The Amazon Fire TV platform has lived in TVs made by Toshiba and Insignia for some time but now Amazon is producing its own brand of smart TVs with Fire TV built in. In addition to the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the new Pioneer and Toshiba Fire TV models, this is a big move for Amazon against the Google TV and Roku TV platforms.
Amazon has created two series of Fire TVs. The Fire TV Omni series are its premium offering, with top 4K Ultra HD displays, far-field hands-free voice control and easy connectivity to smart home devices, like the Amazon Echo devices. The Fire TV 4-series is the more affordable offering, but still offers 4K UHD picture and an Alexa voice remote.
For users looking to buy a Fire TV there’s now a lot of choice for very similar price points though this is clearly the aim. Right now, you can choose between more than 18 models with HD and 4K resolutions, sizes from 24-inch to 65-inch and prices from $170 to $830 (£120-£600)
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Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
The Amazon Fire TV Omni comes in five sizes, from 43 inches up to 75 inches. All of which feature 4K Ultra HD LED displays and both HDR10 and HLG support. The 65-inch and 75-inch models also come with Dolby Vision support. These are also finished in metallic silver rather than black and have thinner bezels.
The far-field voice technology (likely the same tech that is due to feature in the new Toshiba models) provides hands-free voice control for your TV and devices connected to it, such as sound bars and cable boxes. It also still works when the TV is turned off – though there is a switch to turn the microphone off too.
There are four HDMI connections on each unit, including one eARC 2.1 HDMI port, as well as an ethernet and USB port. Unfortunately for gamers, it has a 60Hz refresh rate and there’s no mention of a variable refresh rate.
Prices start from $409.99 for the 43-inch and go up to $1,099.99 for the 75-inch model and are available for pre-order now, with delivery due from October 27.
Amazon Fire TV 4-Series
The cheaper Amazon Fire TV 4-series comes in 43, 50 and 55-inch versions. While it lacks hands-free voice control, it still features a voice remote which can be used in much the same way with a press of a button.
Like the Omni series, these models all feature 4K UHD with support for HDR 10 and HLG formats, as well as Dolby Digital Plus audio. They also offer the same number of HDMI ports that include one HDMI 2.1 eARC port, USB and ethernet.
The 43-inch model is priced $369.99, the 50-inch is $469.99 and the 55-inch is $519.99. All are available for pre-order with delivery from October 27.