's very little flexibility here. I want inputs on that top row, but I can't customise it.

I've also mentioned that customising the apps shortcuts is limited to a few functions, and equally, I can't customise the rows that Fire TV shows.

That puts "Next up for You" at the top, which is content that's unrelated to anything that I've watched. Then we have the useful app shortcuts, then the annoying Sponsored row, then Live TV, which is useful.

Then we have two more rows - Netflix Recommends, Prime Games - before get back to something useful - Continue Watching.

Recommendations haven't got better

While the new interface is faster to use and I welcome the expanded range of shortcuts, pretty much everything else feels like it's space for rent. Sponsored rows, adverts at the top, rows of recommendations from other services.

That fact that Continue Watching is off the page makes it almost an afterthought - it's faster just to go straight to the app you want instead. That's likely what users are suggesting when talking about moving to Roku instead.

Of course there are shortcuts on the remote (which I use extensively because they're faster than navigation), as well as Alexa. In this case I've been using Alexa+, the new AI-enhanced version of Amazon's assistant.

For all the fun responses that Alexa+ will supply, it refused to return "Spider-Noir". "Old" Alexa on my oldest Fire TV, found Spider-Noir first time, serving up the trailer, so the jury is still out on whether Alexa+ is acutally helping here.

There's no reason to think that the new Fire TV will remain static: hopefully Amazon will introduce some customisation to make it more useful than it currently is, because it feels like user experience isn't at the heart of the new OS.

When Amazon announced the Ember Artline TV, it was keen to put the focus on the new matte finish and artwork that the TV would bring to people's lounges and living rooms. That's well and good, but, in some ways, the more important announcement was that when the TV arrived, it would also mark a massive branding change for Amazon.

That's right – Fire TVs aren't Fire TVs any more; or are they? Well, as it happens, now every TV that Amazon makes itself will be an Ember TV, drawing more of a clear line between 'a TV that Amazon makes that runs on Fire TV' as compared to 'the Fire TV ecosystem and software experience', if that makes sense. No more Fire TV Fire TVs, basically.

At an Amazon briefing last week, I was interested to question Emma Gilmartin, Director of Fire TV for Europe, about the change and what it means for consumers and customers. She explained that while this is a big tweak from Amazon's perspective, it's one that should result in less "confusion" for regular folks.

"I think there's a reason why we've moved away from just calling everything Fire TV – because Fire TV is, in itself, a user experience. And it's now on partner-branded TVs, on our streaming sticks, and our own-party TVs. So it becomes confusing for customers when everything is just Fire TV."

That's a rare level of honesty from a huge corporation like Amazon, albeit at a time when it can afford to say that its past branding was odd, since it's now changing the system. When I asked whether there was any anxiety internally about the swap, I got a bullish response, too, with basically no sense that there was risk to the name swap.

For my money, Ember's a pretty clean name, and the continuity of the "fire" image does make a smooth transition pretty likely. Plus, it's not like the Fire TV brand is going anywhere – it's still the umbrella under which the Ember hardware lineup will sit. In fact, Amazon has another little hardware launch to talk about, too, in the form of a new £40 Fire TV Stick HD.

Glimartin described the stick as "super, super fast", and I can attest that in person, the 30% boost in speed it's been given is impressive, especially given it's entry-level stuff. A bunch of recent Fire TV Sticks will also be getting the OS update that Amazon's rolling out, which should give them all a roughly 30% boost, too, so it's a great time to be a stick owner.

As Gilmartin put it, "the team took the opportunity to completely rewrite the code, which allows them to iterate much faster, and allowed us to scale and do different things in the future". That might mean that future updates are more frequently deployed, making for better future-proofing in the long run.

I've always been curious about which of Amazon's sticks sells the best, since there are plenty to pick from, and while Gilmartin wouldn't be drawn on any actual figures, she confirmed that from Amazon's point of view, there's no real drive to consolidate its lineup into fewer options.

"We also have this debate about how many sticks – but for some people, a jump of £10 or £15 is a lot, so for some people the Stick HD is perfect, [while] some people want to get the best, with the best Wi-Fi and connectivity". Crucially, as she puts it, "people are buying all of the sticks", so there's no single one that's likely to get chopped any time soon.

Regardless, the big Ember branding change is probably enough upheaval for one financial quarter at least, and Amazon will doubtless have multiple eyes on its analytics the moment it makes the swap. We'll be fascinated to see how it lands, too.

When Amazon announced the Ember Artline, its first foray into the extremely on-trend world of art TVs, it fairly obviously looked like it was pushing the boat out. After all, while it's been making Fire TVs for a while now, most of them haven't had a specific USP other than generally good value to offer.

Now, though, it's brought the Ember Artline out in the UK and EU, a little while after it arrived in the US, and the TV's arrival also ushers in a bit of a new branding era. All of its actual TVs are no longer Fire TVs – they're Ember TVs, with the Fire TV OS pre-loaded on them. That should make things a little simpler for people to understand, and being able to write "Ember Artline" without worrying about the "Fire TV" bit certainly is a small relief.

The Artline makes no secret of its aim, and basically takes one of Amazon's existing top-range QLED displays and then sticks a non-reflective matte coating on the screen, as well as a thinner body and cleverly recessed mounting system to allow you to get it really flat against a wall.

That sets it up to fulfil its primary purpose – looking like a matte painting when you're not using it as a TV. Whether you pick up the 55-inch version for £950 or the 65-inch one for £1,200, you'll get two extras in the package when you order it. The first is that low-profile mounting kit, which is nice to see, and the other is your choice of magnetic "frame" for the TV.

These are super simple to install, too, since they literally just click magnetically onto each edge of the TV to make it look like it has a perfectly-fitting frame. There are a couple of wood-like finishes, then a bunch of colours to choose from, and that should make matching it to your room of choice fairly doable.

Having seen the TVs in person a couple of times now, I've been impressed by their design, especially those magnetic frames. It'll remain to be seen how they stack up to other TVs in the same price bracket, though, with the comparison to OLED sets being particularly interesting. The fact that Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are both present and correct, though, is a great sign.

The TVs are available to order from today in the UK, so you can get your hands on them immediately if you like the cut of their jib. For those simply looking for a new Fire TV stick, though, Amazon has smaller news on that front, too.

It has a new version of its entry-level Fire TV Stick HD – and for £40 you'll get a great 1080p experience that should be around 30% faster than the last-generation stick in terms of operating speeds. It's also slimmer to more easily fit behind your TV without making it hard to arrange your HDMI ports, which is always nice.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade is the addition of passthrough power through a USB cable, though, letting you get power from your TV instead of needing to plug another wall socket in.

Cloud gaming has come on leaps and bounds over the last year, not least thanks to Nvidia and its GeForce Now service. Not only is it capable of running games at the very highest picture quality on RTX 5080 GPUs but the latency has been reduced so much it feels almost like you're playing locally.

That's vital and something I've savoured myself regularly recently – playing the latest games, like Doom: The Dark Ages in 4K on my MacBook with all graphics settings turned up to the max.

And soon Fire TV Stick owners will be able to as well. Nvidia is launching a native GeForce Now app for Amazon's streaming devices "early this year" that will give you access to the best cloud gaming service around, bar none.

Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon's own Luna service are already available on Fire TV devices, but the addition of GeForce Now takes their gaming capabilities to another level. You will need to pay a subscription to get the best quality, but if you do, it's like playing on the most expensive gaming rig you can muster.

What's more, one of the GeForce Now tiers is actually free. It gives you access to 2,000 games you own across multiple PC gaming stores, such as Steam and Epic Games Store, in up to 1080p and 60fps for an hour of play per session, and you don't have to pay a penny.

GeForce Now paid tiers pricing

Alternatively, for £9.99 / $9.99 / €10.99 per month, the Performance tier gives you an extended library of more than 4,000 games, six-hour sessions, and up to 1440p 60fps gaming. And finally, for £19.99 / $19.99 / €21.99 per month, Ultimate ups the servers to RTX 5080 quality, and adds eight-hour sessions and up to 4K and 240fps gaming.

It's also worth noting that if you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and link it with your account, you can also play a large selection of the Game Pass titles through GeForce Now too – at higher quality than on Xbox Cloud Gaming, if you subscribe to Nvidia's Ultimate tier.

The new GeForce Now app for Fire TV will roll out to the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus (2nd Gen) and Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) first, with other devices to follow after. It will be available in all countries where the supported streaming devices and GeForce Now are offered.

When a sale like Amazon's current Prime Big Deal Days rolls around, it's mighty tempting to get really far into the weeds trying to find the most unheard of deal, or the biggest possible dollar reduction. Sometimes, though, you have to remember to see the wood for the trees, and go for the easy wins.

If you've had even the slightest frustration with your TV's built-in streaming apps in the last year, I'd describe this deal as exactly that: a super easy win. It rolls around every time there's a Prime-themed sale, but that doesn't make it any less excellent – a completely half-price Fire TV Stick 4K from Amazon itself.

As the name suggests, this is a supremely affordable way to get 4K streaming on your TV, and all you need is an HDMI cable to stick the device into – once you do, you'll be away with Amazon's Fire TV OS, which is really smooth and easy to use.

Plus, because this is one of the world's most popular streaming devices, it has all the apps you might need, from giants like Netflix and Apple TV+ to smaller platforms that you can subscribe to. Of course, that also includes Prime Video, which is front and centre.

The included remote is great, with full voice control through Alexa if you like, and it's a pretty terrific package for just $25 as long as this sale lasts. On that note, though, you only have until midnight to act, otherwise you'll probably need to wait for the next full-on Prime Day to get one this cheap.

Shortly before Amazon announced a new addition to its Fire TV Stick lineup, it was rumoured that the tech giant was about to ditch its long used and well tested Android-based software, Fire OS.

I therefore wrote a piece about how concerned I was about the move. Even though existing Fire TV devices wouldn't be affected, what would that mean for future streamers and televisions? After all, asking rival streaming services to build apps for a new, dedicated platform could prove tricky.

Just ask Huawei how things initially went when its Google Play Store ban was enforced.

It turned out the rumour was correct. During its October hardware event, Amazon announced its own new system, Vega OS, which is being used in the all-new Fire TV Stick Select. And app support is indeed said to be thin on the ground.

It's claimed that the likes of Netflix and Disney+ have not created native Vega OS apps, and the Select will therefore not have them installed on launch.

But it's also said that they will be available on the device despite that, and the solution is actually quite ingenious.

Will the Amazon Fire TV Stick Select support Netflix and Disney+

According to Lowpass, Amazon's new, inexpensive streaming stick will offer all of the same streaming services as current and former models – the ones that run on Fire OS.

That's because, instead of hosting them locally – ie. installed on the device – they will be streamed over the cloud. That includes the menus and all.

Currently, when you start Netflix on a Smart TV, for example, the app will load on your television, with all the metadata, artwork and details being populated from the internet but shown by the locally stored software. It's only when you click on something to watch that the show starts to stream.

Where the Fire TV Stick Select version will work differently is that the streaming starts as soon as you open the app. Every part of the process is hosted on AWS (Amazon Web Services) servers elsewhere.

It's much like playing a cloud game through Xbox Cloud Gaming or Nvidia's GeForce Now – except latency is less important when it comes to watching video or interacting with a fairly basic menu. You aren't relying on split second actions.

The end user is unlikely to even notice the difference between opening Netflix natively or streaming the entire experience over the cloud. In many ways, this could and maybe should end up being the new normal.

Why will app streaming be better than local downloads?

In the case of the Fire TV Select, the main benefit of hosting unsupported apps in the cloud is obvious – software that wouldn't normally work on the platform can still be used. However, the implications of the technology goes further than that.

For starters, you can run fairly complicated software on a simple, inexpensive device. As long as its CPU is capable of receiving and playing 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) video and up to Dolby Atmos sound, it can handle any streamed app. It's the server at the other end doing the grunt work.

Game streaming is a perfect example – you can play Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K and at 120 frames per second, with full ray tracing and other high performance graphical settings on a 10 year old MacBook through GeForce Now (with the right subscription). Nvidia hosts the very best hardware its end, which runs the game, while the MacBook only needs to decode the video feed and send control codes in the other direction.

Another benefit is that your Fire TV streamer or television could have a much longer lifespan. There have been reports of older Smart TVs losing the likes of Netflix and, ironically, Amazon Prime Video because their processing isn't up to today's standards. But with cloud streaming front and back, apps can be updated at source – the demands to play the video stream remains the same.

In all honesty, I still need to test the Amazon Fire TV Stick Select myself to see just how well it handles the process. But just the concept already has me intrigued.

If it works as well as I suspect, it might be that rival streaming services and other app developers need never make dedicated Vega OS versions, and considering a Fire TV device is by its very nature, persistently connected to the internet, it seems almost a no-brainer that this could be the future for streaming devices full stop.

It might even drive their prices down.

Amazon has confirmed that Prime Big Deal Days 2025 will take place across 7 - 8 October.

The new major sales event will start at a 00:01 on 7 October and run through until the end of play, 23:59, the following day. You'll be able to find all the biggest deals on the main Amazon Prime Big Deal Days hubs in the UK and in the US.

As with previous years, there will be massive discounts on home, tech, toys and many other products – up to 40% off in many cases – and this time Amazon's Rufus AI shopping assistant can help with personalised suggestions.

There's also another new feature this year, with "New Deal Drop" offers appearing throughout the event. And just keep checking back on T3, as we'll be bringing you our own favourite deals up to and through Prime Big Deal Days.

Certainly, there will be thousands of them on Amazon over the two days, and the event enables the retailer to get ahead of the game prior to Black Friday.

Unlike Black Friday though, you will need to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the Prime Big Deal Days sales. However, all new subscribers get a month's free trial first, you can sign up soon before the deals start and cancel afterwards.

Of course, you might not want to consider all the additional benefits Prime membership offers - such as free same or next-day delivery, Prime Gaming, Amazon Music Prime and much more. If you do stick around, it'll cost you £8.99 / $14.99 / €8.99 per month or £95 / $139 / €89.90 per year, which is reasonable considering it also includes Prime Video streaming.

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: the sales and the products

As for the sales themselves, like Prime Day, we expect the new sales period to be a great time to grab an Amazon device, such as a Fire TV Stick, or Echo speaker. You should also find some amazing TV deals.

This summer, LG OLED TVs were available with massive discounts. There was also a great deal on a Philips Ambilight set, so we could see some big price drops on smart TVs.

And, there are plenty of Lightning Deals to be had too – short-term offers that tend to give you major discounts on products from all manner of categories, including whisky, mattresses, video games, Blu-rays, vinyl records, clothes, and much more. They tend to sell out fast and are time limited, so you'll need to be quick off the mark.

