Earlier this week, Amazon held its annual fall hardware event, unveiling its next-gen lineup of smart speakers, smart displays, and streaming devices. Alongside the launch of a new $40 Fire TV Stick Select, the company took this opportunity to finally unveil Vega OS, a long-in-the-works move away from its Android-based Fire OS platform. If you’ve been wondering how Amazon managed to score deals with every major platform publisher for streaming apps, however, the company’s solution might make you raise an eyebrow.
After years of rumors and reports, Amazon has officially announced Vega OS, its replacement for Android on Fire TV hardware, and it’s going to make some big changes.
It’s finally time. After years of rumors, reports, and plenty of evidence, Amazon is reportedly gearing up to announce “Vega OS” as its replacement for Android on Fire TV next week.
It’s been expected for a while now, but according to a new report, Amazon is set to do away with the Android foundation for its Fire TV streaming devices, with the replacement launching later this year.
It was reported that Amazon would be shifting its Fire TV lineup away from an Android base, but it seems that’s at least being put off for a while longer as the company has hinted at a new Android 14-based build.
Amazon’s Fire TV platform has never really been light on ads, but it seems the company has been trying to find more locations to slip advertisements in as of late. Now, some Fire TV users have noticed that Amazon seems to be replacing the screensaver with more ads.
Voice search is a key aspect of any smart TV platform, but how capable it is varies wildly from platform to platform. This week, Amazon has announced that it will use AI to enhance Fire TV voice search, but all of the examples are things that Google TV can already do.
Late last year a report came out that Amazon would ditch Android for its own operating system, and if that report wasn’t enough, a job listing is making it pretty clear what’s going on.
At CES 2024 Amazon is introducing “Matter Casting,” a new standard for casting content from apps on your phone to Amazon Fire TV and Amazon smart displays, similar to Google’s Chromecast and Apple’s AirPlay.
Almost every smart TV platform is, at this point, a billboard for ads with your apps sprinkled in, but where the line is drawn for many is automatically playing videos. Now, Amazon Fire TV is showing fullscreen video ads to users, and there’s no way to avoid it.
Amazon has been using “forked” versions of Android to power its products for years now, but the company is apparently planning to swap that out with a new web-forward “Vega” OS starting with new Fire TV devices.
Amazon is reportedly working with partners on a new Fire TV feature that will show content you’ve been watching in a dedicated homescreen row, much like Google TV.
Amazon appears to be imposing a ban on apps that allow users to remap the buttons on Fire TV remotes, and it’s not the first time the company has made this move.
As content keeps moving around between various streaming services, Google TV has turned out to be a lifeboat of sorts in making it easy to figure out what content is available on which service. Some third-party apps have since found ways to replicate that, but Amazon is blocking that “guide” functionality on its Fire TV platform.
As it continues to face intense scrutiny for its practices with Android partners, Google has just struck a new deal with Amazon that will allow Android partners to produce Amazon Fire TVs.
When YouTube TV brought surround sound to Google/Android TV and Roku earlier this month, Google said it was working to expand availability, and 5.1 audio is now available on some Amazon Fire TV devices.
Today Xiaomi announced its very first set of Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, with a trio of options hitting the market. It’s now the second Google partner for Android TV OS to adopt the Fire TV platform in under a month.
Google’s Android TV has long been competing for its place in the market, and in the United States it primarily goes against Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV. Most Android TV and Google TV partners also sell Roku models, but they’ve never mixed in with Fire TV. That changes now, as Hisense has launched its first Amazon Fire TV model.
Amazon’s Fire TV platform is built on top of Android, just like the company’s tablets – this adds a lot of flexibility to the platform, but with its latest update, Amazon seems to be going out of its way to block Android launchers on Fire TV.
YouTube has essentially the same app across TV platforms, and over the past week it’s been rolling out a revamped video interface to some platforms. Here’s a quick look at the new YouTube UI rolling out on Android TV, Fire TV, and probably other platforms.
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon’s new Fire TV OS streams Android apps on worse hardware for the same price… why?
Earlier this week, Amazon held its annual fall hardware event, unveiling its next-gen lineup of smart speakers, smart displays, and streaming devices. Alongside the launch of a new $40 Fire TV Stick Select, the company took this opportunity to finally unveil Vega OS, a long-in-the-works move away from its Android-based Fire OS platform. If you’ve been wondering how Amazon managed to score deals with every major platform publisher for streaming apps, however, the company’s solution might make you raise an eyebrow.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon launches Vega OS, its Android replacement for Fire TV with no sideloading
After years of rumors and reports, Amazon has officially announced Vega OS, its replacement for Android on Fire TV hardware, and it’s going to make some big changes.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Amazon may replace Android on Fire TV with ‘Vega OS’ starting next week
It’s finally time. After years of rumors, reports, and plenty of evidence, Amazon is reportedly gearing up to announce “Vega OS” as its replacement for Android on Fire TV next week.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Amazon will begin to ditch Android base for Fire TV later this year
It’s been expected for a while now, but according to a new report, Amazon is set to do away with the Android foundation for its Fire TV streaming devices, with the replacement launching later this year.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon isn’t giving up on Android for the Fire TV just yet
It was reported that Amazon would be shifting its Fire TV lineup away from an Android base, but it seems that’s at least being put off for a while longer as the company has hinted at a new Android 14-based build.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon Fire TV update removes the ability to hide apps from homescreen
A new update is now rolling out to Amazon Fire TV devices which removes a useful homescreen feature that would allow users to hide apps.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube app fixes sign-in issues on Amazon Fire TV
An update to the YouTube app on Amazon Fire TV has been released to fix issues with sign-in that many users were running into.
