Amazon not only produces series for television, but also television series. Three of them can now be pre-ordered in Europe.
A first glance at the data sheets reveals: Amazon doesn’t want to compete with the top dogs. But what exactly can the TVs do and are they still a good offer? We take a closer look at them.
Fire TV Omni-QLED Series: The Spearhead
The Fire TV Omni-QLED series is right at the top – and there are quite a few features under the hood:
- Display: LCD mit Quantum Dots
- Inch Sizes: 43, 50, 55, 65
- Resolution: UHD
- HDR-Modi: HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+ Adaptive and Gaming
- Backlight: Full array local dimming (depending on size)
- Voice control: Alexa
- Connections: 3x HDMI 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.1
That’s right: full array local dimming, i.e. dimming zones that control the backlighting, are not available in all sizes. Amazon speaks of up to 80 areas
more is of course better.
Ambient TV emulates Samsung’s The Frame
If you are not streaming films or series, the television should not just be standing around in the living room. Similar to Samsung’s The Frame, the Fire TV turns into a smart display and recognizes when a person enters the room.
By the way, Samsung’s The Frame is at Alana’s home. You can read what she thinks about it here:
The heart should be the Alexa widgets. Calendar and reminders, sticky notes, information about the weather or the camera of the Ring doorbell: all of this can be displayed on the screen – and of course controlled by voice.
Photos, moving backgrounds and works of art are intended to enrich the living room. And create knowledge, because Alexa can answer questions about the images shown. Dynamic art will be added throughout the year, adapting to the weather, temperature and time of day.
Just an Alexa with a screen?
If you look at the specs, you might think so. Amazon primarily markets the Fire TV Omni-QLED television as an extension of Alexa. Sure, picture quality and home cinema don’t fall behind, but they’re not a core element either.
The Alexa widgets are definitely nice, but not a unique selling point. Every newer TV these days is smart and can be operated with voice or integrated into existing smart home networks. Many operating systems even have dedicated dashboards for it.
In terms of price, Amazon’s top device is in the lower midfield:
- 43 inches: 600 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 400 dollars)
- 50 inches: 700 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 480 dollars)
- 55 inches: 800 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 550 dollars)
- 65 inches: 1,000 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 800 dollars)
Fire TV 4 series: Mid-range for home cinema
With the Fire TV 4 series, Amazon has cut out. No QLED, no local dimming, no ambient TV and no voice control without first having to press the remote control. Of the HDR modes, only HDR10 and HLG remain.
The slimmed-down version is intended to clearly appeal to price-conscious purists and this is reflected in the costs accordingly:
- 43 inches: 500 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 350 dollars)
- 50 inches: 600 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 400 dollars)
- 55 inches: 700 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 450 dollars)
Fire TV 2 Series: The little one for the bedroom
The cheapest version of the television comes in Full HD and 32 and 40 inches. The smaller version supports 720p HD resolution, the larger up to 1080p. Otherwise, the data remains the same as with the Fire TV 4 series: trimmed HDR, no ambient TV, voice control at the push of a button.
This is clearly noticeable in the price:
- 43 inches: 280 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 190 dollars)
- 50 inches: 350 dollars RRP (offer until April 11: 250 dollars)
For whom are the Amazon TVs worthwhile?
One thing is clear from the start: Amazon doesn’t want to appeal to cineastes at all. Display technology is not an issue and Full Array Local Dimming is more for marketing. Functions over quality.
If Alexa has already moved into your home anyway, the Fire TV Omni-QLED TV might be worth a look. As a central hub for smart functions, the TV definitely works, Watching movies would run alongside. The Fire TV-4, on the other hand, reads like a proper mid-range TV.
If you value picture quality and a cinema feeling, you will choose a more expensive device from a proven electronics manufacturer.
Not sure which size is right for you? We will help you and explain all inch sizes in a table. If you want to know where the difference between LED and QLED is, take a look at our guide.
Amazon makes its televisions available in Europey. Are you interested? Do you think the shipping giant has anything worth adding to the TV landscape here? Does one of the models appeal to you in particular? Or do you prefer to use a more expensive OLED in home cinema? Discuss your home cinema setup in the comments.
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