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New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 17, 2015 05:03PM
$99 Amazon Fire TV - includes Alexa voice assistant (which works great IMHO). And plays 4k video content.

$49 color 7" tablets - $42 if you get them in a 6 pack. Yes, that's basically 6 Amazon tablets for the price of the cheapest iPad.

[www.amazon.com]
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: p8712
Date: September 17, 2015 05:05PM
I knew they'd update the firetv box! The Stick also has a voice remote now.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 17, 2015 05:08PM
"2160p up to 30fps; 720p and 1080p up to 60fps" on the new Fire TV.

9to5mac says that Amazon passed Apple in set-top box sales earlier this year (into third place behind Roku and Google).
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Lew Zealand
Date: September 17, 2015 05:19PM
Not much to quibble about on that tablet for $50 for general content consumption. I can't do it without a hi res display for sharp text when reading magazines but there's always the HD6 for $100 if you need that and don't mind a somewhat smaller screen.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 17, 2015 05:23PM
And the $99 kid-proof tablet is pretty appealing.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 17, 2015 06:17PM
Great move by Amazon. This makes it the '5K iMac' of OTT for just $100, and it has expandable storage (zombwtfbbq!).

I expect the new 64 GB ATV to be $100 in a nine months. Apple might be able to counter it with an A9X ATV that does 4K60 with HDMI 2.0 via USB-C.


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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: silvarios
Date: September 18, 2015 07:56AM
Assuming I'm not wedded to Amazon or Apple specifically, any reason I wouldn't go with the Amazon box over the Apple TV? Again, this is assuming I'm not deeply tied into either ecosystem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2015 08:00AM by silvarios.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: silvarios
Date: September 18, 2015 08:18AM
Whoa, the Amazon TV now supports expandable storage for apps out of the box? Okay, hands down winner. $150ish for 4K, fully voice supported, 64GB storage, included controller, micro game console/media box? That's what I expected from the Apple TV, kudos to Amazon.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 18, 2015 10:47AM
Quote
silvarios
Whoa, the Amazon TV now supports expandable storage for apps out of the box? Okay, hands down winner. $150ish for 4K, fully voice supported, 64GB storage, included controller, micro game console/media box? That's what I expected from the Apple TV, kudos to Amazon.

I think $140 version only gets you the game remote, as I recall. You have to pay more for the new Fire TV remote that works with Alexa.

4k support is still limited by HDMI 1.4. I was reading that only 7% of households have a 4k TV; the expected ownership at 20% is still several years away.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2015 10:48AM by sekker.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: silvarios
Date: September 18, 2015 11:08AM
Quote
sekker
I think $140 version only gets you the game remote, as I recall. You have to pay more for the new Fire TV remote that works with Alexa.

Sure, makes sense. I should have been clearer, my math was base Fire TV for $99, 64GB microSD for $25, and third party controller for $25. $150ish depending on tax and such.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 18, 2015 12:17PM
Quote
sekker
Quote
silvarios
Whoa, the Amazon TV now supports expandable storage for apps out of the box? Okay, hands down winner. $150ish for 4K, fully voice supported, 64GB storage, included controller, micro game console/media box? That's what I expected from the Apple TV, kudos to Amazon.

I think $140 version only gets you the game remote, as I recall. You have to pay more for the new Fire TV remote that works with Alexa.

4k support is still limited by HDMI 1.4. I was reading that only 7% of households have a 4k TV; the expected ownership at 20% is still several years away.

To view it from a different direction, the new FTV supports 4K TV's over HDMI as well as any current Mac.

TonyMacARM.com anybody?


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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: bhaveshp
Date: September 18, 2015 12:19PM
I wonder if the 4k support extends to Netflix & Youtube, in addition to Amazon Prime.

Speaking of which, what 4k content does Amazon have?

Now I just need my 7 year old LED based DLP TV to die, so I can justify a new TV grinning smiley

Edit: Answering my own question based on the Amazon product link at the top:

Quote

Enjoy TV episodes and movies in 4K Ultra HD including classic movies like The Way We Were, critically acclaimed TV shows like Orphan Black, blockbuster movies like Captain Phillips, Moneyball, and more. Titles are being added all the time on Amazon Video. Watch Amazon Original Series including Transparent, Catastrophe, and Man in the High Castle. Stream Netflix favorites including House of Cards in 4K Ultra HD.

Good on Amazon to push 4k support further, but my Amazon Fire Stick will suffice for now.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2015 12:24PM by bhaveshp.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: silvarios
Date: September 18, 2015 12:21PM
Quote
bhaveshp
I wonder if the 4k support extends to Netflix & Youtube, in addition to Amazon Prime.
Don't know. good question.

Quote
bhaveshp
Speaking of which, what 4k content does Amazon have?
Again, good question. No idea.

Quote
bhaveshp
Now I just need my 7 year old LED based DLP TV to die, so I can justify a new TV grinning smiley
Hit it with a hammer.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: bhaveshp
Date: September 18, 2015 12:29PM
Quote
silvarios
Quote
bhaveshp
Now I just need my 7 year old LED based DLP TV to die, so I can justify a new TV grinning smiley
Hit it with a hammer.