To help you spot the best amongst the 100s of products on offer, don't forget that T3 will be here to guide you to unmissable bargains. Just check out our in-depth guide on Amazon Prime Big Deals Day to find out more and join us during the days themselves to keep up to date. It could save you a bundle.

Amazon Fire TV is everywhere, powering some of the best streaming devices, as well as being the interface of choice for some TVs – from Amazon's own models to Panasonic's flagship televisions. However, there's the hint of a change that could lessen the experience.

Currently, when you land on the Fire TV home screen, you're greeted with a navigation menu across the centre of the page including your inputs, live TV and thumbnails to the streaming services you use the most.

When you scroll across to one of those apps, content appears on the screen below, giving thumbnails to continue watching from those services. It's a friendly implementation of direct access to content within apps – while some services just give you an icon and expect you to click through to see the actual content.

Doing the rounds online are tales of a different version of the home screen appearing on some Fire TV devices. According to AFTVnews, some users are seeing that navigation bar with no streaming services – it's just the navigation elements to the left, with the rest of the bar being blank.

That leaves the rival streaming services (or rather app icons) further down the page and slightly less accessible. In reality, it's only a few clicks away, but it means that services like Netflix and Disney+ have less prominence.

Amazon's thinking here might be that users will be more likely to click on other content offered up for discovery, and that leans towards Prime Video. This layout was reportedly tested in 2024 and its return suggests that Amazon might be having another go at it.

How do people find new content?

The Fire TV layout has evolved over the last few years, with the top section not only promoting Amazon shows, but also housing advertising. This auto plays with audio, taking over most of the screen if you give it the chance.

Thankfully, there's the option to stop auto play audio and video in the menu. Just head to Settings > Preferences > Featured Content and you can turn it off, but not remove it.

More recently, a second advertising bar has appeared on my Fire TV, showing straight-up shopping suggestions. Together, that means that more than 50% of the screen real estate is an advert.

However, both the increase in advertising and the idea of reducing the prominence of app icons raises the question of how people actually find content. After all, the remote has shortcuts to major streaming services which differs by region, but usually includes Netflix and Disney+, alongside Prime Video and one other.

But I've always found that discovery suggestions are rather poor, no matter the platform. From Sky OS, webOS, Tizen OS, Google TV through to Fire TV OS, when I want to find something to watch, I go straight to the app, rather than rely on what the TV wants to push to me.

Removing the icons might mean that I have to scroll down the page a little to open an app (if there's no shortcut on the menu) and that's going to be irritating rather than pushing me to watch something else.

Ultimately, all Fire TV devices support Alexa – either though the button on the remote or handsfree through the TV – and that's a perfectly good way to open streaming services.

That might be Amazon's thinking – especially as its starts to prep for its Alexa+ rollout.

If you're the proud owner of an Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, or plan to buy one soon, you'll be pleased to hear that a new update introduces a couple of interesting features.

First teased when Amazon refreshed its flagship TV lineup in November last year, Interactive Art is now part of the Fire TV's Ambient Experience and will respond to movement in front of the set.

When activated by the TV's high-fidelity radar, the mode will display one of 10 animated scenes on the screen. These include fluttering butterflies, swimming koi carp, and colourful tiles.

You will need to turn on the option, which can be found inside the Ambient Experience menu, although you can use your voice to do so, using Alexa.

The new feature joins the existing 2,000+ images that can be displayed on your screen when the TV's not in use.

Dual Audio for the hard of hearing

The other main feature to arrive with the update is Dual Audio. This is especially useful for those with hearing loss, as it enables users to pair their hearing aids to the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED to access a direct audio stream.

This can be done with the normal TV speakers working in tandem, so other family members can watch the same programming as per usual.

The new mode can be activated through the Accessibility settings.

What is the Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series?

Amazon launched its Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series models at the tail end of last year. The range comes in 55-, 65- and 75-inch screen sizes and each set features a Mini-LED panel for greater contrast and deeper black levels.

They also each come with 144Hz refresh rates for modern gaming use, plus Dolby Vision IQ and HDR 10+ Adaptive technology support which can adapt the HDR playback effect dependent on the ambient lighting in your room.

Dolby Atmos audio is also supported.

The Amazon Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series models usually start at £849.99 / $999.99 but are currently available with big discounts in both the UK and US.

With its first Fire TV Omni Mini-LED 4K TV, Amazon has stepped up its flatscreen game, with a screen that blends premium display technology with a suite of Alexa-endorsed smart features. It's an interesting approach, and aims to be one of the best TVs under £1000 you can find, even good enough to compete with the best OLED sets out there.

The retail giant’s first foray into the smart TV market was very much aimed at bargain buyers, but with the adoption of Mini-LED backlighting, it’s clearly hoping to win over savvy purchasers who demand more of their picture quality too. The result is a telly that should appeal to boxset bingers, gamers, and smart-home users alike.

Is the Amazon Omni Mini-LED TV worth it?

The Mini-LED Omni is available in three screen sizes: 55-, 65- and 75-inches. In the UK, these sell for £850, £1,150 and £1,599 respectively. In the US, the trio is joined by an 85-inch model; they sell for $740, $1,040, $1,440 and $1,970 respectively. The line-up is not currently available in Australia.

The aggressive pricing puts them in the same ballpark as competitive models from Toshiba, TCL, Bush and Hisense. For this review, we hauled the cheaper 55-inch model onto our test bench – and you can see its best price in the live shopping widget embedded above.

Are Amazon's Omni TVs well made?

This Omni Mini-LED TV makes a great first impression. With its slim profile, small bezel and tidy feet, it’ll fit neatly into any modern living space. Despite the lightweight build, the set feels reasonably robust and well-constructed.

Two elongated feet slot onto either end of the screen. This means you’ll need generously wide AV furniture, if you’re not planning to wall-mount the set instead.

Of the four HDMI ports, only two support 4K/120Hz high frame-rate (HFR) gameplay; one HDMI is also eARC enabled, for streaming audio to an external sound system. There’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth for wireless connectivity.

Unsurprisingly, the Omni Mini-LED is built around the Fire TV platform. All major streaming services are available, including Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+ – even BBC iPlayer in the UK – although using this interface to access TV-specific settings feels long-winded.

Streaming aside, the set also offers a Fire TV Ambient Experience, which ostensibly turns the screen into an interactive display when not in use. There are apparently 2,000 pieces of artwork to view, as well as customisable widgets for weather or news.

The Omni is also one of a growing band of TVs that offers Freely linear TV in the UK. Developed by the folks behind Freeview, Freely delivers free-to-air channels (the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5, plus others) via Wi-Fi, without any need to connect an aerial, which is undeniably handy.

The accompanying Fire TV remote control is both familiar and intuitive, sporting a streamlined layout with dedicated buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Amazon Music and Freely. A built-in microphone supports hands-free Alexa commands, useful for content searches and controlling smart home devices.

Like Sky Glass, the set turns itself on when you walk into the room, but unlike Glass it tends to stay awake for hours. No doubt I inadvertently activated this mode during installation, but never quite mustered the enthusiasm to dig deep and turn the setting off, even though I found it quite annoying.

Finally, console gamers will be happy with the TV’s latency. I measured input lag at 13.4ms (1080p/60) with the set in its Game setting. Not too shabby.

Is Amazon's Omni Mini-LED as good as other TV brands?

This new Mini-LED display has 512 dimming zones (in its 55-inch size), and offers decent contrast, convincing black levels, and appreciable high dynamic range (HDR) peak highlights. There’s a vibrancy to its images I’ve not seen on previous Amazon own-brand Fire TVs. The set supports all major HDR formats, too, including Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, and HLG – ensuring optimised content playback, no matter the source.

I measured 1191 nits of peak brightness (using a 10 per cent patch), with the set in Vivid mode. This suits both dark room movie nights and bright room daytime viewing. Dim the house lights, and those black bars which sandwich letterboxed movies remain appreciably dark.

But there are limitations to its range, particularly when it comes to low-level shadow detail. Shows with a restricted colour palette, like The Agency on Paramount+, can look a little flat. The set certainly doesn’t have the dynamic bite of an OLED. It's best with brightly lit sports, vibrant animation and brightly lit studio fare.

In the default Standard picture mode, there’s a slight drop off in peak HDR brightness, with 1082 nits measured. This is still impressive for what is essentially a mid-range telly. Colours are knocked back, but not aggressively so. Motion handling is reasonably good, without too much blur or judder.

Gaming looks consistently good, with punchy colours, and blisteringly sharp detail. That 4K/120Hz refresh rate ensures fast, smooth gameplay, and is quite a treat with colourful shooters like Overwatch. PC gamers will similarly appreciate the 144Hz mode and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support, which reduces latency and ensures smooth, tear-free visuals.

Sadly, the Omni’s sound system, powered by two 12W speakers, is serviceable but ultimately unremarkable. Dialogue is clear enough, even during argumentative dramas, and it manages to avoid the sonic thinness often associated with low-cost LED TV designs, but those seeking a more immersive Dolby Atmos experience should definitely consider pairing the TV with the best soundbar they can afford, or an external audio system, via the eARC port.

Alternatively, you can always partner the set with your favourite Bluetooth headphones, for private listening. I paired the set with Marshall Monitor III ANC over-ears, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, rocking out with concerts on YouTube, in fulsome stereo.

Amazon Omni Mini-LED TV review: Verdict

Amazon has taken a big step forward with its Omni Mini-LED debutant. The set offers a fine picture performance for the asking price, with likeable colours, deep contrast and impressive HDR highlights.

Finely honed Fire TV features and Alexa integration ensure a highly interactive experience. If you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you’ll feel quite at home navigating around (and if you’re not then maybe consider a Roku or Tivo-powered smart TV instead).

While I’d like 4K/120Hz high frame rate support across all four HDMI inputs, and the sound will have you reaching for a soundbar, I find what’s on offer at this price point is impressive. The slim design looks great and for those seeking a better-than-budget TV performance, without breaking the bank, Amazon's Mini-LED set is a solid option.

Also consider

For other impressive TVs that won’t break the bank, you should check out an LG OLED C2 (or C3/C4), which is now a few generations old in terms of LG's OLED tech, but therefore more affordable and still fantastic to look at. It's amazing for gamers, too, but it does miss out on some of the Freely convenience offered by Amazon's newer TV.

Another all-in-one option is Sky Glass. There’s no aerial or dish required, as the set also receives its bouquet of channels over the Internet. What’s more, the price of the screen is bundled into your chosen subscription deal and channel package. In addition to Sky’s own channel selection, there are integrated apps from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+ and others. Picture quality is very good, while audio, courtesy of a 215W Dolby Atmos sound system, is excellent. There’s no support for 4K/120Hz gaming though, which could be a deal breaker for console owners.

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is one of the most popular streaming devices, an affordable accessory you can use to upgrade your television and make sure you have access to all the apps and services that you want.

In fact, we rate the Fire TV Stick 4K Max as the best streaming stick out there, but we also acknowledge that it leans heavily towards Amazon’s content. If that’s a concern for you, then this latest update might not be too popular.

A recent update to the Fire TV devices has removed the option to hide certain apps from view. Previously, you could hit the menu button when on an app and in the list of options you could move, get more info, uninstall (in some cases) and hide.

The latter is particularly useful if there’s an app that’s pre-installed that you can’t uninstall, but you don’t want in your list. For example, as pointed out by aftvnews.com, if you want to hide the Freevee app now that it’s being discontinued, you can’t.

It also means you have more apps cluttering up your view. Previously, each profile on the Fire TV device would be able to hide apps, allowing for greater personalisation, but now if an app is installed by any user, every user will see that app. That means if the kids use Twitch but you don’t, you can’t hide it from your own view, so you have to navigate around it when using your Fire TV.

I’ve confirmed this to be the case on the Panasonic Z95A, while the original source says that it’s confirmed on a first-gen Fire TV Stick 4K, as well as the latest Fire TV Stick 4K Max, so it’s likely to come to all devices that run Fire OS as they get updated.

Fire OS has been criticised for adverts in recent years, as well as for pushing content or services that need a subscription. For some, this is a reason to choose a streaming device like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, which offers similar performance, but with a simpler interface that basically just provides quick access to apps.

Amazon’s devices do have advantages though: with Alexa searching for content, as well as offering all the normal Alexa services, the Fire OS experience is one that’s well connected. It also has access to Xbox cloud gaming, meaning it offers plenty when you’re looking to upgrade your TV.

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is one of the best streaming devices available, thanks to its wide range of features and hands-free voice control.

By having it hooked up to your TV, you’ll be able to stream 4K content from all the best streaming services, use voice commands to search for shows, control your other smart home devices – such as your lights – and even get answers to your questions about everything from the weather to the news.

It’ll be best used alongside one of the best TVs (and a 4K Ultra-HD one, no less) and you can even use it with your games consoles, such as PS5 Pro or Xbox Series X. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ high dynamic range format, plus Dolby Atmos surround sound (if you have output for it) to deliver high-quality picture and sound.

So is the Fire TV Cube worth splashing out on, instead of buying something more stripped-back and affordable, like the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K? Keep reading to find out...

Amazon Fire TV Cube: Price & Availability

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is available to buy from Amazon US, UK and Australia. At the time of writing it will set you back £139.99 / $139.99 / AU$219 – but it is regularly discounted, especially during sales like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday.

Amazon Fire TV Cube review: What’s new?

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is the most advanced and feature-packed streamer with the Fire TV interface. This is the third-generation of the Amazon Fire TV Cube, improving on the first with a new HDMI In port to connect games consoles or set-top boxes, a USB-A port to connect peripherals like a mouse or webcam, improved performance, faster response times and Wi-Fi to 6E speeds.

Thanks to a built-in speaker and microphones, you’ll be able to control it completely hands-free through the Alexa voice assistant. That means you can use it just like a smart speaker to control your smart home devices, such as your lights or a coffee machine (if you have a fancy and smart one anyway!). You can even use it to get a live view from a compatible video doorbell or smart security camera.

When you’re not feeling like talking, it comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced – which you can use to navigate the operating system and control the TV, so you can use it to turn the set on or off, change the volume, and so on.

Amazon Fire TV Cube review: Performance

The Cube can stream TV shows and movies in resolutions up to 4K for those with compatible TVs and app subscriptions, delivering clear and detailed picture quality with vibrant colours and a good level of contrast. If you don't need 4K as your TV can't cater for that, then you might want to save and buy a basic Fire TV Stick instead.

