Amazon Fire TV • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#71

Post by goatforce5 » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:30 PM UTC

johne20 wrote: post #39

This device plus antenna input for over-the-air local HD channels combined with simple dvr functionality would be the ultimate cord-cutting device.

Yes, something like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouView

in North America would be great.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#72

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:30 PM UTC

schrodinger wrote: post #24

aroch wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you mean "any device that isn't Amazon branded", since Android devices that aren't in the Kindle Fire family also can't watch Amazon streaming stuff. Amazon is attempting vendor lockin.

There is an ios app for Amazon streaming...

[deleted]

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#73

Post by ANH » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:30 PM UTC

swanson wrote: post #32

The side-by-side comparison with Roku/AppleTV actually looks pretty bad for Amazon Fire TV... Same price, the only differences are that the Fire TV has voice search (don't care), a bunch of technical specs that the layperson doesn't care about, and a bunch of games (don't care). It's missing the checkbox for HBO GO (deal breaker for me personally). I was expecting something like a monthly subscription for all-you-can…

Eh, looks pretty good to me. Our wants are diametrically opposed: Voice search (do care -- Apple TV search is painful), tech specs (non line-of-sight remote -- Apple TV is line-of-sight), games (eh, might be a nice diversion for a few minutes after an episode of Walking Dead), and I don't have an HBO subscription.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#74

Post by intherdfield » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:31 PM UTC

matthewaustin wrote: post #21

Prominently showing Game of Thrones content in the images, even though the Fire doesn't support HBO Go? Way to be deceptive, Amazon.

Game of Thrones is available for streaming on Amazon Instant Video.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#75

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:32 PM UTC

swanson wrote: post #32

The side-by-side comparison with Roku/AppleTV actually looks pretty bad for Amazon Fire TV... Same price, the only differences are that the Fire TV has voice search (don't care), a bunch of technical specs that the layperson doesn't care about, and a bunch of games (don't care). It's missing the checkbox for HBO GO (deal breaker for me personally). I was expecting something like a monthly subscription for all-you-can…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#76

Post by scottm01 » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:33 PM UTC

swanson wrote: post #32

The side-by-side comparison with Roku/AppleTV actually looks pretty bad for Amazon Fire TV... Same price, the only differences are that the Fire TV has voice search (don't care), a bunch of technical specs that the layperson doesn't care about, and a bunch of games (don't care). It's missing the checkbox for HBO GO (deal breaker for me personally). I was expecting something like a monthly subscription for all-you-can…

Agreed, I own a roku and a chromecast, there is literally nothing here that makes me regret either, and nothing that would make me choose the Fire TV over AppleTV if I did want to be tied closer to one ecosystem.

I guess I'm bummed that it means it's unlikely the prime video interface will get any better on Roku, but Prime Instant video quality is already so much worse for me then any other source it's not that big a loss.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#77

Post by mmcclure » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:33 PM UTC

I know this is a nitpick...I really do, but for some reason things like this in marketing copy really annoy me:

"Remote with no line of sight required" - not checked for Chromecast. While kind of true since Chromecast doesn't have a dedicated remote, but the devices used to control it absolutely don't require line of site.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#78

Post by Osiris » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:34 PM UTC

SlashmanX wrote: post #35

Any indication on whether or not it will run XBMC?

I'm curious myself if this will be capable of running XBMC or another app for streaming content over a LAN. FireTV runs an Android variant, so it seems like it's plausible, but it depends on if you need to root it or if it will be an installable app.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#79

Post by Touche » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:35 PM UTC

swanson wrote: post #32

The side-by-side comparison with Roku/AppleTV actually looks pretty bad for Amazon Fire TV... Same price, the only differences are that the Fire TV has voice search (don't care), a bunch of technical specs that the layperson doesn't care about, and a bunch of games (don't care). It's missing the checkbox for HBO GO (deal breaker for me personally). I was expecting something like a monthly subscription for all-you-can…

Looks like Roku with a better UI. I'll be getting one.

> I was expecting something like a monthly subscription for all-you-can-watch access to any TV show on Amazon Instant (not just the free Prime episodes).

That would be prohibitively expensive. You're talking about basically every popular show on TV.

Re: Amazon Fire TV

#80

Post by Osiris » Wed, Apr 02, 2014, 4:36 PM UTC

mindslight wrote: post #52

Or simply stick with a Raspberry Pi, which is free of arbitrary manufacturer-imposted restrictions and comfortably off of the locked-down-software induced upgrade treadmill.

RPI is a single-core @700mhz with 512MB RAM compared to quad-core, 2GB of RAM, so it's a significant bump up in hardware specs for not that much money.

I'm curious how long it will take people to root it.