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Amazon brings its Alexa assistant to first-gen Fire TVs
Now that the 4K Fire TV has taken center stage, Amazon might be forgiven for showing a little less love for its older streaming devices. However, that doesn't appear to be the case, after the online retailer begun seeding a new update that upgrades the original Fire TV to Android 5.1 Lollipop, equips it with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant and improves discovery.
All 4 catch-up streaming comes to Amazon's Fire TV
When you've gone about revamping and rebranding your streaming service like Channel 4 did this year, the next step is to get your app on as many platforms as possible. Just before Christmas, All 4 made its way to the PlayStation 4, joining the apps already available for other games consoles, mobiles, tablets, computers and various smart TVs and set-top boxes (including Google's Chromecast). Today the service expands to yet another device, with All 4 launching on Amazon's newest Fire TV and support for the older version and Fire TV Stick also announced as "coming soon."
CBS' streaming video service comes to Amazon's Fire TV
Your Fire TV (or Fire TV Stick) just became much more useful as a cord-cutting device... at least, if you watch a lot of CBS shows. The TV network has launched an Amazon-native app for its All Access service, giving your Fire TV the same mix of live and on-demand viewing that CBS is offering on rival set-top boxes. You're still paying $6 per month and don't get any hardware-specific features, but look at it this way: you'll definitely be ready when the new Star Trek series begins streaming in a couple of years.
PlayStation Vue internet TV is coming to Chromecast and Amazon
Sony's TV subscription service, Playstation Vue is expanding to the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick with Chromecast support coming soon. The electronics giant also announced a $5 price drop on Core ($54.99 from $59.99) and Elite ($64.99 from $69.99) packages. Subscribers will notice the price reduction during the next billing cycle. The Vue service already works on the PS4, PS3, iPad and iPhone. While a price reduction for bundles is nice, the streaming TV service announced at E3 it would offer up á-la-carte network subscriptions this fall. It'll be interesting to see the pricing of built-to-order subscriptions when this launches. PlayStation Vue is available in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Dallas with more markets planned for the future.
ITV Player comes to Amazon's Fire TV
ITV's replacement for ITV Player is meant to launch before the end of the year, but that doesn't mean the company is holding back on its app expansion. As promised, the broadcaster has brought ITV Player to the Amazon Fire TV, letting you catch-up on all of your favourite programmes on demand. The rollout is staggered, however, as Fire TV Stick owners will have to wait a couple of weeks until they can get in on the action. And if you've pre-ordered Amazon's new 4K-ready Fire TV, that too will support the app when it starts shipping on October 5th. When ITV Hub does launch, with a focus on live TV, ITV Player will be swapped for the rebranded app, but you shouldn't need to lift a finger.
The new Chromecast vs. the competition: Which will you watch?
The original Chromecast stood out for how it offered a cheap, easy way to get content on your TV in a super small form factor. Its successor adds even more features like Fast Play, an integrated HDMI cable and even a redesigned app. However, the digital set-top player arena has gotten a lot more crowded since 2013, with heavyweights like Roku and Amazon offering their own streaming sticks to compete. With so much shared content and affordable prices across the board, we took a look at what each player has to offer in terms of specs and features to see if it's more than just the Chromecast's new shape that makes it stand out.
Amazon Fire TV comes out to play with 4K and Alexa, stays at $99
If you're one of the folks that's purchased a 4K TV, Amazon has some good news for you: The new Fire TV supports 4K and still costs $99.99 (£80). In addition to handling all those extra pixels, the voice remote now calls up Alexa, the Echo assistant with access to more than just movie and TV titles. Ask it about the weather, sports, traffic and have it play music from your Amazon playlists and Prime. All of the information is displayed on your TV. The company also announced a $49.99 (£45) Fire TV Stick with a Voice Remote (finally) and a new game controller also with voice control and a headphone jack so your zombie shooting ways don't disturb the rest of the house.
HBO Now arrives on Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
We knew it was coming, and now it's here. HBO Now, the network's standalone streaming service, is available on Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices after making its way to Android gadgets and the Chromecast earlier this summer. A $15 monthly subscription gets you access to HBO's library of content, including shows like Game of Thrones, True Detective and more. If you've been itchin' to give it a go on your Amazon streaming gear, a quick download is all that stands between you and rewatching The Sopranos this weekend. [Image credit: Andrew Burton/Getty Images]
Add Google Cast to your Fire TV with an $8 app
Buyers remorse can be a terrible thing as you always wonder if you'd have been better off picking the other device when stood in the aisle at Best Buy. Thankfully if you've got $7.99 lying around and kinda regret grabbing Amazon's Fire TV, then help is at hand thanks to YouMap. The app enables you to trick the hardware into thinking that it's a Chromecast, letting you mirror your Chrome browsing or push YouTube clips straight from your smartphone. The app works for both the Fire TV and the stick, and while it won't give you all the functionality of Google's video dongle, you'll at least be able to see how the other half live.