As well as that, Dolby Vision enhances the look of certain compatible content, while Dolby Atmos delivers a more immersive surround sound experience. If you don’t already pay for services with those features, then it will be worth the upgrade. So long as you have decent enough kit that can output such visual and audio levels.

You can use the Amazon Fire TV Cube as a speaker, but I didn't rely on it for anything other than simple voice commands and questions. Playing music of any kind will leave you a little disappointed, as the audio delivery is flat and quiet – lacking both clarity and precision. I’ll be sticking to my regular Echo Studio for listening to playlists and entertaining guests.

Thanks to Wi-Fi 6E, I found the Cube loaded new pages and apps quickly, although that will depend a lot on your internet speed at home.

Amazon Fire TV Cube review: Design & Usability

As you may have guessed from the name, the Fire TV Cube is box-shaped. It has a control panel on top, framed with the Alexa light strip and fabric mesh wrapped around its body. There are buttons to increase or decrease the volume, mute the microphone and manually summon the voice assistant.

On the back, there are six ports: an HDMI Out to connect it to your TV, an HDMI In to hook up a console or set-top box, the power input, an IR extender, a USB port and the Ethernet port. Annoyingly you don’t get an HDMI cable included in the box, so you’ll need to buy that separately if you don’t already have one.

You can control the system using voice commands like “Alexa, show me comedy films”, or using the included Alexa Voice Remote – which you can also use to control the TV itself (to turn it on or off and control the volume).

You'll know when the speaker is listening because the light strip circles in blue. Every time I said "Alexa" the speaker quickly picked up the sound of my voice, and for the most part searches were accurate – although it did occasionally misunderstand me.

One thing I wouldn’t use voice commands for was to look through the interface, as it's a very slow way of doing things – the navigation pad on the remote is much easier to use if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.

The remote is pretty straightforward with all the buttons you’d expect. That includes volume controls, a power button, skip and pause buttons. There are also a couple of useful extras, like an Alexa button to call the voice assistant, a settings button, and four others that take you directly to popular streaming apps (Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Music).

Overall, the Fire TV operating system is very easy to use, albeit a little overcrowded with Prime Video recommendations and Amazon adverts. Oh yes, the adverts, it's the same with Fire TV on Panasonic Z95A OLED TV, though, so no surprise.

You can access all the streaming apps you’d expect, as well as more obscure ones like Crunchyroll and Hayu. Other services such as YouTube and Spotify are also available, and there's a section to find live TV (that does take you through to the channel's catch-up app, though).

You can pin your most used apps to the navigation bar at the top of the home screen, and below that there are several reels with content recommendations including options to rent or buy.

Amazon Fire TV Cube review: Verdict

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is one of the most powerful streamers you can buy, and the added benefit of hands-free voice control makes it one of the easiest to use as well – if that's how you like to do things.

As long as your TV, soundbar and streaming apps are compatible, you’ll be able to watch TV shows and movies in crystal clear 4K quality with immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound. Just make sure you possess the kind of kit that will make that both look and sound worthy.

The Cube can be used just like any other Alexa speaker, which virtually gives you two devices in one, both of which I would use regularly. The only major downside is that the speaker isn’t particularly good, so you’ll need to play music through another device, as this won’t be a replacement for a home speaker.

Also consider

If you don’t necessarily need hands-free Alexa and you’d prefer something a little more discreet with a lot of the same capabilities, take a look at the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max instead. It plugs directly into the back of your TV and will give you the same interface as the Cube, with a lot of the same features including 4K streaming, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and Live View. You won’t be able to plug your other devices like a games console into it, though.

The Apple TV 4K is another premium streamer to consider. It has top-level performance and a simple but aesthetically pleasing operating system featuring plenty of tailored content recommendations. It supports 4K UHD, voice control, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. You will also get access to Apple Arcade games.

We've long held that almost anyone who doesn't have a soundbar under their main TV is probably missing a major trick – some of the very best TVs out there still have surprisingly muddy sound, and a soundbar can fix that easily.

The best soundbars are often quite expensive, though, and Amazon has clearly clocked a relative gap in the market at lower-end prices. Thus, the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar on review here: a super-affordable multi-speaker soundbar that promises sonic upgrades without a huge price tag. But can it deliver?

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar: Price & Availability

Amazon's budget soundbar has been available in the US for nearly a year – but has only been on sale in the UK for a number of months. Being one of Amazon's own products you can get it delivered super promptly if you're a Prime member (or not, frankly).

Its full retail price was initially at £119.99 in the UK or $119 in the US, although relatively frequent sales have seen it fall below £100 or $100 – as you can see in the shopping widget embedded above.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: Design & Features

The Amazon Fire TV Soundbar is a really compact soundbar, coming in at just a hair over 60cm long, and is pretty narrow. This makes it really straightforward to fit into most setups, whether you have a modest TV – such as the best 32in TV – on a stand or a bigger one – such as one of the best 48in TVs – with plenty of room.

There's a lot to be said for going with a more compact design and, having swapped out our normal Sonos Beam (1st Gen) for it, the footprint being taken up was almost identical.

Amazon's design isn't the most inspiring aside from its size, though. The soundbar is mostly covered with a greyish mesh cover at the front, while the rest of the body is black plastic, with some control buttons on the top of the unit.

These let you make adjustments if you like, although you also get an included remote which is more useful. Amazon has designed the soundbar to work with existing Fire TV device remotes, though, so after a quick and easy pairing setup you can stick the included remote in a drawer to gather dust if you already use a Fire TV Stick with your TV.

The speaker is a 2.0 one, meaning it's stereo, so you're not dealing with many channels. And while Amazon says that it has virtualised Dolby Atmos support built-in, you really shouldn't come to this device hoping for impressive virtual surround sound – it's almost non-existent.

Still, this means that the setup process is very simple – at the back of the soundbar there's a plug for power, another for an HDMI cable, or another for optical cable, depending on your choice.

You can also connect to the soundbar via Bluetooth to play music through it, although there's no persistent Wi-Fi option, so you will find it a little more limited than a smart speaker might be.

Finally, despite the name, it's worth clarifying that the soundbar cannot actually act as a Fire TV hub of its own – it can't run apps or anything, so you will need a separate product to do that.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar review: Performance

A soundbar isn't the sort of thing that most of us expect to look beautiful, so if we're not blown away by the design of the Amazon Fire TV Soundbar that's no tragedy – it's sound performance that really makes it or breaks it. Given Amazon's sterling work on the likes of the Echo Dot and Echo Studio, we've been optimistic that this would be a slamdunk... but sadly things aren't quite that simple.

There's no doubt that hooking the Fire TV Soundbar up will likely feel like an upgrade on your TV audio in one obvious and immediate way – general oomph. It's got a decent whack of power, can get really loud, and has punchier bass than most built-in TV speakers can manage.

However, where precision and clarity come into play, we can't claim to be particularly impressed. One thing a soundbar shouldn't do is make dialogue hard to hear, and while the Fire TV Soundbar didn't worsen dialogue clarity compared to our TV's native speakers, it certainly didn't improve it – and compared to our Sonos Beam it was a huge step-down. Obviously, Sonos prices its products at far more premium points, but the difference is still stark. This lack of precision got worse at higher volumes, too.

As we mentioned earlier, the apparently virtualised surround sound also didn't really manifest at all in our testing – if the soundscape on offer was a bit wider than it might otherwise be, the difference seemed marginal, but there was certainly no impressive audio -ouncing going on.

While it might also be a specific issue on our end, we repeatedly found the soundbar's volume extremely inconsistent when swapping inputs – leaving our PS5 behind to go to Apple TV+'s smart app on an LG OLED would sometimes result in murderously loud sound at the start of a programme or the opposite problem of vanishingly low volume.

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar: Verdict

We love how Amazon has positioned the Fire TV Soundbar in terms of price, and its compact design shows an awareness of what makes sense for most people.

However, it's severely let down by distinctly middling sound quality and a relative paucity of features, making what we've previously thought of as a "no-brainer" upgrade look much less so.

If it included Fire TV streaming software and had more refined audio, this could be a real contender, but as it stands the Fire TV Soundbar should only really be considered if its price is the limit of your spending power.

Also consider

We've mentioned it a few times in our review so far, which means the Beam from Sonos is a great option for those happy to spend a little more. You can occasionally grab it renewed from Sonos at a discount, although the pricier second-gen model is obviously an even better buy if you can afford it.

At a more relevant price point, though, we think the Denon DHT-S316 is a great option. It's chunkier and comes with a subwoofer, but if you have the space for it you'll get terrific sound for the money.

Amazon could be about to release a new Fire TV update that'll add a new feature – but you might prefer it didn't.

Just weeks after it rolled back its full-screen video ads that played on startup, it's testing another way to feed you ads – this time via your screensaver.

That's according to Cord Cutters News, which says that if you leave your Fire TV inactive for a while you'll get a long advert – between 30 seconds and a minute
before your screensaver kicks in. The new ads appear to be rolling out in the US to all Fire TV models made in 2016 or later.

It's fair to say that the test is not going down well with users. As one commenter put: "It's one thing for content to have ads, but the device itself should not."

What's Amazon doing with Fire TV ads?

Amazon's been pushing more ads into its platform for a while now. In addition to inserting ads into Prime Video content unless subscribers pay extra, it's added full-screen video advertising on the home screen and briefly added ads on device startup, although that latter was rolled back after a user outcry.

Amazon isn't the only firm doing this; for example, Roku is keen on homescreen ads too. But I'm with the Cord Cutters commenter when it comes to on-device ads. Ads on free or ad-supported content are part of the deal, but when you buy a piece of hardware, such as a TV or streaming device, it's pretty customer-hostile for firms to start degrading the user experience after you've bought it. 

There's no guarantee that the new ad feature will be adopted across devices – it's allegedly just in the testing phase at present – but a full roll out could clearly make some consider rival TVs instead. Even if Amazon's own Fire TVs end up hevaily discounted in the Prime Day sales.

No sooner than I'd written a piece on Xbox ditching its own streaming device, where I suggested it partnered with Amazon to add Xbox Cloud Gaming to Fire TV devices, than I got notification that Amazon has partnered with Xbox to... well, you get the picture.

Life has a funny way of doing that sort of thing sometimes.

Owners of the latest Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K models can now download an Xbox app from the Amazon Appstore and connect with Microsoft's cloud gaming platform.

All you need is an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and a compatible Bluetooth controller and away you go. And, with Game Pass available for just £1 / $1 for the first 14 days, you can try it before having to pay the full fee.

Xbox Cloud Gaming gives you access to 100s of Xbox games, some of which among the very best available today. The library is regularly updated to include new titles, with all of Xbox Game Studios' own releases added on the same day as the general release.

That includes the likes of Starfield, Forza Motorsport, and the recently-released Senua's Sage: Hellblade II. There are plenty of third-party games added from launch, too.

As with Amazon's own Luna service, which is also available on Fire TV, Xbox Cloud Gaming uses a myriad of data centres around the world that host the games, so bar the Xbox app you don't need to download anything else.

Your controller codes go in one direction over the internet, while video of the gameplay comes back the other way. Latency is dramatically reduced in comparison with other similar platforms released over the years, and is getting better all the time.

Indeed, it is hard to tell when a game is being played over the cloud these days.

Prior to the Amazon tie-in, Xbox Cloud Gaming was only available on Microsoft's own consoles, computers, mobile devices, and Samsung Smart TVs.

Hopefully, this latest partnership is a sign of the service expanding to other streaming devices we already have in our homes.

Your Amazon Fire TV device is about to get a whole lot smarter. That's because the search feature in Fire TV is getting some extra AI power to help Alexa give you more accurate and more useful answers, and to give you much better viewing recommendations too.

The newly upgraded search feature will be able to answer more complex plain language questions such as "Which movie has the line 'life is like a box of chocolates?'" and will also be able to give you viewing options based on actors, the characters they play, and the genre and subjects of movies and TV shows. 

The feature was announced late last year, but it's only just rolling out now. Amazon is prioritising the US for this upgrade and it should reach your device in the next few weeks if you're a US user. UK users will have to wait a little longer.

What will AI bring to Fire TV?

Leaving aside the usual linguistic quibbles – this upgrade is based on ChatGPT-style large language models rather than actual artificial intelligence, so it's more of a super-powered natural language interpreter than Skynet – the features will be much more useful and much more personalised. 

For example, Alexa can now tell which streaming services you're subscribed to and which ones you aren't, so when you ask for recommendations it's not going to suggest shows or movies on services you don't have. Or at least, that's the current situation: I can't imagine Amazon will want to pass up the opportunity to sell additional channel bundles going forwards.

The new search feature is rolling out to customers in the US over the next few weeks, and you'll need to be running Fire OS 6 or later in order to get it. As yet we don't know when the rollout will reach other countries such as the UK. 

Amazon is going big on generative AI: it previously added an artwork generator that enabled you to generate your own background images on your Fire TV, and that was part of a wider suite of features that Amazon calls the Ambient Experience. 

Amazon has finally added the ability to cast content to its smart devices.

However, it hasn't embraced Apple AirPlay video casting, nor Google's Chromecast functionality, it has instead turned to Matter Casting. This enables supporting streaming services and apps on iPhone and Android to cast video directly to an Echo Show smart display, with Fire TV Sticks and televisions to get support soon.

In many ways, this works just as well as Apple and Google's similar systems, and as Matter is designed to be a centralised technology that thousands of products will support, it's only a matter of time (yeah, we know) before it's widely adopted by all streaming apps.

Prime Video is naturally one of the first to employ it. You just need to start to watch a show or movie on your phone and hit the casting icon. It should then find any available Echo Show device that works with the system.

The same technology will roll out to Fire TV devices "in the coming months".

Amazon is a founding member of the Matter Standard, along with Google and Apple, so we can expect to see more cross-compatibility with devices in future. Matter is a technology standard designed to simplify the use of smart home devices, with many different manufacturers pledging to make their products work with one another.

Also announced during CES 2024 was a new partnership between Amazon and Panasonic to bring the Fire TV user experience to Panasonic's 2024 smart TVs.

This is a major step for both brands, with the platform being markedly better than the homegrown operating system the TVs have used in the past, In addition, Amazon's service will now find its way onto premium, pro-level OLED TVs, such as the Panasonic X95A.

You'll be able to use the entire Fire TV platform on the set without needing to plug in a separate Amazon device. That will include access to all the best streaming services too – not just Amazon's.

One of the best deals of this summer's Amazon Prime Day sales is back as part of the Prime Big Deal Days sales! Amazon has again slashed the prices of its Fire TV models.

There's up to £300 off Amazon Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series. and Omni QLED sets, even though they were only released a few months ago. And the money-off extends across all screen sizes.

