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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.

4 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Is it free software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Or user-subjugating software?

  2. no sale by frovingslosh · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The same price as a Roku 3 or Apple TV, but it it "tied to membership in Amazon Prime" (Which just increased its yearly price). No thanks. Even if Amazon hadn't started charging sales tax in my state I wouldn't buy into this.

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  3. A couple of limitations... by Ichijo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    1. The scroll wheel beats both Chromecast's software slider and Roku's remote, but it's still no substitute for proper chapter stop buttons.

    2. No H.265 support means this model of FireTV will become obsolete later this year.

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  4. International? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Apart from Netflix, which is already available on a lot of devices, is there any point in buying a Fire TV in other countries? Even Canada doesn't get things like Hulu or Amazon Streaming.

    I don't think the Fire TV will sell at all outside of the USA.

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