Amazon had been in our living rooms for a few years now, letting TV manufacturers use the same proprietary software found on some of the best streaming devices, such as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Cube to power value-priced smart TVs. Now, with the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series, the company has made its debut in the TV niche with its Amazon-branded smart TVs.
In some ways, Amazon’s new formula shows big promise. The new Fire TV Omni series delivers 4K HDR picture in various sizes that start at aggressively low prices: with sizes ranging from the 50-inch model, with basic smart features, all the way to the larger 65-inch and 75-inch models that include Dolby Vision HDR, which, in Amazon’s own words, allows for “a more cinematic experience.”
All models in the Omni TV Series run Amazon’s Fire tv software and have built-in mics for hands-free Alexa voice commands – they work even when the screen is off. On a feature-price basis, Amazon’s new TVs offer more value for the buck than even the most affordable TVs in the market right now.
For smart home enthusiasts, the Omni Series TVs are a joy to use, especially in having an Alexa-enabled TV that can control most household smart operations, including their doorbell cameras and smart lights.
That said, we are sure of one thing, though: it isn’t going to challenge an LG OLED or Samsung QLED for best picture, but if all you want is a competent budget screen with some useful smart features, the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series delivers an experience that certainly punches above its price tag.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Specs
- Screen size: 65 inches
- Resolution: 3840 x 2160
- HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
- Refresh rate: 60Hz
- Ports: 3 HDMI 2.0 + 1 HDMI 2.1 with eARC
- Audio: 2 x 8-watt
- Smart TV software: Fire TV OS
- Size: 57.1 x 33.3 x 2.9 inches [w/o stand]
- Weight: 42.5 pounds [w/o stand]
Design and Features
By most measures, Amazon finally delivered the best-looking Fire TV yet. The 43-, 50- and 55-inch models sport a black bezel around all sides and black u-shaped feet supporting the TV near the outer edges, while the bigger 65- and 75-inch models have a silver bezel along the bottom and silver feet.
As mentioned, all models benefit from integrated Alexa, therefore, all variants come with a built-in microphone located at the bottom of the screen. It lights up when it hears the wake word, that’s the same phrase that wakes up Alexa on most of Amazon’s devices, and you can talk to it just like any other Echo device.
The Omni TV has a decent number of ports, all of which are located at the back. Here you’ll find three regular HDMI 2.0a ports and one HDMI 2.1 eARC port that you can use to connect to a soundbar. I feel that an extra HDMI 2.1 port would’ve been better, but it doesn’t matter considering this is only a 60Hz television.
Design-wise, you’re looking at a direct-lit LED LCD screen. It lacks local dimming and that affects the overall package, considering that’s a feature even Vizio includes on its entry-level TVs – we’ll cover that more in the performance section.
Bundled into the box is a plastic remote that can be used for voice commands in case you’re sitting further away from the TV or want to walk into another room for a minute and still need to run some commands, like changing the music playing on the TV.
Picture Quality
Performance is a bit of a mixed bag for the Amazon Omni TV. On one hand, it offers tremendous value by packing a smart TV with Alexa voice recognition for a pittance, but on the other hand, you miss out on several extras like Dolby Vision.
Setup is incredibly easy, especially if you have an Amazon account already. You’ll just need to enter some Wi-Fi information, and log in to your Amazon account to link the TV, and voila! You’re also getting the benefit of Fire TV’s refreshed UI right out of the box. It’s clean and simple to use, plus it prioritizes content.
The picture quality on the Amazon Omni is surprisingly fluent, among some of its dimmer, less colorful competitors. Even with its default out-of-the-box setting without calibration, the Omni TV shines with its bright highlights and deep colors. It makes most HDR games and movies look remarkably phenomenal.
- Cinematic 4K entertainment - Get true-to-life picture quality and rich, brilliant colors...
- HDR like you've never seen - Dolby Vision brings spectacular color, contrast, clarity, and...
- Hands-free TV with Alexa - With built-in microphones, just ask to turn on the TV, and...
In designing this TV, Amazon focused on 4K HDR content, and it is flawless. Playing games on an Xbox Series X and PS5 look fantastic, despite not being able to run at 120Hz. Colors look gorgeous on shows like The Witcher (available in 4K HDR on Netflix) they pop off the screen in vibrant hues.
Additionally, motion processing is great out of the box without any obvious artifacts in any of the content you’d be watching – you’re assured of getting the smoothest response when watching fast sequences like Formula 1 races or a football game on TV.
However, you need to look out for issues with upscaling. While the Amazon Omni Tv does a decent job taking 1080p content and upscaling it to fit the 4K screen, it’s not the smoothest. You won’t see any grain, but you’re likely to see a slightly softer picture than you would on a mid-range model.
Such issues should give you a pause, honestly, but for TVs in this price range, these issues are often significantly worse. With that in mind, Amazon’s first shot is a success in terms of picture quality, in our opinion.
Audio Performance
With two 8W down-firing speakers, you don’t expect much from the Amazon Omni TV. Dialogue is quite hard to hear unless the audio is cranked up to 40 or 50 and the balance doesn’t seem to be right no matter which audio preset or volume level you pick. This isn’t common for TVs at this price range, though.
You can fix that by adding a soundbar that’s capable of accepting Dolby Atmos signal and an external device like an Apple TV 4K or Xbox Series X.
Also, Amazon has tried to remedy the situation, especially for fledgling home audiophiles. It allows you to use an Amazon Echo device as a surround sound speaker.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Review: Verdict
The Amazon Fire TV Omni is certainly a clever approach to delivering a more premium Fire TV experience, from the revamped design to the introduction of currently-exclusive features, like hands-free Alexa and the promise of being the first to offer the upcoming feature, like video calling on TV. And it makes lots of sense, this is Amazon’s first branded Fire TV to get designed in-house. Don’t forget, it’s also the most expensive Fire TV yet.
Is the Amazon Fire TV worth it?
At this price, other smart TVs deliver better picture, thanks to QLED displays and backlights with local dimming. The Editors’ Choice TCL 6 Series Roku TV delivers a better viewing experience, and even the step-down TCL 5-Series Roku TV (S535) delivers more value at a better price. And, unfortunately, the Omni TV isn’t the best Fire TV on the market. The less expensive Toshiba C350 Fire TV may not have the room-listening mics for Alexa, but it boasts better picture performance than the Omni, while still providing all the features of the Fire TV.
Is Fire TV Omni any good?
Overall, the Amazon Fire TV Omni is a good TV, but not necessarily a great TV. It’s an easy sale, thanks to aggressive promotion from the bis online retailers, likely with big sales discounts this holiday season, and it will put the first Amazon-made smart TV into homes across the country and globe. But if Amazon wanted to deliver a standout smart TV to showcase Fire TV and its capabilities, looks like they did exactly that at a very reasonable price. We just hope the next generation Omni TV is better than this one.
The Review
Amazon Fire TV Omni
The Amazon Fire TV Omni is a big deal for Fire TV enthusiasts, delivering decent 4K HDR images that help it stand out in a crowded market. It’s great value for money and well worth buying if you’ve already invested in Amazon’s device ecosystem.
Recommended Configuration
Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni Series 4K UHD smart TV, hands-free with Alexa
$399.99 in stock
PROS
- 4K HDR for a pittance
- Premium design looks great
- Fire TV has never been better
CONS
- Mediocre audio output
- Upscaling could be better
Review Breakdown
-
EDITORS RATING
Last update on 2024-10-30 at 11:58 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