Expand Expanding CloseXbox Cloud Gaming is now available on Amazon Fire TV Stick [U]
Microsoft has announced that Amazon Fire TV is getting support for an Xbox Cloud Gaming app in the first expansion in quite some time.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon may be showing more ads on Fire TV screensaver [U]
Amazon’s Fire TV platform has never really been light on ads, but it seems the company has been trying to find more locations to slip advertisements in as of late. Now, some Fire TV users have noticed that Amazon seems to be replacing the screensaver with more ads.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon slightly tones down the aggressive autoplay video ads on Fire TV
Late last year Amazon added fullscreen, autoplay video ads on Fire TV devices and, now, the company is toning those down just a little bit.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon Fire TV using AI to do what Google TV’s voice search started doing years ago
Voice search is a key aspect of any smart TV platform, but how capable it is varies wildly from platform to platform. This week, Amazon has announced that it will use AI to enhance Fire TV voice search, but all of the examples are things that Google TV can already do.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon confirms that Fire TV is dropping Android in deleted job listing
Late last year a report came out that Amazon would ditch Android for its own operating system, and if that report wasn’t enough, a job listing is making it pretty clear what’s going on.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon Fire TV and smart displays get their own version of Chromecast with ‘Matter Casting’
At CES 2024 Amazon is introducing “Matter Casting,” a new standard for casting content from apps on your phone to Amazon Fire TV and Amazon smart displays, similar to Google’s Chromecast and Apple’s AirPlay.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon is now automatically playing fullscreen video ads on Fire TV
Almost every smart TV platform is, at this point, a billboard for ads with your apps sprinkled in, but where the line is drawn for many is automatically playing videos. Now, Amazon Fire TV is showing fullscreen video ads to users, and there’s no way to avoid it.
Expand Expanding CloseReport: Amazon will ditch Android in ‘all of its new devices’ starting with Fire TV
Amazon has been using “forked” versions of Android to power its products for years now, but the company is apparently planning to swap that out with a new web-forward “Vega” OS starting with new Fire TV devices.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon Fire TV will reportedly copy and fix Google TV’s ‘Continue Watching’ row
Amazon is reportedly working with partners on a new Fire TV feature that will show content you’ve been watching in a dedicated homescreen row, much like Google TV.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon blocks Fire TV users from remapping remote buttons yet again
Amazon appears to be imposing a ban on apps that allow users to remap the buttons on Fire TV remotes, and it’s not the first time the company has made this move.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon is blocking apps from bringing Google TV’s best feature to Fire TV
As content keeps moving around between various streaming services, Google TV has turned out to be a lifeboat of sorts in making it easy to figure out what content is available on which service. Some third-party apps have since found ways to replicate that, but Amazon is blocking that “guide” functionality on its Fire TV platform.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle reportedly strikes deal that allows Android partners to make Amazon Fire TVs
As it continues to face intense scrutiny for its practices with Android partners, Google has just struck a new deal with Amazon that will allow Android partners to produce Amazon Fire TVs.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV 5.1 surround sound now supported on these Amazon Fire TV devices
When YouTube TV brought surround sound to Google/Android TV and Roku earlier this month, Google said it was working to expand availability, and 5.1 audio is now available on some Amazon Fire TV devices.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle TV watches as another partner, Xiaomi, adopts Amazon Fire TV
Today Xiaomi announced its very first set of Amazon Fire TV smart TVs, with a trio of options hitting the market. It’s now the second Google partner for Android TV OS to adopt the Fire TV platform in under a month.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s Android TV partners can apparently make Fire TVs now, as Hisense plays both sides
Google’s Android TV has long been competing for its place in the market, and in the United States it primarily goes against Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV. Most Android TV and Google TV partners also sell Roku models, but they’ve never mixed in with Fire TV. That changes now, as Hisense has launched its first Amazon Fire TV model.
Expand Expanding CloseAmazon seemingly blocks third-party Android launchers with latest Fire TV updates
Amazon’s Fire TV platform is built on top of Android, just like the company’s tablets – this adds a lot of flexibility to the platform, but with its latest update, Amazon seems to be going out of its way to block Android launchers on Fire TV.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube brings a new video interface to Android TV, Fire TV [Gallery]
YouTube has essentially the same app across TV platforms, and over the past week it’s been rolling out a revamped video interface to some platforms. Here’s a quick look at the new YouTube UI rolling out on Android TV, Fire TV, and probably other platforms.
Expand Expanding Close