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Amazon adds 60 more stations to its Fire TV local news app
Stations in Charleston, Wichita, Tuscon, Reno, Raleigh-Durham and Honolulu have joined the lineup.
Amazon Fire TV's free news app now boasts stations in 88 cities
Amazon is expanding local coverage on its free news app for Fire TV with over 70 additional stations from Detroit, Phoenix, New Orleans, Salt Lake City, and Orlando, among others.
Alexa Routines now work with Amazon Fire TV
You can turn on your TV, coffee machine and smart lights with a single command.
Amazon adds low power mode to its Echo and Fire TV devices
During its Devices and Services event on Thursday, Amazon’s Dave Limp, SVP of Devices, recommitted the company’s commitment to The Climate Pledge and announced a pair of new energy saving features for its wall-powered Echo and Fire TV equipment. You’ll be able to spot them via the new “Climate Pledge Friendly” badge on the products Amazon page. Existing Echos and Fire TVs will be get their own low power modes in the coming weeks as Amazon rolls out an OTA update for them.
Amazon Fire TV Cube review (2019): Alexa's streaming box grows up
With so many streaming devices on the market, it can be difficult for new ones to stand out. Amazon, for its part, has differentiated its Fire TV products with one notable feature: They work with Alexa. If you have an Echo paired with a Fire TV device, you can launch TV shows, play tunes, check the weather or even turn the TV on and off, simply by using your voice. Last year, Amazon married an Echo and a Fire TV together in one product called the Fire TV Cube, so you could use one device instead of two. At the time, however, it couldn't handle some simple voice commands and it lacked core Echo functions like voice messaging.
Disney+ may not be on Fire TV due to a reported ad dispute
When Disney confirmed all the platforms on which you'll be able to stream Disney+, there was a notable omission: Amazon's Fire TV ecosystem. It seems the companies are tussling over terms for not just Disney+, but apps for the likes of ESPN+ and Disney Channel.
Amazon's new Fire TV Cube is faster at understanding your voice commands
Amazon has announced a raft of new products today in Germany, although a leak revealed the bulk of them several hours before showtime. The highlight of the evening was the advent of a second-generation Fire TV Cube, the enthusiast-level unit in Amazon's Fire TV family. Amazon hasn't sought to change the outside of the box, or the number of ports that you can connect to it, but did make some substantial changes inside.
Amazon Fire 7 (2019): You get what you pay for
Despite having Android under the hood, Amazon's Fire tablets have traditionally had a very different purpose than the usual Android slate. Instead of trying to be an all-in-one workhorse, like some of Samsung's Galaxy offerings, Amazon's Fire tablets are aimed at media consumption. And, thanks to Amazon's clout, they tend to be dirt cheap, making them ideal for penny pinchers who want a simple tablet for watching videos and playing games. The cheapest of the bunch is the Amazon Fire 7, but it hasn't been updated since 2017. That is, until recently. Amazon has finally seen fit to bring it up to 2019 standards... but just barely. Yes, it is ever so slightly faster, has twice the storage capacity and now has hands-free Alexa -- meaning you no longer have to unlock the tablet in order to use it. But those are pretty minor upgrades. Aside from that, the Fire 7 remains basic. Sure, the Fire 7 is incredibly cheap at just $50, but at the same time, you do get what you pay for.
Google and Amazon end their ridiculous streaming video spat
Google and Amazon haven't historically been the best of friends, at least when it comes to their respective streaming video services. Amazon's Prime Video app hasn't worked with Google's Chromecast or Android TV devices, while YouTube was pulled from Amazon's Fire TV in late 2017. Well, there's good news for fans of both ecosystems: the Google / Amazon Cold War is thawing. YouTube will be available on Amazon's Fire TV devices in the coming months, and Amazon Prime video will work with Chromecast and Android TV devices as well. A Google spokesperson told Engadget that the main YouTube app is coming first, but YouTube TV and YouTube Kids will follow afterwards.
Amazon is reportedly working on a news app for Fire TV
It sounds like Amazon is working on a video news app for its Fire TV. Reportedly, the company has been approaching news organizations to negotiate distribution deals. People from those companies told The Information that Amazon's app will be free, ad-supported and could launch in the next few months.
Amazon Fire TV no longer needs you to type your WiFi password
There are a number of reasons why it can be laborious to set up a living room media player, not the least of which is WiFi -- you try entering a password with a remote. Those days might be gone if you have one of Amazon's devices, though. It recently released a pair of updates that give its current Fire TV devices the same WiFi simple setup feature you've seen in newer Echo speakers and the Smart Plug. If you've chosen to save WiFi passwords to your Amazon account, your media hub will hop online the moment it detects your network.
