Is your home theater lacking in smart abilities? Well, Amazon’s Fire TV lineup is here to help. You’ll find streaming devices that are quite affordable and on sale often, as well as those that are fully featured with 4K HDR Dolby Vision playback, depending on what your needs are. Below, we’ll be taking a closer look at the different Fire TV options available to purchase, including a brief overview of actual TV sets with the operating system built in that offer an all-in-one experience.
Amazon Fire TV Stick, Lite, and 4K from $30
We’ll start things off with Amazon’s most budget-focused streaming device: the Fire TV Stick Lite. This Fire TV includes the Voice Remote Lite, which allows you to easily ask Alexa to play specific shows, search for genres, and more. There’s HDMI passthrough for Dolby-encoded audio, though no Dolby Atmos support is present. It can support 1080p HD playback with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. It’s compact and able to sit behind your TV, where it’ll remain out of sight while you enjoy content on a budget. At $24.99, it’s hard to beat the value offered here.
If you need a bit more out of your streaming experience, the all-new Fire TV Stick is a great option. It comes with the Alexa Voice Remote (3rd Generation) and ups the ante by offering full TV control, where the power and volume buttons can command your home theater for a simplified setup. Amazon’s all-new Fire TV Stick also supports Dolby Atmos audio, which is perfect for higher-end setups. Just keep in mind you’ll be limited to 1080p with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG being supported. It also sits behind your TV and stays out of sight while giving you a quality home theater experience. For $39.99, this is great if you need 1080p streaming, but want an upgraded experience.
Those seeking 4K playback without breaking the bank will want to consider the Fire TV Stick 4K. This model is a bit older, and ships with the previous-generation Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Generation), which doesn’t have built-in quick-access buttons to frequently used streaming services like the all-new Fire TV Stick above. However, you’ll enjoy 4K playback with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision this time around. Similar to the Fire TV Stick, there’s also Dolby Atmos Audio supported here. You’ll also be able to turn your TV on/off, as well as change the volume with the included remote. At a similar $39.99, this is what we recommend most people pick up for a balance between budget and features, should you need a new Fire TV Stick.
Amazon Fire TV Cube $100
Amazon’s Fire TV Cube takes things to the next level when compared to the Fire TV Stick lineup. You’ll find that it also uses a 2nd Generation Alexa Voice Remote like the Fire TV 4K listed above. However, in addition to the plethora of HDR standards supported and Dolby Atmos Audio, the Fire TV Cube has built-in, hands-free Alexa access. This means that the Fire TV Cube can’t hide behind your TV, and will have to sit on your entertainment center. However, by doing this, you can just say, “Alexa, show me movies with Robert Downey, Jr.” and your TV will automatically pull up the latest Marvel movies. Also, unlike the Fire TV Sticks above, you’ll not need a secondary Ethernet adapter to wire this streaming media play into your network, as it has Gigabit networking built-in for easy access. At $99.99, it’s quite a bit more expensive than the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, but the benefits could outweigh the cost for your specific setup.
Amazon Fire TV Blaster $35
The Fire TV Blaster is a unique device that has a place in just about every home theater. It can add Alexa voice controls to your TV without having to even replace a single remote. Essentially, the Fire TV Blaster acts as an IR repeater that can issue a signal to turn your TV on/off, raise/lower the volume, or change the input with voice commands. You’ll have to have another Amazon Fire TV device, like the TV Stick 4K, TV Stick Lite, or any other Echo smart speaker/display to use it. But for $34.99, it’s a must-have accessory if your TV doesn’t support voice commands out of the box.
Amazon Fire TV Recast from $230
If you’ve cut the cord and no longer have cable service, then it’s possible that you’re missing having a DVR. Well, the Fire TV Recast fills that voice in a unique way. Coming in two sizes, either 500GB or 1TB, you’ll find that the smaller variant has two tuners and the larger has four. Able to record 75 to 150 hours of content, respectively, the Fire TV Recast handles everything from browsing local TV channels to recording them so you can watch them at home or on-the-go with no monthly service fees. Just hook up an HD antenna and it’ll start working. You can also use voice to search content, and there’s a channel guide to help you find things to enjoy. Given that it starts at $229.99, it’s a bit more expensive, but also allows you to watch recorded content anywhere in your home or abroad, which is something many similar devices just can’t offer.
Amazon Fire TV Edition from $170
Amazon’s Fire TV Edition offers you all of the benefits of the Fire TV devices above, but built into your actual TV. This means that you won’t have to use a secondary device to enjoy the benefits of a Fire TV, which makes everything feel much more immersive and seamless. There are two different manufacturers who produce these types of TVs, as both Insignia and Toshiba have models to choose from. Sizes range from 24 to 70 inches, and 720p, 1080p, and 4K are all resolution options available. Each one ships with an Alexa Voice Remote, and can be controlled hands-free through a paired Echo device. You’ll even find that Toshiba’s higher-end models support Dolby Vision out of the box, with no additional hardware required. All ship with three HDMI ports and a 60Hz panel. Pricing starts as low as $169.99 and varies depending on the size and resolution you choose.
Electronicsforward’ Take
Amazon’s Fire TV lineup is vast and covers just about every home theater area, including sound bars. Whether you’re in the market for a budget-focused streaming media player, or full-blown 70-inch 4K all-in-one package, there’s plenty to choose from here.
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