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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.
Amazon's Fire TV is doing much better than its phone
This week Amazon announced it would take a $170 million hit due to the struggling Fire Phone, but there's no sign of issues with the Fire TV. Amazon isn't sharing any sales numbers so all we know for sure is that its selection of apps and games has grown to over 600, more than triple the number available at launch. NBA 2K15 is coming soon, but for now the apps and games used most include Amazon Instant Video (of course), Netflix, Hulu Plus, Asphalt 8: Airborne and Minecraft: Pocket Edition. When we reviewed the Fire TV in April it came off as a powerful platform with some initial rough edges -- now that it has a better selection of original apps and exclusive content with shows like Transparent, it may be in a position to stand out from the crowd (Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast).
Amazon's £79 Fire TV set-top box now available in the UK
Amazon announced the impending arrival of its Fire TV set-top box in the UK last month, and right on cue, it's now available for £79 through the company's online store. It's Amazon's attempt to steal market share from the likes of Apple, Google and Roku, though the only thing that really differentiates it from competitor products is its second job as an Android mini-console. And for that, you need one or more of the Fire game controllers, which go for £35 a pop. Fire TV also enables you to push content from smartphones and tablets to the big screen, and its remote has a built-in microphone for shouting search criteria into. Otherwise, the set-top box is merely a window to various content streaming apps, with Amazon's services obviously taking pride of place, potentially making it the best option for loyal patrons of the Prime ecosystem.
Amazon opening second retail store in San Francisco
Seething with jealousy because you live in California and that Amazon retail store in Manhattan is too far out of reach? Well, maybe the news that the online-shopping giant is setting up shop in San Francisco will help allay any envy. Amazon's City By the Bay pop-up shop is set to open in the Westfield San Francisco Centre October 22nd, according to GeekWire. What's on offer? Mostly Fire devices from the sound of it. It's too early to tell if this store will carry the same benefits as the Gotham retail location (pick-up, drop off or a return spot, namely), but, if anything, it shows that Bezos isn't afraid of trying out traditional sales models in more than one spot, either. If you'd rather not traverse into the city, there's apparently a Sacramento pop-up opening, too.
Roku has sold over 10 million players, but is that enough?
Tonight Roku is announcing that over 10 million of its tiny media streamers have sold, dating back to when they were first introduced in 2008. That's good news, and shows sales are continuing to pick up after it crossed 5 million just last spring and eight million at the beginning of the year. Just as ever, the company has a solid product that we like at a reasonable price, and a library of smart TV apps that's second to none. The only bad news? The competition is getting stronger too. Sales of the Apple TV have exploded along with the iPad and it was up to 20 million at last count, while Google is readying another Android TV attack and Amazon is pushing its own Fire TV media box. In response, Roku is expanding by putting its software directly into Smart TVs and using its partnership with Sky TV in the UK to get cheaper hardware on the shelves. Roku's infographic (here) cites stats suggesting customers like it better, and use it more, than the competition, and claims it has more than 1,000 more channels than options like the Chromecast.
You can now send Spotify tunes to Amazon's Fire TV
Amazon's Fire TV hasn't had a lot of choices for on-demand music; for the most part, you've been stuck with either the company's own music service or Vevo. As of today, though, you can add Spotify to the list. The set-top box now serves as a Spotify Connect target, letting you send songs to the Fire TV using your mobile devices as remote controls. You'll still need a Spotify Premium subscription to get those streams going, but that may be a small price to pay if you're hoping to use your TV as a jukebox.
Amazon's Fire TV finally comes to Europe, UK and Germany get first dibs
Americans have been able to get their fill of Amazon's set-top box for a few months. Now it's Europe's turn! The internet giant is bringing the Fire TV to the old world, and it'll be up for pre-order tonight. Customers in Germany will get first crack at it, when it ships on September 25th for €99. If you're an existing Prime subscriber, Amazon will cut that figure in half to just €49. The UK will get its chance on October 23rd. There you'll get the same discounted price of £49 for being a prime member, but it'll only cost £79 if you haven't already pledged yourself to the Amazon ecosystem. If you haven't already bought a Roku, Chromecast or Apple TV, perhaps this is the streaming box you've been waiting for. If it isn't... well then, you're running out of options. Update: If you want to cash in on those discounts you better move quick. The deal is only good for the next five days.
