Hidden Content

The Amazon Fire TV has finally touched down in the UK, letting you tap into Amazon's Instant Video collection, YouTube, Demand 5 and more, all in a tiny little box that sits under your TV for ?79. Can it take on the likes of the Apple TV and Roku's range of mini puck-sized streamers, or is the Fire TV nothing but hot air? We put one to the test to find out.

The good

Amazon might have dropped the ball with its Fire Phone, but the ?79 Fire TV checks all the right boxes in the design department, boasting a thin slice-like design that screams subtle. It won't look out of place next to your other TV gadgets, and it's small enough to tuck practically anywhere, plus it boasts connectivity goodies such as HDMI and an optical out jack, which bodes well for hi-fi purists.

Once booted up, it's a fast little box, thanks to its quad-core CPU and beefy 2GB of RAM, and it flies through almost anything you can throw at it. The included voice search using the remote's mic works just as advertised and can be pretty useful, even if it only works with Amazon's own content. It's the same story with the 'ASAP' feature which predicts what Amazon Instant Video you're going to watch next and it pre-loads it in the background ready for instant playback - perfect for binge-watching TV shows on Prime, but not so much if you're subscribed to Netflix.

There are plenty of apps onboard, including Plex, Twitch, Netflix, Demand 5 and, of course, Amazon's own Prime Instant Video, which is currently only available on games consoles and not rival streamers like the Roku or Apple TV. Combined with Netflix too, if you're willing to double dip on both services, you've got plenty of streaming options all in one tiny box.

The bad

While Amazon's Fire TV is pretty straight to the point for beaming down shows, it does have a few caveats. For starters, the USB slot is on the back of the box, which isn't convenient if you want to access it - but chances are you won't even need to use it, as there's no USB playback here and we doubt you?ll want to plug in a keyboard or mouse as the remote is spot on. We've also been spoiled by the headphone jack that comes with the Roku 3, letting us watch our favourite shows in peace and quiet, while you also don't get the convenience of AirPlay like on the Apple TV if you have an iPhone. It's also HDMI-only, so unlike the Roku it won't work with older TVs either.

The Fire TV does boast games, but they're not particularly great. Android games don't work for the same reason the Ouya struggled - mobile games just aren't meant for the big screen, and they lack the hallmark quality of proper console games too. Besides, the Fire TV game pad is an expensive add-on too.

Amazon has also essentially shot itself in the foot, as there?s already a more tempting model on the way: if you don?t want games or voice control in the remote, you might as well hang tight for the more discreet, unbelievably cheap Hidden Content that costs just $39 (?25), and it won't take up any room in your entertainment centre at all.

And of course, to really get the most out of it, you need an Amazon Prime subscription, which costs an extra ?79 on top of the Fire TV box. It?s great if you already have a subscription, but without one you won?t be able to fully use all the features of the Fire TV, such as ASAP or voice search.

The bottom line

The Fire TV has lots more potential than Amazon?s sluggish Fire Phone, but as with most first generation devices, it isn?t a must buy unless you can?t get Amazon Instant Video on your TV already. In which case, go right ahead, otherwise, we?d wait for the price of entry to come down with the Fire TV Stick, which promises the best of the Fire TV for less than half the price.

Hidden Content

whats not said here is it can be rooted and loaded with your own apps...including kodi(xbmc)