MUMBAI: Giving competition to Roku, Google Chrome Cast and similar streaming devices, Amazon Fire TV streaming gadget may be about to be launched in India this month. Reports have come in that the device will be available for Prime members at a starting price of Rs 1999.00, and for Rs 3999.00 for other subscribers.
Officially, Amazon neither confirmed nor denied the development when indiantelevision.com called up.
Airtel last week launched its first Internet TV set-top box at Rs 4999 with three months complimentary primary subscription. Reports of Reliance Jio planning to launch internet TV STB are also out.
Although Fire TV may not replace your DTH, Fire stick users will be able to access apps such as Youtube, Netflix, and of course Prime video. Prime subscribers will get unlimited access to the Amazon prime videos, shows and movies.
Besides Amazon, Reliance Digital and Croma will reportedly stock this product in chosen cities initially, and distribution is planned to expand to other cities step by step. Fire TV products are sold in stick or a TV box forms.
Fire stick's main OS is a tweaked version of Android with Amazon UI added in. This gadget is powered by 1GB RAM and a Quad-core processor and the primary feature is a Alex-backed voice command so that it could be operated by a remote.
The stick measures 85.9 x 30.0 x 12.6mm, and is shaped to plug directly into an HDMI port on the back of the TV. Amazon’s hardware is a bit wider than a standard HDMI cable. On the side of the stick is a micro USB port for powering the device. Amazon also adds in a power adaptor in the box, and its USB cable is generally longer, so as to reach the power strip. The device has seen some upgradation Wi-Fi has been upgraded to 802.11ac standard, which would help content to buffer faster.
Among the cons are -- the device isn't smart enough to know which streaming service a particular show is available on. Resolution is limited to around 1080p, although this could be understandable in a limited budget.
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