fire tv | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 18 Apr 2019 18:57:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png fire tv | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Google announces the return of YouTube to Amazon’s Fire TV devices https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/google-announces-the-return-of-youtube-to-amazons-fire-tv-devices/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/damien-cox/google-announces-the-return-of-youtube-to-amazons-fire-tv-devices/#respond Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:14:45 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=410599 As the feud between Google and Amazon raged on, YouTube found itself a casualty on Fire TV devices back in 2017 when the two firms stopped supporting each other’s products. Well over a year later, it looks as though both companies have buried the hatchet as Amazon Prime Video plans to add Chromecast support and …

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As the feud between Google and Amazon raged on, YouTube found itself a casualty on Fire TV devices back in 2017 when the two firms stopped supporting each other’s products. Well over a year later, it looks as though both companies have buried the hatchet as Amazon Prime Video plans to add Chromecast support and the native YouTube application will return to Fire TV.

Currently, Google has no hard date planned for the return of its YouTube services, simply stating that the suite of applications would be available on Amazon’s Fire TV devices “later this year.” The standard application complete with advertisements is set to launch in the next few months, with its subscription-based YouTube TV and YouTube Kids to follow before the end of 2019.

Third-parties have attempted to offer YouTube replacements in the meantime, but the return of the official flagship application heralds high-quality video without a hitch. What’s more is that all of Google’s applications will support voice commands from Amazon’s built-in Alexa assistant.

In good faith, Amazon has jointly announced that it will ensure that all Android TV devices can run Prime Video. Those without Android TV will instead be able to rely on Google’s affordable Chromecast dongles, as Amazon bakes Chromecast support into its Prime Video mobile application.

One device that kicked up a fuss in the first place, Amazon’s display-clad Echo Show, is omitted from the range of devices with announced support for YouTube. Both companies originally pointed the finger at one another, with Google stating that it removed the application due to its “broken” playback on the device.

Particulars of the agreement are currently being kept under wraps, but it seems as though the resolution doesn’t include Amazon selling Google Home devices – a direct competitor to its own Echo range. Instead, this is about streaming, which should see no customer complain after they’re the ones that truly suffered during this battle.

KitGuru Says: It’s good to see so many olive branches this week, from Apple and Qualcomm settling their differences and striking up a new deal to Amazon and YouTube finally supporting one another. Are you thankful to see the two collaborating once again?

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Amazon’s new Fire TV stick comes with an Alexa remote https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/jon-martindale/amazons-new-fire-tv-stick-comes-with-an-alexa-remote/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/jon-martindale/amazons-new-fire-tv-stick-comes-with-an-alexa-remote/#respond Tue, 21 Feb 2017 08:50:49 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=322436 Voice commands for televisions are now smarter than ever and hardly expensive, with Amazon debuting the first of its Fire TV sticks to support its Alexa vocal assistive service. Priced at just £40, the sticks are now available to pre-order, with the first ones set to ship out in April this year. Amazon's Alexa platform, …

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Voice commands for televisions are now smarter than ever and hardly expensive, with Amazon debuting the first of its Fire TV sticks to support its Alexa vocal assistive service. Priced at just £40, the sticks are now available to pre-order, with the first ones set to ship out in April this year.

Amazon's Alexa platform, through hardware like the Echo and Echo Dot, was an ear-catching technology from 2016, capturing people's imaginations and finding some unique uses among early adopters. One area where it could see more regular use is with television commands. Instead of having to go through the laborious process of reaching for a remote, users could instead just tell the TV what they want it to do with the power of their voice.

Making efforts to appear open and unbiased in its recommendations, Amazon has stated that the Fire TV drive will still offer recommendations for third party services. If a user requests to watch a show that happens to be on Amazon's Prime Video service and Netflix, it will recommend both. It wants to partner up with the likes of BBC, ITV and Channel 4 for better recommendations for users, it claims (via the Guardian).

On top of the new Alexa support, Amazon's new-generation Fire TV stick is said to work around 30 per cent faster than its predecessor, and features a cleaner, updated user interface to make navigation easier and faster.

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KitGuru Says: This Fire TV stick will be the cheapest way to gain access to Amazon's Alexa assistant system. Have any of you been playing around with the Echo or Dot? I'm not sure how much I like the idea of an open microphone transmitting to U.S. servers in my home. 

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Google is planning an Android TV https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/google-is-planning-an-android-tv/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/matthew-wilson/google-is-planning-an-android-tv/#respond Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:56:36 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=186276 Google is reportedly planning to release an Android TV, the new service will go head to head against Amazon's recently launched Fire TV as well as the rumoured revamped Apple TV. However, this isn't Google's first time releasing a TV service, previously the company released Google TV but it failed to really take off but …

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Google is reportedly planning to release an Android TV, the new service will go head to head against Amazon's recently launched Fire TV as well as the rumoured revamped Apple TV. However, this isn't Google's first time releasing a TV service, previously the company released Google TV but it failed to really take off but now the company is ready to try again.

One of the biggest problems with Google TV was that there was very little Android integration so it didn't really fit in to the ecosystem the company had set up. According to The Verge, this time the Internet giant is going to do things right with a revamped service based on its mobile operating system.

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The Verge obtained exclusive documents describing Android TV as an “entertainment interface”: “Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform,” writes Google. “It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction.” It will be “cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast.”

Much like the FireTV, the Android TV will include game support and you'll be able to buy an optional controller, that said, with this being Android based, you will likely be able to use any bluetooth controller which keeps your options open.

KitGuru Says: We don't have all the details yet but an announcement will probably come soon. The pictures look good but it will be interesting to see what this means for the Chromecast, which only just arrived in the UK last month. 

