Should you buy an Amazon Fire TV on Prime Day?
Amazon TVs are going at Fire sale prices
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WithAmazon Prime Dayhappening on July 11-12 and earlyPrime Daydeals already starting to trickle out, you might be wondering if now is the right time to buy a new TV at a substantial discount. Here’s a tip before you get swept up in Prime Day mania:Amazonmay have some great deals in the works, but many of those will apply to its own Amazon Fire TV-branded sets. That’s not to say you won’t find sweetPrime Day TV dealson other brands, but the greatest cost savings are reserved for the Fire TV lineup. Which begs the question: How do Amazon’s Fire TVs stack up against thebest 4K TVs?
Fire TV facts: what you need to know
Amazon’s4KFire TV family consists of three lines, theOmni QLED,Omni, and 4-Series. The Omni QLED models were introduced in late 2022, so they are relative newcomers on the 4K TV scene.
Amazon’s Omni QLED Fire TVs offer advanced features like full-array local dimming LED backlights (in the 50-inch and larger screen sizes, with up to 96 zones on the 75-inch model), Quantum Dots, and Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptivehigh dynamic rangesupport. They also offer a Fire TV Ambient Experience that allows for artwork and photos to be displayed when the set is not in use, along with Amazon Widgets such as calendar, shopping list, and weather options.
Amazon’s Omni and 4-Series Fire TVs are designed for cost-conscious viewers. They use a more basic direct-lit LED backlight and HDR support generally tops out at HDR10. Bypassing those features lets Amazon sell its TVs at a strikingly low price, with the 50-inch 4-series model currently available for $309.99 in afantastic early Prime Day deal(Prime members only).
The key difference between the step-up models and 4-Series is the presence of a built-in far-field mic array in the Omni QLED and Omni TVs that gives you hands-free control using Alexa voice commands. While both series come with a remote featuring a built-in mic that also provides voice control, the Omni QLED and Omni series can be operated entirely using just spoken commands. (You can switch the mic off if you prefer.)
Being Fire TVs, the Omni QLED, Omni, and 4-Series use Amazon’s Fire TV smart interface. This was updated in late 2021 with a new Home Dashboard feature that lets you control smart devices in your home through the TV’s screen. Fire TVs can also connect toAmazon’s Echo speakerswirelessly, giving you the option to easily – and inexpensively – improve their audio quality.
The Fire TV interface received additional updates in 2022 designed tooverhaul and streamline discovery and search.
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Amazon models aren’t the only Fire TVs –Hisense, Toshiba, Insignia, and Pioneer also sell sets that use the Fire TV interface. Like the Amazon-branded sets, some of these will also be sold at a steep discount on Prime Day, so keep your eyes on the prize.
Should you buy an Amazon Fire TV?
Given the choice deals Amazon is spreading around, you may be very tempted to click the Buy Now button on a Fire TV. But before you do that, first read ourOmni series review. Amazon’s set earned four stars for its bright, colorful images and good overall value,but it had some screen uniformity issues (not uncommon with direct-lit LED models) and mediocre audio performance.
We also have a 55-inch Omni QLED TV currently in for testing, so we’ll soon be able to give you a heads-up on that model as well.
If you’re simply out to get a 4K TV with good basic picture quality and a capable smart TV interface for streaming, the Omni and 4-series look like decent bets, while the Omni QLED series should deliver better picture performance, especially in terms of brightness and black uniformity due to the local-dimming backlight. But spending more on a TV from a budget brand likeTCL, Hisense, orViziomay be a better bet, and some models we’ve reviewed like theTCL 6-Series (2022)andHisense U8Hcould be seeing Prime Day discounts as well.
Early prime day Amazon Fire TV deals
Amazon Fire TV 75-inch Omni QLED Series:was $1,099.99 now$899.99 at AmazonAmazon’s recent Fire TV Omni QLED Series is a big step up in the otherwise cheap range of smart TVs. This set boasts premium features including a QLED display, HDR, Dolby Vision, local array dimming and HDMI 2.1 support to deliver a top-quality picture for all-around viewing and gaming. It’s especially rare to find a TV of this size and with these high-end features anywhere close to under $1,000, so it’s an excellent buy for the budget-conscious without compromising on quality.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series 75-inch 4K TV (2021):was $1,049.99 now$719.99 at AmazonIf you’re looking for a big-screen budget display in today’s early Prime Day deals, you can get this 75-inch Amazon Fire TV on sale for a fantastic price of $719.99. Amazon’s highly-ratedOmni Series TVsfeature 4K resolution support, Dolby Vision, HDR 10, and hands-free TV with Alexa. So, instead of using your remote, you can control the volume and launch channels completely hands-free.
Amazon Fire TV 50-inch 4-Series HD smart TV (2021):was $449.99 now$309.99 at AmazonThe Amazon 4-Series TV features the Fire OS for easy streaming, 4K Ultra HD resolution, DTS Studio Sound, and voice control with Amazon Alexa, plus three HDMI inputs to connect cable or satellite and video game consoles. Today’s early Prime Day deal brings the 50-inch model down to $309.99 - the cheapest-ever price.
Al Griffin has been writing about and reviewing A/V tech since the days LaserDiscs roamed the earth, and was previously the editor of Sound & Vision magazine.
When not reviewing the latest and greatest gear or watching movies at home, he can usually be found out and about on a bike.
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