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Amazon Launches Android-Powered 'Fire TV' For Streaming and Gaming

Posted by Soulskill on from the bookstores-sure-sell-a-lot-of-stuff-these-days dept.

Today Amazon launched 'Fire TV,' a new video streaming box designed to compete with devices like the Roku and Apple TV. The Fire TV runs Android on a quad-core Qualcomm 1.7 GHz processor with 8GB of internal storage and 2GB of RAM. It supports 1080p video output at 60fps and measures 4.5" x 4.5" x 0.7". The Fire TV is also explicitly designed to support gaming, and Amazon has concurrently launched their own game controller. The Fire TV's remote control includes a microphone and a button that lets you search TV show and movies by voice.

3 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. The name is logical at least by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    Kindle Fire is a tablet that extends the Kindle e-reader line and runs Fire OS, Amazon's fork of Android OS. Fire TV is a set-top box for watching TV that runs Fire OS. I don't see how it's that bad of a name.

  2. Re:A couple of limitations... by Ichijo · · Score: 3, Informative

    While H.265 is practically required for 2160p/4k video because it uses about half the bandwidth of H.264, Netflix for example will also save a lot of money in bandwidth costs by converting its library of HD and SD video to H.265.

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  3. Re:Can it play remote iTunes libraries? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 3, Informative

    Apple doesn't let anyone else stream? That must explain why I can stream from Apple, Netflix, Crackle, Crunchyroll, Vimeo, Youtube, etc.

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