In the UK, prices start at £149.99 for the 32-inch 2-Series model. It's usually £249.99, so has a whopping 40% off. It's quite a bargain at that price, that's for sure.

The 40-inch 2-Series is also reduced and now priced at £229.99, while the step-up 4-Series televisions start at £249.99 for the 43-inch model (it's usually £429.99).

The biggest discount is on the 65-inch Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED model - you'll save £300 on it right now, with the price just £699.99 (normally £999.99).

Those in the US also get their own incredible deals on the entire Amazon TV range, so check those out too if you're in the region. The 32-inch 2-Series is just $109.99, for example. That's almost half price.

Why choose an Amazon Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series or Omni series?

There have (and continue to be) several manufacturers that make Amazon Fire TV sets - televisions that run on Amazon's operating system and have Alexa built-in. However, Amazon recently decided it wanted to also range its own-brand TVs, so launched a trio of models - the 2-Series, 4-Series and Omni QLED lineup.

The Amazon Fire TV 2-Series comes in smaller screen sizes - 32- and 40-inches - and are 720p and 1080p sets respectively. They support HDR10 and HLG, and you can use voice interactivity via the included remote control.

The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is available in 43-, 50- and 55-inch screen sizes in the UK (there's a 65-inch model too in the States). They are all 4K models and also support HDR10 and HLG. HDMI eARC is also on board to connect to a compatible soundbar or sound system.

The third TV line from Amazon, the Omni QLED series. steps up the range further by using Quantum Dot technology for even deeper, more involving pictures and wider HDR support.

It can be easy to get confused by the various different technologies found in the best TVs. You've OLED, QLED, Neo QLED... it can be a real minefield – particularly if you just want a decent looking display for a reasonable price.

But don't you worry, dear reader, that's where we come in. We're experts in this sort of thing here at T3, having spent decades covering the best technology on the market. In that time, we've also gained a keen eye for a deal – so you can rest assured that the one I've procured for you today is worth taking note of.

Right now, you can pick up an Amazon Fire TV with a 4k QLED panel for just £299.99 at Amazon! That's a 45% saving, and a frankly ridiculous price – who said you need to wait for Amazon Prime Day to get a good deal?

That price snags you the 43-inch TV in the range. And sure, you might like a bigger panel for a living room, but it's more than enough for a secondary TV in a bedroom or similar. You'll find deals on panels of other sizes, if that's your preference – all the way up to the 65-inch TV.

You get an awful lot of tech for your money, too. Obviously the QLED panel is the standout feature here, bringing brighter, richer colours with a more lifelike hue. Combine that with 4k capabilities, and you can be sure that you're going to be viewing some truly outstanding visual content.

Being an Amazon product, it also has Alexa built into the device. That gives you hands free control – simply ask Alexa to turn on the TV and the built-in microphones will pick up your voice and take action. The same can be said for pulling up content, too, with all of the best streaming services supported.

Amazon has also built in something called the Fire TV Ambient Experience, too. That turns the screen into a canvas for displaying artwork – similar to the Samsung The Frame – as well as personal photos and widgets. That's really handy, and makes it easier to keep the device useful, even when not in use.

A host of I/O ports will also ensure you can keep all of your devices together in one entertainment system. You'll find a total of four HDMI ports – one HDMI 2.1 and three HMDI 2.0 – as well as a cable insert, two USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, an optical port, a mini AV input and an IR emitter.

Oh, and just so you can be sure you're getting the best deal, we checked this on Amazon price tracking website CamelCamelCamel. That shows the price history for Amazon products, and confirmed that this deal takes the TV to its lowest price ever. Be quick if you want one – I'm sure these won't last long.

This is the "first time generative AI has been applied at this scale. It’s about to get much easier to interact with your home assistant." Strong words from Amazon at it's annual product showcase which saw not only updates to its Echo, Fire TV, Ring, Blink, and Eero devices but also a major change in the way Alexa works. 

While the new products were impressive – especially the new Echo Home Hub and second-generation Echo Frames – it's the way you can interact with its voice assistant that offers the biggest change. 

First of all, there's the way it speaks. Amazon compared the same sentence as Alexa would have delivered it in 2014 with the upcoming 2024 language model. It wasn't just that the pronunciation was better, but there was a wider change in expression in the voice that made it sound much more real. 

It's when there is interaction between you and Alexa though that will get the biggest makeover. In these speech-to-speech occasions, as Amazon calls it, the new large language model (LLM) can react faster and without additional prompts. This feels more like a conversation than a call and answer.

The conversation mode enters the device into a continuous chat that you can leave and come back to without having to go back over the same points. The responses shown (though part of a demo) showed a lot more character than I'm used to seeing and allowed you to delve into subjects much easier.

The potential for this in the home is one thing, but Amazon is also working with partners such as BMW to bring this into cars too. Here there is huge scope to bring a Knight Rider car experience to life, with a car that not only 'gets you' but can respond like a human.

What was clear from the 2023 showcase was that Amazon is offering a full eco-system with its devices and this generative AI is at the heart of it. From editing images on the Fire TV Stick to the Eye Gaze function on the Fire Max 11 tablet that allows hands and voice-free operation.

Alexa remains at the heart of the eco-system though, and will be even more useful in its upcoming 2024 form. If people can speak to Alexa like a person they will get more out of those conversations than just turning on lights and setting a timer.

Anyone who thought Alexa's days were numbered would definitely change their mind if they saw this level of interaction. I've used Alexa devices throughout my home for years but I'm genuinely excited about the potential of the new updates to the large language model.

Along with a swathe of other products, including a new Echo Show 8, the Echo Hub control panel, and new Fire TV Sticks, Amazon has unveiled its fastest mesh Wi-Fi system yet.

The Eero Max 7 is a system that's capable of almost 10 Gigabit speeds when connected via Ethernet, 4.3 Gigabit through a wireless connection. That's enough for just about every member of a family streaming 4K HDR video with Dolby Atmos sound simultaneously.

It is the first Eero network to use Wi-Fi 7 and is really only limited by your broadband provider's speeds.

The tri-band mesh device supports 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz radio bands, with two 10 and two 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports on the rear. Amazon also claims that just one Eero Max 7 device can provide up to 2,500 square feet of stable Wi-Fi connectivity.

Add extra devices and that can be extended, with a three-pack offering up to 7,500 square feet.

As with all mesh network systems, the new Eero connects via a main hub that you plug into your home router/modem. Additional Eero Max 7 devices can then be dotted around the home to extend your coverage. Unlike traditional extenders, the mesh works intelligently together to fill dead spots between each device.

Your connection is also seamless, with mobile and other internet-connected products selecting the best signal that's nearest. You do not have to enter different passwords nor suffer drop out as it disconnects from one to another.

The system also supports Matter, so can be integrated into a smart home setup easily. It also acts as a Thread router, plus comes with Zigbee support.

You can subscribe to Eero Plus to open up extra features as well, with additional parental controls and security functionality on offer.

The Eero Max 7 will be "available soon" priced at $599.99 in the US, £599.99 in the UK for a one-pack.

A two-pack will cost $1,149.99 / £1,149.99, and a three-pack will set you back $1,699.99 / £1,699.99.

We'll hopefully get them into the T3 test labs in the near future to give you our thoughts on the setup and speed benefits.

As previously rumoured, Amazon has announced a couple of new Fire TV Stick streamers during its devices launch event in the US.

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is being updated with Wi-Fi 6 for more stable, faster connectivity. It also gets a bump in processing, so is claimed to be 30% faster than the previous generation.

Perhaps the biggest refresh is with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which replaces the 2021 model with double the storage space (16GB), a new 2.0 GHz processor, and Wi-Fi 6E for the range's fastest wireless internet connection yet.

This should enable smoother 4K HDR video streaming with Dolby Atmos audio without needing an Ethernet hook up.

You will need a compatible router, of course, but if you do, you'll likely see videos start almost instantly with no pre-buffering. And, the lack of latency should allow Amazon to serve other streamed content more effectively, such as Amazon Luna cloud gaming.

Also available on the new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the new Fire TV Ambient Experience.

This allows the streaming device to show artwork in a similar way to Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Series sets. It can either show art or information on a TV through just an Alexa command or two.

By the end of the year, customers in the US will also be able to use generative AI to create their own customised art to display. It will be a free update when it arrives.

The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is available to pre-order today for $49.99 in the States, £59.99 in the UK and AUD$79. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max can also be pre-ordered, priced at $59.99 / £69.99 / AUD$119. Both feature a slightly rounder design and we're still waiting for UK details.

Amazon has also announced an all-new Fire TV product, the Fire TV Soundbar which is a 24-inch speaker system that can be wallmounted. Strangely, regardless of its name, it doesn't include Fire TV functionality.

Instead, it is designed to enhance the audio of a Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series or Omni QLED television.

That's available now for $119.99 in the US, but is yet to be announced for the UK market.

Amazon will host its annual product announcement event today, which traditionally yields a whole bunch of new devices and services that will be coming out prior to the holiday season.

The Amazon Devices event won't be available to view online, but we'll be bringing you all the news throughout so you can keep up-to-date on any new Kindles (we got the Kindle Scribe last year), Echo speakers, Fire TV Sticks, Ring doorbells and cameras, and anything else the company is set to unveil.

Oh, and don't forget the usual, innovative oddity or two – remember Astro the robot?

Here then is our guide on what time the announcements will start to appear and what we expect.

When will the Amazon Devices event start?

Amazon is hosting its annual launch event in Arlington, Virginia from 11am ET. You will see announcements start to appear shortly after it begins.

Here are the times for your region:

• US West Coast: 08:00 PT
• US East Coast: 11:00 ET
• UK: 16:00 BST
• Central Europe: 17:00 CEST
• India (New Delhi): 20:30 IST
• China (Beijing): 23:00 CST
• Japan (Tokyo): 00:00 JST (21 September)
• South Korea (Seoul): 00:00 KST (21 September)
• Australia (Sydney): 01:00 AEST (21 September)

Can I watch the Amazon Devices event live online?

Sadly, unlike other big brands, Amazon doesn't broadcast many of its launch events live online. T3 is in attendance though, while our newsroom is poised to let you know all about the major announcements as they happen.

Just make sure you keep your eyes peeled on T3.com and we'll bring you all the hottest news.

What to expect

Perhaps surprisingly, there have been relatively few leaks and rumours about the new Amazon products to be announced today.

The only devices we're pretty sure of are a couple of new Fire TV Sticks.

A listing was spotted on the website of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US, which regulates the wireless capabilities of all technologies released in the country. It listed two devices, so it's almost certain they will be part of the Amazon Devices event.

We've also seen that the powerful Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max has recently been delisted on Amazon's own website, so it's likely that one of the streamers will be a replacement.

Other than that, we can make a measured guess that we'll get a couple of new Kindle eBook readers too – for largely the same reason. Kindles have been discounted in the US recently, suggesting that a refresh is on its way.

We'd also be surprised if we didn't see some new devices in the Amazon-owned Ring lineup of security cameras and doorbells – there usually is. And, although we don't expect any major Echo announcements, there may be an upgrade or two along the way – to add Matter support, perhaps.

Join us later to find out more.

Whether you have multiple smart home devices dotted around your home or just one hub that takes care of everything, you need to choose a virtual assistant to start creating your own smart home. From asking what time it is to locking your front doors, a virtual assistant makes your day-to-day life significantly easier and stress-free. But which one should you choose?

Alexa vs Google Assistant is a fairly common debate. Alongside Apple Home, the two make up the top three most popular voice assistants available today. Built into some of the best smart speakers and compatible with multiple devices, both virtual assistants excel in different areas. 

As an Android user, I’ve tried out both Alexa and Google Assistant, and I have to say Alexa is my winner… here’s why.

Google Assistant vs Alexa: what’s the difference?

For starters, Google Assistant and Alexa are owned and operated by two completely different companies. Alexa is owned by Amazon and Google Assistant is owned by Google (no surprises there).

Both are virtual and voice assistants that are available on multiple devices that are owned and made by its company. For example, Alexa is built into the Echo Dot and the Echo Show 15, whereas Google Assistant comes with the Google Nest Hub Max and Google smartphones. Both Alexa and Google Assistant are also compatible with devices from other manufacturers like Philips Hue, Arlo and much more.

Both virtual assistants do much of the same thing but they have different areas that they excel at. With Alexa, the Amazon virtual assistant is brilliant for controlling and customising your smart home and linking up multiple devices. It’s also better with general requests and tends to be quicker and more responsive. In comparison, Google has a better search and knowledge (what with being connected to Google Search) and is more equipped to handle complex requests and questions.

Choosing between the two will completely depend on what you want to get out of them. For more details on both virtual assistants, check out how to start a smart home with Google Assistant and how to start a smart home with Alexa.

Why I’m choosing Alexa over Google Assistant

There are many things to consider when adopting a voice assistant but these are the key factors that make Alexa a winner in my eyes. For more details on entertainment, privacy and communication, make sure to check out our full comparison guides on Alexa vs Google Assistant and Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick.

Devices

Verdict: Alexa

Before we get into compatibility, I’m going to talk specifically about Amazon products with Alexa and Google products with Google Assistant.

On the Amazon website, there’s a dedicated page called Echo & Alexa devices where you can find a full range of smart speakers, displays, streaming sticks, and smart home devices. The types of Amazon Alexa devices you can buy include Echo Dots, Echo Pop, Echo Studio, Echo Shows, Fire TV sticks, Fire TV Cube, Amazon smart plugs, wireless routers, subwoofers and amps. Amazon also owns Ring and Blink who sell video doorbells, indoor and outdoor security cameras and other smart security products.

Google has many of its own smart home products which are under the Google Nest name. At the Google Store, you can find Google Nest smart displays, speakers, security cameras, video doorbells and smart thermostats. Google also offers Wi-Fi systems, smoke and CO alarms and Chromecast with Google TV.

Both Alexa and Google Assistant cover the main smart home categories but in terms of usability, features and functionality, Alexa takes the crown. Its products tend to be more straightforward and easy to use, and the sheer amount of them cover anything you could possibly want. Having said that, Google Assistant isn’t too far behind.

Compatibility

Verdict: Alexa

Alongside its own line of products, Alexa and Google Assistant are both compatible with other devices. To find out if your product is compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant, look for ‘Works with Amazon Alexa’ and ‘Works with Google Assistant’ branding.

