We all sleep with the ways that company name their products can be confusing , and Amazon is no elision here . Amazon Fire TV is n’t a television set , or at least , it isn’tonlya TV . It ’s the Amazon ecosystem forstreaming devicesand Smart TVs that all run on Fire OS . Amazon ’s home amusement HQ is n’t juststreaming sticksor the Smart TVs , it ’s the intact ecosystem from ironware all the agency to the OS that powers everything .

attack OS is the package that runs Amazon ’s Fire TV and tablets . Fire TV streaming sticks and the Cube are small streaming devices that connect to your television , and give you access to teem content . Amazon Smart tv set have onboard access code to Fire television set , letting them access everything the streaming stick can , without require 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 sell its own computer hardware that starts at $ 35 on the humiliated end ( Amazon Fire TV Stick HD ) up to $ 140 for the latest flagship pennant ( Fire TV Cube ) , with a number of models in between including stick vogue players that stop up the right way into your idiot box . These streaming joint are usable on any TV with anHDMI joining , but they ’re arrant for folk who have n’t raise to asmart TVwith its own cyberspace connection .

Each Fire TV devicecomes with a remote , and the late versions deliver interpreter control as well . They ’re easy - to - use devices that permit you voyage the onscreen menus , control streaming medium , and find out your next favorite watch . Along with rain buckets box , you’re able to come up soundbars and even Smart TVs that are part of the larger Fire TV ecosystem .

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

Fire TV software

The original Fire TV software program was unblock in 2011 and was based off the Android Open Source Project ( AOSP ) — it ’s called Fire O . Things have change quite a fleck since then though , as Amazon has continued to update and ok - tune its software . attack OS experience a lot like the Amazon app blown up for the crowing screen , which is n’t surprising since it was originally used to execute the different Fire tablet .

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

My Stuff has yourAmazon Prime Videowatchlist and purchases or rentals . game lets you get at some Xbox games throughAmazon Luna , the cloud - base play platform from Amazon , or Xbox Game Pass . Find is the search purpose , and it ’s fairly robust allowing you to research specific categories to find exactly what you ’re see for . gratis shows you a mixture of options for free programme , including option from Pluto TV and springy channel . The Home picture will convey you back to Fire goggle box home , where you’re able to see what you were take in , as well as a potpourri of option for what to check out last . in the end , there is the Live icon , which will let you see what show or channels have live substance cyclosis right now .

There are also plenty of selection when it comes to Fire TV . By selecting your visibility image , you may see just about everything . This admit tweaking choice like your web , display and sound , lotion , accountant , availableness , predilection , and more . If something is n’t working right , this is the department for troubleshooting it .

Streaming devices

Now that you know what Fire tv set is and how it works , it ’s prison term to take a good look at the machine usable . There are two introductory types of cyclosis devices for Fire TV : Fire video Sticks and the Fire Cube . All of them are more normally referred to as cyclosis control stick , or set - top boxes , which plug directly into the HDMI port of your video .

The streaming sticks will easily fit into the palm of your hand , while theFire TV Cubemeasures at about 3 by 3 inches , making both selection small and fairly discrete in your home . The conception is whittle down too , with matte bootleg plastic featuring the Fire television set logo on one side . The Fire Sticks only have the HDMI plug , although they do add up with an HDMI extender if the corduroy does n’t quite accomplish to your outlet . Meanwhile , the Fire TV Cube features both an HDMI input signal and end product , power larboard , IR extender porthole , 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 cerebrate about . Choosing between the three different Fire TV cyclosis sticks can be a petty bit more complicated , but it really comes down to the features that you require the most . The basic Fire television HD stick delivers HD painting lineament and Dolby encoded audio , along with access to Amazon Luna . However , if you go up to the Fire Stick 4 K , you get admission to 4 K video , Dolby Atmos audio , and access to Xbox Game Pass . The Fire Stick 4 K Max and Fire TV Cube build on these feature , give up enhanced voice remotes , more storage , and better Wi - Fi documentation .

To make project out which Fire video streaming machine is right for you , we ’ve lay out the details for you below .

Smart TVs

Smart video that are part of the Amazon Fire TV ecosystem exist , and they deliver all the commodity of Fire TV without needing any extra add-on in society to start watching . Amazon ’s Fire TV series has five dissimilar model : the 2 - Series , 4 - Series , Omni - Series , Omni QLED Series , and the Omnimini - LEDSeries TVs .

The 2 - serial Smart television receiver are Amazon ’s unveiling - level choice . They ’re affordable , come in 32 - inch and 40 - inch models , and have Alexa for hands - free ascendence . The downside of the 2 - Series is the want of any 4 K , and a weaker video display compare to the other impertinent tv set uncommitted with Fire TV . The 4 - serial agate line of smart telly is a step up , delivering prominent sizes and 4 K resoluteness at a price point that is n’t unconscionable .

The Omni Series is really three dissimilar serial of TVs : the Omni , Omni QLED Series , andOmni mini - LED Series . The Omni serial publication video are solidly the midriff of the face pack , expanding the concealment sizing up to 75 inches , and include Dolby Vision on the largest sizing sacrifice a true “ nursing home theater ” experience .

The Omni QLED serial is a solid mid - level telly that attractively desegregate the Fire TV experience , and adds two more HDMI ports and an upgraded covert . Amazon ’s flagship Fire TV is the Omni mini - leave series that dilute the screen all the way up to 85 in , features a 144Hz refresh rate on the CRT screen , and built - in Dolby Atmos sound .

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

Fire TV soundbar

Fire TV is ramp up to be the face center of your home theater experience , which is where theFire TV Soundbarand Fire TV Soundbar Plus do in . While both of the soundbars have the Fire TV name , they ’re not actually Fire boob tube - enabled .

So why do they have the Fire television set name ? The Fire telly soundbars all link up to the Smart TVs in the Fire TV ecosystem , and they can be connected to your Fire idiot box remote . This think of that you’re able to get better sound quality than your Smart TV provides alone ( as does addingany big soundbar ) , and control the loudness all from the same remote that already check Fire TV .

The original Fire TV soundbar is a solid budget selection without being starring . It lacks any HDMI ports , and is a two - driver , two - channel soundbar that delivers admirable auditory sensation for a individual talker . However , Amazon isgetting serious about home theatre , with the new Fire TV Soundbar Plus . It deliversDolby AtmosDTS :X , a 3.1 channel layout , and a mixture of accessories . It still does n’t have Fire television by itself , but once again this soundbar can be controlled with your Fire TV remote control if it ’s connected to a Smart TV .