LOL! Hammer time is waiting until an LG 70" OLED TV with HDR comes in below $2500.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: silvarios
Date: September 18, 2015 12:29PM
Quote
bhaveshp
Quote
silvarios
Quote
bhaveshp
Now I just need my 7 year old LED based DLP TV to die, so I can justify a new TV grinning smiley
Hit it with a hammer.

LOL! Hammer time is waiting until an LG 70" OLED TV with HDR comes in below $2500.

Sounds like a plan!
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 18, 2015 12:48PM
Just remember, you should get a 4K TV that is twice as big as your 2K TV.

This might work well for one of the rumored new 4K iMacs.
F'lies preview for Black Friday?



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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 18, 2015 12:55PM
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

That's on a 1080P plasma.

The point is that streaming content is not even close to filling the bandwidth that is 1080P.

Clearly, we are years away from REAL 4k content. We will be seeing a ton of '4k' labeled media that will be a lot like those that sell BR discs of SD TV shows.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2015 12:57PM by sekker.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: bhaveshp
Date: September 18, 2015 01:10PM
Good point. I've seen articles that point out current "4k" streaming content is about equivalent to a 1080p Blu-Ray in picture quality.

I'll probably pick up a 4k Blu-Ray player at some point for true 4k content.

[www.usatoday.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2015 01:11PM by bhaveshp.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 18, 2015 01:44PM
Quote
sekker
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

Blame your cable provider since the CBS master feed is supposed to be 1080. Most of Xfinity X1 on ScumCrap is 720p, or 720p upscaled to 1080. I had been getting 1080 on the local HD channels, then I got a new X1 box and now ALL the channels get identified as 720p by the TV. I think they did it to save on bandwidth and fit more hours of recording on their DVR.


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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: space-time
Date: September 18, 2015 04:12PM
how much bandwidth do you need to stream 4k movies? right now with youtube and Amazon/Netflix/etc we go over the 250 GB data cap that Comcast used to enforce, but they said they no longer enforce. I think they want to bill you according to how much you use, so we need to watch out for the data when that time comes. for me, 1080 is good enough for now.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 18, 2015 05:27PM
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

Blame your cable provider since the CBS master feed is supposed to be 1080. Most of Xfinity X1 on ScumCrap is 720p, or 720p upscaled to 1080. I had been getting 1080 on the local HD channels, then I got a new X1 box and now ALL the channels get identified as 720p by the TV. I think they did it to save on bandwidth and fit more hours of recording on their DVR.

This is from an internet-only feed. AppleTV ethernet wired directly to my Cable modem.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 18, 2015 06:19PM
Quote
sekker
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

Blame your cable provider since the CBS master feed is supposed to be 1080. Most of Xfinity X1 on ScumCrap is 720p, or 720p upscaled to 1080. I had been getting 1080 on the local HD channels, then I got a new X1 box and now ALL the channels get identified as 720p by the TV. I think they did it to save on bandwidth and fit more hours of recording on their DVR.

This is from an internet-only feed. AppleTV ethernet wired directly to my Cable modem.

Is the feed directly from CBS, or via an app that streams it from a cable/DSL provider, or iTunes/Hulu/etc.?


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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: sekker
Date: September 18, 2015 07:36PM
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

Blame your cable provider since the CBS master feed is supposed to be 1080. Most of Xfinity X1 on ScumCrap is 720p, or 720p upscaled to 1080. I had been getting 1080 on the local HD channels, then I got a new X1 box and now ALL the channels get identified as 720p by the TV. I think they did it to save on bandwidth and fit more hours of recording on their DVR.

This is from an internet-only feed. AppleTV ethernet wired directly to my Cable modem.

Is the feed directly from CBS, or via an app that streams it from a cable/DSL provider, or iTunes/Hulu/etc.?

CBS app on a Roku 3.
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Re: New Amazon hardware
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: September 18, 2015 10:06PM
Quote
sekker
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
Quote
Filliam H. Muffman
Quote
sekker
About 4k content - I've been struck by how much BETTER the commercials are in terms of resolution from CBS all-access than watching Colbert.

Blame your cable provider since the CBS master feed is supposed to be 1080. Most of Xfinity X1 on ScumCrap is 720p, or 720p upscaled to 1080. I had been getting 1080 on the local HD channels, then I got a new X1 box and now ALL the channels get identified as 720p by the TV. I think they did it to save on bandwidth and fit more hours of recording on their DVR.

This is from an internet-only feed. AppleTV ethernet wired directly to my Cable modem.

Is the feed directly from CBS, or via an app that streams it from a cable/DSL provider, or iTunes/Hulu/etc.?

CBS app on a Roku 3.

They could be sending you different content because of the Roku connection/interface. Playing The Late Show on the PC, I see about 50% higher network activity when the show content is on versus commercials. A quick guess is 30 MBps until the buffer is full, and then 2.5 MBps average until a segment is interrupted by a commercial. In my experience, 2.5 MBps isn't quite 1080, so I guess they are sending 720p to me to save bandwidth. It might be to help me keep from going over the ScumCrap bandwidth cap... dunno smiley


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