Alexa is compatible with Philips Hue smart lighting, Ecobee and Tado smart thermostats, Arlo cameras, TP-Link smart plugs, Yale and Ultion Nuki smart locks, Sonos speakers, and many more. Google Assistant is also compatible with Philips Hue, Arlo and Tado, and works with Dyson vacuum cleaners, Roku streaming sticks, Nanoleaf smart bulbs, and JBL, LG and Harman speakers.

For compatibility, it’s completely up to you what kind of products you want to use in your home. If you’re looking for smart home devices, Alexa is the clear choice as it has access to more smart products, but Google Assistant has merits for connecting to vacuums and speakers. As you tend to invest in a smart device with a virtual assistant for more control over your home, this is why Alexa wins here.

Voice commands and recognition

Verdict: Tie

‘Hey Alexa!’ and ‘OK Google!’ are all you need to start using voice commands with Alexa and Google Assistant. From there, you can ask them to do almost anything from starting timers and reading the news to locking your doors and deleting your browsing history. As mentioned above, Alexa is better with general requests whereas Google can take care of more complex requests, although you’ll need to speak clearly and be specific.

Both Alexa and Google Assistant have strong voice commands and recognition, and both could improve in some areas which is why I’m calling it a tie. If you want to find more commands to ask your virtual assistants, check out the Google Assistant commands you didn’t know about and the Alexa commands you need to know.

Smart home

Verdict: Alexa

For me, Alexa wins for smart home hands down. The amount of smart devices that Amazon creates and are compatible with is far greater than Google Assistant and the automation and schedules are more streamlined and speedy (although Google Assistant is still admirable when it comes to smart home).

Why Alexa wins in smart home is its routines and schedules. Once you’ve connected your devices, you can set up routines where you turn on lights, play a podcast, set a timer and turn down your heating, all by putting together a schedule in the app. For non-smart devices, you can give them smart features and capabilities with the Amazon smart plug, something that Google hasn’t developed yet (although it’s compatible with smart plugs from other manufacturers).

Price

Verdict: Alexa

Amazo’s wide range of Alexa-enabled devices are incredibly cost-effective. While most of Google Assistant products are budget-friendly, Amazon starts its prices from as little as £34.99 and during big sales seasons, its popular products are hit with huge price cuts.

And that’s why I’m switching from Google Assistant to Alexa! Google Assistant only narrowly falls short and it’s still an incredibly impressive virtual assistant that has great value and is exceptional for building a smart home around. But for ease, better smart home control and price, Alexa wins for me.

Take a look at our deals widget below to save money on your next Amazon Alexa and Google Nest device.

Amazon is set to unveil new versions of its best-selling device, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, and it couldn't come too soon.

The last refresh to the successful range was in October 2021, with the addition of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, so it's about time the company upgraded some of the other models to play the best streaming services with increased performance.

That's seemingly the plan, with two new Fire TV Stick variants spotted in an FCC filing online.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is a US agency that has to approve the wireless communications tech inside devices before they can be sold in the country. A listing on its website, therefore, generally means that a product is close to release.

Amazon has two devices listed, under the model numbers of M3N6RA and K3R6AT. They were spotted by Janko Roettgers who posted a diagram on social media network Mastodon (via AFTVnews).

There's not a lot of detail to garner from the listings, sadly, and they are merely described as "digital media receivers" by Amazon, but from the diagram itself, it's clear that they are Fire TV Sticks.

When will we get new Amazon Fire TV Sticks?

Although we don't have extensive confirmed details and specifications, we do have a good idea of when Amazon plans to unveil the two new Fire TV Sticks (and other devices).

That's because it is to host its annual Amazon Devices launch event on 20 September 2023. That means it is likely to announce several new Echo devices too in a press gathering at its HQ in Arlington.

Sadly, Amazon doesn't tend to stream the event online, so you might not be able to watch it yourself, but we'll bring you everything you need to know as soon as it happens on stage.

We're not entirely sure what upgrades could be planned for the Stick range – after all, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is superfast, supersleek and supports all important video and audio standards. We guess we'll have to wait to see.

If you're looking for a way to obtain all the best streaming services in the one place then I've found an epic deal on Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K. Whether you're seeking our Apple TV+, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime or other services, it's a great one-stop store for all your wants.

Better still, this TV dongle is at it's lowest-ever price in this sale, with a full 51% cut from the list price. That's the best price I've ever seen it listed, as verified by the price-tracker site CamelCamelCamel, which tells me that Amazon's next-best price has always been higher across its full sales history. 

So what's the 'Max' component of this product all about – does that mean it's better than the standard Fire TV Stick 4K? Ultimately, yes. While the services and resolution are one and the same between either device, the Max version has a faster processor, resulting in quicker loading times, smoother software navigation, and just a better all-around experience for you.

Even if you have a smart TV, one of the bonuses of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the included remote, which allows for voice interaction – including with Apple's Siri, so long as you have a HomeKit-connectable TV set. So it's not just Amazon Alexa, you can really set things up to fit your Apple ecosystem if that better suits you too.

When previous price drops have happened for this product – and while they've never been as low – they've typically only lasted for a week or so, meaning you may wish to be quick to pick up this sudden price drop Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max bargain. I certainly would... if I didn't already have one plugged into the back of my TV!

Streaming services have completely changed the way we consume entertainment. From Prime Video and Netflix to Disney+ and Apple TV+, everyone has at least one streaming subscription in their household, and for good reason!

Amazon Prime Video is one of the best streaming services today, especially for premium exclusive content and Prime member benefits. To better use, control and customise your Prime Video subscription, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the best option, and now at Amazon, it’s the cheapest it’s ever been.

View the Fire TV Stick 4K Max deal

Originally priced at $54.99, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is now just $26.99, saving shoppers $28 on this streaming device. This better than half price deal sees the Fire TV Stick 4K Max drop to its lowest ever price, so if you’ve been wanting to sign up to Prime Video for a while, this is the time to do so!

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon’s streaming stick which plugs directly into your best TV to provide you with instant and endless entertainment. The stick comes with the Alexa Voice Remote which allows you to search for content, launch apps and control the volume using the controls or your voice.

The amount of content you can stream with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is extensive, and it gives you access to millions of movies, TV shows, songs and other streaming services including Netflix, Disney+ and Peacock. These are some of the many reasons T3 gave the Fire TV Stick 4K Max 5 stars in our Fire TV Stick 4K Max review.

To view the Fire TV Stick 4K Max deal, click the link above or keep reading for more details. If you’d prefer a different version of the Fire TV Stick, including the Fire TV Stick (3rd gen), the Fire TV Stick Lite and the Amazon Fire TV Cube. Head to Amazon to check out these discounts or you can check out the best Amazon Fire TV Stick deals for more sales throughout the year.

Cord-cutting has been a trend among TV audiences for years now. And now with inflation driving prices up right across our monthly budgets, this could be the perfect time to reconsider your traditional satellite TV subscription, and instead move exclusively to streaming.

Google, Amazon and Apple offer three of the most popular streaming devices, and while others also exist, it's this trio that offers the most content, the best features and the slickest user experience.

They also all offer a range of devices, which all look and work in a similar way, but vary in terms of features, performance and of course price. Picking the right one depends on your needs and also what type of television they’ll be connected to.

Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick vs Apple TV 4K: Hardware and design

All three work in a very similar way. The Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast with Google TV are dongles that plug into an HDMI port on the back of your TV, and just hang there. Out of sight, they don’t need to sit on a shelf or take up any space in front of the television.

Apple’s TV 4K takes a different approach and looks more like a traditional set-top box, with its HDMI cable and needing to sit somewhere. That said, you could just hide it behind the TV or inside your media cabinet, as it doesn’t need line-of-sight with the included remote.

Speaking of which, all three streamers come with a simple remote for browsing through streaming services and controlling content. In many cases they can control the power and volume of your TV or sound system too, so can act as your one-and-only remote.

Amazon sells a broad range of Fire TV products, all with a remote that can summon the Alexa voice assistant at the press of a button. The cheapest is called Stick Lite, costs £35 and streams content at Full HD resolution, also known as 1080p. The regular Fire TV Stick comes next, costing £45 and having a remote with TV volume controls.

Above this sits the Fire TV Stick 4K, which streams content in 4K resolution with support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR. Lastly, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max has improved Wi-Fi, more RAM, a more powerful processor and live view picture-in-picture.

The Chromecast with Google TV range is simpler. There’s a Full HD version that comes in white (with matching remote) for £34.99 and a 4K version with three colour options for £59.99.

Lastly, the Apple TV 4K is the most expensive of the three streamers. It starts at £149 for a model with 64GB of storage (plus support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and HDR10+), then extends to £169 for a version with 128GB of storage and an Ethernet port. The latter is handy if you want a wired connection to your router, as perhaps you live in a home with thick walls and flakey Wi-Fi.

Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick vs Apple TV 4K: Software and content

All three streamers work in a very similar way. They all have access to the most popular catchup services, like BBC iPlayer ITV X and Channel 4, plus YouTube and subscriptions like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Now TV and Apple TV+.

Although it hasn’t always been the case, it’s not easy to watch a rival service – for example, you can watch Amazon’s Prime Video on an Apple TV 4K, and you can watch Apple TV+ on a Fire TV Stick, or a Chromecast with Google TV. You can also access music streaming services, like Spotify or Apple Music, and view your image libraries on the TV, and the Apple TV 4K has access to Apple’s Fitness+ subscription service, streaming pre-recorded exercise classes to your television.

All three streamers include access to their manufacturers’ respective voice assistants, in the form of Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri. which can be used to find and control content.

Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick vs Apple TV 4K: Connectivity and smart home features

There’s much more to streaming devices than bingeing your latest Netflix addiction. They can all connect to smart speakers for improved audio, for a start. Google’s Chromecast hooks up to the company’s Nest Audio, while Amazon Fire Sticks can use a range of different Echo speakers to create a stereo or full surround sound system. The Apple TV 4K can also do this with the company’s HomePod and HomePod mini smart speakers.

Streaming devices can connect to smart home products too. They can each display live video feeds from smart security cameras and compatible video doorbells, and you can ask their integrated voice assistants to adjust smart lighting, change the temperature of a smart thermostat, turn on smart plugs and so much more.

Other tricks include the Apple TV 4K’s ability to calibrate its picture output using the camera of your iPhone, and how games are available on all three streaming devices. 

Chromecast vs Fire TV Stick vs Apple TV 4K: Which is best for you?

Since all three can access all of the most popular streaming services, deciding which to buy comes down to personal preference and which ecosystem you’re already a part of. Own a couple of Nest speakers? Then the Chromecast will be best for you. Already pay for Amazon Prime and have a Ring Video Doorbell? You should check out the Fire Stick TV range. Card-carrying member of Club Apple? The Apple TV 4K is the priciest of the bunch, but it’ll slot neatly into your current tech ecosystem.

If you're coming into this fresh, with no smart home devices or an open mind as to which is best, then it comes down to budget. For us, we think the 4K version of the Chromecast with Google TV represents great value for money, as we reckon Google Assistant has a slight edge over Alexa when it comes to intelligence.

That said, if you’re shopping for a streaming device for a smaller TV, perhaps in the kitchen or bedroom, it’s hard to say no to the regular HD version of Chromecast, or the equally priced £35 Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite.

According to smart home statistics, there’s an estimated 300 million smart homes around the world. Having a few smart devices dotted around your rooms can make a huge difference to your productivity, communication and life in general. But with many smart home ecosystems to choose from, picking the right one for your household can be difficult.

One of the most popular digital assistants and smart home ecosystems is Amazon’s Alexa, which has around 71.6 million global users. Compatible with multiple devices and brands, including the majority of the best smart speakers, Alexa has quickly become the go-to hub for most smart homes… but how do you get started?

In T3’s new ‘how to start a smart home’ series, this guide will look at how to set-up your smart home using Alexa. Before we get started, check out the mistakes everyone makes with Alexa to stop you from doing the same thing.

What is Alexa?

Alexa is a virtual assistant technology owned by Amazon. Released in 2013, Alexa was first introduced to the Amazon Echo and the Echo Dot before expanding to other Echo products and smart home devices from different manufacturers.

Whether it’s built into your device or is compatible with it (more on that later), Alexa can do a wide variety of tasks which make your day-to-day life easier. Alexa can play music, set timers and alarms, make phone calls, read out recipes and organise your calendar. From a smart home perspective, Alexa can act as the ecosystem or hub for your smart home, and can identify and control compatible devices, like turning on lights, customising your heating and checking your security camera footage.

Alexa can be controlled, connected and customised with the Alexa app that’s free to download and use. The app is a great way to create schedules and routines for your smart home devices, as well as access them while you’re out and about. Once everything is sorted in the app, you can use Alexa voice commands to request things from your devices by saying “Hey Alexa”.

What devices are Alexa-compatible?

There are two types of Alexa devices. The first is where Alexa is built into the system and the other is where the device works with Alexa but isn’t an Amazon-made product. Examples of the former are mainly Amazon devices like Echo speakers and displays, Blink and Ring security products and Fire TVs. These products are the best way to use Alexa as they’re specifically designed with and for Alexa. 

The latter are devices which are manufactured by a different company but can be used with Alexa. These include Philips Hue smart lighting, Ecobee and Tado smart thermostats, Sonos speakers, Arlo cameras, TP-Link smart plugs, Yale and Ultion Nuki smart locks, and many more. To find out if your product is compatible with Alexa, look out for “Works with Amazon Alexa” branding.

How to set-up a smart home with Alexa

If you’ve decided that Amazon’s Alexa is the ecosystem for you, here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up your smart home with Alexa.

Invest an Amazon device

First, you need to invest in an Amazon smart home product. As Amazon owns Alexa, it makes sense to start with an Amazon device that has Alexa built-in. This makes starting your smart home easier and more streamlined, and you’ll have immediate access to the Alexa app. I’d recommend choosing a smart display, like the Echo Show 15, as you can use it as your smart home hub which makes connecting devices simpler.

To set up your Amazon Echo devices, simply plug in your device, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and download the Alexa app. Setting up Amazon gadgets mainly involves selecting language and timezone, connecting to Wi-Fi, and naming your device. Once you’ve done that, you can connect your Echo to the Alexa app and you’re ready to go!

Add to your smart home with Alexa-enabled gadgets

Once you’ve got your first Alexa device installed, you can start expanding with more smart home gadgets. After your smart display, I’d first look into smart cameras from Ring or Blink as these have Alexa built-in. As of writing, Amazon doesn’t make its own smart lights and its Smart Thermostat is only available in the US. So, if you want smart lighting and heating, you’ll need to look into products that are compatible with Alexa.

