Amazon Fire TV: 4K player for beginners with new operating system

After the Fire TV model range has become somewhat quieter recently, Amazon has now presented four new devices at its hardware event in New York. A TV from its Fire TV Omni QLED series in 50, 55, 65 and 75 inches with prices starting at 700 Euro. One TV each from the "Fire TV 4" and "Fire TV 2" series (in 43, 50 and 55 inches starting at 500 Euro and in 32 and 40 inches starting at 279 Euro respectively) and a "Fire TV Stick 4K Select", which at a list price of 55 Euro is said to be the manufacturer's cheapest 4K streaming media player to date (with support for HDR10 and HDR10+) according to Amazon.

Amazon will use a new, self-developed Linux operating system called "Vega" on the Fire TV Stick 4K Select (as on upcoming smart displays in the Echo Show series). This information had already leaked to the public in advance, as Amazon had apparently placed a job advert looking for a chief engineer for the new system. The Fire TV sticks previously ran on the open source version of Android (AOSP). Amazon has created its own interface for this and offers its own app store.

Switch to its own Linux OS

According to Amazon, Vega combines "a responsive experience with efficiency". For example, apps now load faster. However, all services from the old system have not yet arrived on the new OS. For example, Xbox Gaming and the cloud gaming service Luna will be "available soon". According to Amazon, the stick supports "the streaming services that customers love". However, whether there are still some services missing that not everyone loves (or that are limited to one country or region of the world like RTL+) has not yet been answered.

Initial images of the interface suggest that users are otherwise unlikely to notice that Fire TV devices are now running a different operating system. The new stick can be pre-ordered from Amazon from Tuesday evening for 55 Euro and will be delivered from mid-October.

New televisions

According to Amazon, TV manufacturers have introduced more than 250 TVs with an integrated Fire TV experience this year alone. Amazon itself is adding the new Omni-QLED series, whose display is said to be 60 per cent brighter than that of previous models and has almost twice as many local dimming zones. Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive are also supported as dynamic HDR formats. Finally, an improved processor is expected to deliver a 40 per cent increase in speed.

The Omni-QLED series automatically adjusts the colour of the screen to the lighting in the room. Thanks to the integrated "Omnisense" technology, the Smart TV switches on as soon as customers enter the room and displays photos or artwork. When users leave the room again, the screen is switched off to save energy. Omnisense is also used for the interactive art function. If people move around the room, this has a direct influence on the display of the artwork on the TV. And if you want to watch a series or a film, you can ask Alexa to play it so that you don't have to reach for the remote control.

The new Fire TV 2 series delivers HD resolution, while the new Fire TV 4 series offers UHD. Both product series have ultra-thin frames and are 30 per cent faster than the previous models thanks to the new quad-core processor, according to the manufacturer. The Fire TV 2 and 4 series also support Omnisense technology for the first time. All newly introduced Fire TV smart TVs also offer Dialogue Boost, a function to increase the volume of voices without amplifying background noise.

There is no official release date for the TVs yet. Anyone interested in one of the new TVs can be notified when the desired model is available for pre-order.

The author was invited to the event in New York by Amazon. Amazon covered the travel expenses. (nij)