The Amazon Fire TV is the newest streaming media set top box for your HDTV. This box allows you to enjoy Prime Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu Plus, and many other channels of media content. The device just started arriving to customers in the past few days and Tech Media Source got to unbox and check out the latest Amazon product as well as its features. Before you purchase the new media device read on and see our newest unboxing video to learn more about the gadget’s specs and features. We also recommend author Shelby Johnson’s latest Amazon Fire TV User Manual ebook for those looking to have more insight and understanding into the use of their device.
Fire TV Content Channels & Media:
When it comes to entertainment, Amazon packs plenty into this device, although maybe not as much as Roku (currently). You are able to get access to more than 200,000 TV shows and movies, many games, and millions of songs just through Amazon. Due to the massive amount of available content, the device is very suitable for entertaining the whole family. In addition, content channels such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and MGo allow for plenty of other entertainment options.
The new Fire TV integrates nicely with Amazon Prime membership. Prime is a special membership account offered by Amazon which is available for a free 30-day trial. The Amazon Prime service allows you to get unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV shows, including some exclusive titles. If you are a movie lover, you may want to consider using this feature which also gives free two-day shipping or $3.99 one-day shipping on thousands of items for sale on Amazon’s website.
What’s in the Fire TV Box?
Just five items inside the box, making it simple as can be. There’s the sleek and slick looking square Amazon Fire TV device itself (pictured at bottom left), the Fire TV remote, a power connector brick, an Amazon Fire TV quick start guide booklet and a pack of two AAA batteries.
Specifications rival Competitors:
This tiny box feels like a solid build and is equipped with some great specs inside such as a quad core processor, dedicated GPU, 1080p HD video, Dolby Digital surround sound system and an impressive 2 GB memory. It appears these specs should improve the quality of streaming through this device. The memory in itself is four times that of the Chromecast, Apple TV and Roku devices.
Fire TV Installation & Set-up:
The new device is relatively easy to install and use out of the box. You can simply connect Fire TV to an HDMI input on your television. Find your wireless internet connection and you can start enjoying your favorite TV shows and movies easily. There will also be some need to input logins for accounts for various media channels such as Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus and/or Netflix, along with various subscription services you may have.
Gaming on Fire TV:
With Fire TV, you are able to play your favorite game on your HDTV easily. However, in order to play games on the Amazon Fire TV, you should purchase the specific Fire Game Controller. Amazon offers plenty of free games, and of course some paid games that are sold at very reasonable prices as well. It’s expected this could become Amazon’s foray into digital and online gaming for the future. Keep in mind, the additional game controller needed runs about $40 right now, and isn’t available until April 24 for shipments.
The Fire Game Controller (pictured above) is a wireless bluetooth game controller which has up to 55 hours of battery life and offers media controls for the device, as well as gaming capabilities including “instant GameCircle access.” As of our report, there was a limited time offer being made available from Amazon which gave buyers 1,000 Amazon coins (a $10 value) for free along with an Amazon-exclusive game called “Sev Zero” (a $6.99 value) along with the controller.
Music Streaming Capability:
You can listen to millions of songs from this powerful Amazon Fire TV. There are several sites that you can use to get access to your favorite songs, for example TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Pandora, and some other famous sites. You can also open your Amazon MP3 library, so you can listen to all albums and songs from your library.
Basically, if you’ve already purchased plenty of music through Amazon’s site, you’ll likely have it stored in your Cloud account and can easily access it and play it through the device.
Conclusion & Buying Decision:
Is the product better than other devices, such as Roku, Apple TV or the Google Chromecast? One of the main difference that can be found in this device for features is of course the ability to use voice to search for content. For specs, it is the quad core processor which can make this device perform much better than competitors. This device is also equipped with 2 GB memory. Roku, Apple TV, and Google Chromecast only have 512 MB memory. You can also get access to more than 100 games in this device, and there’s the option for purchasing a realistic video game controller which really “changes the game” for Amazon in terms of what they can deliver.
At the price, Amazon’s new streaming device is the same price as Apple TV and twice as much as the new Roku Streaming Stick. However, Amazon appears to know how to get their customers purchasing content, and this device could help bolster the Amazon Prime subscriptions and open the doors for plenty of future content channels from third parties in the future.
The decision once again comes down to customer loyalty. Are you more of an Amazon fan, Apple fan, or prefer the competitor Roku? It’s really a matter of where the majority of your purchased content already is. If it’s through Apple or Amazon, the choice seems obvious. If you don’t really have much content or any at either store, a Roku Streaming Stick makes the most sense. Amazon loyalists will certainly love the new Fire TV though, and with future updates it should only get better.
Amazon Fire TV Unboxing & Overview
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