Popular smart lighting and heating brands include Philips Hue and Tado. Both are easy to install, come with their own app and are compatible with Alexa. With this compatibility, you can connect your Philips Hue or Tado products to the Alexa app, so your ecosystem encompasses all your devices, making it easier to control your home.

To do this, plug in and turn on your smart home devices before adding them into the Alexa app. Open the app, select Devices, click + and Add Device. Choose your device type and brand, and follow the instructions. From there, your gadget should be added and you can create routines or turn things on and off using the app. Alternatively, you can say “Alexa, discover devices” to your hub.

Create personalised routines

Once you’ve installed and connected all your smart devices, you can set up routines and schedules. For example, let’s say when you wake up in the morning, you want to turn on your lights, play a podcast, set a timer for your workout and turn down your heating. Rather than shout “Hey Alexa’ multiple times to run through the changes you want made, put together a morning schedule in the app, so everything turns on and off how and when you want it to.

Look into ‘secret’ Alexa skills and commands

Other than “Hey Alexa, turn on the lights”, there are many different skills and commands that you can use with Alexa, from getting her to quote movies to telling you a fact of the day. Have a look into the different skills that Alexa can do and make sure to enable them in the app if you want to try them. Check out these Alexa commands for optimising your home security for more.

Buy the Amazon smart plug

Now that everything around your home is smart, it makes the things that aren’t smart a little boring! But not to worry, you can make your appliances smart with an Amazon smart plug. How smart plugs work is by adding voice control and commands to your electrical socket. Just plug in the Amazon smart plug, add it to the Alexa app and you can start using it – it’s that simple! The great thing about this is you can schedule your non-smart appliances like your coffee machine to turn on and off automatically and remotely.

And that’s how to set up your smart home using Alexa! Take a look at the best Amazon Echo deals in the widget below to get started.

If you're not sold on Amazon Alexa, check out our guides on how to set up a smart home with Google Assistant and Apple Home.

If you looking for the best Amazon Prime Day deal this year – you just found it. This fantastic 43-inch TV is available with a massive price cut – but only if you're quick!

This lightning deal sees a whopping £310 taken off of the price tag, but at the time of writing almost half have already been snapped up. So, if you want to snag the Amazon Fire TV for just £119.99 – act fast.

Sadly, this deal has now sold out. However, there are still some alternatives with fantastic deals to be had if you're looking for a new TV.

Those are some incredible deals. Both are decent sized TVs, which are packed with the Fire TV software from the Fire TV Stick. That means you'll be able to access all of your favourite shows and movies from the best streaming services, without any additional kit.

The Fire TV has the Alexa voice assistant built right into the remote. That makes it easier than ever to find the content you want to watch. Simply ask Alexa to find it, and it will appear on the screen in front of you. 

An exciting part of the Amazon Prime Day sales is waiting for that major bargain to drop. Like the good ol' days when people would queue up and run around actual stores looking for the best TV deals. Today, however, you needn't leave your house nor look any further: for this, ladies and gents, is the star Amazon Prime Day TV deal that I'd recommend. 

Amazon's own Fire TV range spans a broad spectrum of price points, with this Omni model at the top of the stack. It's got a QLED panel, just like you'll find in the best Samsung TVs, and with a 55-inch diagonal it's the best TV match-up for most people's living rooms. Not too big, not too small – but certainly well priced, thanks to 40% off the list price. 

It was back in October 2022 that Amazon launched its Omni series tellies (which you could then only buy in the USA) and we were impressed. The Omni model features a Quantum Dot display with multi-zone local dimming for far better image quality than the lower-down-the-pecking-order Fire TV 2-Series and 4-Series models. The UK only obtained the products in March 2023, so this is a brand new piece of kit, ensuring all the latest features are on board.

That means there's even an HDMI 2.1 port for high-quality gaming, which also acts as eARC so you can pair with one the best soundbars for ideal audio return that's neatly in sync. That's a lot of features for not a lot of money, really highlighting this Fire TV Omni deal as a total steal for this Amazon Prime Day. It's the TV I'd buy if I was currently looking for a new 55-inch set.

It's well worth checking out T3's other Prime Day deals, too, as in addition to TV star-buys such as this one, there are plenty of other offers on phones, laptops, home tech, and all manner of other products. You'll need to shop fast, though, as Prime Day is over by the end of 12 July, assuming stocks last that long anyway. 

With a Summer of great sport on the way, it's a great time to upgrade your TV and make the most of  Wimbledon, the Ashes, the British Grand Prix and the Women's World Cup. Luckily Toshiba has a World Cup-worthy TV available for a park football price.

This 43" Toshiba QLED 4K Smart TV is a great way to watch everything this summer and with Amazon Fire TV built-in (no Fire Stick required), you won't even need to get up to switch between the best streaming services as you enjoy the benefits of Alexa voice control.

Featuring a sleek frameless design, this TV would make a great main set or even, if you're feeling luxurious, the ultimate bedroom telly, perfect for lazy Sundays spent watching 4K films in bed. 

That crisp resolution is supported by a QLED panel offering HDR and over 1 billion different colours and while not the biggest screen in the world, that actually works to your advantage with greater pixel density.  

We are big fans of the Fire TV system here at T3, and as a gateway into the ecosystem, with a fantastic TV as well, this is a compelling deal. 

Amazon's Black Friday invite-only deals has this TV on sale in its 55-inch form for £149.99 as part of its UK promotion. But you'll need to act fast and register your interest to buy, as there is limited stock and the 73% discount is insanely good (and it'll be all over by 25 November 2023 too!). 

We’ve seen flatscreens with integrated Fire TV smart platforms before - notably from JVC and Toshiba - but this is the first Amazon-branded set to land in the UK. It’s squarely aimed at mainstream buyers who want a faff-free 4K smart TV at a pocket-friendly price, rather than picture quality devotees.

The set offers rudimentary high dynamic range (HDR) provision, specifically HDR10 and HLG, but tempts with four HDMI inputs, so there’s plenty of opportunities for system hook-up.

Whether you’re after a low-cost living room screen, or a second set for the den or bedroom, this 4-Series more than warrants a closer look. And as you would expect, Amazon Alexa voice control support comes as standard. Does that all add up to a worthy purchase?

Amazon Fire TV 4-Series: Price & Availability

Amazon’s 4-Series range are built to shift. The model is available in 43-, 50- and 55-inch screen sizes, priced at £429.99, £499.99, and £549.99 respectively. Our review sample is the 50-inch model.

If you’re shopping from Amazon.com, the US prices for the same models sell for US$462, US$522, and US$572.

That said, expect them to enjoy significant discounts during key promotional periods - Amazon-specific sales, Black Friday and that kind of thing. This 50-inch is already available at a discount, so keep an eye on the pricing.

Amazon Fire 4-Series review: Features & what's new?

The obvious benefit of having the Fire TV platform built-in is that you don’t have to buy a standalone Fire TV Stick to access to Amazon’s streaming ecosystem. More often than not, I’ve lived with smart TVs where the native smart platform simply gets ignored because I’m so used to accessing streaming services via a Fire TV Stick, so the appeal here is obvious.

The additional promise is that this iteration of Fire TV is very much in the front line for development. If there’s some new feature planned, it’ll likely land here first. Obviously, all updates are automatic, so you really don’t need to manage anything.

The TV doesn’t actually have far-field mics built in, but it ships with the new Alexa Voice remote control. Just hold down the mic button and Alexa will pick-up your voice command.

The 4-Series is built around a Freeview Play tuner in the UK, which adds an extra level of streaming depth; all the Freeview Play catch-up players - BBC iPlayer, ITV hub, All 4, My5, UKTV Play, CBS Catch Up and Legend - are also available. Top line services include Netflix, Prime Video, Freevee, Britbox, Disney+, Apple TV+, YouTube, and Pluto.

The Fire TV platform also has a dedicated gaming silo, home to Amazon’s cloud-based Luna service. Twitch is integrated, and there’s a choice of subscription game services (Luna+, Jackbox Games and Ubisoft+) as well as free to play casual (dubbed 'couch') games.

The 4-Series can be paired with a dedicated Amazon Luna joypad (£/$59.99) controller, which connects directly to the cloud via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a serious gaming display though. In Game mode, we measured input lag at a woeful 102.5ms (1080/60). The best TVs will better that sevenfold.

Amazon Fire TV 4-Series review: Picture & Sound Quality

While this budget 4K flatscreen can’t be considered a performance screen, it’s not a dud either. The average picture level is pleasingly bright. It's fine for everyday viewing in high ambient light. It also looks pleasingly dynamic in darker rooms.

The set offers a wide number of image presets, although navigating to them is a little more convoluted than you might expect. There’s Standard, Film Bright, Film Dark, Vivid, Sport, Natural, Game, PC and Customised. 

Standard is the most obvious choice for most content. It’s where you should head in preference to the default dull Energy Saving mode.

For movie fans, probably of greater importance is the image interpolation setting. This can be found under the Clarity Settings. Choose Natural Cinema to combat the soap opera effect (where movies look too 'real' due to motion), or experiment with the adjustable Action Smoother.

Unfortunately, the various picture settings can only be applied to HDMI and aerial sources. They’re not available when you’re watching apps.

While the set is for all intents and purposes a standard Direct LED backlit model, it does a reasonable job with black levels and shadow detail. Resolution is excellent, with details and texture finely rendered.

I was particularly struck by the set’s colour vibrancy. The opening episode for Rian Johnson’s Poker Face (Sky Max, UHD) has a ribald colour palette by cinematographer Steve Yeldin, that looks exactly like the slightly oversaturated 35mm TV shows of the Seventies (think Columbo via Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery). This 4-Series is more than able to pick-up on this lovely nuance.

Where the screen most obviously betrays its budget processing is colour banding and gradations, which tend to stand out on washes of solid colour.

The screen’s HDR performance befits its price tag. I measured 400 nits using a standard 10 per cent measurement patch.

It would have been nice to see a Dolby Vision implementation here, as it’s a big help with screens that need to rely on tone mapping, like this one. Alas, it lacks.

The screen’s audio performance is a cut above the average (for its class), with a stereophonic downward delivery, that at least has some volume. For living room duties, I would plan to add one of the best soundbars for small TVs. The 4-Series will bitstream Dolby Digital Plus audio out over eARC.

Amazon Fire 4-Series TV review: Design & usability

Cheap and plasticky. There’s no two ways about it. This 50-inch screen is light at 9.53kg, with a shiny fat bezel and two widely spaced plastic feet, that’ll require wide AV furniture to sit on. It looks fine from a distance, with the lights down, and if you squint.

Conversely, we do at least get four HDMI inputs, one of which is eARC-enabled. This is a 60Hz panel, with no real console gaming aspirations, so there’s no VRR support. Therefore 4K 120HZ is a non-starter, but you can't expect that at this price. 

There’s also a mini jack AV input, optical digital audio output, two USB ports, and Ethernet to complement Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.  

The Fire TV interface isn’t the most intuitive of smart platforms to navigate. It often feels like there’s just too many clicks required, particularly if you’re trying to reach down into the menus.

Grazing content recommendations is straightforward enough, and having a rail devoted to terrestrial TV channels helps integrate linear telly into the on-demand pick ‘n’ mix.

Amazon Fire 4-Series TV review: Verdict

The Amazon Fire TV 4-Series is a solid choice if you’re after an all-in-one streaming solution with Alexa voice-control smarts built in. Its picture performance, once you’ve escaped the Energy Saving Mode, can be considered good enough.

While its peak brightness is limited, average picture brightness is still high, with head-turning colour saturation and excellent detail. It’s fine for bright room viewing, and serves muster for movie nights too.

Less impressive are design and build quality, which are definitely budget. But that's befitting of the asking price really. It’s also a poor screen for serious gaming, with pronounced input lag even in Game mode.

Keep an eye open for promotions would be our suggestion - as when it's even cheaper this panel is worth a 4-star recommendation. We wouldn’t rush to buy one at its day one list price, so a hefty discount could well make one worth snapping up.

Also consider

The big rival to Fire TV in the streaming space is Roku, which offers a comparable selection of streaming apps via its own HDMI streaming sticks. And like Amazon, you can get an LED TV built around the Roku platform, from TCL. The 50RP620 is a comparably specified model that undercuts the 4-Series on price, yet doesn’t sacrifice specification. It also has four HDMI inputs and a Freeview Play tuner.

The summer is often the time to upgrade your TV. With showpiece sporting events and school holidays a great time to catch up on your streaming services. Get ahead of the rest with this 4K Smart TV on sale now, the Toshiba UF3D. Wimbledon whites and the green grass of the Women’s World Cup (come on you Lionesses!) will pop right off the screen. 

Already a great value proposition, with built-in Fire TV and included Alexa voice remote, this is an all-in-one package to make your TV the centre of your smart home and navigate the best streaming services in seconds.  

Obviously, when it comes to getting everyone around for sport, it's the bigger the better, but Toshiba is taking a fair chunk off the price of UF3D models of a variety of sizes. The 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch models all also have a fresh discount applied to them.  

While it won't challenge the best TVs this Toshiba is a great deal for a big screen at a small price. A 4K resolution and in-built Dolby Vision HDR mean you won't have to compromise on picture quality for the price either.

What really sets the UF3D apart is the ease of use. Being a Fire TV, you don't even need a Fire Stick to start streaming from all of the biggest platforms and the included remote can browse via button or voice input. Simply tell it what to play and away you go!

Amazon has just released a brand new tablet called the Amazon Fire Max 11 – and I think it could be the best tablet release in a while. That's a bold claim, so let me justify it.

As you might have guessed from the name, the Fire Max 11 packs an 11-inch display, with a 2000 x 1200 resolution. That's powered by an octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM, with 128GB on offer for storage. Also included are fingerprint recognition and WiFi 6, for blistering fast connection.

Amazon also say it's good for up to 14 hours of battery life. That's really good, and should make it useful for a full day of work, play or streaming without scrambling for a charger. Plus, audio will sound great thanks to a Dolby Atmos certified surround sound system built-in.

"Okay," I hear you say, "that's good but hardly iPad killer territory."

I think it is, for a couple of reasons. First, there's the family integration. The Fire Max 11 supports multiple profiles – up to two adults and four children. That's a brilliant feature, which makes the tablet great for sharing among multiple users. We saw something similar recently on the Google Pixel Tablet.

Then there's the price. Starting at just £249.99 in the UK, the Fire Max 11 occupies a space below the older iPad (9th Gen). That device was really popular with parents and it's not hard to see why. A relatively affordable, fully-featured iPad was always going to be a shoe-in in the race to be crowned best tablet for kids.

