Amazon Fire TV and Game Controller available right now $99/$39

Bought the Fire TV for the hell of it. The controller I'll wait on cause I think you should be able to use a PS3/4 controller with it since it's Android based obviously.

 
How limited will this set become if you don't have amazon prime? Its going up to $100 a year, and I'm not sure I want to continue it when it does.
 
Lubu said:
How limited will this set become if you don't have amazon prime? Its going up to $100 a year, and I'm not sure I want to continue it when it does.
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I was wondering the same thing. I have a Netflix subscription already, I don't think I want to do prime as well...

 
Why couldn't they have released this before Prime went up? I'd guess that they tried to but just couldn't for whatever reason. They would have had more sales for this if they did.

 
I don't see how Prime would limit this box at all, except for the obvious fact that you can't use Prime Instant Streaming on it.  Am I missing something?

 
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I want one, but I don't know why.  I already have a PS4/XBOX ONE, so I have the Amazon Prime app already.  The only benefit is I could play Android games on my TV....whoopee.  The Kids FREETIME could be interesting for my kids.

 
This will likely do well because it's tied to Amazon and its expansive ecosystem. The HBO GO omission is a big deal, though. As well as no mention of local playback/network share (guessing these won't be an option). I guess this is to usher in the folks who haven't previously been aware of roku, apple etc.

 
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doubledown said:
The only benefit is I could play Android games on my TV....whoopee. The Kids FREETIME could be interesting for my kids.
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Ohhhh, that is true. I completely overlooked that they're angling this as a mini-gaming device as well. Ehh, I'm a little skeptical since games typically run like shit on these set top devices. The specs on this are considerably better than anything we've seen, though.

 
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According to people on GAF the 360 controller works with this (wired).

Can you re-download your games you bought on the fire to this? This needs to be answered. 

I think the controller and system for $140 is a deal breaker for quite a few people. But It's still better then the Ouya.

 
Monsta Mack said:
According to people on GAF the 360 controller works with this (wired).

Can you re-download your games you bought on the fire to this? This needs to be answered.

I think the controller and system for $140 is a deal breaker for quite a few people. But It's still better then the Ouya.
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I don't know if Fire TV has it's own app eco system seperate from the amazon app eco system. I'll let you know tomorrow.

 
I got enough things that let me use Netflix in my house and do I really need Android games when I have a ton of games to play on regular systems? No I don't.

 
I bet this will sell really well, it improves upon the Ouya except it has a strong company behind it, and it has access to Amazon's vast services and marketplace. Price doesn't seem that bad either it'll be popular for people wanting to play games like Minecraft on it.

On another note I thought it was funny with all of the shots they took at Microsoft, they really hit them hard.

 
joshnorm said:
With he exception of android based games what makes this a better option then the Roku?
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From what I can see the only real thing is the certified Dolby Digital Plus surround sound, and is probably a little faster. For me the tv my Roku is on doesnt have surround sound and I think its fast enough. No need to get this.

 
So this can only play Android games, like Ouya? If so, what makes this any better? And if there's the promise of streaming PC games, wouldn't you rather wait to see how it manifests itself in reality with Playstation Now, etc? I'm just wondering why, now, this would benefit anyone. Just seems like another "me too" set top box to me.
 
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I'm wondering if this controller will work with anything else...Windows, RT, iOS, real Android, etc...

The controller actually looks nice and I'd use it with one of those, but I have no particular need for a butchered version of Android on a streaming thignee.

I do think Sony needs to hurry up and get VitaTV out in the U.S. It's their version of this, only it's also AN ACTUAL GAME SYSTEM.

Also even though Vita's now 2 years old, it STILL has a better GPU, and that's even before you consider that Vita allows you to code closer to the metal AND has dedicated video RAM.

tylerh1701 said:
Screw PS4, I'm just gonna buy 4 of these!
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Hell yeah!

 
Also I know with the kindle fire tablet you can only download amazon store apps but not google play apps without rooting it so I wonder if this tv going to be the same way with the android games meaning the only android games you can get will be amazon store ones? If that the case then the android games will be extremely extremely limited compared to what games google play has
 
Since I won't share any of the 5 consoles in my lair basement with my girlfriend who does most of her TV watching in the living room..I decided to pick one of these up for her so she can stream to her hearts content.

