Roku is the most important identify in streaming {hardware}, with seven completely different streamers obtainable proper now, and much more TVs and soundbars. Amazon has been gunning for Roku’s slice of the pie ever because the first Fire TV appeared. But what Amazon hasn’t had is an ultracheap possibility, till now. The $30 Amazon Fire TV Lite is the corporate’s newest try to compete with Roku’s most cost-effective participant, the Roku Express. If you needed an ultracheap Amazon streamer for the worth of a DVD, it is lastly right here.
LikeFilth-cheapIncludes Alexa voice remoteWide vary of streaming appsIntegrates nicely with Echo audio system
Don’t LikeVoice instructions do not work with each appMore advanced menus than RokuHDR with out 4K is kinda pointless
Amazon launched not one however two new streamers on the identical time — the opposite was the up to date $40 Fire Stick — however I might argue that the Fire Stick TV Lite is the higher deal. The foremost distinction is that the costlier Stick has a unique distant with energy, quantity and mute buttons to manage your TV. If you are solely utilizing this streamer on an inexpensive TV anyway, it is price saving the cash, except you really need TV management.So is the $30 Fire TV Lite higher than the $30 Roku Express? They largely have the identical choice of apps, except for Peacock — NBC’s new service that is not but on Fire TV. The two greatest variations are in menu techniques and voice assist. The Lite’s built-in entry to Alexa is a giant benefit if you happen to like talking as a substitute of typing once you seek for reveals and launch apps. In the top, I favored the Fire TV platform a bit higher, though Roku continues to be a superb alternative too. If your TV has an HDMI port, the Fire TV Stick Lite is a good way to equip it with a wealth of streaming for not a lot cash.
What is it?
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The Fire TV Lite is a USB stick-sized machine which plugs right into a spare HDMI port in your TV. For 30 bucks it provides a whole lot of options, together with that devoted voice distant that permits integration with the Alexa voice assistant. There’s additionally dozens of supported streaming companies amongst its hundreds of accessible apps.The distant hasn’t bodily modified a lot because the first Fire TV and I did not like the texture as a lot because the Roku distant or the new Google TV distant. Amazon’s clicker additionally lacks the shortcuts to Netflix or different often-used companies, however it does embrace a brand new reside TV button. The Lite distant ought to look acquainted to Fire TV customers.
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Pressing that new backside button brings up a grid-style reside TV information populated by default with “channels” of free reveals from Pluto TV and Starz. Strangely Amazon’s personal IMDb TV is just not a part of the reside TV grid, regardless that it has its personal program grid when you open the app. If you occur to subscribe to YouTube TV, you will additionally see reveals and channels from that service within the information, though it did not work with Sling TV (subscribers should use the Sling app as common).
The stick itself comes with an influence adapter. While you may use the USB ports in your machine to energy it I recommend you employ the adapter as a substitute, or the unit may behave unusually. For instance, Dolby Atmos content material would not work in any respect when plugged right into a TV USB port, regardless of the machine declaring “Dolby” — the sound got here out as 5.1.One characteristic on the Lite’s characteristic checklist appears a little bit misplaced: HDR compatibility. This is the primary machine we have seen to supply HDR however not 4K decision, and it raises the query of what sort of TV it is designed for. There are a whole bunch of 4K HDR TVs on the market however, based mostly on a search of the Best Buy web site, there are solely 4 1080p TVs that may do HDR. For most individuals with 4K HDR TVs, we would advocate getting a streamer that may truly do 4K as a substitute of a 1080p streamer just like the Lite.Lots of streaming apps (however no Peacock or HBO Max)The Fire TV Lite helps a variety of apps.
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Like different streaming units the variety of companies that Amazon Fire TV helps is bettering on a regular basis. It can entry virtually all the main streaming apps, together with Amazon Prime Video ($9 at Amazon), Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, Crackle, Pluto TV, Tubi TV, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify and plenty of, many extra. With so many companies supported it is virtually simpler to checklist the companies the adapter would not have: particularly NBC’s Peacock and HBO Max ($15 at HBO Max) (although it does have a vanilla HBO app). Roku and Chromecast with Google TV each supply Peacock and the latter additionally contains HBO Max.
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Voice assist is sweet however it did not work with each app I attempted, together with Netflix. Asking for “Umbrella Academy” failed and I simply acquired a “check your skills” message (there may be no official Netflix ability within the Alexa app). YouTube TV would not appear to permit voice search but both; I requested for “Battle Bots” and all I acquired have been YouTube and Amazon “buy” hyperlinks. Amazon Prime video labored nicely with Alexa voice, nevertheless, and I appreciated having the ability to use both the distant or an Alexa speaker.In distinction, Roku might not have the identical strong voice capabilities, however textual content searches by way of the Roku distant are typically extra focused towards free or included packages reasonably than merely “buy now” hyperlinks. The new Live button on the distant summons a grid-style program information.
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What it is like to make use ofThe wholesome complement of options, tightly built-in voice instructions and its relative pace makes for a profitable mixture. In common opening apps was speedy, and solely navigating the house web page tiles may give a really occasional slow-down, however nothing that spoiled the expertise. Using the Fire TV Stick Lite distant is straightforward, and Alexa searches with the microphone button have been extra responsive and related than utilizing the Echo as a go-between. Only from time to time did I want for a mute button, and that was often throughout the autoplay movies that accompany the tiles on the house web page.Picture and sound high quality have been additionally superb, however the lack of an audio format management past “Best Available” may result in some odd issues. For instance, The Legend of Korra on Netflix utilizing the Lite solely gave me stereo sound (although it ought to be able to 5.1), whereas the brand new Fire Stick did give me the anticipated 5.1. Other packages, together with Jack Ryan on Amazon, have been performed in Atmos on the Lite so it wasn’t probably a {hardware} functionality concern. More probably a Netflix one, however I’ve reached out to Amazon for clarification.
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There are two completely different faculties of thought on the subject of how streaming units arrange their content material. App-centric menus like Roku and Apple TV simply present you a grid of apps, so you may’t truly browse for one thing to observe with out clicking by to every app. Amazon Fire TV and Google TV take a extra content-focused method, surfacing plenty of titles on the house web page itself. If you prefer to graze for content material, the Fire TV is perhaps extra interesting, though the “live tiles” autoplay video may be jarring. If you recognize what you need already, or a minimum of what app you wish to watch, Roku might be a more sensible choice, partially as a result of Amazon’s search outcomes skews closely towards its personal (usually user-pays-extra) content material. Amazon has promised an interface replace later in 2020, which can come first to each the Lite and the 2020 Fire TV. It provides a redesigned foremost menu and improved looking, plus a brand new part known as Alexa Explore with new recipes, inventory stories and extra.Should you purchase it?If you need an ultracheap, succesful streamer and are embedded with Alexa and the Amazon universe, this product makes a whole lot of sense. You might or might not miss the TV management features however the Live TV Guide button is an actual bonus for cord-cutters particularly. At $30 it is a worthy streamer and an amazing stocking filler.If, alternatively, you will have the 2019 Fire Stick, there’s completely no purpose so that you can purchase both of the 2020 variations. Dolby Atmos and/or Dolby Vision are bizarre add-ons for 1080p units, and in case you have a good 4K TV then you must get an actual 4K streamer — it is simply one other $20.