Nov 22, 2024 Last Updated 22:06 PM EST

NewsAmazon, Fire TV, Apple TV, 4K Video, Alexa, Gaming Edition

Can Amazon's new 4K-ready Fire TV wipe the new Apple TV off the map?

Sep 21, 2015 01:59 AM EDT

Right after Apple announced its new Apple TV, Amazon unleashed on September 17 its new Fire TV set-top box version, along with its Fire TV Stick HDMI dongle, and its new Fire TV Gaming Edition.

According to Mashable, the all new upgraded Fire TV has 4K video support and the Alexa, which is the voice assistant from Amazon's echo smart home Bluetooth speaker. The new Fire TV costs $99.99 and will be ship on October 5.

It is considered to be 75% more powerful than its previous version, due to its new quad-core processor by MediaTek. It rises above the competition with its higher-resolution format.

Amazon's new Fire TV has the capability to stream 4K videos from Amazon Video, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix. To avail the new services, users need to have 4K TV.

Express UK reported that Amazon has updated hundreds of TV shows and movies with 4K resolution on its Prime Instant Video. Besides the 4K resolution, it also has an improved processor, SD Card slot worth 128GB for more content and faster WiFi.

The remote is also improved for easier use. Amazon is also launching an enhanced games controller.

With the $139.99 bundle, Amazon will include the special "gaming edition" with new Fire TV game controller that comes with 32GB microSD Card and a couple of games. It will be shipped in October 22.

According to The International Business Times, The Fire TV box allows users to experience more than 3,000 apps and games, which makes it strong enough to go head on against the new Apple TV, which will have its own iOS-style App Store for the first time.

Amazon's additional Alexa, allows users to simply as the remote control about music, weather, traffic, and news, through the new Fire TV, just like the company's previous Echo.

Amazon's new Fire TV will also have the HEVC, which is a new video codec that makes streaming video easier and take up less bandwidth. This minimizes the possibility of buffering.

Amazon also announced its $49.99 Fire TV Stick, which will be out on October 22. It supports voice control for voice commands.