...and I bought a controller just because :p (because you get $10 credit and whatever 3rd person tower defense game that's exclusive to FireTV for free).

I'll post my reactions during the weekend after we get it and take everything for a spin.

 
I'm not even sure why amazon is doing this. Sure they have money to throw around, but this just seems late to the party. There are multiple options out there already, I wish they would have come up with something completely different rather than imitating other products.

 
Seems like a nice streamer, but it really doesn't have anything unique that makes it particularly interesting to me. It currently cannot replace my Roku 2 because it is too limited on channels and I'm pretty much over android consoles. If nothing else, it's a nice preview of what to expect out of the Roku 4.
 
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TwistedShade said:
On another note I thought it was funny with all of the shots they took at Microsoft, they really hit them hard.
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What shots did they take at Microsoft? I didn't notice any.

UcanSUKtheFAC said:
So this can only play Android games, like Ouya? If so, what makes this any better? And if there's the promise of streaming PC games, wouldn't you rather wait to see how it manifests itself in reality with Playstation Now, etc? I'm just wondering why, now, this would benefit anyone. Just seems like another "me too" set top box to me.
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It's even worse than that. Amazon's Android games are usually outdated versions from Google Play, the official appstore for Android apps. I don't think it'll be a big deal for Joe Schmoe, who seems to be the target demographic, though. And if the Fire TV store is indeed the same as the Amazon Appstore, then you'll be getting a lot of content for free since they have a free app-of-the-day daily and sometimes even more.

MooseTheCorgi said:
I'm not even sure why amazon is doing this. Sure they have money to throw around, but this just seems late to the party. There are multiple options out there already, I wish they would have come up with something completely different rather than imitating other products.
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You're underestimating how many people Amazon can target this to. Pretty much everyone that has a credit card has an Amazon account. If even 1% of that group buy this product, it'll be a huge hit. And Amazon seems primed for it - they recently just greenlighted a bunch of original television shows and bought Double Helix, the devs behind Killer Instinct and the Strider remake.

 
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Do not need another app player.   Between the game consoles, apple TV, built in TV apps, HTPC, i have plenty of devices.   The market is saturated with these devices.  

 
whitereflection said:
What shots did they take at Microsoft? I didn't notice any.

It's even worse than that. Amazon's Android games are usually outdated versions from Google Play, the official appstore for Android apps. I don't think it'll be a big deal for Joe Schmoe, who seems to be the target demographic, though. And if the Fire TV store is indeed the same as the Amazon Appstore, then you'll be getting a lot of content for free since they have a free app-of-the-day daily and sometimes even more.

You're underestimating how many people Amazon can target this to. Pretty much everyone that has a credit card has an Amazon account. If even 1% of that group buy this product, it'll be a huge hit. And Amazon seems primed for it - they recently just greenlighted a bunch of original television shows and bought Double Helix, the devs behind Killer Instinct and the Strider remake.
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I might be mistaken but I read it on a site so I'm making it real.

In one instance they talked about how you need to pay $60 Xbox Live JUST to use Netflix, and how nobody wants to pay to use a service they're already paying for.

In another instance when they were showing of the Remote with a microphone built in they mentioned how easy it is to use, and how it's better than shouting across the room at your TV with is irritating.

 
I'm not sure if this belongs in Game Deals. It seems like it should be in game general discussion instead. It's the original retail price, so it doesn't really qualify as a deal.

As far as the product itself, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The price tag and specs are quite competitive as far as streaming set top boxes go. This is definitely a better product than the current Apple TV or Roku. Also, Amazon's existing infrastructure for content and back-end servers is going to give them a pretty big edge. The big question mark is how much demand there currently is for this kind of product.

I personally think this could have some real potential for game development. The specs aren't nearly as high as some home consoles. But the Android-based OS is going to allow for much easier and open development. Amazon is going to allow a lot more experimental and small-scale teams to try out different things with this box. The built-in microphone and voice recognition also opens up some possibilities.

 
I'm excited to get one almost solely for the fact that it will run Plex and I imagine fairly well considering it's a powerhouse when compared to the Apple TV and Roku 3.
 
isn't this basically another ouya, that is made by amazon in this case?