Now though, I think there's a new king in town. The Fire Max 11 boasts a spec sheet which can go toe-to-toe with the iPad, and beats it in a couple of crucial areas to boot. Pair it with the optional keyboard and stylus – with bundles from £375 – and you've got a workhorse machine that will be at home with everything from homework to home cinema.

The Fire Max 11 will start shipping from next month.

One name is conspicuous by its absence from the best TVs: Amazon. Until now it's preferred to make media streamers than actual TVs, but now it has a Fire TV that's an actual TV too. 

The Fire TV Omni QLED, the Fire TV 4-Series and the Fire TV 2-series are all coming to the UK this week – and because we're talking about Amazon here, they're already being discounted. Right now all the TVs are 30% off, so for example the Amazon Fire TV 43" Omni QLED is £349. The 65-inch is £699.

The 4-Series is cheaper still, at £269 for 43 inches and £379 for 55 inches. And if you don't want 4K, the entry level 2-Series is £209 for the 32 inch model and £209 for the 40 inch. That means these could well turn out to be among the best budget TVs around.

Are the Amazon Fire TV Omni, 4-Series and 2-Series any good?

They're certainly priced to sell. But the specs aren't bad either. The Omni QLEDs are clearly the top of the range options here, with screens of 43, 50, 55 and 65 inches. The displays support Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Gaming and HDR10+ Adaptive as well as HDR 10 and HLG, and there are 80 dimming zones for good contrast. Naturally Alexa is built-in. There's also a Samsung The Frame-style "Ambient Experience" that you can use to turn your TV into a digital art gallery, photo viewer or widget viewer. HDMI-wise there are three HDMI 2.0 and one HDMI eARC 2.1.

The more affordable 4-Series is still 4K but drops the Dolby Vision, with support for HDR 10, HLG and Dolby Digital Plus. It's LED rather than QLED and comes in 43, 50 or 55 inches, and while it retains the built-in Alexa there's no Ambient Experience this time. As with the Omni you have 3 HDMI 2.0 and one HDMI eARC 2.1.

The 2-series seems positioned as one for the kids' room or the kitchen, with a choice of 32 or 40 inches and a fairly basic specification: 1080p HD LED with HDR10 and HLG, 2 HDMI 1.4 and one HDMI ARC.

All three series will go on sale on Amazon UK on 12 April.

Remember Amazon's Spring Sale? I know, I know, the 27th, 28th and 29th of March seem so long ago. So Amazon hopes to cushion the blow by having yet another sales event for its own brands. It's offering multiple deals on its own products including Echo smart speakers, Fire TV 4K, Ring and Blink smart home security kit, Kindles, Fire tablets and mesh networking too.

The discounts are much the same as they were during the Spring Sale, so if you didn't take advantage then you can still save quite a bit of cash. And yet again they're a reminder that it's usually a bad idea to pay the full RRP for any Amazon-owned tech product: chances are that if the day ends in "y", there's a discount on a Kindle, an Echo or a Ring Video Doorbell.

So what can you save this time around?

What discounts can you get on Amazon brands this week?

The biggest discounts right now on media devices are on Fire HD Kids tablets, with 48% off the Fire 7 Kids, 40% off the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, and 29% off the Fire HD 10 Kids tablet.

If you're looking for Amazon's best smart speakers, there aren't any discounts on the large Echos but you can get 45% off 5th Gen Echo Dots and 38% off the Echo Dot Kids and Echo Dot with clock.

Over in the Kindle aisle there's money off pretty much every Kindle imaginable, including 27% off the 8GB Kindle Paperwhite, 18% off the Kindle 2022, 19% off the Paperwhite Signature Edition and 14% off the Kindle Scribe. That one's quite a big saving, taking the price down from £329.99 to £284.99.

Elsewhere there's up to 36% off the Eero mesh routers, 22% of Fire TV HD sticks, up to 33% off 4K Fire TV devices and up to 39% off Ring security kit. There's also up to 48% off Blink home security bundles and up to 45% off individual components such as the Blink Outdoor Cam.

Amazon hasn't indicated when this particular promotion will end so you might want to check it out sooner rather than later. Then again, if you miss it it's probably just a matter of time before Amazon's bargain bus trundles back round again.

Amazon never misses the chance to have a sale, which is one reason we strongly advise people not to pay full price for Kindle e-readers, Ring video doorbells, Eero routers or Fire TV sticks: Amazon always discounts at least some of its own-brand products during its sales events. And the newly announced Spring Sale is no exception.

The sale, which runs from 27 March to 29 March, promises discounts of up to 40% on pretty much every category of products. In terms of its own tech, you can expect deals taking up to £50 off Echo devices, £60 off Fire tablets and £20 off Fire TV products. Amazon will also be reducing the price of the Kindle Scribe, Kindle Paperwhite and the Kindle kindle. 

What kind of discounts can you expect from the Amazon Spring Sale 2023?

According to Amazon you can expect to see some significant discounts, including:

• Save up to 35% on Smartphones, wearables and accessories from brands including Google, Samsung and OnePlus;
• Save up to 30% on televisions, soundbars, projectors, and media devices from Samsung, Sony, Google, and more;
• Save up to 30% on large home appliances from firms including Samsung and Hisense;
• Save up to 40% on video games, controllers, and accessories from Microsoft, Warner Bros, Square Enix, Ubisoft and others;
• Save "big" on electric toothbrushes from brands including Oral-B and Philips and hairstyling tools from Remington, Babyliss and more.

As ever, we'd recommend using the excellent CamelCamelCamel.com to look at any bargain's Amazon price history – you'll sometimes find that discounts just bring the price back down to where it was a few weeks or months ago – and PriceSpy or Pricerunner to see if your particular deal is market-leading or part of a wider manufacturer promotion. 

Amazon Fire TVs are finally coming to the UK. Fire TVs have been available in the US now for some time and offer a range of smart features all for a very competitive price. Having them available through Amazon.co.uk – to UK spec – will give users some great options, whether they are looking for budget models or some of the best TVs. 

The entry-level Fire TV series 2 models start from just £249.99 (currently £169) and are available in a 720p resolution 32-in and a 1080p 40-inch size. Both feature HDR 10, HLG and Dolby Digital Audio.  

The Fire TV series 4 models start from £429.99 (currently £269) and come in 43-inch, 50-inch and 55-inch sizes. These are all 4K TVs and include an Alexa voice remote. 

The Fire TV Omni models are the premium offering and have the very best of smart features. These models start from £549.99 (currently just £349) and come in 43-inch, 50-inch, 55-inch and 65-inch sizes. These feature 4K QLED displays with up to 80-zone dimming, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision IQ. As well as hands-free operation with Alexa routines and smart device control, these TVs can display gallery artworks in its Fire TV Ambient Experience. 

Amazon Luna is making its way across the pond too. Luna is Amazon's cloud gaming service, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and offers a wide range of games from retro classics to Ubisoft AAA titles. These are available in a range of different Luan subscriptions, depending on the titles you want to play. 

There's also a dedicated Luna controller that is compatible with a range of devices, including smart TVs, tablets, Chromebooks, PC and Mac laptops and smartphones. The controller costs £59.99 each while subscriptions range from £3.99 to £14.99 a month.  

Amazon makes some of the best smart speakers for buyers on a budget, but while devices such as the Echo Studio sound great the Alexa app hasn't been as good as rival devices'. As a long-time Alexa, Apple and Spotify user I'm not a fan of the Alexa app when it comes to controlling audio, especially with groups of speakers and multiple rooms. So I'm pleased to see that Amazon has upgraded the Alexa app to deliver much better multi-room features.

As reported by The Verge, the app update brings a new pop-up screen that should be instantly familiar to anyone who's used AirPlay, Spotify Connect or Sonos speakers. It makes it really easy to play audio on specific Alexa-enabled devices and in specific speaker groups.

What devices does Alexa's multi-room menu control?

The app works with the current Echo line-up, including the little Echo Dot and the big Echo Studio. It also enables you to play audio on Echo Show devices and on Fire TV devices too.

Amazon has also added a page that looks very – and by very I mean likely to end up getting a nastygram from lawyers – like the System page of the Sonos app. It's called the Active Media List and, whenever audio is playing in your smart home, it shows you what audio is playing on which device(s) and enables you to control them from the app.

Alexa devices have come a long way since their debut, when they were more about the smart than the speaker; some of the best ones are surprisingly good, especially when you consider the price tag. So it's good to see the app evolving too, making Alexa audio that little bit easier, more convenient and more controllable. 

The holiday sales may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't find a good deal on a cheap 4K TV right now. The new year brings with it new deals, and Best Buy is dropping new weekly offers to usher in the year with some stellar savings.

In particular, some great deals on 4K TVs. One in particular is an incredible buy, whether you're looking for a good TV to watch your favorite movies or shows, or to game with. Fire TVs are solid smart TVs that often come in the budget-friendly price ranges, and this is definitely worth a look if you're hoping to find a cheap 4K TV on sale.

Check out the Toshiba C350 Series 65 inch 4K Smart TV for just $399.99

At its standard price tag of $599.99, it's already one of the best TVs under $1,000 you can get right now. Take another $200 off that price and you've got an incredible deal on a 4K TV that features the complete Fire TV experience.

Stream your favorite Prime shows or movies directly on the TV, or load up your favorite streaming apps including DIsney+, Paramount+, HBO Max, and more to expand your content library dramatically. The good part about smart TVs is that they've got massive capabilities in accessing just about any streaming service you prefer.

This particular model, the Toshiba C350 Series, offers a great balance of features and impressive technical specs that make the $400 price tag well worth it.

Including features like HDR10 and Dolby Vision kick up the visual fidelity by a mile, offering incredible picture quality in your favorite movies and shows. The refresh rate is a standard 60 Hz, but it features Motion Rate 120 technology to smoothen out the frame rate even further.

As a standard LED display it'll offer solid picture quality overall, but with the added HDR10/Dolby Vision support and Motion Rate 120 smoothing it'll be a stellar TV for the living room. Even if you are looking for a gaming TV, it'll offer a solid platform for your Xbox or PS5.

PS5 owners unfortunately won't be able to take advantage of any VRR support, but that's not entirely a negative considering the price point of this display right now.

Other mainstay features including Amazon Alexa support, as well as some of the top streaming services built in, this is a solid yet cheap 65 inch 4K TV deal that we're happy to put on the spotlight.

Smart displays have really taken off in the last few years, with Amazon and Google unsurprisingly leading the pack. They're some of the best smart speakers you can buy, adding a visual element to your usual voice assistant. 

Amazon's biggest of the bunch is the Echo Show 15 which is designed to sit in the centre of your home, be that in the living room or kitchen. It'll help you and your family get organised with handy calendars and sticky notes, you can use it to suggest or display recipes, it doubles up as a digital photo frame and it'll allow you to control the rest of your smart home including your lights, doorbells and cameras.

I've been using the Amazon Echo Show 15 for over a year now, and I'm a huge fan.  I have it mounted in my kitchen and there's no end to its uses, it's truly the smart home hub it was made to be. But not long ago, it got even better and now I love it even more.

How could it possibly get any better, I hear you ask? Well, a great free upgrade was recently added to the mix adding Fire TV to its array of features. 

Ultimately that transforms the Amazon Echo Show 15 into a small-screened television set, making it much easier to stream shows and movies, which I've found is particularly handy in the kitchen to watch as you cook. 

You get quick access to all your favourite streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ as well as clever recommendations based on what you've already been watching. You can actually connect a Fire TV remote to it which will help you to control it all. 

This new upgrade should have been offered to you at launch, but if not head to your Settings menu, choose Device options and Check for software updates. Once up and running you'll just need to log in to your accounts and you'll be good to go. 

TV and movie adaptations of major video games have become big business. They've also become great shows to watch, which is the important part. The latest to get the console-to-telly treatment is Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, adapted to multi-part TV show some 10 years on from when the original Sony PlayStation-exclusive game arrived.

We're now two games deep, of course, with The Last of Us Part II having released back in 2020, giving HBO's TV adaptation The Last of Us plenty of breadth to explore and content to pick from. Those who've played both games all the way through might have certain expectations of the show's content, then, but where exactly writer Neil Druckmann's show will head is only teased in the pre-release trailer, which I've embedded below.

The Last of Us TV show: Release date

When does The Last of Us arrive for streaming? Episode 1 was available from Sunday 15 January 2023 in the US and Monday 16 January 2023 in the UK at 9pm GMT.

The TV show will then release week by week, so you can't binge watch it up front, you need to stay strapped in for the ride over nine episodes across nine weeks. Here's a list of The Last of Us episodes and their respective release dates for the UK:

• Episode 1 – 16th January 2023 
• Episode 2 – 23rd January 2023 
• Episode 3 – 30th January 2023
• Episode 4 – 6th February 2023
• Episode 5 – 13th February 2023
• Episode 6 – 20th February 2023
• Episode 7 – 27th February 2023
• Episode 8 – 6th March 2023
• Episode 9 – 13th March 2023

The Last of Us: Where can I stream?

For those of us in the UK the words 'HBO Max' may strike fear into your heart. Because we can't really (well, sort of) get that service in ol' Blighty. So how can you stream The Last of Us the TV show? Fear not, there are two key sources in the UK for easy access.

The first, and most accessible to a wider array of people, is by using a NOW (formerly Now TV) subscription. You can get hold of a week-long trial for free to get a taste of episode one to see if it's for you or not. Thereafter you'll need to pay (£4.99 per month), but you can cancel at any time. 

I'd also strongly recommend adding NOW Boost to up the quality to 1080p/Full HD, which is an additional cost that paying subscribers can 'bolt on' to their package (totalling £14.99 per month).

You can access NOW through loads of sources, be that your smart TV's built-in apps, or a set-top box or streaming stick such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K.

How can I stream The Last of Us in 4K?

But settling for 720p base or 1080p resolution seems a little off the mark these days, right? If you want to stream The Last of Us in super 4K Ultra-HD quality then, well, you're out of luck in the UK. The best live quality in the UK will be via the Sky Atlantic channel, for which you'll want a Sky Q box or Sky Stream. Installation, contract and monthly costs vary depending on what services you subscribe to. 

Sky Atlantic isn't only available on Sky's own boxes, however, you can also obtain the channel via BT TV, which is a dish-free alternative to Sky Q with access to almost all of the same content. It'll be a more sensible solution for some, depending on circumstances. It too shows on Sky Atlantic, adverts and all, at 9pm each Monday in Full HD quality only. 

What about HBO Max in the UK?

Straight to the point: HBO Max isn't available in the UK, so you can't officially use it. If you're a US-based subscriber and happen to be in the UK and want to catch-up on The Last of Us whilst on your travels, however, then you could use one of the best VPNs as a workaround. 