Epix is the latest TV holdout to launch a streaming video service
Epix has been one of the TV industry's more conservative outlets. Where HBO, Showtime and other premium services launched stand-alone streaming services a while ago, Epix has insisted that you subscribe to a TV package to sample its wares. Now, however, it's ready to buck tradition. The MGM-owned brand just launched a $6 Epix Now service that provides all four of the network's live channels as well as on-demand access to original shows (like Berlin Station and the Batman-based Pennyworth) and "thousands" of movies.
TiVo will add apps for smart TV boxes and WiFi for Mini this year
It's been a few years since TiVo released a limited app for Amazon's Fire TV platform, but as it promised last year, the next-generation platform will reach third-party boxes. Those include not only Fire TV (and Android) but also Roku and eventually Apple TV. We got a brief demo of the experience on those boxes at TiVo's booth, where it streamed transcoded video from a connected Bolt DVR without issue. If everything goes according to plan, you should see the full app for Fire TV in Q2, followed an app for Roku, and later, perhaps in the fall, access will extend to the Apple TV. Additionally, it's not planning to charge for access to the apps, although TiVo owners will only be able to stream to two third-party devices at once.
DC Universe starts streaming on Amazon's Fire TV
DC Universe just closed a glaring gap in its device support. The comic-based streaming service is now available through Amazon's Fire TV devices, giving you another way (and in some cases, a cheap way) to catch up on Titans in the living room. It's best-suited to video, of course, but DC and Warner Bros also say that you can read comics, shop and socialize while you're lounging on the couch. A subscription will still cost you $8 per month or $75 per year.
'Sonic' and other Genesis classics come to Amazon Fire TV
You won't have to shell out for a mini console to revel in Sega-style nostalgia. The gaming pioneer has released a Sega Classics collection for Fire TV devices that brings 25 of the developer's better-known Genesis games to Amazon's media players. They're frequently games from the same franchise, but that's not necessarily a bad thing -- Sonic the Hedgehog is well-represented here, as are the Golden Axe and Streets of Rage franchises. You'll also find individual hits like Altered Beast, Columns, Gunstar Heroes and The Revenge of Shinobi.
Amazon is discounting Echo and Fire devices for Black Friday
You're probably familiar with the 12 days of Christmas, but how about the seven days of Black Friday? Amazon is getting the savings started early by cutting the prices on its own devices starting November 16th. The sale will run through Black Friday, November 23rd, and features some pretty steep discounts on Amazon's line of smart speakers, tablets and other devices.
CBS gives 'Entertainment Tonight' its own streaming service
CBS expanding its repertoire of free streaming services. It just launched ET Live, a no-cost Entertainment Tonight offshoot that provides 24/7 coverage of celebrity news, fashion and other not-so-deep fare. It's not a strict expansion of the TV show -- it relies primarily on original programming with a new set of hosts (including Lauren Zima, above), and will only occasionally feature appearances from ET regulars. There will be tie-ins with CBS' other online properties, though. Deadline notes that you'll have quick access to ET Live from services like CBS All Access and CBSN, and you may see guest spots from ET Live elsewhere when there's relevant news.
Amazon's latest Fire TV Stick offers 4K for $50
After years of offering 4K playback on its higher-end Fire TV devices, Amazon is ready to bring that extra resolution to its most affordable hardware. With a base of active users that's 25 million strong, it's launching the Fire TV Stick 4K, delivering Ultra HD and HDR streaming through an HDMI dongle that costs a modest $50. The stealthy device isn't as affordable as Roku's $40 Premiere, but it's also billed as the first media stick to support Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and HDR10+. You won't have to settle for lower-quality output just to save some cash or avoid using your TV's built-in apps.
Amazon may reveal its ad-supported IMDB streaming service this week
Rumors about an ad-supported video streaming service from Amazon have been swirling for a little while now, but it looks like the service is right around the corner. CNBC now reports that Amazon's IMDB subsidiary will announce the service this week. In August, sources familiar with the matter told The Information that the service, which is said to be comparable to offerings from Roku and Vudu, was tentatively being called Free Dive and would be available to Fire TV users. Amazon has been in talks with at least three major media companies, according to CNBC's sources, and content will include both movies and past TV shows.
Fire TV Recast offers both DVR and streaming on the go
At Amazon's launch event today in Seattle the company announced its first DVR called the Fire TV Recast. There's no cable TV tuner built-in, so the channels available will be the ones you can access with a connected over-the-air antenna (like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS or the CW). Also, since the Recast doesn't plug directly into a TV, you can place it anywhere in your house to get the best reception, which the app can also help you determine. It then beams your recorded shows or live TV anywhere through your home to an Echo Show, Fire tablet, mobile device (iOS or Android with the Fire TV app) or a Fire TV device. You can also take your recordings on-the-go with the Fire TV app.
