Amazon has introduced a new series of smart TVs and soundbars that are geared toward users of its Fire TV operating system who want more-premium offerings.
On Thursday, the company unveiled its latest smart TV set, the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series, as well as the Fire TV Soundbar Plus Series and a redesigned Fire TV 4 Series, which will go on sale this month.
The introduction of the devices came with a separate announcement that Amazon has shipped more than 250 million Fire TV devices since the first one was introduced in 2014. With the new gadgets announced this week, the company is hoping to put its Fire TV operating system in front of even more users, including those who might not have tried out the Amazon-driven platform in the past.
“Over the last decade, we’ve learned a lot about what customers want out of TV, and it’s continued to evolve,” Daniel Rausch, the Vice President of Alexa and Fire TV at Amazon, said in a statement. “Of course, they still want beautiful, sharp picture quality, and immersive sound, but they also want more out of the device that is so prominently placed in their homes — they want a smart TV that is actually smart, beautiful, and useful, even when they aren’t watching shows or movies.”
The Fire TV Omni series ticks that box. First introduced three years ago, the Omni Series couples the Fire TV operating system with premium features like artificial intelligence-powered picture settings and high-quality sound.
The Omni Mini-LED Series kicks things up a notch by replacing the traditional LED panel with mini-LED, which allows for better color and contrast along with higher brightness. The Omni Mini-LED Series includes support for the Dolby Vision IQ and HDR 10+ Adaptive standards for better picture, along with 1,400 nits of peak brightness across 1,344 dimming zones, the company said. The on-board speakers include two subwoofers and support for Dolby Atmos, and the screen supports AMD FreeSync Premium Pro with variable refresh rates, including a 144Hz mode for gamers.
The Omni Mini-LED TV comes in five sizes — 55 inches, 65 inches, 75 inches and 85 inches — measured diagonally from one corner of the screen to another. The price of the Omni Mini-LED TV starts at $820 for the 55-inch model and goes up to $2,100 for the 85-inch model.
For those who want a more-affordable option, the Fire TV 4-Series has been totally reimagined with slimmer bezels on the ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) screen and support for HDR 10, HLG and Dolby Digital Sound. It starts at $330 for a 43-inch model and goes up to $460 for a 55-inch model.
On the audio side, Amazon has released a new series of Fire TV soundbars, including a new Fire TV SoundBar Plus that offers 3.1 channel audio and support for premium standards like Dolby Atmos, as well as two upgrade bundles — one that includes a wireless subwoofer, and the other with satellite speakers for true surround sound. The Fire TV Soundbar costs $250, while a bundle with the Fire TV Soundbar Plus and a wireless subwoofer costs $380. A complete package that includes the soundbar, wireless subwoofer and satellite speakers costs $490.