Some people will suggest that you can obtain an HBO Max in the UK by using a VPN service, setting up a separate Google account, using a US zip code, and paying with PayPal. But we cannot recommend this.

It's a bit of a shame, though, as HBO Max is the only way you can currently watch in 4K HDR. So while we suggest sticking to NOW, Sky Q, Sky Stream, or BT TV as your UK options for streaming The Last of Us, you'll have to settle for Full HD only.

Amazon has kept its promise to turn the Echo Show 15 smart display into a fully functional Fire TV. The update, which was made available yesterday (7 December), brings the Fire TV interface to the smart home device. That means you can stream from Amazon's own Prime Video as well from other big names such as Netflix and YouTube.

As Engadget reports, while the core interface is very familiar there are a few twists here. You can take advantage of a virtual remote on the Echo Show itself, and you won't need a separate controller for apps that weren't designed with touchscreens in mind.

To mark the update, Amazon is offering a little discount on the Echo Show 15: it's down £20 to £219.99 on Amazon UK, while in the US the usual $250 is down to $185 or $195 if you want an Alexa Voice Remote too.

Don't buy the Echo Show if all you want is a TV

As lovely and clever as the Echo Show 15 is, it's still small: 15 inches is big for a smart home device, but in the world of TV it's positively titchy. That makes it a good option for a kitchen TV, enabling you to watch your favourite cooking shows or keep yourself entertained as you cook, but it's a bit small for TV or movies to be its main purpose. 

If you've got or were planning to get an Echo Show 15 anyway, though, it's a worthwhile update: it adds Disney+ and Now TV, and the improved interface makes navigating to and through YouTube better. And because it supports multiple user profiles each household member can see their own personalised content instead of sharing it with everybody else.

It's worth mentioning one downside, which will only affect a few people: you can't use Developer Settings to enable sideloading of apps like you can with a Fire TV stick. That's most likely because on the Show, Fire TV is just an app rather than the entire operating system. 

If you've got one of the best TVs with Roku built-in, have a Roku Streaming Stick in one of your TV's HDMI ports or use the Roku app on your Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, we've got good news: there's been a massive update to the Roku Channel delivering a whopping 36 new live streaming TV channels. The channels are all free.

All you need to access them is a Roku device and account, and you'll be tuning in to shows such as The Great British Baking Show in no time at all.

What new channels are on the Roku Channel in 2022?

Some of the channels are more exciting than others. There's a new AMC Showcase channel that will feature popular shows such as Mad Men and The Walking Dead; an entire channel dedicated to The Great British Baking Show; The Block, a channel dedicated to Black movies and entertainment; NBCUniversal Telemundo, NBC's Spanish language channel; and less excitingly, QVC and the Home Shopping Network.

In addition to the new channels, Roku has also announced a large selection of free movies including lots of family-friendly films such as Chicken Run and Babe; action movies including The War of the Worlds, four Lethal Weapons and The Shallows; free comedy movies including There's Something About Mary and the cult hit Office Space; and dramas including Wall Street and Eat Pray Love.

The Roku Channel is available in the US, Canada and UK, but the website streaming is only available to people located in the US. You can access the Roku channel on Roku devices, of course, but there are also dedicated apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and some Samsung TVs too.

It's no surprise that Amazon is going big as part of Black Friday deals – and it's the Fire TV Stick 4K that's caught my attention, thanks to a tasty discounted price in both the UK and US.

View the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K deal on Amazon UK / Amazon USA

The typical £/$49.99 Fire TV Stick 4K has been cut to just £27.99/$24.99, making it half price for many buyers. That's an ideal purchase if you've got a less-than-smart TV that you want to transform into an easy-to-use hub for all your favourite streaming platforms.

Although it's not the 'Max' version of the product, I don't think that matters, as all that updated model does is change the processor type to make things a little snappier. If you're looking for the best bargain then the Fire TV Stick 4K does everything that you'll need. 

It's one of my favourite ways to tap into streaming content, whether that's Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, or other regional services that you'll find in your respective home country, it's among the most feature-packed products in this space. And now, as you can see, it's selling for a great price indeed.

JVC is a top brand for affordable but completely capable TVs that vary in size, from small 20-inch bedroom sets right up to huge 65-inchers for your living room. 

The JVC LT-32CA120 is a 32-inch TV which would be perfect for a bedroom or office space, and thanks to this deal at Currys, you'll be able to buy it for less than £140 right now - that's almost a third off its starting price. 

Whoever you're hoping to buy for, yourself or your children, this is too good to miss - it was one of the best Black Friday deals but it'll only be available to buy up until the best Cyber Monday deals are done and dusted later tonight. 

Despite being a small and inexpensive TV set, the JVC LT-32CA120 has an LED backlit screen that is HD ready with HDR10 and Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) for boosted colours and better contrast than there would be otherwise. You won't get top-notch 4K display quality and the 60Hz refresh rate won't be enough for gamers, but you wouldn't expect such a reasonably-priced set like this to tick those boxes anyway. 

Surrounded by slim bezels this won't be an eyesore up on a shelf or on a small table, and it's lightweight so you'll have no problems setting it up yourself. In the box, it comes with a simple IR remote as well as a stand to prop it up. 

Running on Android TV, if you don't own a media streamer like the Amazon Fire Stick, then you'll still get easy access to all of the best streaming apps including Netflix, Prime Video and even catch-up services like BBC iPlayer. Android TV isn't just simple to navigate using the included remote, you'll also be able to control it hands-free through your Google Assistant smart speakers. 

For more options that will be perfect for your bedroom or office, take a look at T3's guide to the best 32-inch TVs.

Want Sky TV but can't install a satellite dish? This Sky Stream review is exactly where you need to be - it’s an alternative to Sky Q that's similar to an amped-up version of a media streamer like the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K which means it's super simple to set up, you get a huge library of content and there are lots of extra smarts like voice search.

Sky Stream could be a game-changer, giving you the Sky Glass experience without needing to buy a whole new TV - it’s a tiny little device that plugs directly into your current set. All you'll need is a solid Wi-Fi connection and a spare power socket. It’ll be ideal for anyone who can’t get Sky Q because they can't put up a satellite dish. Renters are going to love it. Although if you do want the full physical TV experience then read our Sky Stream versus Sky Glass comparison feature.

You’ll be able to use this straightforward system to watch Sky’s on-demand content, live TV and it’ll give you easy access to streaming services including Netflix, Apple TV+, BBC iPlayer and even some music apps like Spotify or BBC Sounds. What’s more, is that the whole thing can be controlled by voice thanks to the microphone inside the remote, and the system is actually improving all the time thanks to regular updates rolled out by out by Sky.

Sky Stream review: price and what’s new 

There are two ways to pay for the Sky Stream - you can buy it on a 31-day rolling contract with a setup fee of £39.95 and a monthly price starting from £29 a month, or on an 18-month contract with a setup fee of £20 and a monthly cost starting from £26 a month. You can order it today and be using it as soon as tomorrow because Sky ships the devices with next-day delivery.

Those prices give you Sky Ultimate TV and Netflix Basic, but if you want more than that you can add extras like Sky Sports, Sky Kids, BT Sport and Sky Cinema. To get all the content Sky has to offer you’ll be looking at paying a minimum of £104 a month. 

Got a few TVs dotted around your home? For an extra £12 a month you can have up to six Sky Stream devices in total, the second device is free but after that, you'll have to pay another £40 each per puck as well. Is Sky Stream it worth it? That's discussed in T3's separate feature. 

What makes this device so exciting is that you don’t need a satellite dish to get Sky on your TV at home, just a Wi-Fi connection. But it’s not necessarily new, the Sky Stream puck has actually been available to Sky Glass customers since that was launched last year. 

Sky Stream review: design and setup

The Sky Stream puck is the smallest and simplest way to get set up with Sky TV. The tiny square black box only measures 10.8 x 10.8 x 1.8cm, and it weighs just 200g, so it’ll easily fit just about anywhere and won’t be an eye sore in your front room either.

You’ll only need two wires to get it working, that being the power cable and an HDMI, both are included in the box. If you want a more stable connection then there’s also a port on the back to connect it directly to your broadband network using an ethernet cable.

Controlling the box is totally painless thanks to the included remote and a small power button on the underside of the device. It’s exactly the same voice remote as you get with the Sky Glass, and to make things even easier, it can be used to control the TV’s power and volume as well.

Because of the rubber-like coating, the remote is grippy and each button illuminates which makes it easy to use in the dark. All the controls are very self-explanatory with the standard volume rocker and number pad as well as the button that takes you to the homepage and the microphone button to activate voice search, both of which are framed by a raised ridge making them easier to find by touch alone. My only qualm was that the remote didn't always work when there were objects between it and the box, or if I was using it from some more indirect angles. 

Getting started with the Sky Stream takes a matter of minutes - you plug it in, connect it to your Wi-Fi network, enter your PIN and that’s literally it. After that, you’ll be ready to watch Sky TV. 

Admittedly, I had a couple of activation issues when I first received the puck but Sky was very quick to solve the problem for me and quickly sent me a new one which worked almost instantly. 

Sky Stream review: performance and features 

What Sky does really well is user experience - both the Sky Stream and Sky Glass use their Entertainment OS which is laid out and organised in a way that makes it incredibly easy to navigate and discover new content.

You can divide things up by format, and by that, I mean TV shows, movies, news, sports etc. Under each, there are recommendations personalised to you and what's on your playlist from that category, as well as the most popular shows and everything playing on live TV right now. 

Suggestions are categorised in all sorts of ways which are always chopping and changing, at the time of writing they included sections for 'must-see family movies' and 'big stars on the small screen' amongst others.

Most streaming apps you can think of are available on the OS including BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Channel 4, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Paramount+, Spotify, YouTube, STV Player, Lionsgate+ and so on. 

One thing I really like is that you see recommendations from every streaming service together in one place which means you don’t need to trawl through each app to find something new to watch. The only annoying thing about it is that you'll be recommended shows even if you don't subscribe to that service, it'd be even better if Sky only showed you what you can actually watch. 

Also worth shouting about is the playlist feature which is perhaps one of the most useful on the whole system, it serves to replace the recordings section that you'd usually find on Sky Q. 

What that means is your shows are saved onto a cloud, not on a hard drive inside the box itself. There are pros and cons to that: it's great because all of your Sky Stream pucks and Sky Glass devices will sync your playlists with one another, but in the same breath, that means you won't be able to watch shows without an internet connection or if they're no longer available. 

You can quickly add or remove content to the playlist using the '+' button on the remote. The most recent will be visible in the playlist rail on the home screen or you can click on the first tile to see what else you have saved there. 

By the end of 2022, a new update will be rolled out to all users that will actually allow for personalised playlists as well, so each family member can build their own without it being clogged up with stuff they’re not interested in. 

Sky Stream is updated regularly which makes it better to use over time, whether that's to add new channels, pop in some new features or fix software-based issues. The fact that it's always improving is a massive plus point. 

Not only can you watch live TV and on-demand content using the Sky Stream but it will actually let you start shows being aired right now from the beginning. A rail at the top of the TV guide gives you this option or you can do it by pressing the middle button while the programme is playing. I love this feature because it meant that if I were to come in a little late, I wouldn't need to miss the start of a programme or wait for it to appear on a catch-up service.

Voice search is yet another big win for the Sky Stream. You activate it by pressing the microphone button on the remote and speak into it to find what you're looking for. It can be used to find certain shows, apps or even YouTube videos. Unlike Sky Glass, Sky Stream doesn’t have far-field microphones built-in that can be triggered hands-free by a simple wake word. Leaving that out undoubtedly saves money but it’s a feature that some will certainly miss.

In terms of channel choice, you won't have any complaints because there are over 150 live channels to choose from. Granted there are fewer than if you got Sky Q which has over 500, but that's largely down to the fact that there aren't any +1 channels and Sky has left out some of the more niche ones that don't attract as many viewers. 

Something that could be more problematic is the fact that streaming over the internet could lead to a slight delay in comparison to satellite, which will be annoying for watching sporting events in particular where you might hear about what's happened before you've seen it. 

Depending on which TV you’re using it with, the Sky Stream can play shows in up to UHD resolution and it’s HDR-ready. For those with a compatible soundbar, it supports Dolby Atmos surround sound as well. Ultimately that means if you've forked out for a top-of-the-range set, you won't need to downgrade to the Sky Glass to stream Sky over Wi-Fi and you'll still be able to make the most out of stunning 4K with a good amount of contrast and vivid viewing as long as you have enough bandwidth, that is. 

All sounds pretty good, right? The Sky Stream is really well thought out, but there were a couple of little problems I noticed in the UI, though. For example, sometimes when I turned on my TV, the image resolution was off and I saw the message "video format not supported" so I had to go into the device settings, switch it over to HD and then back to 4K to get it working. It’s a minor issue which I'm sure could be fixed by a tweak to the software on Sky's part, which again, is where the over-air updates will actually be really good.

Sky Stream review: verdict 

The Sky Stream could well be the future for Sky - it’s the first truly hassle-free way to watch their content because there’s no tricky installation or waiting times, and it’s also Sky's cheapest option yet. It's already been getting great free upgrades too.

Day-to-day I was for the most part impressed. Picture quality was great, the layout of the interface was excellent and there are literally tonnes and tonnes of shows and movies to keep you entertained. Granted I did come across a couple of small issues that slowed me down for a while, but I soon managed to get back to streaming and it didn't put me off in any way.  

I can imagine the Sky Stream will better suit some people than others. For instance, it’ll undoubtedly be more convenient for city dwellers than for those living in the countryside, mostly because you’ll need a very reliable internet connection for it to work. 

There are certain things Sky Q users might miss as well, like the ability to record programmes onto the box itself. And if the internet were to go down then you wouldn’t be able to watch any TV at all where you would if you had a satellite dish. But even so, I still think the Sky Stream puck is likely to be the most popular option for Sky customers going forwards simply down to how quick and easy it is to get and then use. 

Also consider 

If it’s Sky you’re after then you’ll only have the Sky Glass as an alternative, or Sky Q if you don’t mind installing a satellite dish. But if you’re not set on Sky and actually you’d like something a bit cheaper then you might be better off considering the Virgin Media Stream instead, there’s just a one-off fee to get it although it is only available to Virgin Media broadband customers. 

Also worth considering is an Amazon Fire device which is a quick and affordable way to get all of the best streaming services on your TV and they do actually have Now TV available if you just can’t live without Sky’s original content. Take a look at Amazon Fire TV Cube vs Fire TV Stick 4K to find out which one will the best choice for you.