Amazon unveils new Fire TV devices & partners
September 5, 2019
Amazon has announced a lineup of more than 15 new Fire TV Edition products for customers around the globe, including the first Fire TV Edition smart TV with built-in far-field voice control, the first OLED Fire TV Edition smart TV, and the first-ever Fire TV Edition soundbar.
“Customers have told us how much they use and love Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United States and Canada, with millions of devices sold and an average rating of more than 4 stars across all models,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President of Amazon Fire TV. “Today we’re thrilled to introduce innovative Fire TV Edition smart TVs and the first-ever Fire TV Edition soundbar from global brands that customers know and love. We can’t wait for customers to experience these new devices with the Fire TV experience built-in.”
Fire TV Edition smart TVs uniquely bring together live broadcast TV channels and all of streaming content into one location. With Fire TV Edition smart TVs users can connect a HD antenna and use Alexa to instantly search for and watch live TV, or choose from a vast catalogue of content from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more, as well as local apps like ITV Hub, All 4, and My5 in the UK, and ARD, ZDF, TVNOW, ProSieben, DAZN, and waipu.tv in Germany.
Users can also pair any Fire TV Edition product without far-field voice control with any Echo device for hands-free control—just ask and Alexa will play a show, help find a movie to watch, control playback, and more.
Amazon has revealed it is also bringing Fire TV to France Italy, and Spain.
“Over 37 million people enjoy Fire TV devices around the world today, and we’re delighted to give customers in France, Italy, and Spain an enhanced Fire TV experience that makes it easy and fun to discover a new favourite show from popular apps such as Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Molotov, Movistar+, and more,” said Eric Saarnio, Head of Amazon Devices, Europe.
Expansion of Fire TV Edition smart TVs
Following the growth of Fire TV Edition smart TVs at Best Buy in the US, Amazon has announced collaborations with Dixons Carphone, MediaMarktSaturn, and Grundig to bring the next generation of Fire TV Edition smart TVs to customers in the UK, Germany, and Austria. With native language support, Fire TV Edition smart TVs are localised for European customers to give them a great user experience.
To support this global expansion, Amazon now works with a growing number of TV manufacturers who produce Fire TV Edition smart TVs. Skyworth, Arcelik, TPV, Compal, and others, can now build Fire TV Edition smart TVs for their customers with manufacturing and assembly capabilities around the world.
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with Dixons Carphone
Amazon and Dixons Carphone, parent company of Currys PC World, have joined forces to launch JVC – Fire TV Edition Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TVs, which are the first Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United Kingdom—sold at Currys PC World and from Currys PC World as a third party seller on Amazon.co.uk. Available in three models—40”, 49” and 55”—each supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and provides an expanded contrast range and superior brightness, as well as over 8 million pixels for stunning clarity and vivid colors. Fire TV Edition smart TVs from JVC come with the Voice Remote with Alexa, which lets users control entertainment, manage compatible smart home devices, switch inputs, and more using just your voice.
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with MediaMarktSaturn
Amazon and IMTRON, a company of MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group managing the private label products of the CE retailers MediaMarkt and Saturn, announced plans for a lineup of Fire TV Edition smart TVs. The first models under the private label ok. will be available next year in Germany and Austria.
“We are very excited about collaborating with Amazon. Our aim is to offer high-quality products with the latest features at affordable prices,” explains Karsten Sommer, Managing Director IMTRON GmbH. “By integrating Fire TV into the smart TVs of our private label ok., we provide customers of MediaMarkt and Saturn with an incredible user experience. In addition, we are also making it easier for even more customers to control their smart home just by using their voice.”
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with Grundig
Grundig and Amazon announced eleven Fire TV Edition smart TVs in Germany and Austria, including the world’s first Fire TV Edition with far-field voice control. The Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition is available in four models—two with far-field voice control and two without—and is the first Fire TV Edition experience on an OLED TV. With eight built-in microphones and Alexa, the Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition Hands-Free with Alexa gives users far-field voice control over the living room entertainment experience. Grundig and Amazon are also announcing the Grundig Vision 7 – Fire TV Edition with 4K Ultra HD and the Grundig Vision 6 – Fire TV Edition with Full HD, which also includes the Voice Remote with Alexa. With today’s news, the entire Grundig smart TV lineup will ship with the Fire TV experience built-in.
“Our new Grundig Fire TV Edition television range redefines how people think about their TV experience. Customers not only have access to all their favorite content through live broadcast and video-on-demand, but can also control their compatible smart home products and access thousands of apps, channels, and Alexa skills. We’re excited to be able to offer our customers the world’s first Fire TV Edition television with far-field voice control, making it even easier for users to control their television and elevate their smart TV experience,” said Mario Vogl, Grundig’s Northern Europe Regional Director and Managing Director Germany.
The First-Ever Fire TV Edition Soundbar
Building off the success of Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United States and Canada, Amazon is introducing an entirely new category of products—Fire TV Edition soundbars. The Fire TV experience is integrated directly into the soundbar system, delivering a complete home cinema experience with expansive video streaming and superior sound, all in a single device. Users can even add the Fire TV Edition soundbar to a multi-room music group in the Alexa mobile app, letting users stream from Amazon Music and others throughout the home.
Fire TV Edition Soundbar with Anker Innovations
The first expansion of Fire TV Edition beyond smart TVs is from Anker Innovations and Amazon, who have teamed up to launch the Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition, which turns any TV into a cinematic smart TV experience. Featuring support for 4K Ultra HD, a unified smart TV user interface, near-field Alexa voice control, Dolby Vision pass through, and more, the Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition gives users a cohesive entertainment experience with rich sounds that will fill any room. Users can use the included Voice Remote with Alexa to easily navigate the Fire TV experience, turn a compatible TV on and off, and control soundbar functions like power, volume and mute. The Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition is launching in the US, Canada, the UK and Germany.
Paolo Pescatore, TMT Analyst at PP Foresight, described the breadth of announcements as “impressive”, suggesting they underlined the huge potential for Amazon to grow its presence in Europe. “It is well positioned in the UK and its diverse approach acts a benchmark for other countries to follow suit. Amazon now offers a range of own branded devices, Prime Video is available via numerous telcos/pay TV providers and now on the High Street with Dixons as a key retail partner,” he noted.
“Amazon now boasts a strong device line up for TV and potential other services. Games represents a key avenue for all providers which was noticeably absent. Furthermore, Amazon needs to work more closely with free to air broadcasters in Europe to help turnaround their fortunes,” he advised.
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