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An afternoon with the Fire TV
We came away relatively impressed with the Fire TV during our brief hands-on. But we all know that units set up specifically for press demonstrations are hardly the best indicator of how a device will function in the real world. So we immediately went back to our lair and began putting the newest kid on the streaming block through its paces. Once away from the carefully controlled demonstration area, it became clear that the Fire TV is more of a mixed bag -- and still tied to its Android/Google TV roots -- than Amazon would like you to believe.
Amazon's Fire TV promises a premium set-top experience (update: hands-on video)
The first thing you notice when you pick up the Fire TV is how incredibly dense it is. It's tiny and encased in black matte plastic, but it feels like a solid brick of aluminum. That's not terribly surprising when you consider all of the power Amazon has crammed inside this thing. Though we're not sure about the speeds on its quad-core CPU and dedicated GPU, the company claims it has three times the processing power of its rivals like Roku and Apple TV. In any case, it's clear the silicon inside is pretty beefy, and it's likely that the chassis is a giant heatsink. During our brief time with the device, it was every bit as quick and impressive as it was during the on-stage demo. Voice searches were quick, if not exactly flawless thanks to the rather noisy demo area. It was less than a second from when I finished speaking to when the results popped up on screen (though, it seemed odd that Amazon assumed I meant "Klint Eastwood"). Despite its insistence that it handled search better than platforms like Roku, we'd have to say things aren't so cut and dry. Sure, you can voice search using the microphone on the remote, but searching with text requires the same cumbersome reliance on the remote's directional pad and an onscreen keyboard. Not to mention that Roku and Chromecast are also able to deliver voice search through their respective mobile apps.
Amazon's first Fire TV games include in-house titles and Minecraft (update: video)
Amazon's new Fire TV media hub may be focused on video, but it's going to have a significant game roster -- including some examples from the company itself. Amazon Game Studios is building more than a dozen titles for the set-top box that include Sev Zero, a Gears of War-like sci-fi shooter. You'll have some third-party games to choose from, of course, such a special port of Minecraft Pocket Edition, a Monsters Inc. endless runner, the arcade racer Asphalt 8 and You Don't Know Jack. "Thousands" of games will be available within a month, and you'll see software from major developers like Ubisoft and Take-Two. While you shouldn't count on Fire TV replacing your PS4 or Xbox One anytime soon, it's evident that you won't be hurting for things to play. Update: Amazon has posted a video teasing some of the Fire TV and Kindle Fire games that it's working on. Check it out below! Update 2: Want to see the complete list of launch apps and games for the Fire TV? Check them out here.
Here's Amazon's gamepad: standard controller layout, media functionality for $40
We all expected this, right? Yes, Amazon has a game controller, and it works with the company's newly announced Fire TV. Sure, you could use the set-top box's remote or an upcoming custom app to play games, but there's a dedicated controller too that's ready to wrangle Minecraft Pocket Edition, NBA 2K14 and titles from other big-name developers Ubisoft and Take-Two. "The controller is comfortable; it's familiar," noted Amazon Games' Mike Frazzini. As you might expect, this means that there's a four-button, dual-thumbstick and d-pad layout similar to the Xbox's option. With Amazon's offering, there are skip and play/pause media controls along the bottom edge with navigation controls placed front and center. There's even a GameCircle button that offers easy access to scores and achievements. And yes, dual triggers and a pair of shoulder buttons rest along the top edge.
Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, Plex and more services launch on Amazon Fire TV (update: full list)
After announcing its new Fire TV set-top box today, Amazon naturally revealed a content lineup to go along with the $99 streaming device. That includes the new Amazon Video series we've been hearing about and TV shows it's signed up as Prime streaming exclusives. Amazon also announced several apps headed to the Fire TV: Showtime Anytime, Flixster, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, Plex and many, many more. The Amazon listing has a deeper list on what's available, we'll have more information after we go hands-on. Update: Amazon could not confirm that HBO Go is coming to the Fire TV, only saying "we're working to get more content." We checked with HBO, which said the service is not there and that there are no plans to add it at this time, a quote echoed by Ultraviolet-connected service Vudu. Update 2: We've added the full list of content after the break. Hold on to your hats, it's a long list.
Amazon launches Fire TV, an Android-powered streaming and gaming set-top box for $99
We've been waiting for it for quite some time, but now Amazon is finally ready to make its play for the living room. Fire TV is not a barebones device like the Chromecast; it's a powerful Android-driven platform with ties to the broader Amazon ecosystem. Inside the slim black plastic box is a quad-core CPU with a full 2GB of RAM -- that makes it more akin to a high-end smartphone than your typical streaming device. And it's incredibly slim, shorter than a dime, with barely enough clearance for the small selection of ports around back, which includes the standard HDMI, as well as optical audio and Ethernet. The interface is incredibly image-heavy. Browsing through the Amazon video store is basically just scrolling through an endless barrage of movie posters presented in a moving 3D bar. And, at least during the demo, the hardware churned through the slick UI with nary a hiccup in sight. But far more impressive was how quick videos were to load. Pressing play on almost any video instantaneously launched the movie or show. And we mean instantaneously. There was no pause, lag or loading screen -- it's impressive to say the least.
Catch our Amazon video event liveblog right here!
Today's the day when Amazon unveils...something to do with video (or so we're told). Let's not beat around the bush here: this is almost certainly Amazon's long-rumored video streaming device, and may very well also be the game streaming device we've been hearing about (we're guessing it's one device that does both). Oh, and probably that Bluetooth game controller too, right? There's gotta be some reason Amazon bought the studio that made the new Killer Instinct! Regardless, the particulars are missing. What kind of streaming options will there be? How about onboard processing? A set-top box or a dongle (a la Chromecast)? How does this incorporate the coming army of Jeff Bezos-controlled domestic drones? Should we bring our bugout bags to the event? April 2, 2014 11:00:00 AM EDT