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Amazon’s Fire TV isn’t guaranteed a UK release https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazons-fire-tv-isnt-guaranteed-a-uk-release/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/amazons-fire-tv-isnt-guaranteed-a-uk-release/#respond Thu, 03 Apr 2014 10:56:44 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=185669 Amazon's recently revealed set top box, the Fire TV, might not make it outside of the United States as the company currently has no plans to release in other countries. Selling a streaming device is never easy as licensing agreements need to be made with copyright holders in order to offer a decent service, which …

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Amazon's recently revealed set top box, the Fire TV, might not make it outside of the United States as the company currently has no plans to release in other countries. Selling a streaming device is never easy as licensing agreements need to be made with copyright holders in order to offer a decent service, which is often difficult when trying to deliver content outside of the US.

Speaking to CVG, an Amazon rep said: “Fire TV is not available outside the US at this time and we're not able to speculate on future plans.” The box has several big name streaming apps lined up for its release in the US, including Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime Video but it's likely that Amazon wasn't able to work out deals to bring a similar level of service to the UK, despite having just launched Amazon Prime Video in the country.

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That said, the Fire TV may wind up here by the end of the year or maybe even next year, the Google Chromecast released 9 months ago in the US and only just managed to reach the UK. Netflix had a similar story, the streaming service was popular in the US for years before venturing to other territories.

KitGuru Says: I think Amazon's set top box will wind up here eventually but it may take a while. The Amazon Prime instant video service isn't quite up to par yet so hopefully by the time it does arrive, we will have a much better selection of films and TV series. 

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Amazon unveils Fire TV: easiest way to enjoy movies, games and music https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/amazon-unveils-fire-tv-set-top-box-easiest-way-to-enjoy-movies-games-and-music/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/amazon-unveils-fire-tv-set-top-box-easiest-way-to-enjoy-movies-games-and-music/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2014 18:51:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=185533 Amazon on Wednesday introduced its first set-top-box, the Amazon Fire TV. The new STB combines powerful hardware with one of the world’s richest collections of digital content and video games. The STB supports an external gamepad controller to make it more appealing to gamers. The novelty will cost $99 in the U.S. (the U.K. price …

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Amazon on Wednesday introduced its first set-top-box, the Amazon Fire TV. The new STB combines powerful hardware with one of the world’s richest collections of digital content and video games. The STB supports an external gamepad controller to make it more appealing to gamers. The novelty will cost $99 in the U.S. (the U.K. price is unknown) and in many ways it will redefine what customers expect from STBs.

Amazon Fire TV is based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 8064 application processor (four Qualcomm Krait 300 cores at 1.70GHz, Qualcomm Adreno 320 graphics engine, LPDDR2 memory controller, etc.) and is equipped with 2GB LPDDR2 RAM, 8GB solid-state storage, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n (dual-band, dual-antenna), Bluetooth 4.0 and so on. The set-top-box features one HDMI 1.4b output w/HDCP, optical audio (TOSLINK) 10/100Mb/s Ethernet as well as USB 2.0 Type A connectors. The Fire TV comes with a simplistic remote controller with voice search capability.

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The Fire TV STB supports video content in such formats as H.263, H.264, MPEG4-SP and VC-1 as well as multi-channel audio in Dolby Digital Plus, AAC, AC-3, E-AC-3, HE-A, PCM and MP3 formats. The set-top-box can output video in 720p and 1080p resolutions at up to 60fps.

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Fire TV runs the latest version of Fire OS “Mojito,” which is based on Google Android, so it’s simple for developers to port their services and games over to Fire TV. Customers can use Fire TV with their Kindle Fire-series media tablets to view content and apps on larger screen (some of the cross tablet-STB functionality will be compatible with Apple iPad and some other smartphones and slates).

Fire TV comes with instant access to all of the most popular subscription video services, including Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, VEVO, SHOWTIME, Crackle, YouTube, and more, with additional services like WWE Network, MLB.TV, Watch Disney Channel, Watch ABC, and Twitch coming soon. In addition, Fire TV is seamlessly integrated with Prime Instant Video, Amazon’s subscription streaming service. With tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes. With Fire TV, users can listen to music from popular streaming services like Pandora, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and watch music videos from Vevo.

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Unlike other set-top-boxes, Amazon Fire TV not only supports video and music services, but also has proper support for video games. The unit not only comes with advanced Adreno 320 graphics engine, but is compatible with Amazon Fire game controller (a wireless Bluetooth game controller with up to 55 hours of battery life) that has one D-pad, two analogue sticks, shoulder buttons, analogue buttons, media controls and so on. The controller costs $39.99 in the U.S.

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Amazon worked with game developers like EA, Disney, Gameloft, Ubisoft, Telltale, Mojang, 2K, and Sega to bring their games to Fire TV. Games available starting today over 100 games are available and optimized for Fire TV, with thousands of additional games coming next month with the Fire TV app, which brings controls for touch-enabled games. The average price of paid games is $1.85, but there will be titles cheaper than that as well as free games.

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The Amazon Fire TV will cost $99 and will compete against Apple TV, Roku and other set-top-boxes in the U.S. The European plans concerning the Fire TV services are presently unknown, just like the prices of the set-top-box in Europe and the U.K.

KitGuru Says: Amazon Fire TV looks rather good on paper. It supports multitude of services, has proper support for video games and applications. It also comes with full-HD video support and proper multi-channel audio support (still, DTS support could be a good addition to Dolby Digital Plus). Finally, its price is no higher compared to its rivals, but it has significantly more advanced application processor and thus should support more sophisticated apps and provide better experience overall.

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