The Amazon event is still underway, but we now have another streaming set-top box to consider. We are talking about the Amazon Fire TV, which is a device that will attach to your television and allow you to stream from a few services. As one would expect, those services include Amazon Instant Video. Amazon is pushing a few things here, one of which is simplicity.
Also, in what came as a bit of an attack against the competition, Amazon addressed topics such as search, text input and laggy performance. To that point, the Amazon Fire TV has a quad-core processor, dedicated GPU and dual-band WiFi. The box also has 2GB of RAM which from what we’re being told, should keep things running smooth.
Again looking towards the competition, here it was said the Fire TV has 3 times more power. Amazon has the box connecting over HDMI, with support for 1080p and Dolby digital surround for sound. And for those who may have preferred a dongle over another box — the Amazon offering is less than a dime in terms of height. Also relatively small looking otherwise. A quick look at the interface shows easy access to everything from search and settings, to TV, Photos, Apps, Games and more. Of course, Amazon is also making use of the Watchlist.
Control comes in the form of a remote and voice. In addition to support for Amazon Instant Video, the Fire TV will also be able to stream Hulu Plus, Netflix, YouTube, and more. The support is what many were likely hoping to see, but we suspect the big push will be for Amazon Instant Video, which in turn connects back to Amazon Prime.
Lastly, as we learned yesterday, Amazon Instant Video will have an exclusive on all eight seasons of 24, as well as 24: Redemption, the TV movie based on the series. Amazon subscribers can also look forward to streaming 24: Live Another Day “later this year.” For clarification, 24: Live Another Day will be debut on May 5th by way of Fox.
[Update] The Amazon Fire TV is selling for $99 and available beginning today.
SOURCE: Amazon
