What is Amazon Fire TV? Price, hardware, software, and more

We all know the ways that companies name their products can be confusing, and Amazon is no exception here. Amazon Fire TV isn’t a TV, or at least, it isn’t only a TV. It’s the Amazon ecosystem for streaming devices and Smart TVs that all run on Fire OS. Amazon’s home entertainment HQ isn’t just streaming sticks or the Smart TVs, it’s the entire ecosystem from hardware all the way to the OS that powers everything.

Fire OS is the software that runs Amazon’s Fire TV and tablets. Fire TV streaming sticks and the Cube are small streaming devices that connect to your TV, and give you access to streaming content. Amazon Smart TVs have onboard access to Fire TV, letting them access everything the streaming sticks can, without needing any accessories to do it.

There’s plenty here to look at, so let’s dig in.

Is it a device or it is software?

It’s both! Amazon sells its own hardware that starts at $35 on the low end (Amazon Fire TV Stick HD) up to $140 for the latest flagship streamer (Fire TV Cube), with a number of models in between including stick style players that plug right into your TV. These streaming sticks are usable on any TV with an HDMI connection, but they’re perfect for folks who haven’t upgraded to a smart TV with its own internet connection.

Each Fire TV device comes with a remote, and the latest versions deliver voice control as well. They’re easy-to-use devices that let you navigate the onscreen menus, control streaming media, and find your next favorite watch. Along with streaming boxes, you can find soundbars and even Smart TVs that are part of the larger Fire TV ecosystem.

The software side of things comes in the form of Fire OS, which is what runs all of the streaming sticks, boxes, and TVs that are part of Fire TV.

Fire TV software

The original Fire TV software was released in 2011 and was based off the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) — it’s called Fire OS. Things have changed quite a bit since then though, as Amazon has continued to update and fine-tune its software. Fire OS feels a lot like the Amazon app blown up for the big screen, which isn’t surprising since it was originally used to run the different Fire tablets.

The home screen on Fire TV is pretty simple. You have a toolbar that has some saved locations, as well as the different streaming services you’ve added to your Fire TV. It includes My Stuff, Games, Find, Free, Home, and Live as the simple destinations.

My Stuff has your Amazon Prime Video watchlist and purchases or rentals. Games lets you access some Xbox games through Amazon Luna, the cloud-based gaming platform from Amazon, or Xbox Game Pass. Find is the search function, and it’s fairly robust allowing you to search specific categories to find exactly what you’re looking for. Free shows you a variety of options for free programs, including options from Pluto TV and live channels. The Home icon will bring you back to Fire TV home, where you can see what you were watching, as well as a variety of options for what to check out last. Finally, there is the Live icon, which will let you see what shows or channels have live content streaming right now.

It’s easy to add more apps to Fire TV as well, and there are plenty to choose from, making it easy to turn Fire TV into your entertainment hub. You’ll regularly find deals to entice you into trying new services at a bargain, along with options for channels you haven’t subscribed to yet. This means when scrolling through tiles of shows and movies, it’s worth paying attention to ensure you can actually access it without needing to add a new subscription service to your life.

There are also plenty of options when it comes to Fire TV. By selecting your profile image, you can see just about everything. This include tweaking options like your network, display and sounds, applications, controllers, accessibility, preferences, and more. If something isn’t working right, this is the section for troubleshooting it.

Streaming devices

Now that you know what Fire TV is and how it works, it’s time to take a better look at the devices available. There are two basic types of streaming devices for Fire TV: Fire TV Sticks and the Fire Cube. All of them are more commonly referred to as streaming sticks, or set-top boxes, which plug directly into the HDMI port of your TV.

The streaming sticks will easily fit into the palm of your hand, while the Fire TV Cube measures at about 3 by 3 inches, making both options small and fairly discrete in your home. The design is pared down too, with matte black plastic featuring the Fire TV logo on one side. The Fire Sticks only have the HDMI plug, although they do come with an HDMI extender if the cord doesn’t quite reach to your outlet. Meanwhile, the Fire TV Cube features both an HDMI input and output, power port, IR extender port, Ethernet port, and a USB-A port.

When it comes to the Fire TV Cube, there is only one version, making it easy to snag without thinking about. Choosing between the three different Fire TV streaming sticks can be a little bit more complicated, but it really comes down to the features that you want the most. The basic Fire TV HD stick delivers HD picture quality and Dolby encoded audio, along with access to Amazon Luna. However, if you go up to the Fire Stick 4K, you get access to 4K video, Dolby Atmos audio, and access to Xbox Game Pass. The Fire Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube build on these features, delivering enhanced voice remotes, more storage, and better Wi-Fi support.

To make figuring out which Fire TV streaming device is right for you, we’ve laid out the details for you below.

Smart TVs

Smart TVs that are part of the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem exist, and they deliver all the goods of Fire TV without needing any additional accessories in order to start watching. Amazon’s Fire TV series has five different models: the 2-Series, 4-Series, Omni-Series, Omni QLED Series, and the Omni mini-LED Series TVs.

The 2-Series Smart TVs are Amazon’s entry-level option. They’re affordable, come in 32-inch and 40-inch models, and have Alexa for hands-free control. The downside of the 2-Series is the lack of any 4K, and a weaker display compared to the other smart TVs available with Fire TV. The 4-Series line of smart TVs is a step up, delivering larger sizes and 4K resolution at a price point that isn’t outrageous.

The Omni Series is actually three different series of TVs: the Omni, Omni QLED Series, and Omni mini-LED Series. The Omni series TVs are solidly the middle of the pack, expanding the screen size up to 75 inches, and including Dolby Vision on the largest sizes giving a true “home theater” experience.

The Omni QLED series is a solid mid-tier TV that beautifully integrates the Fire TV experience, and adds two more HDMI ports and an upgraded screen. Amazon’s flagship Fire TV is the Omni mini-LED series that stretches the screen all the way up to 85 inches, features a 144Hz refresh rate on the screen, and built-in Dolby Atmos audio.

To decide which Fire TV Series is right for you, we’ve laid the details out for you below:

Fire TV soundbar

Fire TV is built to be the nerve center of your home theater experience, which is where the Fire TV Soundbar and Fire TV Soundbar Plus come in. While both of the soundbars have the Fire TV name, they’re not actually Fire TV-enabled.

So why do they have the Fire TV name? The Fire TV soundbars all connect to the Smart TVs in the Fire TV ecosystem, and they can be connected to your Fire TV remote. This means that you can get better sound quality than your Smart TV provides alone (as does adding any great soundbar), and control the volume all from the same remote that already controls Fire TV.

The original Fire TV soundbar is a solid budget option without being stellar. It lacks any HDMI ports, and is a two-driver, two-channel soundbar that delivers admirable sound for a single speaker. However, Amazon is getting serious about home theater, with the new Fire TV Soundbar Plus. It delivers Dolby Atmos DTS:X, a 3.1 channel layout, and a variety of accessories. It still doesn’t have Fire TV by itself, but once again this soundbar can be controlled with your Fire TV remote if it’s connected to a Smart TV.