Edit: they also have tv streaming capabilities, and music, etc...

 
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Monsta Mack said:
According to people on GAF the 360 controller works with this (wired).

Can you re-download your games you bought on the fire to this? This needs to be answered.

I think the controller and system for $140 is a deal breaker for quite a few people. But It's still better then the Ouya.
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bzchanboy said:
I don't know if Fire TV has it's own app eco system seperate from the amazon app eco system. I'll let you know tomorrow.
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As far as I can tell, it's the same Android games that are on the Amazon app store.

The list of Fire Controller compatible games if you click through on the games themselves on that list takes you to the store page for the general Android app version and not a Fire TV specific version. In fact in clicking through the games on that list I already owned some of them.

 
Richard Kain said:
I'm not sure if this belongs in Game Deals. It seems like it should be in game general discussion instead. It's the original retail price, so it doesn't really qualify as a deal.
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It's posted to get referral links for CAG. They do it with every game console. The OP is a mod and the guy who runs the CAG Twitter as well.

 
just saw the total cost of $140 + tax, with that amount of money you can probably score a  used xbox 360/ps3, or  a new $200 xbox 360/ps3 for $60 more

 
tylerh1701 said:
It's posted to get referral links for CAG. They do it with every game console. The OP is a mod and the guy who runs the CAG Twitter as well.
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My god ... you mean he's a plant ... all these years I've trusted and bought everything that damn crying dog has been posting ... no! noooo!

 
MushaOne said:
From what I can see the only real thing is the certified Dolby Digital Plus surround sound, and is probably a little faster. For me the tv my Roku is on doesnt have surround sound and I think its fast enough. No need to get this.
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The Roku also does Dolby Digital Plus, it just does it pass-through meaning your receiver has to do the decoding. The Amazon box just does it internally so you can use an older receiver and get the LPCM/Multi Channel In stead like the Wii U does by the sound of it. Any fairly recent receiver can decode everything no problems. It is misleading because all of the streaming devices do at least DD, Roku and Chromecast do DD+ passthrough.

 
[quote name="TwistedShade" post="11662115" timestamp="1396461209"]I might be mistaken but I read it on a site so I'm making it real.
In one instance they talked about how you need to pay $60 Xbox Live JUST to use Netflix, and how nobody wants to pay to use a service they're already paying for.
[/quote]
Not to mention how I could never get Netflix to stream in HD on my 360. In the end I bought a PS3 for $120 which can do much more and have no intentions of renewing Xbox live once it expires.
 
I might have to get one of these just for software testing. From what I've seen, they're being pretty open with the development community. Any software that can run on standard Android will be able to run with the Fire TV as well. It's just a matter of getting an extra plug-in for Eclipse to add a few Fire TV-specific hooks to your project. My work with Unity should be able to port over to the Fire TV with no issues. And from the sound of it, owning one of the these will allow you to test your personal projects without any additional fees. This is all very encouraging for development.

They're also encouraging developers to add second-screen experiences to their projects. Several of the ideas I'm working on focus on this approach, so this could be a good platform for promoting this type of experience.

 
YBX87 said:
just saw the total cost of $140 + tax, with that amount of money you can probably score a used xbox 360/ps3, or a new $200 xbox 360/ps3 for $60 more
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Can't really compare this to a gaming console. These kind of devices (roku, apple, wdtv) offer a lot more streaming and local media playback options. They're a hell of a lot easier and simpler to use. Start up and shut down within seconds. Use a fraction of the energy. Give off a fraction of the heat. They're portable as well.

 
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breakfuss said:
Use a fraction of the energy. Give off a fraction of the heat. They're portable as well.
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There's also the noise factor. These devices are usually near-silent in their operation. Some of the home consoles can be quite loud, and that becomes a factor for more casual users. My sister complains about how loud the PS3 I got her can be.

A big advantage for Amazon is that so many people already use their on-line services and stores for their different kinds of media. This device will allow those users to access all of that content on their TV with as little fuss as possible. They are tying into an existing marketplace and infrastructure. That's going to give them an edge.

