GTrusted
The Amazon Fire TV (2017) is the follow-on to the Amazon Fire TV (2015) but now supports 4K HDR output through a HDMI 2.0 connector.
Both Amazon and Apple updated their media player lineup with 4K HDR support but the Amazon Fire TV (2017) and Apple TV 4K (2017) take different approaches towards bringing the 4K HDR experience to their user base.
We purchased the Fire TV (2017 directly from Amazon Prime and like other products from Amazon, it arrives in a clear plastic bag rather than being shrink wrapped although with some damage to the packaging.
The Fire TV (2017) stays true to the orange and black color scheme and origami style packaging used in past products.
The Fire TV (2017) comes with an Alexa enabled remote control with batteries, USB Type-A to Micro-B cable, USB Type-A based AC charger, and documentation.
The AC charger is rated at 9 watts which is much more power than a lot of USB ports on a TV can provide. There are some features like system updates that require you to use this AC charger.
Unlike the Apple TV 4K (2017) which uses Siri and touch based remote control, the Fire TV (2017) uses Alexa and more traditional left/right/up/down navigation controls.
The Fire TV (2017) incorporates a tethered HDMI cable so that you won't need a separate HDMI cable similar to the Fire TV Stick (2016). It's an interesting design choice to have such a large body dangling from your HDMI port of your TV, and is less aesthetically pleasing compared to the tethered Google Chromecast Ultra which has a smaller rounded form factor. The Apple TV 4K (2017) doesn't have a tethered HDMI cable but also looks a lot better in your living room.
The Fire TV (2017)'s Alexa remote control has the same design as the Fire TV Stick (2016) and is equally as difficult to remove the back case to insert the two AAA batteries.
We then connected the Fire TV (2017) to the LG B6 OLED 4K HDR Smart TV - 65" Class HDMI 2.0 port. In the past, you could just use the USB port on the TV but the Fire TV (2017) works best if you use the supplied 9W power supply since it's needed for doing system updates (you can still use the TV USB ports as the power source for watching 4K HDR video).
The first screen you see is the Fire TV (2017) trying to search for the Alexa enabled remote. Make sure you insert good batteries in the remote and press the home button for 10 seconds.
Similar to the Apple TV 4K (2017), the screens cycle through the different supported languages.
Once the remote is connected automatically over Bluetooth, you can press the play button to continue with the setup.
Next, you need to choose your language and set up the Wi-Fi network that the Apple TV 4K (2017) should join.
You then need to sign into your Amazon account.
You can also save your Wi-Fi password to Amazon so it will be easier to connect Alexa devices.
Amazon differentiates itself by offering a parental control option.
Amazon then plays a video introducing the Fire TV (2017), highlighting its 4K Ultra HD content and Alexa voice control features.
You can then select the Apps you want to download like Netflix and Hulu. Although Amazon Prime video is available on a lot of Smart TV platforms including the Apple TV 4K (2017), Amazon wants the Fire TV (2017) to be the platform for you to download other streaming media and gaming Apps. Note YouTube is not supported on the Fire TV (2017).
Unlike the Apple TV 4K (2017) which keeps to Apple's non-advertising based business model, the Fire TV (2017) is more similar to the Amazon Prime Exclusive Phones which embeds advertising into the user experience. Every time you want a video, Amazon will put up video advertising which can detract from the user experience.
Amazon now has a some 4K movies (mostly produced by Amazon) available on the Fire TV (2017) but also relies quite a bit on Amazon produced 4K HDR TV shows like Red Oaks and The Man in the High Castle. The Apple TV 4K (2017) has a lot more popular mainstream movies that you can enjoy in their full 4K Dolby Vision or HDR10 glory.
The Fire TV (2017) only supports HDR10 so you need to make sure your 4K TV is HDR10 compatible as opposed to just supporting Dolby Vision. This means that even Netflix shows which use Dolby Vision, get converted to HDR10 through the Fire TV (2017). Unfortunately, the Fire TV (2017) does not use HDR technology in its menu or screensavers making them look a lot more full compared to the Apple TV 4K (2017) which keeps HDR turned on all the time.
Next, we will take a closer look at how to set up the best picture quality on the Fire TV (2017) with the LG B6 OLED 4K HDR Smart TV - 65" Class and look at HDR support on the Netflix App in this review.