Amazon Fire TV scores live video apps for Disney, MLB and WWE
The launch of Flappy Bird Family last week probably wasn't going to make you rush to buy a Fire TV any time soon, but don't worry -- Amazon has a few more aces up its sleeve. The Android-powered media hub is now getting a slew of extra apps, many of which expand the video selection to areas that Amazon simply can't cover. You can now tune into MLB.tv and WWE Network if you need a live sports fix (real or otherwise), and you can entertain your kids with Animal Planet and Watch Disney. If you're the patient type, you'll also be glad to hear that NFL Now, Watch ABC, A&E and Dailymotion are due later this year. These additions likely won't make you chuck your Apple TV or Roku box, but they might get you thinking about a Fire TV if you'd previously ruled it out.
Flappy Bird Family makes your Fire TV five times as fun
A family that flaps together, stays together. As promised, the creator of Flappy Birds -- you know, the insanely viral and addictive game that enjoyed massive success before quickly being removed from the iOS and Android app stores -- is bringing a new version of his prized title to the Amazon Fire TV. Not only will you be able to relive the wonderful memory of topping your high score of 14, you can do so while pitted against other players in a multiplayer, dual-screen setup. There's no word on if the game will make its way to iOS or Android eventually. But in the meantime, get grandma, the kids and your cousins into the living room, power up the Fire TV and see which one is the best at navigating an 8-bit bird through a series of Mario pipes. (Our vote's on grandma.)
Funding push would put Reading Rainbow on phones and game consoles
LeVar Burton had no trouble crowdfunding Reading Rainbow for the web; now, he'd like your help bringing it to living rooms and pockets everywhere. His team has announced a $5 million stretch goal that, if reached, will port his literary initiative to mobile devices, game consoles and set-top boxes. Yes, that would return the program to TV (if not quite in the traditional sense) after an eight-year hiatus. The goal would also expand free student access to from 1,500 classrooms to 7,500. Burton already has over $3 million as we write this, but there's still some distance to go -- if you're interested in putting Reading Rainbow on your kid's Android tablet or Xbox, you'll want to make a pledge at the source link.
NFL's online network is coming to Roku, Fire TV and Kindle Fire tablets
The National Football League has yet to formally launch its new digital network, NFL Now, but there's no doubt it will be fully prepared once it does. As such, the NFL has announced that Roku will join Microsoft, Yahoo and Verizon as distribution partners for its upcoming online video service. In other words, you can expect NFL Now to be available on Amazon's Kindle Fire and Fire TV, as well as Roku streaming boxes when it launches in August. Apps for iOS, Android, Windows devices and "select" game consoles are also set to be ready from day one.
Amazon invites customers to try Fire TV free for a month
Amazon is emailing some of its customers with an offer to try out the $99 Fire TV box free-of-charge for 30 days. If they don't get along with the little Android-powered streamer and gaming console, they can return it without obligation and without being left out of pocket -- so long as they follow the conditions of Amazon's returns policy, which includes keeping the hardware in new condition. Of course, a regular customer could get a similar end result without the invite, by dabbling with the Fire TV for a month and then using the normal returns procedure to get a full refund, but they'd have to pay upfront and possibly also pay for return shipping costs. Update: We incorrectly linked the 30-day trial with Amazon's standard returns policy, when the former might have some genuine advantages. The post has been changed to reflect that. [Thanks, Jeffrey]
Grand Theft Auto III series lands on Amazon's tablets and Fire TV
The Grand Theft Auto games have been on seemingly every platform known to humankind, but those with Amazon devices have had to make do without Rockstar's vehicular mayhem. That changes today: you can now snag Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas on both the Kindle Fire tablet line as well as Fire TV. You'll be very familiar with the experience if you've used any of the earlier mobile versions, although that's no big complaint given the quality of the ports. With that said, the real allure may be the pricing. Each game normally costs $5 a pop, but purchasing San Andreas currently gets you enough Amazon Coins to buy the other two releases -- this could be a good way to get started in the crime-filled world of GTA without making a big investment.
The hidden value of Amazon's Fire TV
After a week with the Fire TV, I was confident that it was just another streamer, and our review reflects that. Amazon put a few nice tweaks on the existing set-top formula with an easy setup and voice search, but my TV stand is crowded with game consoles, dongles and other boxes that bring their own strengths. A month later, I've found that my initial experience didn't tell the entire story -- unlike other platforms that are locked down tight, letting the Fire TV languish as a Netflix/Amazon/Hulu box isn't showing what it can really do.
AllCast's screen-mirroring magic arrives on Amazon's Fire TV App Store
Been putting off sideloading AllCast's SDK to your brand new Amazon Fire TV? Well, friend, your procrastination has paid off. Now, all you have to do to install the casting and screen-mirroring app is download it straight from the Amazon App Store. So long as you also have AllCast installed on an Android device, you can beam photos, videos and music from your phone or tablet to Amazon's set-top box. Plus, you can use the app to view images and videos saved on Google+ and Dropbox. If you don't plan to pick up a Fire TV (waiting for the second one, eh?), you can still use AllCast with a number of other devices, including Chromecast, Xbox One, Roku, Apple TV and a smattering of smart TVs.