I am interested to see how well their microphone/remote works. It strikes me as a slightly more focused spin on the XBox One's voice controls.

 
breakfuss said:
Can't really compare this to a gaming console. These kind of devices (roku, apple, wdtv) offer a lot more streaming and local media playback options. They're a hell of a lot easier and simpler to use. Start up and shut down within seconds. Use a fraction of the energy. Give off a fraction of the heat. They're portable as well.
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depending on how strong the gpu is, this might actually have a bit more power than the Wii U does. But this deal really isn't for us here on CAG, i think they referred to it as a casual gaming.

Amazon has been pretty smart about things, people didn't think that the kindle fire was a good idea but that does really well for them.,

If they release a special offers version of this i'll pick it up for the offers.

 
Wolfpup said:
I'm wondering if this controller will work with anything else...Windows, RT, iOS, real Android, etc...

The controller actually looks nice and I'd use it with one of those, but I have no particular need for a butchered version of Android on a streaming thignee.

I do think Sony needs to hurry up and get VitaTV out in the U.S. It's their version of this, only it's also AN ACTUAL GAME SYSTEM.

Also even though Vita's now 2 years old, it STILL has a better GPU, and that's even before you consider that Vita allows you to code closer to the metal AND has dedicated video RAM.

Hell yeah!
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Wait, this doesn't play "regular games"? I guess you forgot that Amazon bought a game company recently. Most people expected this was coming as soon as that news hit.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/5/5384820/amazon-buys-video-game-studio-double-helix-games

This has the potential to disrupt the video game marketplace because of the "good enough" factor. Why spend hundreds of dollars on a game system if you can play something that's new and "good enough" for $100? While the PS4 and Xbox One are probably safe with the more core gaming audience to support them, this could spell the demise of the Wii U as any casual gamers left will probably just buy this.

I want a Vita TV for my secondary TV but if it doesn't come out soon, I will settle for this.

 
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Blaster man said:
While the PS4 and Xbox One are probably safe with the more core gaming audience to support them, this could spell the demise of the Wii U as any casual gamers left will probably just buy this.
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You are correct about the PS4 and XBox One being fundamentally different experiences. But the Wii U isn't really in contention with a device like this either. This is more to do with Nintendo's somewhat bizarre design decisions with the Wii U. The Wii U has been suffering because it is fundamentally not casual enough to appeal to the same audience that jumped on board the Wii. The Fire TV does have the potential to cater to that same big audience who gobbled up the Wii. But the Wii U already lost that audience, they've failed to gain them back.

The OUYA is the much more obvious loser in this scenario. The little console that could proved there was interest in such a device. But Amazon stands a much better chance of actually realizing that potential. Amazon's existing secure marketplace is going to make them much more appealing to small developers. The Fire TV is going to be able to snatch all the development support that was going to the OUYA. Porting between the two will be relatively simple, but the Fire TV comes out ahead in such a scenario.

I have to wonder what Apple's response will be, if there even is one. This Amazon box looks like it is going to curb-stomp the current iteration of the Apple TV.

 
If XBMC worked with surround sound and playable files from an external drive, I'd be all over this.  I use an Ouya for that now, but I'm kind of tired of the general bugginess of the system.

 
I can't believe people don't use Plex for all their local media streaming. It is by far the best thing EVER! Can't wait to try it on the FireTV.
 
It seems as though Amazon is targeting people who are looking for their first streaming-to-TV solution and not positioning this as a compelling upgrade for those who already have a streaming box.  The hardware and voice search feature are appealing, but not so much that I feel compelled to have this on top of or in place of my Roku.

 
Lubu said:
How limited will this set become if you don't have amazon prime? Its going up to $100 a year, and I'm not sure I want to continue it when it does.
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Well you get amazon streaming which say you pay the normal price of Netflix which is 8 bucks a month. Multiply by 12 and you get 96 dollars. And you get free 2 day shipping on prime eligible orders so if you order 1 thing a year from amazon under 25 bucks and you justified the cost of amazon prime.

Thats of course if you watch streaming video stuff.

Even with the price increase considering its over the course of a year its worth it to me.

Of course I locked in next year of prime for the old price. Just before the price hike I bought a year as a gift and set it up to deliver via email one week before my subscription runs out.
 
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