Amazon announces Amazon FireTV set-top box

[Poke]

Get your FireTV..

http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/2/5573818/amazon-announces-fire-tv

 

[meStevo]

Looks pretty nice, also looks like our last Roku's days are numbered - it is only used for Amazon Instant Video.

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Ronnie-]

No HBO Go or Vudu support yet. Wonder if it will get the TV network streaming apps?

 

[dfergie]

Much like the Kindle Fire, the FireTV offers access to Amazon's Prime Instant Video service, which offers more than 200,000 titles to stream and rent to people who pay the $99 annual subscription fee. Amazon is bolstering the content on the device with its new slate of original programming, announced Monday.
The Fire features apps for streaming services including Hulu, Netflix and Crackle. Television networks such as ESPN and Showtime also have apps.

hollywoodreporter.com

 

[Ronnie-]

I wonder about TV apps such as ABC, FOX, NBC, ect. They have free android streaming apps, seems like amazon could make those work with this. Been waiting on chromecast support for them since launch.

 

[Ronnie-]

Anyone going to pick one up? The near instant load times for the streaming is intriguing to me. I dont really NEED one, as I have multiple streaming solutions, but.......this does have potential.

 

[king3pj]

This does look like a very nice little box. It looks like it is currently missing support for MLB.tv and HBO Go. Those two services are probably my most used streaming options outside of Netflix. During the summer MLB.tv easily passes Netflix as my most used streaming services. In order for the FireTV to replace the Apple TV3 as my main streaming device they will have to be added.

I'm sure they will gain support for MLB.tv and HBO Go as well as just about every other streaming service soon though. Amazon is a behemoth and MLB.tv is on just about everything. I'm happy with the Apple TV so I don't see myself replacing it any time soon. The Roku 2XD in my bedroom is starting to show it's age though. I was starting to look at replacement Rokus but maybe I will end up with a FireTV in that room instead.

 

[Ronnie-]

HBO GO is already announced.


Edit:
MLB.TV is supported at launch

http://time.com/46815/firetv-amazon-television-set-top-box-revealed/

As with Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets, the software is partly based on Android, but it also uses HTML to support easy porting of apps from other television platforms. Apps for Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, WatchESPN, MLB.tv, NBA, Crackle, Bloomberg TV and others will be supported at launch,

 

[Ronnie-]

Ordered. Had been looking at another Roku anyway, and I like the potential that this has being android based (chromecast has dropped the ball IMO).

 

[concord]

Looks ok, but don't have a need at this time... maybe wait to pick up a refurb one in the future. In the mean time, let's see if someone can jailbreak it....would make a nice XBMC unit.

 

[mike123abc]

Interesting they launched with Showtime Anytime but HBO GO is coming soon....

 

[king3pj]

HBO GO is already announced.


Edit:
MLB.TV is supported at launch

http://time.com/46815/firetv-amazon-television-set-top-box-revealed/

I stand corrected. They didn't have the MLB.tv icon with the rest of them of their store page so I assumed they didn't have it.

 

[Tampa8]

Seems to have most of what I use except Vudu and Slingbox, which is used alot. (All my movies work with it on Android as well, the only service that does) So for now WD player or Roku is more of what I need. Looks promising however.

 

[Ronnie-]

Seems to have most of what I use except Vudu, which is used alot. (All my movies work with it on Android as well, the only service that does)

I use either VUDU or Amazon for most of our PPV movies. I can do with one or the other but prefer to have both on one device.

 

[Poke]

Gary Busey likes talking to things, especially his Amazon Fire TV

He likes to talk for sure.

http://www.androidcentral.com/gary-busey-likes-talking-things-especially-his-amazon-fire-tv

 

[Poke]

Not a bad price and looks like it's the best box by far out there better than Apple TV and Roku so forth they have a good comparison chart. This would be perfect for my kids room since it will let you create profiles and control what they can do..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CX5P8FC/?tag=satell01-20

 

[bhelms]

Since I have become a fan of Amazon on-demand movies ("free" with Prime) I was planning to get a Roku 3.0 to deliver it better than my laptop, which lacks DD 5.1 surround sound support. Does anyone know off-hand if the FireTV has that support? I'll be connecting it directly to my receiver via HDMI only. If not, I'll just stick with my LT for the moment. But otherwise, I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on one. I promised myself not to be an "early adopter" anymore, but for $100, what's the risk ?? I guess I'm "sold" on Amazon these days even with the recent 25% Prime price increase (for me, not until Nov.) So why not keep it all in the family ?!?

 

[Ronnie-]

Since I have become a fan of Amazon on-demand movies ("free" with Prime) I was planning to get a Roku 3.0 to deliver it better than my laptop, which lacks DD 5.1 surround sound support. Does anyone know off-hand if the FireTV has that support? I'll be connecting it directly to my receiver via HDMI only. If not, I'll just stick with my LT for the moment. But otherwise, I think I'm ready to pull the trigger on one. I promised myself not to be an "early adopter" anymore, but for $100, what's the risk ?? I guess I'm "sold" on Amazon these days even with the recent 25% Prime price increase (for me, not until Nov.) So why not keep it all in the family ?!?

It does have dolby digital plus support, which it uses as an advantage over the Roku3 on the amazon web page.
I am not sure what the difference is between that and DD 5.1, or if they are the same, or one newer than the other.

Edit: from what little I have read, DD plus is one of the newer coding systems.

 

[John Kotches]

It does have dolby digital plus support, which it uses as an advantage over the Roku3 on the amazon web page.
I am not sure what the difference is between that and DD 5.1, or if they are the same, or one newer than the other.

Edit: from what little I have read, DD plus is one of the newer coding systems.

Among other things, more channels and higher bandwidth which means better results.

 

[Bruce]

It does have dolby digital plus support, which it uses as an advantage over the Roku3 on the amazon web page. I am not sure what the difference is between that and DD 5.1, or if they are the same, or one newer than the other. Edit: from what little I have read, DD plus is one of the newer coding systems.

I get Dolby Digital Plus on all my Rokus using Vudu and Netflix, also no Vudu no sale.