Amazon Fire TV's voice search expands to cover Hulu Plus and Showtime, but not Netflix
Fire TV came out of the gate with an impressive initial effort, however one of its rough edges is that the voice search is actually quite limited. At launch it could only provide results from Amazon's own movie and TV selections or music videos from Vevo, but the company is already adding new services to the mix. Hulu Plus, Showtime Anytime and Crackle are first up, which is a good list, but it's still missing Netflix. The new services will start popping up later this summer, which gives Amazon more than enough time to make sure a query for House of Cards pulls it up on both Netflix and Amazon video on-demand. This also makes it more competitive with similar features on competitors like Roku and Xbox, once it's filled out. Amazon is also working on new features, including one that we hadn't noticed before called "Prime Browse." Joning FreeTime parental controls and MP3 music access on the "coming soon" list, it appears that Prime browse will solve one of our other initial frustrations, and filter a view for only the content that's included with the Prime subscription service. More games and services are also on the way of course, but if you have a specific request for Amazon's developers, feel free to leave it here.
Unreal Engine 4 crammed into Amazon's Fire TV - it's possible
Let's say you've paid your $19 want to see what kind of crazy shit Unreal Engine 4 is capable of. Let's also say you have a shiny new Amazon Fire TV sitting in the living room. With some patience and a little coding, you can totally run Epic's new software toolset on Bezos' $99 set-top box. Over on Gamasutra, a dev has listed step-by-step instructions for getting the engine up and running and, from the looks of it, it didn't take him a lot of extra work. This is likely due to Fire TV's Android-based architecture and the fact that Unreal 4 was basically designed to run on every platform under the sun. As the dev tells it, you can even plug in an Xbox 360 or PS4 controller to explore the demo area. Regardless of if we ever see Unreal-powered games on the streaming box or not, this proves that its gaming capabilities aren't as limited as one might think.
Amazon Fire TV review: the set-top that tries to do everything
Here's the thing about Amazon: We can't figure the company out half the time. Few things embody that quite as well as the Fire TV. The company is adamant that the set-top box is not a gaming console, but it's invested heavily in original game development for it and even produced a shockingly good gamepad accessory. Still, video games are just a "bonus." One of the pillars of the streaming-media box is supposed to be openness, but there's no denying that other services like Netflix are treated like second-class citizens here. They're invited to the party; they just better not outshine the host. The Fire TV may be the next step for Amazon as it tries to build its own ecosystem, but it's also yet another entry in the crowded streaming-media market. And the big question is: Do we need another? We've got TV set-tops for cable, satellite and fiber (at one time joined by a disc player for movies and maybe a game system or two). The next-gen game consoles do double duty as entertainment hubs, and there's no shortage of cheap boxes designed specifically to stream Netflix, HBO Go and Pandora. Add in smart TVs and the rise of pint-sized dongles, and the question of what to watch becomes how to watch. The Fire TV is trying to muscle out competitors with its $99 price and a strong focus on performance, search and openness. Now that we've spent a few days living with one, we can judge whether it's just another option among many, or truly a standout that finally fixes problems the others have so far ignored.
Amazon claims it streams more instant video than Hulu or Apple
All gaming aspirations aside, Amazon says it has a good reason for building its new Fire TV set-top box: People really like its streaming video content. The company is claiming that its instant video usage has tripled year over year, surpassing both Apple's and Hulu's instant video numbers. So, what sparked all the growth? Amazon doesn't say specifically, but the press release dedicates a considerable portion of text to lauding its exclusive Prime Instant Video content, its original series and its large catalog of titles available for digital purchase and rental. All well and good, but the announcement is clearly a thinly veiled advertisement for its new hardware -- which is fine, but it does leave us wondering by what margin Amazon is leading its competition. After all, Netflix's standing is conspicuously absent from the reported line-up.
AllCast Android app brings screen-mirroring to Amazon Fire TV
After making fast friends with Android and Chromecast, AllCast is naturally ambling toward the next newest living-room device. If you're already bored using Amazon Fire TV for its intended functions, AllCast and Mirror support are currently in beta for Bezos' streaming box. And really, all you have to do is sideload the screen-mirroring app's APK onto your Fire TV and it should show up as a target for the Android application's content beaming. On Google+ developer Koushik Dutta writes that the receiver app's been submitted to the Amazon App Store, and he's just waiting on approval for it to go live. If you're feeling impatient however, well, maybe try reading a book -- we hear Amazon has a device for those, too.
