Amazon sparks line of Amazon-built TVs

Amazon has introduced its first lineup of Amazon-built connected TVs that will be powered by its Fire TV and Alexa platforms, a move that puts rival streaming platform players and various TV-makers on notice.

The top of Amazon's new TV line is the Fire TV Omni series, which builds in support for Amazon Alexa (for voice-powered, hands-free navigation), 4K, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and, for some of the larger models, Dolby Digital Plus. Amazon's Fire TV Omni series is available in five screen/model sizes: 43 inches ($409.99), 50 inches ($509.99), 55 inches ($559.99), 65 inches ($829.99) and 75 inches ($1,099.99). Amazon is also enabling integration with other devices, such as Ring video doorbells, and expects to introduce a "smart home dashboard" later this year that will enable users to control connected devices via the TV.

Figure 1: Amazon's Fire TV Omni series starts at $409.99.
(Image source: Amazon)

Amazon also introduced the Fire TV 4-Series TVs, which also combine 4K with HDR formats, but use a separate remote control to support Alexa-powered functions. The Fire TV 4-Series TVs are initially available in three model/screen sizes: 43 inches ($369.99), 50 inches ($469.99) and 55 inches ($519.99).

Amazon introduced those smart TV products just days after Business Insider reported that the company was on the cusp of launching its first batch of Amazon-branded televisions. Amazon did not announce any manufacturing partners for its new models, but Business Insider reported that TCL is among third parties that initially worked with Amazon on the design and manufacture of the new line of smart TVs.

"Amazon works with a variety of suppliers and partners to source and build devices," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Competitive impact

Amazon's deeper move into smart TVs fits well with many aspects of its business, from retail sales and streaming to advertising and smart home devices, Colin Dixon, founder and chief analyst at nScreenMedia, said.

"As a retailer, it makes a lot of sense for Amazon to do this," he said, noting that Amazon will likely anchor IMDb TV, its free, ad-supported streaming service, to its new lineup of connected TVs. "It also makes a lot of sense for them to do it from the pure Amazon ecosystem play."

Competitively, Amazon's move will impact companies that make TVs with their own operating systems/content platforms, such as Samsung, LG Electronics and Vizio. But it will also have a competitive effect on Roku and Google, which have broadened the reach of their respective streaming platforms by forging partnerships with various TV makers. Comcast, meanwhile, remains a wild card as it continues to explore plans to integrate its X1/Flex software platforms on smart TVs.

"But the company that it impacts the most is Roku," Dixon said, noting that Amazon and Roku are practically neck-and-neck in the streaming media player market. Roku, meanwhile, has enjoyed more success integrating its platform on smart TVs and has seen explosive growth for The Roku Channel, the company's ad-supported, free streaming service.

"This will go a long way in evening the field, given Amazon's marketing prowess," Dixon said of Amazon's decision to make and sell its own smart TVs. "They [Amazon] are going to sell a lot of TVs. It's that simple. And anyone who buys these Amazon TVs will also be watching a lot of IMDb TV and a lot of ads."

That said, he doesn't expect Amazon's latest move to completely disrupt or alter the competitive landscape right away. "It's not hugely problematic for Roku," Dixon said, noting that the overall advertising VoD streaming market continues to grow in leaps and bounds. "I think there's still room for everybody in the market. But it's getting much more competitive, that's for sure."

More from Amazon

Amazon, on Thursday, also introduced a new streaming player – the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Equipped with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and support for 4K, HDR and Wi-Fi 6, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max sells for $54.99. Amazon says the product, powered by a quad-core 1.8GHz processor and 2 gigabytes of RAM, is 40% more powerful than the Fire TV Stick 4K.

Figure 2: The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has joined Amazon's lineup of streaming players, and is purported to be 40% more powerful than the last-gen Fire TV Stick 4K.
(Image source: Amazon)

Although Amazon is putting its weight behind its own, company-branded TVs, it is still working with other TV makers on connected sets that are powered by the Fire TV platform. On Thursday, Amazon and Best Buy announced two smart TVs models with Fire TV built-in from Pioneer – a 43-inch and a 50-inch model – as well as a new series of models from Toshiba set to launch in spring 2022 that will weave in far-field voice capabilities.

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— Jeff Baumgartner, Senior Editor, Light Reading