Williams Pelegrin
Amazon’s Fire TV Edition program has grown substantially over the years. The program started in 2017 with smart TVs, with over 40 million people using Fire TV Edition products. Hoping to increase that number, Amazon today announced it will bring its Fire TV platform to cars and more soundbars.
Starting with cars, Amazon has some catching up to do. Whereas Apple and Google built software for dashboard displays, Amazon can only point to its Echo Auto adapter. Thanks to new partnerships with BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Amazon hopes to change the narrative by bringing its Fire TV platform to in-car entertainment systems. These systems will offer seatback screens and hands-free Alexa. There’s also support for offline playback and streaming from Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and other services using the car’s Wi-Fi or LTE connection.
We don’t know when we’ll see Fire TV debut in BMW and FCA vehicles, nor which specific models will feature the integration. That said, family-oriented vehicles like SUVs and mini-vans likely might get first dibs on the software.
Amazon didn’t stop there, as the company also talked up Fire TV Edition for soundbars. In terms of features, Amazon will upgrade Fire TV Edition soundbars with Dolby Atmos support, compatible device control, HDMI switching, and far-field voice control with Alexa later in 2020. These features will allow Fire TV Edition soundbars to act as the central hub of your entertainment system.
Amazon also unveiled a new Fire TV Edition soundbar: the TCL Alto 8+ Soundbar. You can pre-order the soundbar right now from Amazon in the U.S. and Canada for $199.99, with availability scheduled for February 18. As for those in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, the TCL TS8011 Soundbar Fire TV Edition will launch soon. The two TCL soundbars feature Dolby Digital Plus support.