These are the Amazon UK 'Prime Day' deals you should know about
Ready for some deals? Today is Amazon's so-called "Prime Day," an exclusive 24-hour promotion for people that have signed up to Prime. Yes, it's a marketing gimmick, but if you're already paying for the service -- or have been debating a subscription recently -- there are some worthwhile gadgets being sold on the cheap. Some of the daily deals last until midnight, but in typical Amazon fashion there are also "lightning" discounts that will only be available for shorter periods. To take advantage of everything decent, you'll probably need to drop in sporadically or keep an eye on social media.
Comcast unlocks HBO and Showtime streaming to Amazon Fire TV
Streaming services that use a cable TV subscription have an annoying wrinkle, where sometimes the provider can block them from working in places for apparently no reason at all. For Comcast customers that was the case for HBO Go and Showtime on Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV stick, but starting today that changes. Like the agreement it reached a few months ago with Roku, Comcast is suddenly playing nice with Amazon's streaming hardware. Unfortunately, that courtesy still does not extend to Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, but according to Comcast it supports over 90 networks across 18 devices and expects that number to grow, so maybe there is hope.
Amazon Fire TV players will soon work in your hotel room
Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV Stick will soon be much more useful, especially if you're outside of the US. Thanks to an impending update, both streaming media hubs will work in dorm rooms, hotels and other places where you have to sign in before you get online -- you can pack your device on that big vacation. The two also get support for Prime Music playlists, shortcuts for screen mirroring and hidden PIN codes when you make a purchase. You're in for the biggest treat if you have a full-fledged Fire TV box, since you'll get support for USB storage (to hold all your extra apps and games) and Bluetooth headphones (for those late-night movies).
HBO Go is on Amazon's Fire TV now, Fire TV stick soon
It only took seven or so months since it was first announced, but HBO Go is now available on Amazon's Fire TV (along with SlingPlayer). Owners of the Fire TV Stick dongle will have to wait until this spring for access, but since they're probably Amazon Prime subscribers too, at least they have plenty of older HBO shows to stream in the meantime. The other bad news? HBO tells us that Comcast and Charter are currently not on the list of supported streaming providers. According to Amazon its selection of apps has quadrupled since launch, and the box is currently on sale for $79 instead of the $99 regular price, in case your holiday shopping isn't over with yet.
Engadget Daily: Fire TV Stick review, rewriteable glass 'paper,' and more!
Amazon's $39 Fire TV Stick isn't just a stark improvement over the Fire TV; it's also cheaper. But what's to keep you from buying a Chromecast instead? Really, it's all about the ecosystem. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours, including rewriteable paper, Audi's touchscreen-infused concept car and Google's plan for Fiber.
Amazon's Fire TV Stick is shipping (but only if you've already ordered)
Did you plunk down $39 for Amazon's Fire TV Stick as soon as you heard about its promise of low-cost, full-featured streaming? If so, we have good news: as promised, Amazon has started shipping its Chromecast rival to people who ordered early. Unfortunately, those are the only people who can expect to get a Fire TV Stick in the near future... or any time this year, for that matter. Amazon is telling new customers that their orders won't ship until at least January 15th, 2015, or well after everyone has unwrapped their holiday presents. Unless your gift recipients are cool with IOUs, you'll have to snag a Chromecast, a Roku Streaming Stick or another "close enough" alternative.
Amazon goes after Roku and Chromecast with $39 Fire TV Stick
Amazon's Fire TV is doing very well for itself, but it's hard to justify that $99 price when a Roku Streaming Stick is $50 and a Chromecast is only $35. That's why the company has whipped out the Amazon Fire TV stick that can be snagged for as little as $19, if you're a Prime customer and move quickly enough. Like its rivals, the stick connects to your TV through the HDMI port, enabling you to watch streaming video from a wide variety of sources like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Hardware-wise, there's 1GB RAM, 8GB of storage, dual-band WiFi and, perhaps surprisingly at this price, a dedicated remote control. Naturally, you can also mirror your smartphone and tablet display, both if you're rocking a Fire phone or tablet or a Miracast-equipped device, and you can use app-based voice search with the hardware. Gaming-wise, the Fire TV controller will work with the device, but considering that the company chose to mention Flappy Birds Family over, say, Amazon-exclusive Sev Zero, it's not clear if Fire TV titles will work on the cheaper device. If you're not a Prime customer, then the device will set you back $39, and you can even get voice search baked into the remote for an additional $30 - but either way, the hardware will begin shipping on November 19th.
