The big Amazon Fire TV update doesn't fix enough

The large Amazon Burn down Television receiver update doesn't gear up enough — here'south why

(Image credit: Amazon)

The latest Amazon Fire TV update took a while to roll out, and I don't think the wait was worth information technology. While information technology does offering i new feature that some households volition probably love, it's ultimately just some other update that keeps Amazon in the back of the pack when it comes to streaming device interfaces.

This may be a case of too long of a wait leading to higher expectations, then let's support for some context. In September 2020, Amazon announced it was updating the Burn down Boob tube user interface for a "new Fire TV experience," that redesigned the layout of the OS. And Amazon did not lie when it said the updates would come "afterward" that year: information technology arrived in December 2020. Except not all Burn Idiot box devices got it.

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At kickoff, only the Burn TV Stick 2020 and Fire TV Stick Lite got the update. And so, this past March, the Amazon's Fire Tv Cube (both 1st and 2nd gen) and the Fire TV Stick 4K finally got in on the fun.

Which is why I'm only at present seeing this update, as it so slowly rolled out into my den.

Only, first, let's start off with what I actually like nearly the update.

Amazon Fire Tv set update: What's improve

The big news is that you tin have different Fire Television set user profiles. This is skillful for customized recommendations, and getting to see just your apps. For houses that accept multiple Burn down Television devices, this also makes it easier for anybody to be on the same Amazon account (to share Prime Video access), while simply getting their own feel. But because I downloaded Peacock for WWE doesn't hateful the remainder of my household needs to have Peacock in their row of the pinnacle 5 apps (more than on that later) on their home screen.

Also, some apps now have preview rows, where y'all tin can see a row of suggested shows related to that program. Unsurprisingly, some apps have more than content hither than others. Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu merely have one row, while Prime number Video and IMDbTV (owned by Amazon) have multiple rows of content. This is keeping with the Burn Goggle box style, where in that location's merely more of everything Amazon-owned.

What's all the same wrong (and what got worse)

The Burn TV Bone is yet mostly a funnel for Amazon content. The top of the dwelling house screen is still a imprint for channels y'all tin can subscribe to on Prime number Video Channels, movies you lot can hire through Prime Video and shows on Prime number Video that you may have naught interest in. A rare exception, it seems, was made for the HBO Max app's Game of Thrones Iron Anniversary stream.

Also, the top-of-screen navigation tabs are gone, with Amazon moving that content to Dwelling, Detect, Alive tabs in the middle of the screen, and a Settings gear on the right, side by side to an Apps push. I kinda wish that the Apps icon (a box with three boxes within) were more obvious, as yous only know what it is if you hover over it. When I showed information technology to my dad, he couldn't guess what it was.

The home screen all the same includes more advertisements below the top half of the screen, perchance because Amazon knows it's trained people to ignore the content on that half.

The abode screen notwithstanding includes more advertisements below the top half of the screen, possibly considering Amazon knows it's trained people to ignore the content on that half. Scrolling down, I find a Sponsored row, promoting Discovery+ via Prime Video Channels, and when I hover over that — I encounter and hear an ad in the pinnacle correct corner.

The "Gratis to me - Amazon Channels" and "Pop TV on Prime Video Channels" rows are a bit irksome, but I'm used to information technology with Amazon at this stage. The erstwhile is arguably neat because it helps you find value in what you already pay for, simply the latter is filled with stuff I don't intendance nearly (no, I'm not interested in Star Trek: Lower Decks, an animated series, and tin can The Walking Dead terminate already).

Amazon Fire TV on TV with Amazon stick — (Paradigm credit: Amazon)

A few rows further down, more sponsored content! This time, it'southward Apps & Games! And this cadence repeats itself, similar the Instagram Stories carousel. A bunch of your stuff, and then something from Amazon, and so on.

This is bad. Maybe some people love to live the Amazon life, but just considering you bought a device from a company doesn't mean you want to be strength-fed primarily things from their ecosystem. Apple, which is constantly criticized for its walled gardens, does a pretty good job about making the tvOS interface clean and free of ads.

Amazon, exist more than similar Roku

Amazon doesn't have to look that far to see what information technology should be doing.

Roku'southward upcoming OS 10 update (which will hopefully go far sooner, rather than after) is delivering something called Instant Resume. When you launch an app, you'll become right dorsum to where you were last time. Not many channels support this out of the gate (a batch of xv+, Roku notes, including AT&T Tv, Pull a fast one on News Channel, Fubo, Plex and STARZ), just hopefully more than will follow.

Something similar this would brand information technology seem like Amazon is truly intent on making the streaming experience better. Otherwise, it simply seems like Amazon is finding more ways to evangelize its own stuff. And when Amazon's hits are few and far between — nosotros need The Boys season 3, just we will have to wait a while — information technology's hard to call back about a streaming life lived solely inside Amazon'south walls.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom'south Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other manufacture veterans.